Together Forever

Chapter Eight

ISABELLE
It was really late when I reached home. Tristan insisted that he walked me before he went home just to make sure 'the ghost of Hamlet's father' wasn't there.
I locked the door and changed into my comfortable Pyjamas and brushed my teeth. By the time I finished, the time was way past eleven o' clock.
But I wasn't going to sleep. I couldn't. The fuzzy feeling you get in your stomach when a certain someone drops you off.
I just lay there in creepy silence, staring at the ceiling, a thousand thoughts racing through my head.
Mother coming home three days later would probably be the highlight of my life.
She would come home, wrap her arms around me, kiss my forehead, and we would laugh together...It seemed like a dream....
☄ ☄ ☄

The doorbell rang. I slowly walked towards it, afraid of might be there. I twisted the doorknob, and my heart skipped a beat. My mother stood in the doorway with open arms, urging me to run to her. I threw my arms around her and inhaled her scent. It was all right. Her holding me, and her kissing my forehead...
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RACHEL
I tossed and turned. The bed felt oddly different. I opened one eye and saw that the sheets covering me were white, not sky blue. I sat up in full panic mode and felt wires pull my left arm back. There were tubes connected to my arm and my stomach. I breathed in, and realised I wore an oxygen mask. I looked around.
I was in a hospital.
The ceiling lights were so dim, they might as well be candlelight. The bed was a typical hospital bed... Except for the bloodstains on my pillow coming from my mouth..
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I woke up with a start. It was all a horrible dream.
I looked at the clock next to me, which read three past four in the morning. I heard voices coming from my mother's room just across mine. She was talking on the phone, and this time, her hysterical self was back. I slowly crept out of my room and leaned my ear carefully against her door.
She was crying so hard, that I couldn't make out what she was saying.
But her voice came back clearly.
"I don't know what to do anymore! I don't know if it gets worse or better, I just can't check without her finding out!" Mother wailed. I frowned and silently vowed that I would find out who she was talking about or else I'll find out the hard way.
She began hiccuping.
"Yes, I know Rachel's Lung Cancer is getting- don't raise your voice!" Mother cried.
But I stopped listening. Rachel's lung cancer. How many Rachel's did she know? Me.
I have Lung Cancer... No. No, no, no! NO!
"NO!" I screamed, bargain into my mother's room, taking her by surprise. She dropped the phone.
"It's four in the morning-"HOW COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME! IT'S MY OWN HEALTH!" I screamed. I scared Mother a little; but I didn't care.
"ALL THESE YEARS- OR FOR HOW LONG I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT- ALL THIS TIME YOU NEVER TOLD ME!" I wailed, pushing my mother's comforting hands away.
I stormed back to my room, and slammed the door behind me and locked it.
"I HATE YOU!" I screamed.
I flopped down on the bed, crying so hard, that not a sound came out.
I had lung cancer...
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TRISTAN
I checked my appearance in the mirror, before exiting the house. I was going to meet Dimitri for a walk in the park. We'd always have our walks in the parks at Saturday's.
I thought for a moment.
What was Isabelle doing? Was she free? My spirits soared when I thought of Isabelle joining us...
"Hey, Dimitri? Yes, I'll meet you there. But I'll bring guest." I said into the phone when Dimitri picked up. His voice sounded gruff. Probably because he just woke up. He was kind of groggy when he woke up but that was basically the only time when he was cranky.
I walked out the door and shut it gently behind me. I walked down the pavement, whistling to a tune my mother used to sing. It was close to my heart.
I inhaled the crisp air and exhaled. Everything felt right for once. And by right, I mean I didn't think anything could go wrong.
At last, when I reached Isabelle's apartment, I knocked on the door, gently.
I waited for her answer. When she did, she was all dressed up in her polo shirt and jeans. She gave me a bright smile.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I came to see if you wanted to go for a walk in the park." I asked... And I admit I was nervous. She made me feel weird. In a great way.
"I was headed there myself, actually." She grinned. I chuckled and waited for her to shut the door.
We walked on the sidewalk and talked about our past. Surprisingly, we had similar friends...
"He had the same features as you... Probably twice as better as you." She teased, punching me, lightly. I pouted playfully.
"Oh yeah? Well, she was twice as pretty as you." I smirked. "She had tumbling long hair and green eyes that sparkled-"Tristan, you and I both know that I was that same childhood friend of yours." She sighed. I stopped walking. I knew all along, but I was afraid this would happen.
"What?!" I sarcastically said, rolling my eyes. Isabelle sighed.
"I know... I know you know. We both know that even our parents know." Isabelle said. I nodded and grabbed her hand.
"I missed you, Isabelle. We were great friends, and we still can be." I said. She looked into my eyes. Slowly, as she found reassurance in my eyes, she nodded. This time, more confidently.
"Right." She said.
"We're here." I said, pointing to the park's entrance.
Isabelle's playful smirk returned.
"Race you!" She giggled, as we raced through the gates as the sun shine brighter than ever...