Teenager Runway {Cole}

cupcakes

I woke up the next morning on K's house, completely disoriented, I haven't slept like that since my father sent me to boarding school. I felt rested and relaxed, I couldn't tell what time it was, I could see there was daylight coming between the blinders, but considering I went to sleep after 4am, it could be anything between 10 and 12:00.

My tummy started rumbling, and I remember K said to help myself, but I still feel uneasy to snoop around her house. I got up and explore the suite, it was small and cosy, but it has all the essentials, K had left towels, toothpaste and a brand new toothbrush, soap, and other toiletries... I had a shower, brush my teeth, put on my tracksuit, and left the bedroom in hope K would be up already, but she wasn't.

The room I slept on exit to a corridor with french window and solar roof, full of natural light, to one side, there were two other doors, they were both closed, my guess was that one of them would be K's bedroom, from the other side I could see the kitchen dining area, so walked towards there.

It was a modern and clinical clean kitchen, I was a bit afraid of touching anything and leaving fingerprints, there was a fruit basket at the worktop, I grab a banana, and carried on walking towards the living area I saw last night. Her house is in a "L" shape, shattering a small garden with a decking extending out of the kitchen, I open the sliding kitchen door and exit to the patio deck, it was a lovely spring morning, I grab a deck chair and sit outside for a while, letting the sun warm up my skin.

-"good morning!" I heard K saying from inside the kitchen.

She was wearing a cupcakes Pjs, kind of cute, her hair was undone and she still had makeup from the previous night, she looked funny but super comfortable.

-"Morning" I reply, getting back inside and closing the door behind me.
-"Have you eaten anything yet?"
-"I got a banana."
-"ok... I am starving, I guess you would be as well, what do like eating?"
-"anything really."
-"eggs?"
-"sounds great!"
-"ok, I will make some eggs for us.... This is the fridge, please get drinks, I like milk, cereal cupboard to your left, bread is here... plates and bowls, there, glasses and cups just above... "

She started giving me instructions about her kitchen exactly the same way she would instruct me at the turning table. By following her instructions, I made the table for us while she did the eggs. Once she was done, we sit together to eat.

-"did you sleep well?"
-"very, the bed is super comfortable. What time is it, by the way?"
-"just before midday, I believe..." she reached for her mobile to check. "yes,11:50am. What do you normally do on the weekends?"
-"no much really, sleep, eat, sometimes go for a run or climbing. What about you?"
-"wow... rock climbing?"
-"yep"
-"I don't run or climbing, just sleep and eat... sometimes watching a movie, then sorting out the next gig playlist, and before I see is time to getting back to the club."
-"do you like cupcakes?" I asked making reference to her cute pyjamas.
-"I love it, any cake really."
-"me too, i can make a chocolate ganache cake from heaven."
-"really... Oh mine... you will have to bake one for me, please... "
-"ok, I will check if you have all ingredients later, and I will make one for you, as long as you share with me."
-"I will think about, I am greedy when it is about cake."
-"me too" - we laughed together.

I watched her laughing, and it makes me wonder about her, there are so many things I would like to ask, but I am too afraid she would asked me the same question back, and I would have to say another lie.

-"Came with me Cole, let me give you a house tour, so you know where is everything." - she said after we finished eating and I helped her tidying up.

I follow her towards the living room or music room, I am not quite sure what to call it, as we pass a wall full of pictures I stop a bit to look at them. There were pictures of her everywhere in the world. Most of them she was alone, others she was on a group, I guess friends or family, as they would repeat themselves, I recognise Simona on some pictures.

-"Have you been to all this place?"
-"pretty much, I used to travel a lot."

I noticed in a few pictures she was in a wheelchair.

-"have you broken your leg or something?" I asked pointing to one of the pictures she was in a wheelchair.

-"no" - she pause a bit, as if thinking about what to say-"I have MS, that was very early on when I was diagnosed."

I didn't really know what was MS, I just looked at her, probably with a question mark on my face, by the way she looked at me and smiled before carrying on talking.

-"Don't worry it is not contagious, and it is not going to kill me anytime soon... well I hope not..."

I still didn't know what to say, and she noticed by the way I kept looking at her, so she started explaining about her illness.

-"MS stands for multiple sclerosis which is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, I was diagnosed when I was about 20, and since then I have been living with it comfortably, well, almost, it hits me sometimes, and I am forced to slow down quite a bit."

-"and what's happened when hits you?"

-"it depends, most of the times I just feel super tired, others times I might lose my legs movement for a while, that is why I was in a wheelchair on those pictures, sometimes my arms as well."

-"what do you do when it happens?"

-"I call for help." She said showing me a necklaces she always wears. -"I have a special line direct to my cares, if something happens, all I have to do is press this bottom and there will be someone with me in 5 to 10 minutes, when it hits me badly. If is not too bad, I call Simona or Christy, or someone from my family, one of them will come as soon as possible."

-"does it hurt?"

-"sometimes..."

-"wow K... I would never imagine you..." - I still overwhelmed by everything she said.
-"... that I am ill... it is OK to say, Cole, I don't really mind. I live a normal life, I try to be as independent as I can possibly be, but I know that sometimes I need help, and I have learned to accept and embrace that. I am lucky I have the best family and friends I could possibly wish for."

-"well, I am here for you too, if you need me." I said with honesty, though I probably wouldn't know what to do if she ever called me for help.

-"Thank you, on that note, I might not have been very honest with you, when I choose to training you I saw on you not just a talented apprentice but a potential candidate to cover for me if I ever suffer a MS crisis just before a gig. Greg knows about my condition, but if I have someone like you, it means the show can go on."

I must confess that as soon as she started speaking I almost freaked out, but as she finished to explain herself I couldn't be more proud to be her apprentice.

-"K, It would be an honour for me to cover for you, if you ever need."
-"Do you know you are amazing?" - she asked me in a very encouraging tone. I didn't say anything, just smiled.
-"you are... and never let anyone trying to tell you otherwise. OK... shall we skip the drama, let's rock & roll."

She said pulling my arm leading the way to the music room.

-"pick an instrument and show me what you got."

I grab a guitar and started playing the first song that came to my mind: stereophonics: Step on my old size nine. K just started hitting the drums, gosh she is good.

-"can you sing?"
-"no really."
-"oh come on Cole, I am sure this baritone of yours has something to offer."

I started singing a bit shy, and she followed me. We played and signed together for more than an hour, only stop when her phone started ringing.