Risking it All

6

I was more than happy that we moved to a new town. First of all, I would never have to see Eliza and her group again. Also, I was homeschooled so I didn't have to worry about obnoxious people finding out I have cancer and telling the whole school. But Mom was still worried about me. "Just promise me that you'll make one friend," she said before she left for work one Tuesday. I gave her my Scouts Honor sign. She smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be back early to help you get ready for tonight." I didn't know what she was talking about. All what I had to do was get dressed bring my music to the coffee shop. I wasn't too scared about it. I had preformed in front of people before so I was used to it. But there was something different that time. Maybe it was because I was new.
After five hours of online learning, with break in between, I settled on the couch and reran the events of what I had done that day, which was what I usually did, especially before I went to bed. I woke up, took a shower, got dressed, had breakfast, and drank my coffee while I went to school online. Oh, and another great thing about being homeschooled is that you don't have homework. But everyday Dad had to check my grades and see how I was doing and if I did all the work I had to.
I fell asleep and woke up when Mom got home. I took another shower, and put on a random top and black pants. I would wear jeans, but I gave those up three years ago. I scarfed down a grille chicken salad mom made and got in the car.
We pulled up to a coffee shop where five other cars were parked. According to the sign, the coffee shop was called Mocha and Music, which sounded pretty cute. It was this really retro cafe with beads hanging from one of the doorways and bean bags everywhere. Luckily, there were also tables. Mom and I sat down and she went up and got us two cups of coffee. Well, she got coffee. I got a vanilla mocha latte with skin milk and no sugar, my usual order. I noticed people had guitars with them also. If I knew how to play one I'd probably bring it.
We all just sat around drinking coffee when a girl thought it was time and walked up and sang a song she wrote on her guitar. It was a good feeling type of song and I was too busy focusing on the guitar, I didn't feel someone tapping my shoulder. A woman with long black hair was standing above me. She had really deep green eyes and said, "Your up, sweetie." Oh, right.
I climbed up to the stage and plugged my phone in, playing the karaoke version of "Team." I stepped up to the mic and said, "Hi, my name is Mackenzie and I'm going to sing "Team" by Lorde. I hit play on my phone and the music begins to play.
Wait 'till your announced, we've not yet lost all out graces. The hounds will stay in chains... Look upon your greatness that I'll send. The call I'll send, the call I'll send, the call I'll send...
I sang the first verse, making sure to make eye contact with everyone in the room. As I looked to the left, I noticed a boy sitting in a blue beanbag, wearing a gray T-shirt. A guitar case rested at his feet. He had messy black hair and big brown eyes. He was smiling at me, and though I thought he liked the music, he kept looking and smiling at me, making me feel uncomfortable. When I was done, everyone clapped, especially the boy who kept starring at me. I starred at him as I walked off stage, and over to the table mom was sitting at. "You were wonderful," she said. I smiled. "Thanks," I replied.
The boy got up and walked over to the stage. He slung his acoustic guitar over his shoulder and pulled a pick out of his back pocket. Without an introduction, he stepped up and started strumming out the opening of the song. It sounded familiar and I didn't hear until he started singing.
Do you know what's worth fighting for when it's not worth dying for? Does it take your breath away and you feel yourself suffocating?
It was "21 Guns" by Green Day. My dad and I are huge Green Day fans. Well, he took my mom to a concert for their first date and brought home an autographed CD. When they left me home alone one day (before the cancer) I put the CD into the player and started jamming out and jumping around to "American Idiot." But my dad walked into the door and discovered two things; I like Green Day and I wasn't born to be a dancer. But when the boy was done, I had to clap. He caught my eye and gave me a shy smile. I give him one back in return. Another singer goes up, but mom's cell phone rings and she goes outside to answer it. I checked my phone and see no texts from my short list of contacts. I was too busy looking at my phone, I didn't see someone sit down next to me. I turn to look and see it's the guy who kept smiling at me. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Can I help you?" I asked. He have me a smile. "You can sing," he said.
Oh, so he wants to be like that. "Well, you can play the hell out of a guitar," I said. "And your singing isn't too bad either." He laughed. "Thanks," he said. I was about to ask him something but the girl on stage begins her song. The boy leaner into me. "Why don't go some place a little quieter?" I gave him a look. "Where?" I asked. He stood up. "Follow me." For the oddest of reasons I followed him out the door and saw mom standing outside. She looked like she's in a deep conversation so I texted her that I went outside for some fresh air.
I followed the boy down behind to the back of the coffee shop. "Now what?" I asked. He turned around and started climbing up the fire escape, up to the roof. He's insane, I thought. I was about to go back inside but he called, "Are you coming?" I don't know what he was thinking, I couldn't have gotten up the ladder if I tried. "I don't think I can," I called back. "Why?" he asked. Oh, you know, I don't have a left leg. "It's... Complicated." He looked down and said, "What would life be if it weren't complicated?" Fair enough.
I grabbed the ladder and placed my good leg on the rim. I lifted my left leg up so I wouldn't damage it. In somewhat of a hopping motion, I climbed up the ladder. When I got to the top, the boy reached out his hand to me and pulled me up. I fell onto the roof, out of breath. "Please tell me there's another way back down," I asked, gasping for air. He laughed. "Not unless I carry you," he said. I looked up at him and for a second, I just starred into his brown eyes. His eyes seemed to hypnotize you until you forget everything. Then, I snapped back to reality. "Will you?" I asked. He started laughing again. I was taking it seriously, but he didn't know about the leg. "Sure," he said, all seriousness. "Wait, are you kidding?" I asked. He gave me this look, warm smile, kind eyes and a happy face. "Why would I kid?" he asked.
I don't know why, but that made me start dying laughing. Just the situation I was in made me laugh. The boy looked at me like I was on drugs. "Why are you laughing?" I tried to stop, but I couldn't. "Because," I finally said. "Here I am, sitting on a roof of a coffee shop with a boy who I don't even know." He smiled. "Well, I think it's time to make proper introductions," he said. He extended his hand. "My name is Nicholas Straight. Who are you?" I gave a smile. "My name is Mackenzie Marsh," I replied. "How old are you, Mackenzie Marsh?" Nicholas asked me. My first thought was that he was a pervert. But I said, "Seventeen. How old are you?"
"Well that's a coincidence," he responded. "Because I'm also seventeen. But I won't be for long. My birthday is in five weeks." I nodded. "Are you happy about it?" I asked. Nicholas shook his head. "No," he said. "When you're eighteen, you're an adult. You have to be mature. And I don't think I'm ready to take things seriously." That confused me. "Why?" I asked. He started laughing. "I'm in a band," he said. And that was how it started.
He told me about the time he and his friends made a campfire and he started playing some songs on his guitar, and when he wasn't looking, his friend threw in a bottle of Axe in the fire and a tree went up in flames. The police and fire department came and he and his friends were arrested. "I only spent an hour in jail," he said. "My dad got me out." I looked at Nicholas from head to toe. He didn't seem like a person who would get arrested for stupid things. "I'm not a bad kid, if that's what you're thinking," he said as if he could read my mind. I shook my head. "I wasn't thinking that," I told him.
Nicholas looked at me. "What about you?" he asked me. "I haven't been arrested," I said. That made him laugh. "No, I mean what about your life? What do you do besides singing?" And so, I told him. I told him about my old school, moving and singing. But he didn't ask about the cancer until we got up to the part about Eliza.
"Why did she ditch you?" Nicholas asked. My hand touched my left leg for a second but I pull away. Nicholas seemed like a good guy and I trusted him so I said, "Okay, promise you won't freak out." He held his hand over his heart and said, "I swear."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "It's pretty weird." A look came over his face. "Wait," he said. "What are you gonna show me? I'm kinda scared now." That made me laugh, but I took a deep breath and pulled my pant leg up to reveal my prosthetic leg. He just starred. Finally, he looked up at me and said, "What happened?" I told him everything. The cancer, radiation, passing out at school, the surgery and waking up without a left leg. As I told him this, I realized what a great listener he was. When I was done telling him he said, "That sounds awful. You're the bravest girl I've ever met." And with that, he put his hand on top of mine. I was holding hands with Nicholas Straight on top of the roof of a coffee shop.
Finally, he said, "I think we should get back," and he did as he promised and carried me down the ladder on his back. When we got to the coffee shop, I was still laughing. Mom look confused when she saw us. "Mackenzie," she said. I was waiting for her to either ask questions or yell at me, but all what she did was stare. Then she said, "I'll be in the car," and walked away. Nicholas out me down and said, "Can I see your phone?" At first I was scared, but handed him my phone and he put his number in my phone and my number in his. "That was fun," he said and he flashed me that smile. Before he walked into the coffee shop, he turned around and said, "And Mackenzie, it's Nick."
And that was how I fell in love with Nicholas Straight.