Two More Months

Chapter Five

The next day Eve was waiting and reading on the bench we had met at, while Fountain was talking her ear off. I plopped down next to them on the bench. Eve glanced at her watch and then acknowledged me. I was about to ask her why she had left so suddenly, but Fountain had begun to speak.
   "So," Fountain began smiling, "Do you like chalk?" She began to shake a small box full of chalk. It made a loud rattling sound and a couple walking by glared at her. She waved at them, still smiling. They gasped. I admired her for that and couldn't help bursting into laughter.
   Then I felt an ache in my chest and stopped. Eve's eyes got big as I held my hand to my heart. I shrugged and put my hand down, my cheeks probably burning a bright red. I turned to face Fountain. She got distracted by a butterfly, but then she looked back at me. 
"Eve found the note, it says we have to draw our favorite animal on the sidewalk." I asked, "Fountain, what if this isn't really the Montgomery Art School. What if we are being tricked?"
   We all went silent, and I was surprised I was the only one who thought about this. Eve broke the silence, "Well, I want to be here, don't you? I mean it's good practice anyways."
Fountain grinned and said, "Even if it is a prank, at least I got to meet you guys!"
I questioned, "How are they even watching us? How do they know we even completed the assignment?"
Fountain gasped, "Maybe we're on a reality TV show!"
    At that, we all started laughing, even Eve. I took some chalk shaking my head. I began to draw a grizzly bear. I loved animals with strength, animals that are hard to kill. At that moment, I decided not to tell the girls about my sickness. I didn't want to be their charity case. I liked the way they looked at me now, like I was their equal. Maybe I could even become their friend.
    The next three weeks had the same agenda. I got to the park as early as I could, but Fountain and Eve always got there before me. They told me what the assignment was for the day and I did it. We laughed and talked a lot while drawing with whatever materials we were provided with. At 1:26, Eve ran off. When Fountain asked Eve the third day why she did that, Eve teared up. So we never spoke of it again.
    The one problem I was having was that I was getting easily tired. I walked to the park everyday and always ending up panting when I got there. Eve would give me a questioning look, but I just shrugged and acted like it was not a big deal. Every other day I said I should really get to a gym. Fountain would tease me by agreeing. It was really the best and worst of times.
   On August 21st, I got their second! Fountain was at some party and overslept.
"Shoot, shoot, shoot!" Fountain whined as she dropped her yellow leather bag on the floor.
Eve checked her watch and then spoke, "What happened?"
"I forgot my..."
    Then her words were muted. Everything stopped. I scooched in, thinking that it would help, but everything remained paused. Then I felt a burn in my chest. It was like I was being cooked inside. There was a flame and it was growing. It was consuming me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't talk. I couldn't even think. All I could do was shake. I shook and shook and no one noticed me. I was on fire. I closed my eyes. I hit the ground.