Thank you for your continued support.
I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own the movie Everything Everything.
MERCEDES' POV
Sitting in my outdoor swing, hanging chair, I take a look around me, seeing everything that I love and although it makes me happy, I'm also sad.
It's great to have everything you love and want at your fingertips, but everything I need is beyond them. Just a stone's throw away, but also a million miles away.
Don't get me wrong, I love this room. It's my favorite room in the entire house.
Most days I imagine the glass that surrounds me, would just fall away and I'd be on the outside, enjoying the breeze, the birds singing in the trees, the sky the sun and even the sea, everything.
I don't leave my house, in fact, I haven't left in seventeen years. If I go outside, I'd probably die.
A radiator sterilizes my clothes. I own a hundred white t-shirts, they're my standard uniform.
There is an airlocked room surrounding my front door. Since it's sealed and airtight, nothing can leak into the house when the door is opened.
I would love to go outside, but I can't.
Simple viruses can kill me. It's like I'm allergic to everything. What I eat, what I touch, they all have consequences.
I have Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, or SCID, as it's commonly known. In other words, my immune system sucks.
This is how it is. In every drop of blood, they are special cells called Lymphocytes. Some of these are good at fighting off bad guys, like viruses and bacteria, but because I have SCID, I have fewer Lymphocytes than normal. The ones that I do have, are not so good at fighting off anything.
My mom made me join an online support group, some of these people are really sick and some have a hard time interacting socially. At least I have the internet…and Blaine.
I do my fair share of exercise and I read a lot of books. When I'm done, I write short reviews.
I also take an architecture class on line, and whenever I make a new model, I put an astronaut inside. I can relate to him. I feel as though I'm stranded in space, because every day feels exactly the same.
NEUTRAL POV
Mercedes was just adding the finishing touches to an astronaut she was sketching, when she heard movement outside.
She calmly got up and went to the glass window facing the empty house next door.
She saw a Moving Truck with the back door open and sitting in it was a guy, dressed in all black, long hair and a skateboard beside him.
He noticed her right away and stood up in the truck, trying to get a better look at her.
She watched as a man appeared at the back of the truck and instructed the boy to get down. He did as told, taking his skateboard with him. His eyes remained glued to hers as he mounted the board and rode in her direction.
Mercedes too, couldn't take her eyes away from him. He was extremely handsome and as he smiled, it did something to her. If anyone asked her to explain what she was feeling in that moment, she wouldn't be able to say.
Everything seemed to slow down, as he peacefully rode his board with a smile on his face.
It all felt magical.
He gave a small wave and mouthed "Hi" to her as he disappeared from her sight.
A sweet smiled enveloped her face as her thoughts sounded in her head.
'This must be Blaine's friend. Maybe today will be different.'
She was brought out of her thoughts, when she heard the door to her hermetically sealed environment being opened. It was her mother.
She patiently watched as her mom entered after keying in the unlock code and stood before the other door, waiting for it to open.
There were certain procedures to go through and her mom followed all, from a to z. She watched as her mom placed her bag on a long wooden bench, stepped out of her heels and into a pair of comfortable soft shoes and proceeded to thoroughly wash her hands.
After which she dries them on a clean white cloth and placed it into a receptacle, resembling a bin.
MERCEDES' POV
If you're going to have an illness that requires someone to watch if you're still breathing, it's convenient for your mother to be a doctor.
I was diagnosed with SCID from an early age. My mom, Dr. Chantal Jones, was the one to figure out what was wrong with me, after eight ear infections and two cases of pneumonia.
I couldn't gain any weight as a baby…. which didn't hold true… because right now, I'm pretty sure that I have a little more than the average weight.
But who cares? I don't, my mom doesn't and Blaine doesn't. I'm me…I'm beautiful and I'll always think that way... or Blaine and my mom will have my behind.
Most kids with SCID don't make it past two years old, so that alone makes me eternally grateful for making it this far.
NEUTRAL POV
Just as her mom enters the house, her phone rings and she takes a moment to answer her call.
Mercedes knew exactly what to do next. She moved towards the medical station and sit, waiting patiently for her mom to finish her call. Her mom approached with a smile on her face.
"Hi sweetie," she chirped and planted a kiss to her daughter's forehead.
"Hi mom. How was your night?"
Her mom expertly turned to the many items on the counter and picked up a blood pressure monitor. As she slipped the cuff onto her daughter's arm, she said,
"The usual. Long hours on my feet, a pain in the butt to deal with every now and again, but all in all, a very satisfying night. I wouldn't change any of it for the world. Helping people and seeing them get well enough to leave the hospital, is the best feeling ever. Tell me, how is your day going so far?"
Mercedes thought about the day she was having so far. It was pretty safe to say, she was having a good day. Today was a milestone, one that was worth celebrating.
"So far so good."
MERCEDES' POV
Today is my birthday. I'm eighteen, which means nothing inside here. Time passes the same way, everyday.
Looking at my mom, I realized that this is the face patients usually see. Slightly distant, concerned. I wonder if they find it comforting… I do.
NEUTRAL POV
She watched as her mom followed through with her normal examinations, temperature, pulse and chest. It brought relief to her when she saw a smile on her mother's face.
"You didn't have to take the day off," she told her mom. A huge smile blossomed on her mom's face.
"I always take the day off. What do you wanna do today?" Mercedes smiled widely and said,
"Same thing we always do."
With that, they both enjoyed yellow cake with vanilla frosting, covered in white chocolate shaped sunflowers. Next, they proceeded to play a game of Scrabble, with Mercedes forming some interesting words.
"What does that say?" her mom asked, looking at a word her daughter spelled, with skepticism.
With a laugh, Mercedes replied, "Spotlight."
Her mom had to laugh. "No it doesn't."
"You're not good at phonetic Scrabble."
"Because it doesn't make any sense."
"You're the one who always wants to play."
"It was your dad's favorite game."
"Did he beat you too?"
"No, he'd let me win sometimes."
Amongst giggles and many 'new' words to add to their dictionaries, the two finished their game and went to wash up.
Later on, they sat cuddled on the couch, watching an old favorite movie called, 'Moonstruck' starring Cher and Nicolas Cage.
Mercedes loved that movie. She knew it line for line. She watched as her favorite leading lady slapped her male suitor, after he confessed to being in love with her. Her favorite line, 'Snap out of it,' made her smile.
Just then, the doorbell sounded and she said, "I'll get it."
Her mom moved to get up, saying, "Stay here."
At the door, Sam Evans and his younger sister Stacy, stood and waited for someone to answer.
Meanwhile, curiosity compelled Mercedes to find out who was at the door. She went to the monitor for the outside camera, and was pleasantly surprised to see the guy she saw earlier, with a girl who looked almost like him.
He looked nervous and he had a cake in his hand. She smiled at the way he fidgeted.
Her mom on the other hand, was also surprised to see the boy and the girl, standing there. She looked at them, silently questioning their intention.
"Hi, my mom sent a Bundt. It's not very good," the boy nervously said.
Mrs. Jones was speechless for a beat. She really didn't know what to say. The girl piped in saying,
"It's kind of a thing our mom does. Every time we move in somewhere, she'll make us bring one to the neighbors. It's actually more of an apology than an introduction."
Mrs. Jones became silently amused. She asked,
"What is she apologizing for?" Before the girl could answer, the boy replied,
"For moving in."
"Oh… That's nice."
She made no move to accept the cake from the boy's outstretched arms. As kindly as she could, she said,
"Actually, I can't accept that."
"Why not?" he asked.
"It's complicated…but…please thank your mother for me…and… welcome to the neighborhood."
She turned to go back inside, but was stopped in her tracks when he asked, "Is your daughter around?"
His sister looked at him and said, "So that's why you came."
"No, it isn't."
"Yeah, it is." Their bickering was cut short by Mrs. Jones saying,
"No she isn't." She promptly closed the door and turned away.
At the monitor, Mercedes watched as the two turned away, laughing at the awkward encounter with her mother. The boy said,
"You take the Bundt next time."
A slight sadness shrouded her. This is the most activity that she's witnessed for a while and she still couldn't be a part of it.
She ran over to the window facing her new neighbors and watched as the boy and girl frolicked with the cake, subsequently crashing into the older man, who she believed to be their father.
The plate broke as it landed on the ground, spilling the cake and she heard the man say "Watch it," as he got into the car and drove off.
Silently, she turned away from the window, wishing and hoping, that things were different.
That's it for this chapter. I hope it made sense.