Steel My Soul ✓

33 | Lost

C H A N C E Y

seven hours earlier...

"Tell me how she is."

"Just like the last three hundred times you asked, Indigo is the same," Dawn sighed, adjusting her graduation gown.

We were trying them on for the ceremony in two weeks. I tried not to think that far. The last time I saw Indigo was almost a week ago, and she'd told me to give our relationship space to breathe. Her complexion was worsening, and I didn't want to think about how she'd look in three weeks. I wanted to see her now, or at least tomorrow when the week was over.

"Is she taking her meds? Staying hydrated? When was her last chemo session? Did it go well?" I threw questions at Dawn while she threw me a graduation cap.

I didn't want to think about graduation, so I gave it back to her. She tried it on instead, and it fit her head. Dawn's dainty fingers brushed through her thin bangs as she inspected her reflection.

"Dawn," I scolded when she didn't answer. "Please."

"She's taking her meds and staying hydrated. She doesn't like talking about chemo because it ruins her day, so I don't know when her last session was or if it went well. But she's alive, Chancey, and she's going to stay that way for a while," Dawn firmly stated before taking the cap off.

My eyebrows furrowed at her dismissal. She took the gown off, revealing her monotone outfit beneath, and threw it at me.

"It's too big on me. You try it," Dawn's tone quieter. "And the cap, too."

I did as she told me and watched my reflection in the wall-length mirror before us. We were in the theatre change rooms with half of our cohort. The black gown fit me well, a little loose around the torso, but well-fitted everywhere else. It wasn't meant to be fitted at all, so I thought it worked out fine.

"She's dying, right?"

Dawn's question caught me off guard. She was typically bold and straightforward, so I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was anyway.

"Don't think like that," I replied, lowering my voice.

She shrugged. "What else am I supposed to think? I was making an observation. An obvious one."

I shook my head.

"Are you visiting her today?"

"She told me not to," I mumbled, adjusting the cap on my head. It was too small. "But I miss her too much, so yes."

Dawn sighed in relief. "Thank God because I can tell she wants to bring you up in a conversation every half an hour but chooses to keep her mouth shut about you. She's in love with you, that one."

I released a chuckle. "That's reassuring."

"Yeah, I think she's loved you forever-" Catching herself as she exposed her friend, Dawn stopped herself. "But don't tell her I told you, or she'll have my head."

I contemplated the thought. Dawn caught on.

"You better not say anything, you prick," She hissed, pointing a finger to my face.

I held my hands up, taking a step away from her psycho self. "Calm your Lord Farquaad bangs, Dusk. We were talking."

Dawn scoffed, slapping one of my hands lightly. "He doesn't have bangs."