Chronically, Me

Six

Emerson

Emerson looked up at the clock as the doorbell rang. He guessed who it might be.

As he switched off the television, he could hear a voice exchanging pleasantries with his mom.

He was about to shift his position on the couch when he saw her.

Drew stood near the couch, holding out a daisy towards him with a sheepish smile.

"Looks like you did some research," he commented as he accepted it.

"I had to. I can't have myself embarrassed in front of the football star again, can I?" 

He smiled at that. To his surprise, he didn't have to force his lips this time. It just came out effortlessly.

He didn't want to stay long on that thought. So he turned towards the flower vase on the table in front of him. From where he was sitting, it would take a small stretch to drop the daisy into the vase.

But as he stretched his upper body, he realized that he miscalculated it. Since his injured leg was sprawled across the couch, his fingertips barely reached the vase. Through his peripheral vision, he could see Drew watching him.

He gritted his teeth. He could do it. The vase was just a hair breadth's away.

You suck at calculating distance.

He ignored that mocking thought and he sensed Drew coming closer.

Involuntarily, he braced himself. He waited for her to chide him and snatch the flower from his hand to put it herself. He waited for her to step in to help. But what she did surprised him pleasantly.

Drew just slightly pushed the vase towards him so it nearly reached his fingers. That was it. The slightest push.

He dropped the flower into it and when he turned back to her, she was sitting on the far end of the couch, flipping through her notebook, as if the last few seconds didn't happen.

"Shall we start?" she asked, finally looking at him.

He noticed how she did not glance at his leg.

"Shoot your questions."

She started. Most of the questions were pretty basic but some put him in a swirl of thoughts. He took his time, considering and gathering his sentences.

The entire time, Drew had a curious look on her face. As if she wanted to know how his mind worked.

But it's for the article, of course.

An hour might have passed but Emerson didn't know it. But Drew did.

She noticed the time and called it a day. As she was stuffing things inside her bag, she whispered. "Was it worth it?"

Emerson stilled at that. He did not know what she was referring to.

Or do you?

"What do you mean?" his voice coming out softer than he intended it to.

The question halted her movements, her hand holding the notebook hanging in the air. Her eyes were wide. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I said it aloud, didn't I?"

"Not loud but I heard it anyway."

"I am sorry." she apologized. "I didn't mean to. It's out of line-"

"It's fine," he reassured her but his voice sounded small to his ears.

He thought about that day. When he was on the field. With the ball in his hands. He had been running so fast that day, he felt like he was flying.

It was only a few meters away. So he had jumped. Just as another player had lunged for him. It had happened too fast for his brain to even register.

The adrenaline in his blood only made him focus on the ball that had hit home. He could hear the cheers at the win in the background.

But there was a ringing in his ears as his body knew something was wrong before his mind could even process it. Slowly but surely, the adrenaline rush had calmed down as pain started to blind him.

He was so immersed in the memory replaying in his mind that it took him a while to remember that Drew was still there.

She was still sitting there with curiosity in her eyes.

Maybe it was because of the shock at the sudden question. Maybe it was because no one had ever asked him.

But he ended by saying.

"At first, it felt like it was worth it."

"But now?"

He smiled bitterly as he looked at his leg. "Honestly? I am having second thoughts about it."