Death May Disagree

Chapter 16

I go back to Milo's room and try my best to fall back to sleep, but I'm stressing out. I want to talk to Doom, but I won't be able to see him until he completes his punishment, whenever that is. With no way of calling him over when that happens, all I can do is hope for his swift visit. There's a chance that he might want to deal with Ailing stealing his letters first, or recover from the toll that dying a million deaths takes on his body, and that when he comes to me, it'll already be too late. I don't know who of my friends will die or when. I push out the fear that Doom may not even tell me.

For whatever it's worth, I send a silent prayer to Dad to look after Victoria. Ailing's picture of human nature stings me on the inside, making me question my motives for wanting to save people. Doom explained that people can choose to live or die by their own hand, which in some parts, is like saying people can choose to accept or not accept death when it comes upon them. I don't want to presume to know better than the person dying when I fight for their continued existence. Maybe Victoria really was beyond help. And if I had saved her, convinced her to never take her own life again, someone might have pinned me for a hero.

When the sky brightens to a dark cyan blue, I kiss Milo on the neck to wake him up. I feel lonely in all my thoughts and would like some company. He turns his head to face me, his eyes barely open for a peep. Milo closes them when he sees me and smiles wide, pulling me closer to him.

"Good morning, beautiful. Were you able to sleep?" he asks.

"Kind of. Can you see bags under my eyes or something?"

Milo yawns. "I can't see anything with the brightness turned down. What time is it?"

I reach under my pillow for my phone and tell him the time now is 6:01am.

Milo groans playfully. "Too early. Go to sleep."

"I can't."

He opens one eye to look at me. "Have you recovered from The Others?"

After the events of last night, I think that I have. "Not entirely," I tell him, thinking maybe saying so will make him stay awake with me.

He laughs. "Why did we watch a scary movie if it was going to affect you like this?"

"I didn't know it was going to be that scary!"

Milo kisses my forehead. "Fair enough. Okay. I'm up."

Milo and I head down to a french restaurant for breakfast crepes. I note the two cups of coffee he gulps down before devouring his crepes benedict, and I feel grateful for the effort he's putting into staying awake with me. I tell Milo that I'll be shopping with Demi later for a Spring Formal dress, humorously adding that he can sleep once I'm gone. I quickly explain that I'm taking Matt's place as Demi's date, and he makes a joke about keeping my eyes and hands where they should be during the unsupervised event.

Demi and I go on a three-day shopping spree, exploring different malls for two and a half hours each day. Demi takes dress shopping very seriously, but buys a few dresses even when they aren't cut out for Spring Formal. "Can you believe this is on sale?" she says with every stylish purchase.

Demi seems to have returned to her bubbly self since the last time I last saw her. She was so very full of crazy vindictive energy on the drive to Jason's apartment that halfway there, I thought about turning back, and when we had finished, she was out like a lightbulb. I observe her facial expressions and movements for any indication of a facade on her happiness, or any uncertainty about getting back with Jason again. When I ask Demi about how their relationship is progressing, she says Jason's finally gotten the message this time and never will she ever be that mean to him.