Note-edited

Summary-Suze finally hits the big 21 and is on her way to fame. Well, okay, not exactly her fame, more like sideshow fame from Mr. Paul Slater, but it works out anyway. Working secretary for SlaterCorp. is great . . . until she finds herself under a deadly disease.

I gnawed on my rough, dry lips, leaning against the kitchen counter. I quickly took a sip of the clear, pure H2O.

The water hit the inside of my mouth cold and hard. I hated that taste. The taste of the metallic, bitter water. Swallowed unwillingly, I held my damp head beaded with sweat back.

Looking around, I caught no one in sight. Then I removed a disposable plastic cup from the many piled so high that it threatened to topple over. It shook unevenly, finally stabling itself. With a sigh of relieve, the water was beginning to gurgle as it filled to cup to the brim.

Pursing my lips together, I began looking down at my hand. It was marked, blemished. Ink stained the fine lines, in contract to the unflawed white cup. But most of all, they were shaking.

Six perfectly oval shaped pills landed in the palm of my hand. Chalky white they were, and flawlessly smooth. They stared back at me, full of deceit. My vision blurred, but they seemed to be snarling at me.

What was I so afraid of? They were only medicine. They could kill me . . . but they made me feel so low. I couldn't sink any further, this was the bottom of the pile of shit I set myself up for.

I popped it in my mouth hastily, just to get it over with. The bitter taste hit my tongue like bits of snow icicles plunging down hard, piercing myself. My tongue couldn't help but to stick it to the roof of my mouth. It stuck as I hoped it will.

My hands tightened around the cup, causing water to spill out. I nibbled at the rim, drawing time, then choked back the water, flinching at the taste. It was horrible. My mouth pruned up, forming a wry pout.

I moved the rest two tablets around with my thumb, shifting the positions. It was so bitter, and so ugly. I had to shake my head in disgust as I literally held my life in my hands. Those tiny tablets were my liaison between this world and the next. What pained me so much was the fact that I had lost all my dignity and I was a disgrace. Those pills hurt me so bad. They were sharp arrows right through my soul.

The medicine sucked. Every bit of it was just an experience in hell. I dropped the tablets in my water, it fizzed, little oxygen bubbles forming. I held my head back, quickly swallowing the water. The flavor stuck to my mouth.

Feeling myself lose color in my face, I began to shake. Grazing my damp lips with the back of wrist, I let my head drop shamelessly.

"Hey Suze," I promptly looked up, tossing out the cup. It was Paul, he was grinning at me with that usual lazy grin. "I need you to file a call to the Golf Resort when you're done."

I sniffled, looking up at him. "Yeah, sure. I'll be right there." I leaned back, trying to look casual. But my heart was beating half a mile around the world. My head sank and it felt as I was drowning.

He walked out. Not caring to shut the door behind him.

I coughed, hard. I shook my head to refuse myself of the horrible truth. But I kept coughing and hacking. Panicking, I grabbed the napkin dispenser. My grip held the napkin at my mouth. It was rough against my lips.

Losing balance, I plummeted to the floor, writhing at the pain. My whole body was aching, pleading to stop. Finally, it impeded. And I just lied there, sobbing to myself. My whole body curled into a ball, and I wept.

The napkin fluttered to the floor and unfolded, stained by a bloody red color. I stared at it, afraid what was happening. I brushed my mouth, is showed no sigh of blood. The napkin was now tainted with the rich color of scarlet wine. Laced with pain. The ugly color that I've always hated. What hurt me even more was the fact that I let this happen to myself.

Though promising myself that this was going to get better, I had always kept a foot in reality. This little piece of truth that I had to force myself to grasp on to, for I was afraid of being left forsaken. Vindicated.

The tears just kept on dribbling down my cheek, and rounding at my chin. I blinked slowly. My shoulder blades shook violently, as I groaned with self hatred.

I felt the cellphone in my pocket ringing. Trashing the napkin, I held out my cell in front of me. An unfamiliar number flashed in the screen. "Hello, Simon."

"Hello, this is office of Dr. Stuard. Is this Miss Susannah Simon?" The automatic voice sounded, shrilling brilliantly.

I cleared my throat, and saw myself fall apart. "Um, yeah, yes." I rubbed my forehead, sticking my head back until it fell against the cabinet door.

"We have your test result back. Do you have a free time to meet with Dr. Stuard? He feels that it is important he talks to you."

"Ye-yes," I felt tears stinging from my eyes, but hurriedly wiped them away. "I have with period off. Can I pick it up now?"

"Hold a minute please, Miss Simon," I heard the phone buzz in my ear. I clutched on to my forehead, it was spinning. Heat fell upon me, and I felt smoky haze rise until it suffocated me. "Yes, he has the next 30 minutes off."

"I'll be there," I quickly hung up, tossing my cell phone on the floor a few feet away from me.

Except I didn't show up.

Because I knew that I was dying.

I'm so sorry about the chapter. I know that it's too short, and it really sucked. Except, it's like midnight, and I can't even see where I'm typing.

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