Charlie

chapter 4

“

What do you mean? Like sick with the flu or something”? But I already knew that that wasn’t the truth. She explained that her lungs occasionally took in fluid and it often needed to be drained. It had gotten worst she said. I had forgotten the name of the condition the moment she said it. It just seemed unimportant after I realized that she might die. We sat in silence for a while. I just didn’t know what to say. The friend that I had grown to love would soon seize to exist. Then it hit me. I was going to make her last days the best she’d ever had.  

School got in the way a lot but we still managed to make it work. I spent the weekends at her house and we did every fun activity known to man. We played board games, baked cookies, pretended to be fashion models and raided her mom’s closet, painted and played video games. We watched thousands of movies. We cried and laughed and screamed depending on the genre. We made jewelry by watching YouTube videos and even managed to make a few decent items of clothing. In the beginning we’d go to the park and have picnics. That began to take a toll on her physically so we just made staying inside exciting.

She never complained. Even though I knew that she must have been in pain she never showed it. Her body got pale and weak but the light in her eyes didn’t falter. Often times when I would feel sad about the situation she would be the one to cheer me up.

When she died I was at school in Science class. Principal Styles announced over the intercom that I was needed in his office. Avoiding the assuming glances of my classmates I got my things together and made my way down. I found Principal Styles and my mother standing outside his office. As soon as they saw me they stopped talking. I asked her what was wrong and her response hit me like a ton of bricks. “It’s Charlie.” I knew.