Blake and Aimee

Chapter 32: Blake

It's been over a month now. Which means I have about maximum five months left. I should feel upset, or angry, or depressed but to be honest with you I'm pretty content at the moment. School is school, bullshit and boring as always. But she makes up for it. She is extraordinary, I really mean it. She's so beautiful and talented and she doesn't even realise just how special she is. The other day I had a spare period, and so I was walking down to the library when I passed the Theatre. Through the gap in the door I could see Aimee practising something. She was reciting some sort of script or monologue, she was completely focused. Everyone else around her were chatting amongst each other but not her.

I got a little distracted and accidently leant against the door. It creaked wide open. Everyone turned toward the noise, including Aimee. She blushed as she walked over to the doorway script in hand, everyone else lost interest and went back to talking.

"Blake what are you doing here?" She's smiling but I can tell she's embarrassed. I don't know why she would be, she's amazing.

"I had a free period." She shakes her head.

"Then why would you waste your time coming here? You don't even do drama."

"Well, I was on my way to the library thank you very much when something caught my eye from in here, thought I would check it out." She stares at the ground, and fidgets with the edge of her script.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, I have been asked to perform for the school showcase so I'm practising as much as I can." Again, as I said, she has no idea just how talented she already is.

"Aimee you are incredible, you really need to start giving yourself some credit."

"Yeah well, maybe. Go to the library and study, do something useful with your time." I cross my arms and raise my eyebrows at her.

"On one condition." She rolls her eyes.

"And what condition exactly do you have for me?"

"I want to take you out to dinner." She raised her eyebrows at me this time.

"Dinner? Really? Why?"

"Because you are a stress-head who never does anything for herself, and I want an excuse to leave my house." She laughs.

"Well fair enough then, condition accepted. Now go study."

And just like that she walked away, grabbed her speech and went back to work.

...

Anyway, that's what happened on Friday, and I meet her tonight. We agreed that I'd pick her up, translation I'd meet her at her place then she'd drive us. I glance up at the clock, its 5.45, I have about half an hour. Ma managed to find an old suit from her younger brother, Uncle James, who passed away a couple of years ago in a car accident. Romantic right? Anyway, I got a package from my Uncle Ricky yesterday. It was a wig, a blackish sort of colour and has a side fringe at the front. It actually looks pretty cool. Nothing like how my hair ordinally was, it was more of a coppery brown, but I still think it suits me alright. I guess it's been so long seeing anything on my head that isn't a beanie I really couldn't care less what the colour is. I just happy to look a little less, like me I guess. The suit is quite baggy, but Ma says I'll look fine. And Aimee isn't the sort of person that cares about that stuff, a part of the reason I like her so much.

Ma drives me over to Aimee's place. I walk up the driveway to her front door, like many times before. Yet this time feels different, more... personal I guess. For one thing I definitely feel more nervous than I normally do. I wonder what she'll think of my wig too, I hope she'll like it, I'm sure she will. Anything is better than this blasted baldness of mine. I knock once, and before I can knock again the door opens. I feel like the air has my knocked right out of me. She stands in the doorway, wearing the black party dress Nadia gave to her at her birthday party. Wow she looks stunning!

"Wow Aimee you look, absolutely phenomenal honestly." But she doesn't smile. In fact she looks hurt, almost angry.

"What is that?" I look around me trying to see that she's talking about. "That thing on your head."

"Oh this? Yeah it was a present from my Uncle. Don't worry my actual hair was much nicer but I thought I'd give it a test run." Aimee doesn't acknowledge I spoke.

"Take it off."

"What?" Now I'm confused. What's all the fuss with her and this bloody wig?

"I said take it off." I feel myself getting agitated.

"Why Aimee? What's wrong with it? You always look so nice whenever you come to see me is it really such a crime if I try and do the same? I was just trying to look normal for you!" She sighs, exasperated.

"I don't want you to look normal for me Blake! I don't want this, this black haired average teenage boy to take me on a date like everyone else. I want you Blake, I want you for a reason." I can see she is tearing up, I too can feel my eyes burning. She doesn't want us to be like everyone else, when that's all I've tried to do these past couple of years since I was diagnosed with cancer. Be just like everyone else. I take the wig off my head and begin to feel self-conscious as I always do. But as I look up at her, eyes smiling face and her eyes beaming I feel it start to fade away. If only I could learn to accept myself the way she seems to accept me, I'm sure I'd be a lot happier.

"Is that better then?" She steps down from the doorway and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me close to her.

"Much better." She whispers in my ear and kisses me on the cheek. I am left standing on the driveway dazed until Aimee calls me. "Well, am I taking you on this date or what?"

a