Chapter two
"And that was how Will and I became friends,"
"You and Will became friends by Will insulting you?"
"It wasn't really an insult,"
Tessa scoffed and kicked her legs that dangled in front of her bed. Jem sat up and looked at her. He smiled, and Tessa smiled back. Her heart raced in her chest and her stomach was full of butterflies.
"That reminds me! Did I ever tell you I play the violin?" Jem inquired. Tessa shook her head no. Leaning over on the other side of the bed, Jem brought out a violin case, which, Tessa assumed, contained a violin.
"Can you play for me?"
"Yeah, I'll play for you. But my music will be so good that it'll make you swoon," Jem winked, taking his violin out of its case.
"Oh, really?" Tessa challenged, raising a brow. Jem gave a lopsided smile and positioned his violin under the crook of his neck, and laid his head on it. He placed his bow on the strings and began to play. The sound was high and sweet, the notes correct and perfect. Tessa stared in awe, the music filling her ears as if demanding to be heard, as if it chose Tessa as the chosen one. As beautiful as it was, it sounded depressing. It was slow, but at a pace. Brows furrowing in concentration, Jem furiously played, the pace quickening and the music was even higher, as if a scream, but it wasn't high pitched. It had a melody that held various emotions. With a fierce note, Jem stopped and opened his eyes slowly. Upon seeing Tessa, he rushed toward her, fretting.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, worry etched in his voice. Tessa half-laughed, half-cried, and felt her face. She found it wet, and laughed.
"No- no, I'm not hurt!"
"Then my music was terrible," Jem said, a little defeated.
"No, Jem. That wasn't why I cried! I cried because it was such a beautiful piece," Jem brightened and smiled a smile that Tessa found rare; it was bright and happy, joyful. It was the rarest smiles she had ever seen, and Tessa found herself quoting The Great Gatsby aloud. She blushed.
"'Rarest smiles'? Why, dear Tessa, I feel loved,"
Tessa glared.
(A/N: For weak stomachs, I suggest that you don't read this part. I, myself, felt sick writing this. I'll tell you when this part is over.)
Tessa's vision focused and unfocused. She was in the bathroom by the cubicle, vomiting blood. It wasn't unusual; if you're a very sick cancer patient, this'll happen. Gripping the toilet seat for support, Tessa heaved into the toilet, blood falling from her mouth in such a fast pace that Tessa couldn't stop vomiting. Her head felt light, and she fell onto the floor in a weak manner.
(A/N: You may continue here. I apologise for that part, and for writing that, I had lost my appetite to eat my very own dinner.)
The nurses marched in and helped her up, carrying her to the ICU, a floor down from her room. Blood dripped from Tessa's mouth, and she closed her eyes, crying at the pain she felt everywhere. She begged the nurses to make the pain stop, and they kept reassuring her. Tessa didn't believe them. She hated pain. She hated this. She hated her life. She hated how unfair this was, how she was just a side effect. Tessa had always thought that when people have cancer, or any type of illness, they were just experiments gone wrong. That's what I am, Tessa thought bitterly. I'm just a failed experiment.
Tessa woke in a lot of pain, and groaned from it. The pain came from her back, spreading all over to her neck to her chest. Too weak to make a move, she closed her eyes, hoping the pain would go away. Though she knew it wouldn't. It would never go away, and it would never stop coming. Not until her last breath anyway. She heard her door open, and she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. It wasn't hard; she was already tired and she couldn't move. She heard a rustle, and someone sitting in a chair. Was someone here to visit her? No, it couldn't be. She had no family members left. The person in the chair sighed a sigh that Tessa found familiar.
"Tessa," Jem breathed. He sounded as if he'd been crying, and she couldn't blame him. She thought it was her time to go. Tessa's heart raced in her chest. He's visiting me? She thought.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,"
What're you sorry for, Jem? Tessa wished she could voice her thoughts, but she couldn't. Very faintly, she heard Jem sniff and cry softly, as though she were already gone.
Jem! I'm right here! I'm not gone, no, not yet! I'd never leave you!
Darkness washed over her.
A/N: I apologise for that one particular scene in this chapter. I know in The Fault in Our Stars that Hazel didn't vomit every day but this fanfic is actually dedicated to my grandmother, whom I've never met. She's from my dad's side of the family and she had suffered from lung cancer, and my dad had helped her get through it but she didn't make it. I'll be angered if you think this is false, because I know it isn't. I've been to her grave and my dad had told me, but I knew he didn't like the subject. Apparently, whatever is happening to Tessa in here happened to my grandmother, so I just kind of... you know. Freaked. I shall continue it though!
Good morning/afternoon/night!
