Time To Go

Six: John O

Thursday again... time passes when you're having fun.

I can't help but think of this day as the day the stranger walked into my room. I sigh and banish the thought from my mind. My Mother has just left after telling me more nonsense about me being able to make it out of this alive. I think now, that the reason she is hoping I survive is so that she doesn't have to deal with my funeral.

I smile sourly, just as footsteps roll into my ears. Maybe it's the stranger...

"Don't be ridiculous," I mutter to myself. "He's a stranger. You won't ever see him again."

Oh, how wrong I am.

There he is, standing in the doorway... again. I can't help but be infuriated by him. He's staring blankly at me with a shred of pity in his eyes. I stare right back, knowing full well that it's going to make him uncomfortable. I have that effect on people. I think that's why I didn't kiss a girl until I was seventeen years old.

"Hi," he surprises me by saying.

"Hello."

"You... do you mind if I come and sit down?" He indicated the seat next to my bed.

What is he supposed to sit on? My head? But he wants to sit down... I consider telling him that no, he can't sit down; he can go away and never come back. But curiosity gets the better of me and you know what they say... curiosity killed the cat. Well, maybe I'll just get lucky enough and curiosity will kill the John.

"I suppose so," I sigh.

He walks slowly over to my bed and lowers himself into the seat. He isn't looking at me any more. I don't know why, but he's looking at my hands. My head hurts so much. It's making me sick. I don't want him to be here, not any more.

Keep telling yourself that, John.

He smiles. "I'm Kennedy."

"Hello," I say again.

I'm fighting all of my urges to turn over, away from him. He's making me uncomfortable.

"What's your name?"

"John," I sigh.

"Oh."

What is there to 'oh' about? I told him my name, not the meaning of life.

I grit my teeth and tilt my head to one side as I look at him. His hair is dark and messy, the fringe falling in front of his eyes. His face is slightly round and childishly-featured, the light stubble around his mouth contradicting the baby-ish look he holds. His eyes are wide and the color of chrome, though flecked with a subtle lacing of a color I can't quite identify.