Blake and Aimee

Chapter 27: Aimee

Last night was a blast honestly. Couldn't have imagined a better night, but I have been so tired today. We had a social group chat first, which is like one giant therapy session where all the senior classes get together and teacher talk about life issues and how to deal with them. This week's topic was about fatigue and ironically, I feel asleep. Well done me. Drama was ok, we were organising what scene we will be performing for our assessment piece. My whole group was away through so I just sat there reading which was good. Music was the best. Mr Henderson decided to play whole-class twister instead of doing actual work. Don't ask me why, he does random stuff like that in class all the time. Five minutes until the bell. Thank god this class is a drag. And I am so tired. We have meant to done three worksheets this lesson and I've done one and a half. I'm going home with Blake today, we are practising for music at his house. In five minutes...

...

"Hello Mrs Sullivan." I climb in the backseat with Blake. I insisted that he sit in the front as I am much smaller then he is but he insisted no. Stubborn minds think alike I suppose.

"Oh, please darling, call me Aileen. How was your day at school?"

"Yeah good thanks, so tired from last night though." I say with a weak laugh. Blake pipes up.

"Yeah, the whole thing was crazy, there was an electronic disco ball and this massive cake. And the music was great too." Blakes Mum smiles, her eyes crinkling at the edges.

"Well, I am very glad that you two have had a good time. So, what are we studying for today?"

"Music." I reply, Blake elaborates.

"Yeah we've got to do a duet performance as a part of our practical assessment. Should be fun."

When we arrive at Blake's house, I put my bag and books in his room. He stands at the doorway.

"How about we go for a walk? Clear our heads before we sit down to start this music thing, there is a nice park down the road."

"Um sure, I mean it's freezing today and the wind is only getting worse but sure."

...

Ok it is actually really nice out here; the sun is out now and wind has died down a little enough for me to unzip my jacket for the first time today. Blake looks down and smiles at the pendent hanging from my neck.

"Nice necklace." Haha real subtle Blake, real subtle.

"Yeah, someone pretty special must have gotten for me." I grab his hand as we are walking and lean in close to his jacket. "Where did you manage to find this though, I mean I have never seen anything like it anywhere." He looks over and smiles, before looking ahead again.

"It was actually my grandmother's, I used to be over at her house all the time when I was little- it was my favourite place to go especially on the holidays. She made the best cakes, and she used to take me out for picnics at noon, sitting under sun. Then sometimes wed go to the beach, she'd sit on the sand and build sandcastles while I went swimming and collected shells." The smile on his face fades, "She got really sick, cancer funnily enough. Way before my diagnosis of course. I remember walking into the hospital room and she was sitting up in bed; her face pale, her hands shaky and frail- like all the life in her was disappearing before my eyes. She gave me a small wooden box with a necklace in it. She told me to keep it safe for her, it's been under my bed ever since." I stop him in the middle of the walkway.

"Blake I can't accept this, if it was your grandmother you never should have given it to me. Here." I gently remove the necklace and hold it out to Blake. He closes my hand around it.

"No really you have it, it's not my colour." He laughs and keeps walking. I follow beside him and I put the necklace back on. "Aimee, I give it to you because I know that you will value it more than anyone else in the world ever will, and I think that's the reason I was given it in the first place. Because my grandmother knew that unlike the rest of the family I wouldn't try to sell it or melt it down, that I would find someone worthy of keeping it. Someone who would value it."

"I promise I will take care of it." I put my hand over the pendent.

"My grandmother didn't want that necklace to die with her, and I don't want it to die with me either so I figured I'd pick someone with a suggested longer lifespan to take over." He laughs as usual when joking about his death. I shake my head at him.

"You are not going to die Blake, I won't allow it." We keep walking for a while until we come across a bridge. We stand the for a while, leaning over the edge of it, feeling the wind in our face. It makes me smile but I look over at Blake and he sighs.

"Hey," I touch his shoulder, "you alright?" He sighs again.

"Yeah, I guess its just moments like these when I just wish I was normal. Back to the times practically living with my Gran, before she died and before I started dying. I'd give anything to just to not be different." I think I have an idea.

"Blake give me your beanie." He looks at me and laughs.

"There is no way in hell I'm giving you my beanie I'll freeze my head off." I pull it off his head. "Hey! Give that back!" I dodge his arms and put the beanie on my head. Blake looks at me, clearly puzzled as to what I'm doing. I tuck all my hair up into the beanie, making sure there are no loose strands sticking out, and pull it slightly over my face to cover my eyebrows. I snuggle in close to him as we stand at the bridge. An elderly couple walks past. One of them turns to the other.

"Oh John, isn't that sad." The woman is holding the man's hand, assuming her husband. The husband looks over, clearly confused then turns to his wife. "They have cancer, both of them. Oh, and they are so young too- its such a shame." The husband- John- looks over and offers us an apologetic look as the couple walk way. Blake looks at me, choked up on what to say. He says he's so used to feeling like the odd one out, and now he isn't.

"See Blake," I nudge his shoulder, "we can be different, together." He puts his arm over my shoulder and we turn to head back to his house, together.