Seas Between

Chapter 7

When I woke up, I got ready for work. I dressed in a bright, yellow paisley top and light grey skinny jeans. I washed my face and applied light makeup. I fed Ava who was already up and moping around her food bowl. After, I fed herself. I had a banana chip muffin and two boiled eggs. I grabbed a bottle of lemonade from the fridge and stuffed it in my already overflowing purse, which even had my laptop in it. Lastly, I grabbed my phone in its black, starry case.

My parents had already left for work before I got up. I ran out, forgetting to zipper my boots, towards the bus. I stopped when I nearly tripped and zipped my boots up. I saw the public bus at the end of the road coming towards me and ran faster. I had to flag down the bus but I made it on.

I arrived at work with a few people waiting in the chairs by the doors. I tied back my hair and got to work. A group of girls came in wanting to get their nails done for prom. They couldn't have looked older than 13 but they all claimed to be meeting their boyfriends later that night to take them to prom.

I remembered my prom. Alex took me, as a friend of course, and we had the best night ever. We were friends as long as I could remember. I missed those days, in high school, everything was so much simpler. No one moved to Spain, no one worked full-time; no one had a deadly sick brother.

All was good.

At lunch, which was only an hour after I started my shift, I took out my lemonade. I had already had half of it during work. I drank the other half with a bagel in the food court. There was never any use leaving the mall during work. Break was short; l didn't have time to go anywhere else.
I grabbed my purse and walked back to the salon. I loved her job except sometimes there was just too much precision required. I got headaches from focusing so closely on the nails I was painting. I thought about changing jobs. To have an easy, laid back job. But, did that even exist?

I finished work at seven pm and picked up Chinese food before heading to see Freddie. I couldn't wait to see him. On the bus ride to the hospital, I ate my chow mien with chopsticks, failing miserably.
I ended up finishing it with a fork. I dumped my trash, covered in sauce, in the garbage outside of the hospital.

Freddie was asleep when I got there. I waited in the chair by his bed for him to wake up. I always was nervous that he wouldn't wake up. They told me that it would be in his sleep. He wouldn't suffer. In a way, I was happy for that. That was all I could find to make it not seem as bad as it actually was, the reassurance that he wouldn't suffer. I held his hand. It was warm. His heart monitor was still beating. His chest raised and lowered gently. He was just asleep. Yet, I was still scared.

"Freddie, I'm here to see you." I whispered in his ear, hidden behind his hair. He stirred and gripped my hand. His eyelids squinted and slowly opened, adjusting to the light, to reveal his soft blue eyes. He had his blanket pulled over the brim of his freckle-covered nose.

"Hey..." He said drearily.

"How are you buddy?"

"Ehh... fine, and you?"

"Same"

"Bring me anything?"

"No," she laughed. "Not this time."

"Aww"

"But!" I paused. "I did take someone to see you."

"You took someone?"

"Yeah, Alex wants to video chat with us."

"Oh cool! Alex!" Freddie smiles as I take out my laptop. He is already online, away, but it's the same thing. I sent him a message.

Hey, I'm here with Freddie. Are you ready?

He wasn't replying. Freddie and I just stared at the screen, waiting.

Sorry, I was just getting a soda out of the fridge downstairs. I'm ready.

I called as soon as I read the message. He answered right away.

"Hey Freddie!" Alex exclaimed, smiling, hair a mess and in horrible lighting.

"Hey!" Freddie smiled excitedly.

"Hello, close but not so close friend." I said solemnly.

"Hello, friend of a similar manner." Alex replied and laughed. "So, what's going on in Seattle?"

"Well, I am in a reclining bed for the rest of my life. I know who won the Stanley Cup this year but, I guess that's not really new. I only just found out." Freddie explained.

"Cool"

"Tell him about your feathers" I told Freddie.

"What's she talking about Freddie?"

"Apparently, I'm a chicken. I just had some stir fry."

"I see her point, you are what you eat." He said with a straight face, chin rested on the heel of his hand.

"Come on, stir fry, harmless stir fry."

"Yep, you're a harmless chicken. Be proud; not many people have that opportunity."