Chasing the End

four

I had never craved anyone’s presence as much as I craved Rider’s. Just the sight of him left me weak and dizzy. And it wasn’t helping when he was staring right back at me with that gorgeous smile on his lips. It’s like he was teasing me without even knowing it.

I never really understood him at all. I didn’t understand why he cared for me so much. I was always thinking that I was the last thing anyone would care about. I have no idea why I thought so poorly of myself. Even after Rider told me how beautiful I was, I refused to believe anyone that told me I was pretty. By “anyone” I meant my mom and my dad. They were really the only people who told me I was pretty or perfect so it took me by surprise when Rider called me beautiful.

I was sitting on at my desk on my computer looking up different topics of tumblr when my phone started to ring. I picked up my phone and looked at the contact, it was Rider. The photo was basically an outlining of a person to their shoulders.

Maybe I can get a photo of him for his contact.

I tapped the green rectangle that said “answer” and held the phone up to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Mary-Kate,” Rider answered.

I chuckled and spun around in my chair carelessly. “Rider Alexander. Why are you calling me?”

“I’m at Barnes and Noble.”

“Okay.”

“Well, I want you to hang out with me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m at the one on Bay Street. Just drive over here and meet me.”

“I don’t know if my mom is okay with me driving.”

“You’re eighteen; your mom doesn’t have to worry about you driving. Just ask her to drive you here.”

“Fine, I’ll ask her.”

“Bye, Mary-Kate.”

“Bye Rider,” I giggled and hung up the phone.

I got up from my seat and slowly walked downstairs with my bag in my hands and to the kitchen where my mom was leaning against the counter with a mug in her hands.

“Looks like you finally decided to come out of your little cave,” my mom said, referring to how I usually stay in my room all day on the weekends.

“Can I drive myself to Bay Street?” I asked, out of breath from the walking from my room.

“I don’t know Kate.”

“Come on, I’m gonna be okay.”

“But something might happen.”

“You drive me all the time and nothing happens then.”

She sighed and tapped her nails against the counter. “Fine, but if something happens please call me.”

I smiled and gave my mom a hug. “Thank you so much.”

I know you’re thinking that a normal teenager would say, “Thanks,” then walk away. But the last time I drove before then was when I was taking the driver’s test. So it was a lot more excited to hear that I was finally able to drive like a normal person.

I grabbed the car keys off of the counter, put on my shoes, and speed walked out to the drive way in a record amount of time from excitement.

~~~

I can never forget what Rider had said to me when I got to Barnes and Noble. We both ended up walking around Bay Street instead of staying in Barnes and Noble.

We were sitting in Pizza my Heart and I had a bottle of milk in front of me while Rider had two slices of pizza in front of him.

“What’s in that bag?” I finally asked because I had been eyeing the bag the whole time.

“Uh, I’ll show you later.”

“What? No, you have to show me now,” I whined.

“Nope, it’s a surprise.”

“I’m guessing it’s for me if it’s a surprise.”

“You have guessed right.”

I took a sip of my milk and when I set down the bottle Rider was snickering with his hand over his mouth.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, but couldn’t help but smile.

“You have a milk mustache and you look funny.”

I quickly wiped the milk off of my face with the back of my hand and laughed nervously to hide my embarrassment. “Sorry about that.”

“No need to be sorry Mary-Kate,” he replied. “And why are you downing that drink like your life depends on it?”

Oh the irony. “That’s funny because my life actually does depend on it. I have Ewing’s sarcoma.”

“Oh, where’s the tumor?”

“In my hip. And the treatment jacked up my heart and my lungs so that’s why I need this oxygen tank to breathe.”

“That’s really depressing,” he looked down at the bag that I had asked about earlier. “You know what; I think I want to show what’s in the bag now.”

“Really?” I asked, a smile spreading on my lips.

“Yep, hold on,” he picked up the bag and pulled out a box.

My eye widened and I looked at him in disbelieve.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

“Is that what I think it is?” I asked.

“Yep.”

I took the box out of his grasp and opened it eagerly and pulled out what he had got me. “You got me a fucking instax camera?”

“When you told me that one day that breathing attack was going to kill you, I wanted every day of your life to be something to remember. Starting today.”

“You are so stupid,” I whispered. “Why do you care about me so much?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t really have a lot of friends growing up, so I guess when I make a new friend I try to be as caring as possible. That’s what friends are for, right?”

“Right,” I managed to say.

_______

This chapter was kind of sucky and cheesy but I wanted him to give her a camera but I didn’t know where to put it in the story. But aren’t they cute?