Potion

Twist

Sorry for the wait

Enjoy!!

One week. Seven days. 168 hours. It's been that long since Willow's been given the cure.

And it's hasn't done crap for her.

I've visited her every day, sometimes twice. It was always the same: still in the same spot on her bed, tubes and machines hooked up to her. Dr. Lance would occasionally chat with me, and I never told him about the herbs Jebari gave Willow. It didn't work, therefore there was no point.

The pixie cut girl at the front desk eventually stopped trying to flirt with me, it's not like she was getting anywhere. She was pretty, but my eyes were for someone else. A dead girl.

I went home every night, said a minimum of three words to my parents, and went to bed. Ret kept nagging me, "What's wrong Jesse?", "Let's play outside", "Where's your pretty friend?"

I retreated to my room when Ret would chaste me, his big blue eyes making it hard to ignore him. Sometimes I would call Micheal, talk with him about California, back home topics. It was a relief to hear that he was staying out of trouble. I never once mentioned Willow.

I visited Kristin once. My mom baked lasagna and peanut butter cookies for me to take over. They had started calling each other often, and before I knew it my mom had taken her shopping an out to lunch. When I went to see Kristin, she was a mess of blonde hair and tissues. We visited Willow together, and I found myself enjoying her company. She was a sweet lady, and even though she looked nothing like Willow, it gave me a piece of her to hold on to.

After a week had passed and nothing had happened, I lost the key. The reason to be happy, or sad. The strength to get out of bed, or eat dinner. It was a struggle for me to have emotion. I'd lost hope.

It was Sunday, and I was sitting by the creek me and Willow used to meet at. The sky was clear, and spring was on the way. Tiny white buds on the oak trees sat ready to bloom at any second. The stream seemed brighter; more blue than I'd ever seen it. Bluejays and squirrels were scuttling around in the woods. The air was tinged with happiness and hope. The opposite ends of my life. I was in a glass box, and both sides were pressing in.

My phone rang in my pocket, disturbing the silence and cracking the evening air, surprising me. No one ever called.

I pulled it out and clicked on the answering button, clearing my throat to talk.

"Hey...hello?" A young female voice spoke.

"Hey it's Jesse, who might this be?"

The voice paused, hesitating. "Uhem.. Hey, it's Willow's best friend, Penelope.."

The uneasiness of her voice made me automatically tense. My jaw ticked. Something was wrong, I could tell by the shakiness in her voice.

"I just visited her.. oh God.."

Her voice choked up and I could hear her sobbing. Penelope breathed in deeply, and I give her time to compose. My nerves started to boil under my skin, warning me that Willows friend wouldn't call me for just a friendly hello. She was calling to tell me that she was dead, wasn't she? I've waited and waited, on something anything to happen and now the days come. I couldn't stand for a minute of it. What was I expecting? Was I expecting the news to be good? That I could waltz into the damned hospital with Willow holding my hand as we pranced out? No. I wasn't that foolish. I began to think of the worst and my thoughts went into overdrive.

"I know what you're going to tell me. I have to go."

I clicked end and shoved my phone harshly into my pocket. I stood up too fast. My vision went black for a few seconds.