Raelyn and Lex

#2: The Red Pill

The next day I returned it to him, asking him why he listened to it even though there’s no music. He was very angry.

“Who said you could look through my things?”

“I was curious-”

“You are so annoying! Get out!”

“But can you answer my-”

“Don’t touch my things or talk to me again!”

I shut up.

Then, I slowly exited the room. I really wanted him to tell me, though, as to why he would even bother plugging in earphones to a MP3 player that played nothing.

But now, ten years later, I think I finally understand why he does that. Sometimes the world and the people around you are simply too noisy and too demanding, and all you want to do is to shut them out. To be honest, I actually picked up that habit from him. When I got tired of people around me ever since then, I plug in my earphones and pretend I’m enjoying my songs.

-

After I was done with my surgery, I was feeling so much better and livelier. I hadn’t dared approach Lex after his outburst, but then I decided to try and talk to him again.

During lunch, I asked the nurse to bring me to Lex’s room. I was wheelchair-bound then, as I just finished surgery.

The lunch provided couldn’t be worse, but I wasn’t that bummed because Dr. Henry just cured me of my lung problems. I just had to take medication and deal with my asthma from then on.

I entered Lex’s room and he was surprised to see me. He seemed somehow guilty and apologetic.

“Hi,” I said, “Let’s eat together.”

“Okay,” he said.

We ate in silence, and the sounds of our plastic spoons against the bowls took over.

“Look, I-I’m sorry for flaring up that day,” Lex said, “I was in a bad mood and-”

“I underftand,” I said with my mouth full of food, “I have thofe dayf too.”

“You just had surgery?”

“Yef.”

“How was it?”

I swallowed my food. “I just slept and when I woke up I felt so much better and my lungs were cured.”

“That simple?”

“Why? Are you going for surgery too?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“It doesn’t hurt, just sleep and dream about fairies.”

Lex made a face. “Sorry, no fairies for me.”

“Fine.” I sulked, and then opened my mouth to eat again.

Ever since then we began to hang out more and more, a seven-year-old and a nine-year-old having (kinda) the times of their lives. Lex became friends with The Cowardly Trio too, and we had so much fun together.

Lex told us his mom was against him doing the surgery, because that meant that there was a possibility that Lex could not ever sing, but of course, the almighty Dr. Henry solved the problem, and his mom finally agreed for him to be operated on.

Jesse asked Lex if he was sad about perhaps being unable to sing anymore, and Lex shook his head.

“I like singing, but I like laughing more. Dr. Henry said you have to be healthy to laugh. I started singing when I was four, I had no friends, and I hardly played. I love to laugh, so I want to be fully recovered so that I can laugh,” Lex said, slightly embarrassed.