SHE

Twenty

I'd never believed that something could bring me down, hurt me any more than my family ever could. I simply never even thought of handing someone that power over me, letting them close enough so they would have the ability to make me want to die. 

There were never any problems for me to stick by what I  believed in. That is, until I met the Eden Harper herself.  Turns out some people are worth being vulnerable for. 

"Mom, I'm leaving," I said loud enough for mom to hear from living room, while I was in kitchen, grabbing an apple. 

"Where to, Ru?" she came in the kitchen.

"Hanna's picking me up, she'll help me with chemistry homework," I took a bite out of the apple. 

Mom raised a brow: "so tell me if I'm wrong, but are you telling me you're leaving your girlfriend while she's sleeping in your bed to go do chemistry homework with Hanna, even thought you have straight A's in every subject and it's holidays?" 

I took another bite of the apple, nodding my head. I forgot my mom is far from clueless.

She squinted her eyes at me: "right. Ru, all secrets come out eventually, so you better not be keeping any."

"Adios, mom!" I waved, quickly walking out.

"Morning, Hen. Smile, you'd be amazed how much more handsome it makes you look," I winked at him. 

I saw the corner of his mouth lift, but he still kept his lips in a tight line. 

"Morning miss Gold," he nodded.

"I'm curious.. do you ever sleep?" 

"Don't we all, miss Gold?" he asked, sarcastically. 

I saw Hanna pull up, her grinning face appearing out of the window, together with her waving hand. 

"Hen, let's play basketball when I come back," I smiled back at Hanna.

"See you," I said before he could complain about my idea.

I ran to the car, hopping into passenger seat. 

"Miss me?" Hanna grinned, kissing my cheek. 

"Of course," I laughed. 

She stepped on the gas, her driving as fast and dangerous as ever. 

"So..Ready for the scan?" she asked.

"As ready as I could ever be," I sighed.

"I'll take that as a no," she smiled.

I ignored her, not really wanting to discuss this: "did you get the meds?"

"Sure did, preciosa," she opened the drawer in front of me, dropping a bag with pill packages in my lap, "you owe me one."

"I owe you far more than one," I sighed, putting the bag in my purse.

"These are all serious prescription drugs, I left notes attached to all 3 packages, stating what they're for, when and how much to take. If you do more or less than I have recommended, I'll make sure to kill you in case the drugs don't."

I laughed: "I didn't realize we were playing good doctor bad doctor."

She looked at me, her gaze holding silent promise: "I'm not kidding, this is serious stuff," she sighed, "I seriously need to get my act together. Putting my ass on the line because I can't resist a beautiful girl. Mama Jules didn't raise her daughter to be a pussy, yet here I am.."

I put my hand on hers, giving a comforting squeeze: "I'm sorry, Han."

She intertwined our fingers, and I looked down at our hands together. I'm pretty sure she was meant to be my first love. How ironic, the way things turned out. Yet here we still are, us against the world.