31
I must have fallen asleep in Edward's arms because I woke up the next morning in my bed. I felt my stomach turn and ran down the hall to the bathroom and dry heaved for a few minutes. Tia came in and washed my neck with a cold rag.
"Better?" she asked.
"Yes," I whispered. "How did I get to our room?"
"You fell asleep just after 8pm while we were all talking in the bathroom. Edward carried you up and put you in bed," explained Tia.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"It's just after 7am," said Tia.
"I slept through the night? That's a first," I whispered.
"You normally don't?" asked Tia.
"Not when I have treatments," I whispered.
"How do you find the strength to fight?" asked Tia. I turned and sat on the floor next to her.
"Edward gives me the strength to keep fighting. I love him so much. I just found him and I don't want him to hurt when I die. I have to fight for him," I whispered through my tears.
"How did you know you love him?" asked Tia.
"I just looked in his eyes and knew. I saw my soul in his eyes," I explained. I looked over at her. "You love Benjamin, don't you?"
"I think I do. I can't explain it but it's like…" she trailed off.
"Like he makes you feel whole," I whispered.
"Yes," she whispered. "We've been spending alot of time together. The more I get to know about him, the harder I fall."
"That's how Edward makes me feel," I whispered as I stood up. "I have to get to rehearsals."
"Ok, Bella," said Tia.
We made our way down to our room. I changed into a new pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I pulled on my boots and made my way down to the lobby. Edward was waiting for me. He had rehearsals at the same time but in a different room. We walked down to the music building. I kissed him goodbye and went into my rehearsal room. Sitting in the middle of the room was a gorgeous piano. I set my guitar down and went over and sat down.
I ran my fingers over the keys and sighed at the beautiful sound. I closed my eyes and let the music flow from my fingers. I could feel Charlie and Renee wrapping their arms around me while I played. I could feel the tears pouring down my face as I played for them. I had just finished the last note when I heard clapping behind me. I jumped and turned to see Marcus standing behind me.
"That was spectacular," he whispered. He wiped a tear from his eye. "Did you write that?"
"Yes," I said softly.
"What were you thinking about while you were playing?" asked Marcus as he came over and sat next to me.
"My parents," I said softly.
"Are they coming to the show?" asked Marcus.
"No, my mother passed away from leukemia when I was two. My father was killed in a car accident two weeks ago," I said as a tear slipped from my eye.
"I'm very sorry to hear that," said Marcus. "Let's get started. I would like to hear you play something you aren't planning on playing for the competition."
"Ok," I said. I got up and went over and pulled my mother's guitar from it's case. Marcus gasp. I looked up at him.
"That's Renee Swan's guitar," he whispered. "How did you get it?"
"Renee Swan was my mother," I whispered. He snapped his head up at me.
"You're Renee's little girl?" he asked.
"You knew Renee?" I asked.
"I was in your mother's band," said Marcus. "She was amazing."
"I thought she only did classical," I said.
"She did as Alexia Dwyer but as Renee Swan she was the lead singer of the band Twilight," explained Marcus. My mouth fell open. "You didn't know?"
"No, I didn't know a lot about my mother until I got sick," I whispered.
"Charlie didn't tell you about her music?" asked Marcus.
"You knew Charlie?" I asked.
"I introduced Charlie and Renee," chuckled Marcus. "Renee and I grew up in Phoenix together. She was my best friend. We came to NYU. Charlie was my roommate and my wife, Didyme, was Renee's roommate. Your parent's loved each other very much."
"I know they did," I whispered.
"Play for me," said Marcus.
I sat down on the piano bench and began strumming my guitar. I closed my eyes and let my fingers move along the strings.
"It feels like I have been looking for love everywhere
Every time I turned around I just saw emptiness.
I ran and ran looking for you
But you weren't there
I cried and begged but I still felt empty
Then I heard your voice
I looked up and saw your eyes
I could feel you breath on my neck
You lips burned my skin
You told me you love me
I ran afraid of the feeling building inside of me
I wanted you but I was afraid
I prayed for strength to let you in
I needed you and you were there
I was never empty again
Then I heard your voice
I looked up and saw your eyes
I could feel you breath on my neck
You lips burned my skin
You told me you love me
I turned around and saw you standing there
I wasn't afraid anymore
You gave me the strength to fight, to love again
All I need is you to complete me
Then I heard your voice
I looked up and saw your eyes
I could feel you breath on my neck
You lips burned my skin
You told me you love me
Then you heard my voice
You looked up and saw my eyes
You could feel my breath on your neck
My lips burned your skin
I told you I love you"
I opened my eyes and found Marcus staring at me.
"That was very good," he said softly. "But you are holding back."
"I know," I said softly.
"Why?" he asked.
"I'm afraid that I won't be strong enough to play on show night," I explained.
"I see," said Marcus. "In that case, please conserve your energy. I have a feeling that you really let go, that you will blow us away. Now, I want you to play it again."
Marcus and I worked on my playing for the next two hours. He showed me a couple different ways to hold the guitar to make it easier for me. After our rehearsal, Edward and I went back to the dorms and took a nap. After a couple hours, we went down to the dining hall and grabbed some lunch. I had soup again. Peter and Charlotte just chuckled. We spent the afternoon hanging out with everyone in the lobby of the dorms. I felt normal for the first time since I got here.
All of the contestants were invited to dinner at one of the sorority house. So the girls and I made our way up to our rooms at five to get ready. We all showered quickly. I decided to wear a sage green sweater dress with white leggings and green flats. I tied a green scarf on my head. The girls and I went down and meet the boys in the lobby. Edward was looking extremely nice in a pair of tight jeans and a white dress shirt. I ogled him. He just chuckled and pulled me into his arms and kissed me. We followed everyone down to the sorority house. Tia rang the door bell and the door was pulled open by two blond girls with t0o much energy.
"Welcome. Please come in," squealed the first girl. "My name is Amber. This is Tiffany."
"I'm Tia. This is Benjamin, Maggie, Jane, Heidi, Felix, Liam Demetri, Edward and Bella," said Tia. Amber and Tiffany's eyes bugged out when they saw my head.
"Where's your hair?" asked Amber.
"In a bag in a box in my room back in Washington," I said.
"Why?" asked Tiffany.
"It seemed like a good place to keep it," I chuckled.
"I meant, why don't you have any hair?" asked Tiffany.
"I shaved it off after it started falling out," I explained.
"Why did it start falling out?" asked Amber.
"I have leukemia. The chemo caused my hair to fall out," I explained. I heard all the sorority girls and frat boys gasp.
"How old are you?" asked a brown haired boy.
"I'm eighteen," I said.
"So young," he whispered.
"I know," I said.
Nobody else really said anything else. They told us to follow them in for dinner. We all gathered around the table. They ate while I just tried not to be sick. The food was not appealing to me at all. The evening felt like it went on forever. I could feel everyone's eyes on me all during dinner. Everyone finished eating when the brown haired boy looked over at me for the millionth time.
"Are you scared?" he asked. Everyone got quiet and turned and looked at me.
"Of course I am," I said softly.
"Why are you competing?" asked a black haired girl.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean that you are sick. You shouldn't be competing," she said.
"I'm competing because this may be my only chance to ever play in New York. This may be my only chance to play on the stage of Carnegie Hall. This is just two more things I can cross off my list," I explained.
"What list?" asked Amber.
"Edward and I have a list of things we are going to do before I die," I said softly. Edward wrapped his arm around me.
"I promise," whispered Edward.
"Like what?" asked a red haired girl.
"I want to walk in the ocean. I want to go to Disneyland. I want to record my music. I want to go sky diving. We have already crossed a couple things off," I said.
"What have you crossed off?" asked Tia.
"We wanted to own our own house. Edward bought us a house across from my brother and his sister. I've started learning French," I said.
"You and Edward live together?" asked Tiffany.
"We're married," chuckled Edward.
"But your so young," said the brown haired boy. "Did your parent's know you were getting married?"
"Yes, they were with us," I said softly.
"Wow," they all said.
We all said our goodbyes and made our way to the dorms. Edward laid down with me on my bed and I sighed and fell asleep.