Blake and Aimee

Chapter 31: Aimee

Things have been good of late. Great, actually. Stressful though. Last week were exams, History, Chemistry, Maths. And don't forget English speech and biology presentation on the immune response and the transmission of disease. Seriously, just read Turtles All the Way Down and you'll be completely covered for that topic. I skipped library this week to study, and I haven't been talking to Blake as often as normal, except at lunchtimes. Drama presentation was so last minute, I ended up reciting a monologue from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. I took the except from the short film My Left-Hand Man when Samuel played by Thomas Brodie Sangster goes on onto the streets to make money by performing an excerpt. Possibly cheating but hey, it's not like I had a choice when my whole group wouldn't turn up. But now I'm starting to get worried. Blake hasn't turned up in three days. He hasn't answered my calls or my texts. It's not like him to do that. And it scares me. What's happened?

Aimee: Blake why aren't you at school, is everything ok?

Aimee: Blake are you alright? Haven't heard from you today just want to make sure you're okay...

Aimee: Blake why are you not answering my calls?

Aimee: Blake what is going on with you this is ridiculous! What have I done Blake, did I do something wrong?

Aimee: Stop ignoring me Blake

Aimee: Blake pick up!

Aimee: Blake please!

Aimee: Blake you're scaring me. I don't know where you have been for days and I'm worried something has happened to you can you please just send me a message letting me know that you're okay please.

The last text was the most recent, sent about two hours ago, in my second lunch break. School is finished now but I'm not going home. Not just yet.

...

"Mrs Sulli- ah, Aileen. I'm here to see Blake please." She stands in the doorway for a moment looking slightly surprised.

"I'm really sorry dear, Blake is asleep. He's come down with a cold and has been trying to sleep it off."

"I'm sorry Aileen. But I'm coming in to see your son, WHETHER HE LIKES IT OR NOT." I shout the last part toward the stairway, just to make sure he hears me. I don't know what sick game he thinks he's playing but I will have no part in it. I squeeze through the doorway and barge up the stairs. I slam Blake's door open and see him laying in bed, playing video games. The room is a mess, stale chips and packets everywhere, dirty clothes all over the floor. Blake is just lying there, looking miserable with dark circles under his eyes. He looks horrible. And smells it too.

"Sleeping, are we?" He looks over at me, not moving or saying anything. I can feel my eyes burning with tears of rage.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I take my phone out and throw it at him, he looks away. "Is this some sort of game to you Blake, why have you all of a sudden completely neglected me? What have I done wrong?" I shake my head at him.

"Aimee, please." I take a deep breathe a speak quietly, trying to stay clam so I don't scream at him.

"Is this about me kissing you Blake?" I feel the tears burning my eyes, I squeeze them tight so they go away. But it doesn't work. Slowly they stream down my face. "Did you not like it? Am I not experienced enough for you?" He turns away from me, I walk around his bed to face him.

"Well I'm sorry Blake but this is my first time at all of this so if I'm not doing it right, just say so." He rolls over to the other side of the bed, gets up and stands facing the window- even the curtains are pulled across.

"Blake! Blake, I didn't know what had happened to you when you stopped returning my calls and all my texts. Blake, I thought you were DEAD!" I burst into tears.

"Well you're not bloody far off Aimee." I look up and see he's crying too.

"What do you mean?"

"You really think I wanted to do this? Do you REALLY THINK I wanted to leave you? Because I don't. But it's for the best."

"For who's best? Blake, I have been worried sick about you, I can't sleep, I can't eat-"

"Six months."

"What?" He locks the door behind me and takes a deep breath in, and then out again.

"Aimee, I got the test results back," He sounds to weak now, almost defeated, "It was worse than what they thought. So, I had some scans done and..." He starts crying, and sits on the end of his bed. His head in his hands, sobbing. "It's everywhere Aimee." It hit me. Straight in the chest, in the stomach.

"The cancer has spread everywhere. They gave me six months to live." Oh Blake. My poor Blake. I sit down beside him and wrap my arms around him, pulling him close to me.

"You should have told me. You should have told me Blake." He pushes me away and tries to clam himself down.

"You don't understand, I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of who I'm leaving behind. Who I hurt. And I don't want that to be you Aimee, you don't deserve that." I pause for moment and lean into his shoulder.

"We accept the love we think we deserve." I look up at Blake and he smiles.

"Perks of Being a Wallflower." I smile back.

"You finally saw it hey?" He nods.

"Yeah, after I found out about everything at the hospital. I went home and watched it. And you are right, I did really like it." For the rest of the afternoon we lay on his bed. Not talking, not touching, until he fell asleep. I left him be after that but I left him a note on his bedside table for when he awoke. It says I love you on a small piece of crumpled, but blank, paper I found on the ground. It's nothing special, but just a reminder in case he does forget.