A Million Stars Apart

Chapter 13

I woke up with the sun hitting my eyes. I winced and turned over. As I started to wake up the events from the night before began replaying in my head. The drive Kyle and I took. The things he shared with me. How scared my mother had been because of how late I was out.

But I couldn't stop thinking about Kyle. His frail body slowly recovering from the endless rounds of drugs. His smile. I couldn't help but smile to myself about how much he was starting to trust me to tell me about all the things he did the night before.

"Abby...?" I hear as my door cracks open.

"Hi mom" I say sitting up in slight agony from the effect of the chemo.

"There's someone here to see you" she says as she opens my door further to reveal Kyle. I sat up completely and smiled as she left us alone.

Eventually Kyle broke the comfortable silence. "How are you feeling today? Any better?"

I shrugged. "Some days are better than others. Today's not too bad so far." She opened her eyes and gave him a small smile.

He smiled back, briefly taking his eyes off her to look around her room. I felt my stomach flutter strangely at the look in his warm brown eyes.

Wait...what? I quickly looked away, feeling my cheeks flushing slightly. I couldn't be developing...feelings for Kyle, could I? He was just a friend, her one true companion through this nightmare. The one who had witty banter with me during my chemo treatment. The one who cheered me up during hospital stays.

But maybe that's why these feelings were starting to bloom, unbidden. Kyle knew me at her worst, most vulnerable state, and loved her anyway - unthinking, unconditional love. That was a powerful thing.

I snuck another glance at Kyle's strong profile, awash in golden sunlight. Yeah...I can see an attraction growing, however ill-timed. Hopefully it wouldn't ruin the beautiful friendship they had built.

For now, I just want to soak up this sliver of peace with the person who had become one of the most important one in my life. The rest could be figured out later. I rested my head against the headboard again, a small smile playing across my lips.

I heard Kyle's footsteps wandering around my bedroom and tensed up slightly. I always felt a little self-conscious having people in my personal space these days. My room was a glimpse into my old life - the one that had been upended by cancer.

"Wow, you were quite the swimmer," Kyle murmured. I glanced over to see him carefully examining one of my trophies from high school, turning it over in his hands. A pang of wistfulness lanced through me.

Those seemed like eons ago - back when my body was health, strong, able to execute the precise movements required to masterfully slice through the water. Now I could barely make it across the room some days without becoming winded and weak.

Kyle's eyes had moved to the photos hanging on my wall. My cheeks flushed as he studied the images frozen in time - versions of me I hardly recognized anymore. I used to be so vibrant, so alive and full of dreams for the future. 

In one, I was laughing carefree with my teammates after a big win, our arms slung around each other's shoulders in a sweaty group hug. My smile had been blindingly bright, my eyes sparkling with pure joy. It felt like another lifetime ago.

More recent photos showed my shocking transformation - my withered frame, bald head, and pale complexion. My eyes looked far too old for my young age, heavy with suffering and weariness.

I watched Kyle trace the line of my smile in one of the older pics with a gentleness that made my breath catch. He looked at me with such...longing. Like he was mourning the person I used to be. 

And maybe part of me was mourning her too - the healthy, happy girl whose only concerns were winning races and being a typical teen. A life stolen, an identity torn away.

But there was a fiery determination flickering in Kyle's warm eyes too, as if he was vowing to help me find my way back to that old self somehow. His presence, his unwavering friendship through this nightmare...it was MY lifeline.

I found myself fighting back unexpected tears, overcome with emotion. Whatever way our lives went from here, I knew Kyle would be by my side. And that thought filled me with more strength than I'd felt in a long, long time.

I took a deep breath, willing the tears not to spill over. The last thing I needed was for Kyle to see me cry...again. That poor guy had seen me at my soggy, snotty worst more times than I could count already.

Clearing my throat, I decided to lighten the mood with a playful jab. "So, were you expecting to find my superhero cape or something in here? Because I've got to tell you, chemo brain is the extent of my powers these days."

Kyle startled a bit, then chuckled as he turned away from the photos to face me. "A cape? Nah, that's more my style. I had visions of maybe uncovering your secret lair of evil..." He gestured around my bedroom

"A mere henchman, following the leader of the dastardly scheme." Kyle grinned as he moved to plop down on the bed next to me. "So are you gonna share these other deep, dark secrets I've uncovered evidence of here? Like your Olympic swimming backstory?"

I shoved his shoulder lightly as he quirked an eyebrow at me. "As if. That was just my militant swim coach's sad delusion of grandeur. The closest I ever got to the Olympics was starring as a eat-all-you-can-cereal champion."

Kyle clutched his hand dramatically to his chest. "Abigail Thompson! And here I thought we were friends. You've been holding out on me with this cereal prowess??"

We both dissolved into laughter then, any hints of heaviness evaporating. My cheeks actually started to ache from the buoyant feeling - one I hadn't experienced in longer than I could remember.

Laughter really was the best medicine sometimes...besides, you know, actual medicine. I was grateful to have Kyle in my life to dole out doses of true joy when I needed it most. His steadfast friendship was more healing than anything conquered by modern science.