The next morning it was gray but dry. I get up, shower and get dressed. Charlie left a note no the table .
Gone fishing. Be home by 5. Be safe.
Dad.
I had the whole day to myself. What to do. I should call Jake. I should do my homework. Already done.
"Call him." The voice in my head nags.
"No." I say.
To the beach. I walk down the shore and there they are. Him and her.
Keep walking I tell myself.
"Go say hey." The voice says. No way.
I keep walking. I see Quil and Emily and Seth. Keep walk. They call me over. I do.
"Hey Bella. Want to go get some lunch with is later?" Seth asks.
"No thanks. I'm good. Thanks though." I say then walk back.
They don't say anything. I walk down toward them. I sit on the stone ledge a couple yards away. They whisper together and I watch the gray ocean.
The sky is gray and the ocean is gray. Thee birds scream at each other and the breeze fills my nose with salty air. I inhale and my chest aches. I hug myself then look at them.
They look at me and smile and I shrug and stand up. I look for little shells.
Theres a little pink one that sparkles. I grab it
A big blue one. I grab that to. A goldish one that shines. Wet sand flies up as I dig up a dark green one. I rub my eyes and find that they are wet.
"Go say hi."
"No." I say and they look at me.
I shrug again and sit on the ledge again.
"He doesn't love you."
I know that. I knew that when he left the first time.
Suddenly I'm on the cold wet ground and they come running.
"Are you o.k miss?" A little girl asks.
"Yeah." I say and force myself to smile. He gives her a look.
"Are you sure?" He asks. I wince.
"Yeah."
Lies!" She yells in my ear
"Please shut up." I whisper at myself.
"You know I'm right. LA LA LA." She dances in my head.
"I think you need a doctor." He says
"He's been to med school twice." She says,
"I know that." I tell her but he smiles and my head thumps unevenly.
"That's what I thought." He says
"No, not you. I meant..." I say but shut up.
The little girl holds my hand and I give it a squeeze. She smiles and I can't help but smiling back.
"Thank you.." I tell her
"Sisten." She says in a voice that sounds like bells.
Her hair is honey gold and light. Her eyes are piercing gray-blue.
"Sisten. What a beautiful name. Like the chapel." I ask and she nods.
"You're very pretty" I tell her. She smiles.
"You are to." She whispers.
She smiles, her teeth pearly white. Her lips soft and pink. She's so pretty it hurts. She's wearing a black yoga pants and a long sleeved tee. A head band in her soft curls and Ugg boots.
"Not me. I have something for you." I tell her and I take her hands and make a bowl and dump the shells gently.
She grins big and giggles. I close her hands around them.
"Thank you." She says.
"Beautiful things come from places that aren't so beautiful. You just need to look and might be lucky enough to find the treasures hidden there, waiting to be found." I say softly, looking at her.
"You're a treasure." She says. I laugh.
"No, you are. You're so beautiful. Your daddy is a very lucky man. Do you have any siblings." I ask her but he jumps in.
"We should get you to a hospital." He says.
I nod and stand up but don't let go of Sisten. My hand in hers. We walk down to his silver Volvo. She tells me about herself on the way there. When we get there she climbs up next to on the bed and I remember the first time I was here, I shudder and she hugs me sideways. I pull her close and smell her watermelon shampooed hair.
"You will be o.k." She tells me. I nod
"I know. Thanks." I tell her. The doctor is his dad. I don't look at his eyes and he takes blood and other tests and Sisten stays with me and kisses my Scooby-Doo Band Aid after the blood test. I smile at her and she stays glued next to me on the bed.
"Miss Swan. You need to get a MRI. It's on the 4th level." He tells me, worry in his voice.
What?
"What? I just thought this was a check thing?" I ask. I was suddenly scared.
"Just to check something. 4th level." He adds.
I nod and Sisten hops down. She walks with me slowly to the elevator.
"What's wrong?" She asks.
"They think my brain has a owie." I tell her.
"Oh." She says.
"I'll be o.k. What do your parents do?" I ask her.
"Daddy played the piano. Mommy is not here." She says.
I don't push her. When we finally get there Sisten stays in the room till I'm done and then I hope out of the machine and promise her I'd get her a ice cream.
She gets coconut and I get chocolate.
"What do you do." She asks.
We are sitting outside across the street at a park on a bench.
"What do you mean." I ask her
"What's your job." She asks.
"I don't have one." I say.
"I'm a human bean." She says (All rights go to Jerry Spinelli!)
"I guess I am to." I say. She smiles.
"That's good. What do you want to be?" She asks.
"I want to be your friend." I say.
"Me to." She says.
"I guess that makes us friends." I say, smiles.
The doctor walks over and says we need to talk. Uh oh.
"I'm sorry. You have Leukemia." He says.
The world drops like I'm on a roller coaster. Sisten's jaw drops and I freeze.
"We estimated you have year to live. I'm so sorry.
PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK! WHAT DO YOU THINK? He is edward and she is alice. The voice is something that changed in her brain form her depression. IDEAS?