ENDLESS

S5 Chapter 10

LILA MARTIN

MONTH: DECEMBER

It's the last day before winter break and I couldn't be happier. I hate being around people. It's not only that the kids at my school are mean but it's physically draining after a while.

Social interaction is like a phone. You can use it but after a while it'll eventually die and need to be charged. My mom told me that the other day. She said something about how I'm an introvert and there's nothing wrong with me for that.

Sometimes I wonder if she makes things up to make me feel better.

''You should eat mommy.'' I suggested faintly, looking at her tenderly. My mother laid in her bed with a tray of food next to her on the table. The aroma of the fresh fruit and eggs made my stomach growl.

She giggled. ''Sounds like you need to eat more than I do sweetie.''

''But you're sick.''

The small smile on her lips had faded at my words. It was replaced with a frown as she closed her eyes and exhaled. The creases between her eyebrows relaxed. ''Yeah.. I know.''

I didn't know what to say. It's been like this for a while. We knew it wasn't just a regular cold anymore. She has COPD. From what I've read up on it, her lungs are having a difficult time getting air through and that's causing them to fail on her.

That's as much as I knew. Mommy and daddy won't tell us much other than that. I have no idea what stage she is in. All they keep telling us is that she's getting better.

But as I sit here and watch the lack of color in her face and the weight that used to cradle her body diminish until the bones of her skeleton became noticeable, I know that deep down we're being lied to. She isn't getting better.

She's just getting worse. Is the treatment even helping?

I noticed her body begin to relax as she seemed to be drifting off into a light slumber. I reached out to touch her hand, my fingers grazing gently against hers. ''I'm going to school now, mommy. I'll see you after.''

''Mm.. good luck..'' She mumbled as she shifted. My heartstrings pulled in an uncomfortable way looking upon her face as I forced myself to stand up from the chair.

She's going to be okay. I have to believe it. Right?

. . .

Walking to my first period, I kept my head down by finishing up my favorite romance book for the thirtieth time. It's called 'The Tale of the Princess and the Prince.' 

I loved it more than anything. I always read it twice a week. It gave me hope that one day, someone will save me. Someone with only eyes for me. Someone handsome, kind, and sweet. Someone that could make me forget about this world.

All I needed to do was find him and everything would be okay.

All of a sudden I could feel air rushing towards my face as someone's shoe knocked into my ankle. My feet lifted off of the floor. Within a second my glasses fell off, shattering away from me as my forehead slammed into the tile.

Laughter erupted from the crowd of students who were on their way to class as well or standing around for the bell. My brain throbbed, my vision blurry as I slowly pushed myself up off of the ground.