That Awkward Moment

Prologue

The spotless, white walls were driving Arabella absolutely crazy. She felt like they were giving her a mad case of snow-blindness. Everything smelled like sterilization chemicals and rubber gloves. Arabella was feeling a literal temptation to shove her hands in her armpits, then smell them. The aroma of sweat and deodorant would beat the horrendous hospital smell any day.

She wore a tight lipped smile, and wiggled her fingers at the familiar nurses that she passed on her way to Grace's room. Arabella tried her hardest not to wince at the echoing of footsteps down the seemingly endless corridors.

Everything was too fake. Too clean. Too stable.

Lies. Hospitals spewed out lies with their decor. How could they possibly have everything so organized, so neat, when everyone who is here is suffering?

Arabella took a moment to brace herself as she placed her delicate hand on the doorhandle. Deep breaths. In. Out. She would never get used to the sight of her sister looking the way she did now. Especially after 18 years of sharing an identical appearance.

Not sure if Grace was sleeping or not, Arabella opened the slowly, and quietly, cringing when it made an awful squeaking noise.

"Its okay, Ari." A voice croaked. "I'm awake, you can come in."

Arabella stepped inside the bleak room, and gently closed the door behind her. Although Grace's room was slightly more individualized than the halls, it still had the insanity inducing cleanliness. Especially because everything that gave her room color was practically dripping with pity. 'Get well soon' cards, and dying flowers littered her tables and walls. They made Arabella want to gag.

"How are you feeling, sis?" Arabella took a seat in the recliner positioned next to Grace's bed. There was an indent in the cushion from her sitting there for such extensive periods of time. She pulled the lever, and stretched her legs out on the footrest, if she was going to be there a while, she might as well be comfy.

"If you're expecting an 'I'm feeling better by the minute!' you're in for a let down, because I'm being honest when I tell you I feel like complete shit."

"Always a drop of sunshine, weren't ya Gracie?" Arabella cooed, a faint smile playing at her lips. She couldn't seem to tear her gaze off of the muted TV playing reruns of Wizards of Waverly Place.

"Yeah right."

Arabella chuckled at her sister's comment, feeling a sense of nostalgia. Before the cancer arrived, they stirred up all kinds of trouble. The glory of being twinned.

"Ari?" Grace questioned.

"Yeah, Gracie?"

"Look at me."

Arabella tensed.

"What?"

"I said, look at me." Her voice was on the edge of desperation. It was laced with sorrow, and emptiness. It broke Arabella's heart into pieces.

She turned her head, and focused her eyes on Grace, who was looking at her expectantly with her large, sad, blue eyes. Her once tanned skin was a sickly pale color, her cheeks hollowed out. All traces of her thick, black hair were gone, thanks to chemo. Which ultimately failed in the long run.

Arabella was a ghost of her past.

"Ari, I want you to tell me what you see." Grace's voice was now firm, and urgent.

What Grace expected Arabella to say, she wasn't going to say it. Grace wanted Arabella to admit she saw a weak, cancer patient. Someone who doesn't look like she'll see daybreak. Although some aspects of that were true, they weren't in the bigger picture.