It All Started With A Holiday Card

Hello

      Nathan received Leila's letter. He was excited to finally meet her. He could feel that there was something special about Leila and that they would be friends for a long time. She was so calm and nice to him when he told her about his cancer. She's very understanding. She's someone Nathan can trust with anything. Her eyes burned icicles into his soul when he saw her picture. He knew she was the one for him without even meeting her in person. 

      Leila walked her school halls every day, waiting for Nathan's response. She knew he was the one for her. He told her about his cancer and was so nice to her. He was the only person who didn't call her ugly. Or stop talking to her once they saw her hideous face. He was the one she could trust with anything. She could tell Nathan about her scars, her old friends, new friends, her entire life, and most of all her saddest point in her life. She was only 14 and she had already been to the bottom and has been trying to climb back to the top. She wanted to talk to someone who would understand. Nathan seems like the perfect person to talk to. 

A few days later...

      Leila received Nathan's letter and read it right away. 

      I spoke to my nurse about when I can have visitors. You can come here any time you want. She says it's about time I talk to someone my age who isn't trouble. She's referring to my friend who visits me. You'll meet him when you visit me. He's one of my best friends. Visit me soon this place is boring as hell! -Nathan

      Leila giggled at Nathan's letter. She wrote back right away to tell him when she would visit him. 

      I can't wait to meet you and your friend. I bet you're both really good people at heart. I can come to visit Thursday after school so say around 4:30 p.m. I would write more, but I'm supposed to be taking a Spanish test right now, so see you soon. -Leila

Thursday evening-4:25 p.m.

      Leila walked through the doors of High Hopes Hospital. She was kind of nervous to meet Nathan because she had never met someone with cancer before. She signed in at the front desk, the secretary was expecting her there. Leila stepped into the elevator and hit the third-floor button. Leila shivers at the feeling of being in a hospital, she hates hospitals. She stepped out of the elevator and wondered the halls looking for room 44. It was in the corner of the hall by a big window and chairs. She turned into Nathan's room and took a deep breath. 

      Nathan was sitting in his window staring down at people. His friend was sitting on the floor playing on his phone. 

      "Hello?" Leila muttered. Nathan jumped up and his friend stayed planted in his same position. 

      "Leila? I'm so glad to finally meet you." Nathan says enthusiastically. 

      "He doesn't shut up about you." His friend mutters, sounding bored. 

      "That's my friend, Keith. He's the one I was telling you about."

      "Oh, nice to meet you, Keith. I'm Leila." She says extending her hand for Keith to shake it. Keith gets up and grabs her hand firmly and shakes it. 

      "You too." He says.

      "So, this is where you live. It's really nice. I wouldn't mind this place." Leila says to break the awkward silence. 

      "I like it, too. It's cozy." Nathan responds. "But, Leila we want to ask you questions about high school since we haven't been to school in a while."

      "What do you wanna know?"

      "What's the food like?"

      "It's good, but I usually settle for a bag of chips, a water bottle, and a cookie. The food doesn't appeal to me very much."

      "I wonder how good it actually tastes." Nathan sighs.

      "I can bring you something from school. Maybe fries because they are pretty easy to get to."

      "Really, thanks. I've always wondered how real food tastes."

      "It probably tastes just like the food in the cafeteria. When my mom was in here for surgery, I loved the cafeteria. The chocolate pudding was to die for."

      "It still is. That's my favorite thing there." Nathan says.

      Keith left a while later because he had to pick up a friend from the airport. Leila and Nathan continued talking. They got into a conversation about rock music and heavy metal music. Turns out that's what they both like to listen to. Leila told Nathan about her fight with her teacher on Tuesday and a bunch of other things about her life at school. Nathan talked about his parents and his favorite things to do at the hospital. The clock struck 10:00 and Leila had to leave to go to bed because she had school the next day. 

      "Leila? Can you come to visit me again tomorrow?"

      "Sure. I'll bring the fries. Same time as today. If you see me through the window wave because I'll be looking for you."