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Chapter 14- Chances

Chances
"I mean...I think he likes me...but I don't "you know" him."

Matt, was still sitting up, smiling, which is what he has been doing for the past hour.

"Are you even listening?" my hands wave in front of his face.

"Haha... Cheryll...someone would pay to have Brooks, and you're telling me you'd pay to get him away? It's... not Kenneth is it?"

"No...I don't know. I think I still like him, but I'm over him in some sort of way."

"I swear you have such an interesting life, and the thing is, you don't even enjoy one little bit of it!"

"Interesting? Why don't we swap lives?"

"If you want to sleep in this stupid bed 24 hours a day sure thing."

I look up, and I see a small faltered smile.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, and his hands reached for mine.

"Cheryll, listen. Take the chance you have now, and do all the things you want to do. Because if you don't, one day, you're going to regret it."

He looked so serious and strong, but he was sick, paler, and weaker.

"Coming from experience?"

He stops, then looks up at me, and then his hands squeeze mine tighter.

"Bella never told you we kind of...had something going on did she?"

"What?" He's got to be joking right?

"8th grade. We were all friends, Lucia just newly joined since, and she doesn't exactly get along with the others. You were with Kenneth at that time, um I think it was the first month? But yeah, Leo had his own problems to deal with, and Lucia was trying to fit in. Bella and I grew close, we talked, we laughed, we had good times, and then we were at the park, we shared this kind of close to kiss, but I pulled back, and it just ended like that. After that we pretended nothing ever happened, and then you and Kenneth soon broke up, problems came and went...that moment...memory ...whatever just faded."

My two closest friends have been so close and I never knew, they were acting nearly everyday at that time pretending nothing is ever wrong and I never noticed. What kind of a friend am I?

"You still...like her?"

He was no longer holding on my hand. His eyes wandering around, like he was thinking. Like it was a multi-million dollar question.

"I suppose I do. But there's nothing I can do, and even if there is, I won't."

"But why?"

"Look at me now, what do you see?"

"The same guy you've always been."

No, don't be confused, I didn't say those words. But the person behind me, standing in the doorway, holding a bouquet of flowers said it.

"Bella?" Matt and I say at the same time.

"Flowers, get well soon." She leaves the flowers on the table right next to the bed and leaves.

"Bella!" Matt shouts, and she runs faster, further from where he is."

I chase after her, and when she stops I stop. There is a distance between me and her. I always thought I knew her, until today. It feels strange. Is it because I've never payed attention to people close to me? Or is it because I've heard a lot of history I should've realised ages ago?

"Cheryll, I'm sorry, I should have told you, but I thought it was never going to be mentioned and...I thought it was well out of his and my memory."

"Those things never get wiped out. You should come out of the dark and tell him how you feel."