While You Where Sleeping

Chapter 1

I really don't like my name. Sunflower Gracie Hallark. A mouth full right? So I've been Sunny ever since the day I met Rylan the day my life changed. I remember it so vividly...

This twitchy little kid with hair not quite as dark as his eyes walked up to me in my own front yard.

"Hi I'm Rylan. What's your name?"

So confident. I just starred for a while then back down at the Barbie doll in my hand.

"Come on, I just want to know your name." He urged. As he knelt down on the grass next to me.

"Sunflower." I muttered

He busted up laughing. "Sunflower?" He laughed "Sunflower what?"

"Sunflower Gracie Hallark" I said, hurt at his fit of laughing.

"Sorry Sunflower. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." He said ashamed.

"No, Sunny." I said. I'd been waiting for a long time to have an excuse to change my name. This was perfect.

"Hi Sunny." He said as he sat down cross legged next to me. "My name's Rylan Peter Tanninger. See my name's bad too."

I looked up at him now. " I am five" I said quietly

"I am five too!" He cheered "I'm your new neighbor Sunny." He pointed over at the big yellow house next to ours.

I was still unsure about this kid.

"Wanna be best friends?" He asked.

"Yes. I've never had a best friend before."

"You do now Sunny." He said.

🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

He kept his word. Then came one of the best summer's of my life. Full of mud pies, slip 'n slides, butterfly chases, and watching the movie "Millow and Otis" over and over.

But that was ten years ago. A time when life seemed so easy. Now it's different. Now without each other I don't know what the other would do. We've spent countless hours in the back field sitting on hay bales and ranting on to each other about the troubles of our highschool lives. Whether we have the answers or not, we listen. Then take a deep breath and it's all over. Then we relax and watch the sun go down be for hopping back on the four wheeler and heading back to the house for dinner and homework.

Now all I listen to is the beep... beep... beep. Of Rylan's heart monitor. I watch his chest slowly rise and fall in steady breaths. His dark hair covering one eye.

I reach up and gently brush it away. Revealing his beautiful face. Sharp, strong features. He stirs and I pull my hand away and let sleep take him back.

The walls of the hospital are a pail grey the floor tiles a dark blue. The window displays a view of the town. A half hour away from our houses.

He stirs again. This time waking up fully.

"Hey Sunshine." He whispers

"Hey." I whisper back.

"Thought you'd be gone by now."

"I have no social life. Where would I go?"

He lets out a tiny laugh. "Go out and get one. Get a boyfriend or something." He says

I know he doesn't mean that. We've been best friends for ten years and kind or have this silent agreement to keep it that way. Never dated, probably won't. At least any time soon.

"I'd rather sit and watch you sleep." I say creepily

"Said the stalker." He gives me a worried look.

"No really." I say "it's s relaxing, sitting in here thinking."

"Thinking about what?" He asks.

"About.... how it used to be. The summer's of running, playing, fishing, and getting into trouble. Where did they go?"

"Don't worry." He says "I'm gonna get myself right and the first thing we're going to do is head out to our spot and watch the sun set. Just like old times."

"Good deal" I say.

He's so optimistic yet there's something in my gut that tells me not to get my hopes up. To kind of picture a world without the 'dangerous duo' as our teachers call us. The truth is that I don't know what I'd do without my best friend connected to my hip. Be miserable I guess. I'm not one to sit and do nothing but is see myself sitting at home and starring at the wall, feeling sorry for myself.

I just can't imagine a world without a Rylan Peter Tanninger in it. I can't imagine life without him.