rumour has it | ✓ [ old version ]

xxxv. you aren't never had a friend like me

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

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I take a deep breath as I exit the hospital, this has been a long day, so I'm ready to go home and go to sleep. However, from the corner of my eyes I see a familiar silhouette sitting a few feet away from me on the curb, looking at the scenery in front of him. I stop walking and make my way to where he is, this is the first time I'm seeing him since told told everyone my secret.

"How are you feeling?." I ask him once I reached him.

When hearing my voice, he looks up at me since I'm standing over him "how do you think?." He questions rhetorically before returning his attention to the scenery of passing cars and people walking by. With a sigh, I take a sit down next to him without saying anything. From the corner of my eye, I see him look at me with a questioning glance "what are you doing?." He asks.

"Sitting with you." I reply "sometimes knowing someone is there helps a lot more than words." I explain to him, meeting his gaze.

"The month is over." He simply states.

I shrug "so what? You comforted me, so it's my turn to comfort you." I tell him.

After that, it's silent. No one says anything and instead, we just watch everything happen before us. Suddenly, Mitchell puts his head on my shoulder and a smile graces my lips, I didn't mind that he's doing this because I want to help him and if he leaning his head on my shoulder helps him then I don't mind. My cheeks flush and a weird feeling settles in the pit of my stomach, but I ignore it.

"I grew up with her, you know?." He asks, but I don't answer "and now, she's leaving me, I'm not ready to say goodbye to her yet." He tells me, his voice croaking and this is the first time I've ever seen Mitchell vulnerable. I didn't like it, I prefer him to be his hotheaded self than like this. I don't say anything, I just want to be someone who'll listen to him like he did for me "I don't want to say goodbye her." He whispers.

I lean my head on his "you made her happy." I tell him "you granted her, her last dying wish." I say.

"You found out about that?." He asks, not moving his head from it's spot on my shoulder.

"Your dad told me." I explain "I didn't know you were a genie." I tease him as I shake my shoulders softy. Without seeing him, I can tell he rolled his eyes at my horrible joke, but I want to see him smile and laugh, I didn't like him sad like he was.

"Ha ha." Mitchell says dryly.

"You aren't never had a friend like me!." I sing.

A small chuckle escapes his lips and a sense of pride settles in the pit of my stomach. I know it was only small, but it was still a chuckle and it was better then nothing. Mitchell didn't deserve this; yes, he may be annoying, but no one deserved to lose a loved one especially having to watch them go, so I wanted to do as much as I could to be a friend, the one he needed.

He sighs "you aren't mad?."

I chuckle too "no-." I tell him "but I will be if she didn't like me otherwise this whole thing would have been for nothing." I finish.

"We both know the truth princess, you enjoyed spending time with me." He tells me, jokingly, but all I care about is the fact that he called me 'princess', my heart races in happiness and a smile takes over my face as the nickname I missed circles around my head causing my face to flush red.

Maybe everything will be okay after all.