Rebecca Costa-Brown

Pain, pain was now my companion, I realized. I might had already felt no such despair If I was born with it. But getting cancer in my teenager years, where I already experienced the goodness of life makes the despair I felt all so maddening. But I know that I would get over it, the same when I was stuck in a hospital bed with all the tubes stuck in me, I got over it, the same when my beautiful luscious hair weakened until they start falling off, I got over it, when the hope filled smiles of my friends, family and the doctors becoming faker and faker as treatment after treatment, I got over it.

I, Rebecca Costa-Brown despaired inside when I realized the pain won't ever stop, that I can only blankly stare at the ceiling as any scant movements give me pain, even breathing. Its been a few moments since my mother left with one of the doctors outside, my gaze tried painfully panned to the door, where all I can hear are murmurs.

Shouting and crying, I realized. It must be something bad again, probably pertaining to my condition. I pondered such grim thoughts in my bed as I clinically knows I can't do anything. I cannot go there and comfort my family, because I can't stand up. I cannot give them a (fake)smile and some (fake)encouragement because they are not talking inside my room, I cannot even give comfort because I am just in the hospital bed, the one having cancer and the source of their sadness and pain.

I did not know, hours probably, maybe minutes, staring at the ceiling, the sunlight outside the windows makes me note its still noon as I tried to not hear a single bit from the conversation outside and regulating my pain filled breathing. But I did noticed someone was already with her in the room.

Fluffy was the first word I thought, the absolute fluffy peach-like colored hair he seems to be sporting and his general atmosphere made me think of him being that. Then the white clean cut hoodie he wore and a green shirt underneath it as he slouched in one of the nearby chair, fanny pack resting on his lap. Then the absolutely nerd like expression he sported, a really youthful face and build, which with the mask on his face cannot easily hide, especially the sheer brightness of his green eyes. He would probably be one of those boys I would not really probably date with given he seems to be a bit of a wimp.

If I'm is even date material with my current situation, I thought as I nailed him with my best reproachful look while still in bed, bald and pain filled body.

"Hi, sorry..." And he's a meek one at that. The guy sheepishly scratched the back of his neck as his eyes darted everywhere than me. "Can I duck in here for a bit? The adults outside is getting a little bit heated..."

I thought for a few moments, making the guy somehow squirm adorably at his seat. A curt nod, and the fluffy guy exaggeratedly sighed and slumped further on his chair.

"Thanks... its just... sorry but I can't..." And he started rambling, again and again as I felt a budding irritation slowly grow in me as the guy talks from the smallest things that happened, some inane trivia, history and even somehow weird developments I would had sleep or ignored out of sheer boredom. Though his choice of literature has some things left for desired, not liking Maggie Holt is the highest of heresy.

I did not really want to stop the guy from speaking because of his sheer enthusiasm and weird fluffy nerd like actions, with the exaggerated gestures and what not but hearing it from what seems like days of rambling coming out of his mouth brought forth the irritation out of me.

"Stop." I rasped and with a blink and two, the man obediently shut his mouth. "Why are you doing... this?"

Left unsaid why is he even bothering with a stranger like me, a very sick one at that for what seems like hours if the afternoon light outside makes me note of him staying in my room for hours. I did not even knew when the conversation out of my door is already over and there seems no people outside left.

The man scratched his chin as he seems to be seriously think what she said. She waited patiently as he took his time and then he slapped his closed fist in an open palm and simply said.

"Cause I'm bored?" I felt the irritation raise out of her and it seems it appeared on my face as he waved panickily his hands and continued on.

"Sorry, sorry," The guy apologized, as he slowly dropped his hands on his lap. "Its... just when I looked at you... you seems really scared and lonely I think...?"

That did it for me. I pinned the man with my absolute poker face look as I looked at him, squirming again on his chair as I felt my heartbeat painfully quicken at his words.

"Am not." Finally, I said after a few moments. I did not huffed, but I did averted my gaze away from him though which made him seems to laugh a bit.

"Liar." The word snapped my gaze back at him.

"You know nothing."

"No," the guy shook his head. "I do not know anything, everything especially how you truly feel." I said to him on get to the point quickly. The guy merely smiled.

"The thing is, I just know someone who wants and needs some help, especially with that really empty gaze you were looking at everything."

Were? I thought.

"Yes, where." I widened my eyes slightly as he merely gave me a good natured laugh. "Its practically written in your face, sorry. Don't worry I'm not really a mind reader." He jokingly whispered and he seems to had an epiphany and opened the fanny pack on his lap and took out a small mirror and showed me my reflection.

I widened my eyes as I saw myself look at me with wide bright eyes and an absolute genuine smile. I panned my stunned look at him as his eyes arced with him obviously smiling more beneath that mask, somehow.

"I don't know if its my super amazing looks." I gaze at him as I tried to express I felt barfing at his words. "Or my amazing personality, or probably my word vomits, but I know the usual things you might had probably been talked to is how super strong and courageous you are and all that where they actually just using your actions as a pillar of support also and all the plethora of reasons... So I thought, how about I make this girl smile? And you did!

"So how did me being me help ya? Did I sufficiently distracted your time and all?" He said as his fluffy short hair bounced at him looking at me with expectant look, I blinked at him and I fully registered what he said and I realized...

"Yes..." the idiot actually made me listen attentively on whatever he said and somehow distracted me from feeling any of the pain I usually feel...

"Still got it!" He said enthusiastically as he pumped his fist as he seems to be genuinely happy of what he did. "Though they might be really worried for me now..." He said looking at the window outside visibly slumping which made me realize he was hiding in my room.

"Will you come back?" I said quickly as I felt and thought he is thinking probably to leave me with how late it is. The guy merely stilled and gaze at me with what seems to be something weird passing in his eyes and he panned his gaze above the ceiling for a few moments and looked back at me with a strangely embarrassed yet happy gaze.

"Of course! Though..." He scratched his neck as he looked straight at me with a bit of fluster. "I don't know your name?"

"..." I looked at the absolute tactless idiot.

"Rebecca Costa-Brown." I simply said as he visibly wilted when he realized he did something stupid. He coughed and raised his hand for a shake.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Rebecca Costa-Brown, I'm Romani Archaman."

I looked at his open palm, then I looked at my weak hands with tubes in them, then I looked at his visibly sweating face with a deadpan look.

"Ahahahaha~..."

A/N: Welp, it seems I joined this madness too...