Frisson

Chapter 8

Hey, I'm back guys! So sorry about the crazy long wait :( I've just had horrendous writer's block. Here are the songs for the chapter:

Featherstone--The Paper Kites

Settle Down--The 1975 (it doesn't actually fit with the story but I've been listening to them nonstop for over a week now so yeah)

Girls--The 1975 (same with Settle Down)

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*Eliza's POV*

“MJ…wake up, Mary Jane!  Wake up…”

There’s a small voice whining insistently in my ear, breaking through my happy, sleep-induced haze.  A soft groan escapes my lips as I roll over and crack open one eye to be met with an eager brown pair mere inches from the tip of my nose.

A thrill of surprise jolts through my system a heartbeat before I recognize those sweet chocolate irises perched on the edge of my mattress.  I give a throaty chuckle as Ben, my sister’s seven year old son, crawls up on my bed and snuggles into my side.

“Good morning to you too, Captain Ben,” I laugh while giving him a tight, one-armed hug. 

I should probably explain the nicknames now.

Being all of seven years old and the nephew of the best aunt in the world (of course), this kid has developed grade-A taste in superheroes.  We’ve been watching Marvel movies together pretty much since he was born, and he knows almost as much about the comics as I do by now.  In my sister’s house across town, Ben’s room is a covered in superhero memorabilia from his Avengers bedspread and Batman nightlight to his Thor action figure and the various heroes on literally every shirt in his closet.  With such an obsession already fully indoctrinated in him, Ben has demanded for the last two years that he be called Captain Ben after his favorite Avenger, Captain America, and that I be called Mary Jane after the girlfriend of my favorite superhero, Spider Man.  Considering that I am almost single-handedly responsible for his love of Marvel and DC, I’m all too happy to humour him. 

Ben begins to giggle and squirm as my fingers dance over his sides and tickle him mercilessly.  His laughter is my favorite sound in the entire world, and I think it’s because he laughs so freely.  It’s just irresistibly pretty and carefree, and I take every opportunity to elicit even a small chuckle from him.

“Do you surrender?” I ask playfully.

“The Captain never surrenders!” he shouts in answer with tears of laughter beginning to leak down his cheeks.

“Oh yeah?  We’ll just see about that!”

Ben’s cries of laughter turn to screams of mirth as I wrap my arms around him in a bear hug and pepper his face with little kisses.

“Stop it, Liza!  Mama and Paw-Paw are waiting for you to come downstairs!  Come on, it’s your birthday!” 

Woah.

What?

My hands stop their tickle torture as I mentally count the days in my head.  Saturday was the twenty-third, then yesterday, and—wow.  I definitely had forgotten my own birthday.

Who even does that?

Especially someone with cancer?  I mean, birthdays are kind of a big deal for us in particular.

Freeing himself from my slackened grip, Ben scrambles to his feet, links his hand in mine, and struggles to pull me out of bed.  Laughing a little at his determination, I follow him out the door and down the stairs to the kitchen where my dad and sister are sharing news over twin mugs of coffee.