DIAMOND KEYS

TWELVE

“Hello Doctor.”

The doctor turned to face me. “Oh, hi Miss. Harmon. How are you today?”

“I’m fine thank you Doctor.”

“You didn’t come here yesterday, did you?”
    
I smiled “No, I didn’t. I went to church.” ‘For the first time in months’ I almost added.

“That’s nice to know. Praying for your friend right?”

“Yeah.” I smiled then it seized immediately.
    
He noticed with a smile on his face. “She’ll be alright.”

“Really?” I asked with a glint of hope in my eyes.

“Really. I think you should go see her now. She’s with one of your friends.”

“Okay Doctor, thank you.”
    
I made my way to Room 119. I was about to open the door when I heard Marc’s voice.

“You fix your make up, just so
Guess you don’t know that you are beautiful
Try on every dress that you own
You were fine in my eyes a half hour ago.”
    
Oh my God, so sweet! I couldn’t imagine Logan singing for me.

“And if your mirror won’t make it any clearer I’ll
Be the one to let you know.
Out of all of the girls
You’re my one and only girl
Ain’t nobody in the world tonight…”
  
I found myself nodding to the rhythm of John Legend’s- You and I.

“All of the stars, you make them shine like they were ours
Ain’t nobody in the word but you and I …”
     I opened the door and walked in then “I’m sorry.” I said then I decided to end the song for him. “Ain’t nobody in the word but you, Mar-cus and I …”
    
We all burst into laughter.

“I hope I didn’t intrude in your little world.”
    
Marc shook his head no.

OMG
    
He shook his head and there was no hair bouncing at the back.
    
He had cut his hair!
    
He smiled slowly. “I know what you’re thinking Michele. Yes! I have finally cut my hair.”
    
I heard Claire giggle and I turned to face her. “When did this happen?”

“Well, he cut it yesterday but I’m just seeing it today.”
    
I looked at Marc again. His look didn’t really change but anyone who knew him before would know something was different about him.

“Why did you ...” I couldn’t complete the question.

“Why did I cut my hair?” he helped me complete it and I nodded. “For Claire.” he simply said “I cut it for Claire. She kept on telling me she’d prefer it if I had my hair like Clay and Logan and I kind of got tired of it so, I cut it.”
    
I kept on nodding, I just couldn’t say anything. His love for Claire was so true! Can Logan do anything like this for me?

“Don’t you like it?” Claire asked.

“I don’t like it Claire, I love it!”

“Marc is the best boyfriend ever. You heard him singing for me right?”

“Yeah, I heard him from the start, I thought it was so romantic, and cutting his hair just because you asked him to is super romantic!”
    
She giggled some then she flung her arms open for me to hug her. “You are so lucky girl.” I whispered in her ears.

Marc cleared his throat “Don’t forget I’m here.”
    
I sighed and slumped into the nearest seat. I looked up to find their eyes on me. “What?”
    
I saw the concerned look in Marc’s eyes. “You look worried.”
    
I let out a chuckle “Of course I’m worried about Claire.”
    
Claire shook her head “No, it’s not that, it’s something else.”
    
What’s the use of keeping it to me? They are my best friend any ways. I told them about the incident that happened when I got home on Halloween’s day.
     
No one said anything when I finished speaking and I decided to ask, “What should I have done?”
    
Marc started scratching his hair.
“Ehm … Michele … I think ehm …”
    
I turned to look at Claire’s pale face; she too had nothing to say.

“Well, don’t mind, you don’t have to say anything.” They nodded.
    
Gosh! They were making me feel guilty as hell. They were making me feel like the most cruel person ever. Now I was having second thoughts about the way I behaved. I could have at least said thank you. Nathan must have felt so bad having wasted his time cooking for me. He was just trying to be nice. He was even nice to those kids who came for candy.
    
Jeez, my conscience was bugging me.
    
The door swung open and Mrs. Taylor came in. I was so thankful for the interruption.

“Hello Mrs. Taylor.” Marc and I chorused. She smiled, blew us kisses then she walked over to Claire.

“How are you darling?” She placed her hand on Claire’s forehead, her neck, her cheek, everywhere.

“Mum, stop! I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”
    
Mrs. Taylor turned to Marc and I then, “Your friend needs good spanking, if she had not stopped taking her drugs, she wouldn’t have been here,” she paused then continued “and she lied. When I asked her she always told me she was taking them. Now, see where her stubbornness has landed her.” She started crying then and all Marc and I could do was stare. “She had never had any attack since she was two, when we first found out that she had cancer.” She said through sobs. “God, it almost killed her then. We had to shave off her hair. You know, I was so worried when Claire decided to dye her hair, I thought it would have effects, but Doctor Gilbert told me not to worry.”
    
She pulled Claire to her for a hug, and mother and daughter cried for a long time.
    
Marc and I just sat saying nothing. What could we say? I just couldn’t help but pity Mabel. How was she coping with her daughter in the hospital for almost a week now? What if it was me? Mum would have died of worry already.

“I love you so much darling and I worry about you all the time. Your dad is worried, Dennis is worried, we are all worried about you; but don’t you worry girl. I know you are very strong; you are a fighter just like your brother. I know that this will be in the past very soon’”
    
I didn’t realize I was crying until I tasted salt on my lips. I quickly used my handkerchief to dry my tears.

“I love you too so much and I’ll be fine.” Claire said pulling away from her mother’s arms.
    
Mabel turned to Marc and I with a smile on her teary face “I’m sorry guys, I got emotional.”

“It’s okay Mrs. Taylor.”

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Love,
Prisca.