Life is complicated isn't it?

Starting from the day you're born, you cry tears of joy and sadness as you get to see your parents for the first time. And smile at how happy they are to see you.

For me it was different.

I was born with an irregular sized heart.

It's a condition called cardiomyopathy that typically affects elderly, if you ingest too many bad chemicals into your body and is rarely genetic. I was one of the unfortunate babies to be born with this condition because it ran through my mother's side of the family.

The doctors told my parents that if I don't strain my heart too much and stay on a strict diet of healthy food and prescriptions I could live a long life. Sounds easy but unfortunately I was not so- Oh wait I'm getting too ahead of my story.

I should start with what happened after my mom's death. You know how I said earlier the condition ran through my mother's side? Well she was very careful, it was just her own heart that ended up betraying her. Her heart failed her while she driving one day and well you can guess what happened.

My father and I were devastated when we heard the news. I was 7.

Suddenly I was without a mother and he without a wife, and I was all that was left for him to love and shelter. My life became even stricter and sometimes harsh when he would force me to go to all my doctor appointments and hospital trips no questions asked. I knew he was doing it because he didn't want to lose me too but this kind of life takes a toll on you.

No friends. Everyone makes fun of you because they think you're stuck up because of all the times you miss school. They think you believe you're too cool for this place and I became a complete loner because of it.

No boyfriends either because all the guys don't want a girl who everyone avoids.

Really the only I reason I miss school so much was because of all times I have to rest at home or in the hospital. I miss so many events and parties and I was sick of it.

The same routine lasted for a decade and I wanted to have at least one normal school year before I left senior year for college of find a job somewhere.

Start my life for once.

Well it all changed for the better sometime in September and I will always fondly remember it.

The day I met him.

I know I know, everyone says this in a lot of stories but trust me you guys will like this one.

It started in September of 1982. I was sitting in the bleachers at the school gym when I heard good old Lacy coming over to greet me with her posse.

I usually was really great at ignoring her with my poetry books but she rudely snatched it out of my hand and I looked up at the smug expression on her face.

"Lacy the trust fund kid."

"Stuck up bitch."

"This stuck up's got a name. It's Octavia."

"So you like to mention. Repeatedly. And me and the girls don't find your attitude very respectful do we?"

"Nope."

"We definitely don't."

"So how do we remind Octavia here that she does not belong here?"

"Oh please do you really have to talk in third person you blonde faced idiot?"

"What?!"

Lacy turned angrily as if I dared to speak up to her.

"You heard me. Or do you want me to say it again since you're really slow? Go ahead and try to keep up with me if your tiny peanut sized brain cannot handle it-"

WHAP!

I flinched slightly as she opened and slammed the book mere inches from my face.

"Oh you getting scared little baby Octavia? Here does the wittle baby want a bedtime story with her blankie and bottle? Though this baby is going to be in a lot of shit when this happens to it."

Lacy laughed as she started violently ripping the pages out of the book and getting a kick out of my reaction.

"Give that back now Lacy!"

"Or what? Who is going to help little loner Octavia-"

"Hey!"

Lacy flinched hard as one of the jocks yelled at our direction. I managed to pry my library book out of her grip and clambered over to hide it in my book bag. A jock with messy dark brown hair stood tall and glared angrily at Lacy and her friends.

"Leave her alone! You three are out of line! Back away from her now or things get ugly!" He said with a quick crack of his knuckles.

Lacy and her squad ran off with their tails between their legs as the jock came over to me in concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Dunno what I'm going to do about my library book though."

I said as I pulled out the now torn apart poetry book that the librarian is going to skin my hide with if she found it in this condition.

"God it's ruined. We could always report this to the principal since they ruined school property. Get them to pay back for damages."

"Nah they would never believe it. The books being damaged just for laughs is quite common here. They would probably think I did this on purpose and make my dad pay for it."

"Really? That's not fair. There has to be something- Wait hold on! I got an idea!"

Next thing I knew he brought me the exact copy he remembered seeing hidden away inside of an old locker inside one of the gym storage rooms. He explained he found it by complete coincidence when he knocked it open after wrestling with one of his buddies just because.

We carefully took off the check out card holder inside the book and glued it onto the new book. I wrote the dates as close to the old text as possible and slipped it into my bag like the incident never happened.

"Thank you. You really saved my hide."

"No problem. Names Dennis by the way. Dennis Kim. It's Korean. I am also a senior."

"Octavia Spencer. I'm a senior as well."

I smiled bashfully as I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you Octavia. I hope to see you around and good luck with the switcheroo."

"The switcher- Oh heh heh ha ha. Yeah don't worry about it. I'm going to properly dispose of the 'evidence."

"I'll leave you to it. Seeya around Octavia?"

"Seeya around Dennis."

He gave me a wave and a smile before walking away with his school bag and gym bag tucked over his shoulder. Wow he's strong. I quickly snapped my head out of the clouds before I thought of something even more embarrassing and headed over to the library to hand in the replacement book. I tossed the damaged one in the garbage bin before I left the gym.

~

"Hey dad."

I said as I happily climbed into the car and quickly slipped on the seat belt.

"Hi sweetie, how was your day?" Dad said as he drove us out of the school parking lot.

"Well I returned my library book and I made a friend. Sort of."

"That's nice. What's her name?"

I groaned to myself quietly as I was dreading the massive volcano that was about to erupt.

"It's a he."

Dad braked the car almost instantly and turned his head to yell at me so fast it made me flinch in surprise.

"What did I tell you about boyfriends?!"

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that's also why I never had a boyfriend, because I barely had any chances to even talk to a guy let alone a relationship.

"We're not dating! I literally just met him today! Now can you drive the car home please?! Cars are honking at us!"

Dad shook his head in disappointment before continuing driving us down the street. The short silence after was almost defeaning. God the tension was so thick.

"Octavia. What is one of the rules I gave you sweetheart?"

"No activities and or games that can strain my heart. Excercise lightly and eat green foods. And absolutely under no circumstance date a boy because if he breaks my heart that could strain my heart worse than it already is."

"Yes. Now I don't see a problem with you being just friends since I know you don't have any."

"Dad!"

I yelled aghast as I swatted his shoulder and made him chuckle a little.

"Hey let me finish."

"Okay? Where's the 'but?'"

"But, you absolutely cannot date him. Okay?"

"Yes sir..."

"What's his name?"

"Dennis Kim. He's Korean."

"Alright okay. Is he in sports or something like that?"

"He's in basketball I think but listen I really don't know much about him. Like I said we just met today. But he also defended me from Lacy Landgraab so I see some courtesy from him."

"Sounds like a decent kid. If you get his number you should bring him around the house so I can meet him properly."

"Great thank you dad."

Wow I can't believe dad gave me permission for this?! Is the sky falling?! Is the world ending?!

"Octavia the doctor called for a checkup at the medical center. Sounded urgent."

That is if I can even spend time with Dennis if the prescriptions don't keep me from interaction.

"Okay dad..."

~

The hospital trip went about as you'd expect. My health worsened so I needed another prescription. Problem was I was already taking four so I was now on my fifth medication. Life was so unfair sometimes.

I tried to make a break for my bedroom upstairs but my dad stopped me to hand me the bottle. The ones I had mostly helped to prevent calcium channel blocks or were neurohormonic. This one was supposed to help my heart rate and keep it beating at a steady pace.

I begrudgingly took it from him for the sole reason that I hated taking so much medicine.

"Do you need anything? I can fix up some lunch if you're hungry."

"No thank you dad. I'm gonna get started on my homework."

"Okay. Love you Octavia."

"I love you too dad."

I said before I shut the door behind and I gasped in pain. I often tried to hide it from my dad so he doesn't make me go to the hospital. I prayed that this medicine would help me enough so I wouldn't have to go again.

Today it was mostly my chest and I was starting to feel dizzy.

"Okay...just breathe and make it to bed..."

I did have homework but it looked like I was going to have another long night.

I sighed in relief as I laid down on the bed and ripped the shoes off my feet so I could rest my entire body on my bed.

I poured myself a glass of water while I was lying in bed and used it to help me gulp down a few of the pills. I felt relief almost instantly and I rested for about a few hours before I had enough strength to walk over to my desk and start my math homework.

I finished around midnight and my stomach growled loudly as I realized I had not eaten anything since I got home. I was about to head downstairs to make myself a sandwich when I found a tray of a healthy lunch waiting for me outside my bedroom door. Boiled kale and cabbage complimented with whole wheat bread and a glass of water.

I picked up the tray of food without any complaints and ate it quietly in my room.