One step at a time

44

Melissa Newman

My mouth was dry, A cough escaped my lips. My eyes finally open. Everyone came running towards me eyes bulging. Lee had to wipe a single tear away. Blake handed me a glass of water while Megan ran for the doctor informing him that I was awake. Once I drank the whole cup my mouth was no longer dry. "I died" Those were the first words to come out of my mouth. "How did you know?" I looked over at Casey as he waited for my answer. "I saw and spoke to Noah the only way I would be able to do that is if I was dead" His eyes bulged. "Then how come you're here? Noah would have begged you to stay" Confusion was evident on his face. "I met Angie" That was all I could say before the doctor walked through the door. "Well your talking that's a good thing" He smiled at me. "Follow the pen" He moved it left to right. "Squeeze my hands as much as you can" I couldn't squeeze very hard but I tried my best. "wriggle your toes for me" I decided to play a joke and not move them at all. "I said wriggle your toes" Everyone looked at my feet. "I am" I know this was a sick joke but I wanted to have fun. "She's lost movement in her legs they could come back it could be temporary" I laughed while everyone was looking at my legs concerned, "I can move my toes don't worry about it" Giggles left my mouth. "You can't you may think you can but" Lee started but I reached for him with my foot. "Melissa this is not funny you could be paralyzed for the rest of your life" He was the only one who hadn't realized.

"Wait did you j- You bitch you wanted to play a sick joke didn't you" The doctor left the room laughing his head off. "Oh Casey I was meant to give you this it's from Noah don't ask me how all I got told was to give it to you" The note was still grasped in my hand. Casey grabbed it and started reading, He was pissed you could tell by his expression. He tried to hide it. "Don't worry Case I already know he told me" I smiled at him. "That bastard" I looked at him. "Casey the heart wants what it wants he never truly had my heart either you should know that first hand you've seen the difference" I loved Noah that was true but if I had to choose if I had been given a choice it would have always been Blake.

"He lead you on that's what he did, He didn't deserve you" I ignored his statement. "Angie is pretty, I couldn't hate her even if I tried" I smiled at him. I was fine I had the life that I wanted. "But he did try to get me to stay" I lied yes I get that it's bad but I just wanted to make him feel better Noah can't do anything he's dead. "Wait you chose to come back?" I laughed. "he told me his story after I said I was leaving to come back" Okay so I'm telling a few white lies but this is something that they will never know and if Noah cared about me a little bit he would go along with it. "I will" Noah's voice spoke from in the room. I was now officially hearing things. A white shadow came into view. "You died, You have seen Angie and myself, You will always see us we will always be here we both look over you Melissa I may not have loved you but I care deeply for you" He sat next to Blake and patted him on the back. Blake shivered. "Don't worry Noah is just patting your back" I said without thinking.

"What did you say Lissa" Noah laughed. "After cancer your gonna get checked into a mental hospital" He was real funny. "She saw them when she died she will continue to see them forever" Casey said to everyone. How could he possibly know that? "It was in the letter" Casey mumbled. I really wanted to know what was in that letter. Casey passed around the letter so I wouldn't have to say it he didn't care it wasn't like it was a secret. "Can he hear me?" Lee asked and Noah nodded his head as a yes. "Yeah he can why" I took one look at Lee and already knew the answer. "Because the bastard is lucky he was dead because if he was alive I would have killed the bastard myself" Rolling my eyes I watched Blake. "You don't seem that angry" In fact Blake was smiling. "I don't have to share you with the dead now" He was beaming with pride. "You may not have to share my heart with the dead but you still have to share me apparently he is never leaving my side he never has according to him and Angie, Noah might be an ass but he never lies" Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. "He said he never loved you" Lee gave me a are you fucking serious look. "Technically he never said I love you, I would say I love you and he would say you too he never actually said the words" Now that I thought about I should have noticed earlier. "I love you" Blake said from his chair. "Blake just remember one thing, even in death I will haunt you, You can't get away from me" I narrowed my eyes at him. "I wouldn't dream of it baby" Noah scrunched his nose up as I laughed. It was hard ignoring him considering he was sitting right next to him.

"How is what I said funny?" He was serious, He had his serious face on. "Noah is sitting right next to you babe and he made a face" He shook his head nodding. "Wait he gets a babe we were dating for more than a year and I never got a lovey nickname" Noah scoffed. "Would you have liked for me to give you a lovey nickname? It always made me cringe but with Blake it comes naturally" Casey laughed as he realized what we were arguing about the rest of the room was quiet and confused. "The only thing Melissa called Noah was Noah she didn't have any other name for him she always felt weird saying it plus I think those names were always reserved for her Blakey" Blake's cheeks tinted red as he said the nickname I've called him since we were little. "She told you" Blake gave me an evil look. "That was the first thing she said to me when she was talking about you it was never Blake always Blakey" The whole room erupted in laughter. "Melissa you might want to refrain from talking to Noah out in the open like this some people might call you crazy others will think you have an imaginary friend" Mum said as she walked out of the room with a big smile on her face.

"What you talking about woman I am crazy, Everyone knows that"