COUNTDOWN: Enchanted to meet you

Fourteen- 12 :50 :30 and going

Julie

If you had told me yesterday that I would willingly follow Jason Tyler into the night and and actually be happy about it, I would tell you you were crazy but here I was; sitting in a car with Jason Tyler and I didn't even know where exactly we were going.

missed again? let's rewind

***

My normal days were not half as eventful as today.

They mostly consisted of me going to school, hanging out with Derrick and having awkward dinners. The most eventful would be hiding whenever I met Jason in the hallways so it was quite ironic that I was actually relieved to see him at my front porch this evening.

Maybe he could be my ticket to a better ending.

"Jason, what are you doing here?" I asked once I stepped out and closed the door behind me.

He stared into my eyes for a moment without a word suddenly making me conscious of my red puffed eyes. I'm sure he wanted to ask but on a second thought, changed his mind.

"I got them cleaned for you" He said. It was a bag with my clothes from when I fell into the fountain earlier.

"Oh, thanks" I muttered taking the bag from him. "You could have just kept it and brought it to school on Monday" I added.

Yes, I know but he doesn't.

Jason just shrugged and placed both hands in his pocket.

"Also, I know this really good ice cream place and I was wondering if you would like to-"

"Yes" I answered before he could finish. I would do anything to leave the house this very moment.

***

The ride was quiet, giving me chance to fall into my thoughts.

All day, I had been too occupied to actually sit and think about myself or my family.

Maybe my family members were right; I was being selfish. I have imagined the family without me a couple of times and it didn't look great.

I was always the responsible one after my Mum and Dad.

Although RJ was older than me, he was always so careless and is never really at home. All he did all day after dropping out of college was hung out with those friends of his or play video games. He could work to support Dad but he never did.

Erica on the other hand somehow thought her YouTube Channel will just blow up someday and she would be a billionaire so that's all she ever did. Even when I encouraged her to work part time with me at a supermarket I worked at before my condition became serious, she refused.

It had always been me trying to keep the family together. Maybe I felt guilty for their struggles; and now without me, who would force them to have awkward dinners.

Aside my family, I was actually too scared to think about anything else although that dream I had keeps flashing in my face whenever I closed my eyes.

"If you need someone to talk to-"

"You don't have to" I immediately snapped and instantly felt bad. The poor guy must be so uncomfortable right now. He just wanted to hand me back my clothes and now he was stuck with me.

"I'm sorry" I apologized, "It's just... I really mean it, you don't have to care. It's enough that you asked me out because you felt bad that I was crying"

"That's not why I asked you out though" he stated giving me a glance.

"Really? then why?"

"I don't know" he shrugged causing me to roll my eyes. We were quiet for a while before a question dawned on me.