Something In Between

Chapter Seventeen

Larissa' P.O.V

As soon as my head dropped down on the soft comforts of the pillow, I was transported to a really strange place. When I say 'strange', I mean the whole 100 degrees of strange. Rubbing my warm hands over my exposed upper arms, I started stumbling my way through the mist. Yes, mist. 

"Hello! Could someone maybe turn down the temperature?" 

My voice echoed into deeper timbres from all around me. What scared me even more was just after my voice was echoed, a deep and all-too-familiar laughter echoed back. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried as hard as possible to stay calm and not start running around this place like a lunatic. That laughter though. . .

I knew it from somewhere but I just couldn't put together my messed up thoughts to come up with a name. Just then, the mist cleared in a flick of a finger, leaving behind a beautiful scenery. There were streaks of purple around me. Reaching down, I pulled the flower to my nose and smiled. "Lavender." "Your favourite."

I jumped when I heard the voice from a few feet away. I squinted my eyes and gasped. Right there in front of me was a boy. A boy who died saving my life. "Nick?" My voice was unsteady as my eyes started to fill up with tears. "The one and only," the boy answered with his infamous smile. I was just about to open my mouth to say something when someone else came into the picture. 

Christopher. 

"Chrissy!" I yelled, waving my hands in the air. His head snapped up and I could see relief clouding over his features. He strode his way towards me and pulled me into a hug. Sighing in content, I wrapped my arms around him as well. After a few seconds, he pressed a chaste kiss on my forehead and stepped back, eyeing Nick.

"Call me crazy but am I seeing my own reflection in a mirror?" Chris questioned as he cocked his head to the side in confusion while Nick simply watched him with amusement dawning on his face. I had to refrain myself from calling my own boyfriend 'a dumb blonde' which he clearly isn't.

"You are not looking at a mirror, Chris. This is Nick. Nick, Chris." I gestured between the both of them. Nick and Chris nodded their identical heads politely. "Alright, introductions aside. Why exactly are we here, Nick?"

He sighed deeply and buried his hands in the depths of his jeans pockets. "This is not my place to telt but since he is so adamant on not telling you -"

"Hold up, hold up. Who are you talking about?" Chris asked with his eyebrows raised. Nick looked back and forth between Chris and I. I was already starting to feel goosebumps breaking out on my exposed skin. 

"It's Jeremy."

I felt my heart drop right then. I could feel the anger seeping out of Chris. His body heat increased by the second and everything seemed to have slowed down. Chris was screaming out at Nick to specify whatever the hell he was saying. I was begging the both of them to stop fighting before they hurt each other but stupid Nick didn't open his mouth. He kept on saying that it wasn't his place to tell. He sounded deranged. 

"Nick, please -"

I was just about to reason with him when Chris flung his fist at Nick's face. I gasped as Chris kept throwing punches. Tears were already breaming in my eyes as I struggled to pull both the boys off of each other. I pushed Chris behind me and made sure Nick stayed in front of me. "Listen to me, Nick. You have to tell us what is wrong with Jeremy. Please," I begged him. My voice had already turned shaky. 

When Nick opened his mouth to explain to us, I tried as hard as possible to remain strong for Chris 'cause tears were already flowing down his cheeks rapidly. Chris' arms hung loosely by his side as he buried his tear streaked face into my hair and cried out loud. I have never heard a grown man cry like this before but my heart was already beginning to form a hole in my heart.

All I could think about was -

Why Mia and Jeremy?

Mia's P.O.V.

It's been days since Jeremy spoke to me. Summer and my birthday was long gone. I didn't know what I did wrong 'cause everytime we pass by each other in the hallwys, he looks away and walks faster than usual. I also realized that he looked really pale when he comes to school and just a few days ago, he fainted during P.E.. I've asked Karen, Chelsea, David, Zach, Larissa and even Chris about it but they tell me that it's something I should be talking to him personally about. 

And that was what I did. 

Today, we had P.E. as well. Yes, it's been a week since I've spoken to Jeremy and I have decided to corner him today. "Um, Mia. You know you are squeezing the air out of that ball." I snapped my gaze to the owner's voice. It was Lucy. She was a very quiet and timid character. My expression softened when I looked down at the basket ball and found it deflated in my hands. "I'm really sorry, Lucy." She offered me a smile and took the deflated ball out of my hands. 

"It's fine. Maybe you could tone down your anger a little?"

I nodded, offering her a smile as she ran off to the storage room to get the ball pumped. I returned my gaze towards Jeremy who was smiling and making conversations with Chris and David. Larissa, Karen and Chelsea were nowhere in sight since they aren't in our P.E. class. P.E. class passed by in a blur and before I knew it, the second last bell shrilled all around the gym. Slowly packing up my things in my duffel bag, I gulped down my water and tied my hair into a ponytail. Sweat was dripping from every exposed part of my body as I waltzed into the boy's locker room.

There was no one in there but I still had to be absolutely quiet. So, I tiptoed my way through the stalls and glanced at each one of it. Finally, I came to a stall which was occupied. I dropped my bag to a bench with a loud bang. I heard a deep voice curse before -

"Who's there?"

"Your worst nightmare," I replied in a clipped tone when I dropped my butt on the bench. I heard the shower being turned off, shadow of a figure covering himself with something before the curtains were drawn. He stepped out of the showers and I felt guilt crawling inside me. He looked so sickly and terribly young. The veins in his face were slightly visible now. His blue eyes were more clouded now and his lips were trembling with the chills of the cold water. I hated myself for being angry at him all this while but I had to be stern with him. I needed answers.

"I need to know what's going on, Jeremy and don't you dare lie to me 'cause its evident in your featuress. Right now, I'm going to get answers." He ran his hands through his hair and looked down at himself. He was still in his towel.

"Can I at least -"

"No," I cut him off sharply. He sighed and settled down on the bench next to me. I faced my body towards him, crossing my arms under my chest.

"It was after we spend the day together on your birthday. The next day I woke up feeling completely normal but when I climbed out of my bed, I started feeling aches over my chest. I thought it was just chest pains however I saw some kind of swelling over my chest."

He pointed at his chest where there was a large, ugly blue-black mark painted over his right chest area. "My mom took me to the doctor and the doctors told my mom and I that it was my heart. I need a heart transplant now, Mia." "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" He looked away from my intense gaze, his lips were still trembling and his hands shook with effort.

"I didn't want you to be with me if there's only a 50/50 chance of me surviving this."

Surprisingly, I was being the strong one between the both of us. I closed the distance between us and slowly climbed on to his lap. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around my waist. I laid my head against his still beating heart and sighed in content. 

"I already told you from the beginning. We will go through anything. Together," I mumbled against his wet chest. He held his pinky out and I had to supress the smile and tears from coming out. "Pinky promise?" He whispered into my ear. I held my own pinky out and grabbed hold of his own. 

"Pinky promise." I queried cheerfully.

That was all it took for him to plant his wet lips on mine and I yielded myself completely to Jeremy Cover. And by yield, I mean I kissed him back full on and enjoyed every second of it. 

;) I updated! :D