My name is Octavia Spencer. I'm 17 years old and I was born with Cardiomyopathy. Or a 'weak heart' as my doctor calls it.

If my heart doesn't pump enough blood or oxygen my heart can fail. I have to eat heart healthy things and partcipate in actitivities just to keep it pumping. It was mild when I was born but it has slowly worsened over the years.

I have to be very careful all the time but if only I could live a normal life for just once.

Get a boyfriend, get married, and have kids one day.

But my heart can't handle it or I could give it to my child my doctor keeps telling me.

Hopefully someday I can make my own desicions. Hopefully someday.

~ September 15th, 1989

"Hey nerd freak!"

I snapped out of my thoughts but didn't look up from my book. Oh great Stacy again.

"Hey I'm talking to you!"

"What do you want?"

"Ooh smart talk from someone who can't even talk without struggling to breathe. You know why were here. The test results for the exam. Where are they?"

"I never agreed to help you. You think I'm obligated to help you just because everyone else does? I'm going to keep saying no."

"In that case I'm just going to have to tell everyone at the school that you cheated, get you explelled, and have everyone thank me for getting rid of the Plague. How does that sound?"

"Yeah...I don't care. Go pick on someone else."

"You bitch!"

Stacy pushed me hard and I fell back onto the bleachers. Her friends bursted out into a fit of giggles.

"Hehe you're so weak."

"Hey!"

I sat up in surprise to hear a new voice speak and saw one of the basketball jocks approaching.

"Leave her alone. Nobody deserves to be pushed like that."

"What do you know new kid? You don't know anything about how this school works. So stay out of it."

"Kid? I'm older than you."

"Oh really by how much? I'm a junior."

"I'm a senior."

As soon as the guy said that I could've sworn I saw her flinch.

"Oh well then I'm sorry hehehe. when i see you next your dead Octavia. Hehehe let's go girls."

Her friends followed after her making sure to avoid contact from the guy as they left the stadium.

"Hey you okay?"

I turned to the guy in surprise. Was he actually concerned about someone like me?

"Uh yeah I'm fine."

"Sorry for not stepping in sooner. But when I saw her shove you I knew I had to do something."

"Uh thanks."

I usually wasn't this speechless but I couldn't help but blush as I realized how attractive he was. I had never seen him before and he didn't look american. But it didn't matter to me, and at least he was nice too.

"Did they hurt you?"

"No I'm fine."

I cautiously checked my heart to see if was not beating like usual but was relieved it was okay.

"Okay. Sorry it happenned."

"No really it's fine."

"Okay if you're sure. I'll umm seeya then."

I waved him goodbye and quickly realized I was blushing. Should I tell him thank you properly after practice? Would that be too wierd? Well I guess I'll find out.

My free period ended about the same time basketball practice ends. So I waited for the guy I saw earlier outside the boys locker rooms.

The guys that came out either went out of their way to walk away from me or went quiet as they passed me. I was used to it already. But that didn't mean I liked it.

I looked up when I heard the same guy laughing with his group of friends. I wanted to call out to him but I didn't know his name. As I started stepping away feeling very shy he turned in my direction and approached me.

"Hi."

"Hi."

I felt my cheeks blush and did my best to ignore it.

"Umm I wanted to uh thank you for helping me earlier. I really appreciated it."

"You're welcome. My name is Ernest Kim by the way."

I shyly accepted his muscular hand.

"Octavia Spencer."

"That's a nice name."

"Thank you. Anyways, thanks for helping me. Not everyone does even though I'm a senior."

"You're a senior too?"

"Yeah."

"Well I think they shouldn't be so mean to someone as pretty as you."

"Yeah they shouldn't- Wait what?"

I looked trying to make sense of what Ernest said.

"Uh I mean they should be nicer to you. Nobody wants to be treated like that. And no one deserves it."

"Oh I see."

Silence filled the hallway. At least until the first warning bell rang.

"Oh I gotta get to class. I hope we have some together so we can talk more, Octavia."

"Oh I hope so too."

"Bye Octavia."

"Bye Ernest."

He waved goodbye with a smile and rushed to class with a huge gym bag and backpack on his back.

I couldn't help but giggle as he rushed off. I quickly did the same.

~AfterschoolI walked out of the car narrowly avoiding Stacy's foot as I walked over to my dad's car.

"Hey sweetheart. How was your day?"

"Same as usual."

"Oh."

He quickly pulled away from the campus towards home.

"That Stacy girl still giving you trouble?"

"Even more than usual."

"I could report her again. Hopefully this time she'll get in trouble. Nobody messes with my little girl."

"Thanks daddy."

It's been me and my dad since I was 11. My mom had the same condition as me and when it became severe it happenned while she was driving. And well you can guess the rest.

"Make any new friends?"

"Just one I think."

"What's her name?"

"It's a he."

I swear as soon as I said these words my dad halted right in the middle of the road.

"What-"

"CAR!"

Dad looked in the mirror and drove out of the way to the side of the road nearly avoiding a car behind us. My heart began tightening fast making me loose my breath.

"I'm so sorry sweetie are you okay?"

I took very slow steady breaths until my heart started beating normally. I nodded once I was sure I was okay.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

"I didn't mean to push your heart. It's just when you mentioned a guy I freaked out."

"I barely even know the guy but he's the first person to talk to me, so maybe it won't be so bad."

"But I told you no boyfriends."

"Relax dad. I don't even know if were friends yet."

"Why does it have to be a guy?"

"I won't talk to him anymore if that's what you want."

"I care about you and your heart. But I'm not going to tell you how to live your life. Just promise to be careful with him. I don't want him to strain your heart anymore than it already is."

"Relax dad. I'm going to be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

My dad looked at me wieghing my words but eventually said okay and drove us home.