A Dying Girl's List

Chapter 26

Lissa woke up early the next morning, without an alarm this time, and walked over to her bathroom to get ready.

When she returned, she dressed herself, making sure Jace was actually asleep that time.

Standing in front of her full-length mirror, she sighed at her reflection. Her bright blue eyes, now dull and lifeless, her white skin, now a sickly shade of pale.

She had lost a lot of weight as well. She didn't even resemble her past, not sick, self anymore.

She covered the mirror with a thin sheet she found in her closet, then sat at the edge of her bed, watching Jace sleep.

These were the memories she would cherish the most. The memories when they were fighting, or when they left each other for four months straight, left a bitter mark in her brain. If there was a button she could press to delete the bad memories, she would have done so...a long time ago.

Jace stirred, and his eyes fluttered open.

He sat upright, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, “How long were you up?” he asked.

“Not long,” she replied.

He nodded, then his eyes caught the sheet thrown over the mirror and lingered there. Lissa turned her head to see what he was looking at, then sharply sucked in a breath and faced him.

“Care to explain?” he asked.

“It's not as bad as it seems. I just don't like my appearance anymore, and the mirror was showing me exactly what I didn't want to see,”

“Lissa--” Jace scooted closer to her.

“It's okay.” she cut him off, he pressed his lips together, “Just, please don't pity me,” she said.

Suddenly Lissa remembered something, then smacked him upside his head.

His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open in shock.

“Ow! What was that for?” he rubbed his head.

“That, was for not telling me Mrs. Daniels is your mother.” he smiled, and Lissa scowled.

“What did you think? We have the same last name, same hair color, same eye color, same skin color... How could we not be related.” he retorted, listing their similarities off on his fingers.

Lissa groaned, “I didn't know her last name was Daniels.” she deadpanned,

“I've been calling her, director or the brunette, the entire time.” Jace raised an eyebrow,

“In my head,” she added. Jace chuckled,

“That was a great meet-the-parents situation,” Lissa droned on sarcastically, “If only I knew she was your mom, I would've acted so...properly, also,” she smacked his head again and his eyes widened due the second time, “that was for kissing me in front of your mother.”

“It was on the cheek!”

“Still.” she replied, and sighed, woefully, “What else don't I know about you, Jace?”

His eyes glazed over, and he stared into space. Lissa wondered if, by accident, with her lane attempt at a joke, she might've just scratched open old wounds, “Jace, are you okay?”

He shook himself back to reality, “There are some things I need to get off my chest, Lissa. It's high time...”

•

Jace left her house to shower and dress in clean clothes — he had slept in the Santa costume.

They both perched up on the window seat in the living room when he returned and watched the cars whizz by in a hurry.