When the Clock Ticks [Shourtney]

11. 9:56 P.M.

Heyooo! How are you all doin'?

Second to the last chapter! AAAAA I don't know what to feel. It'll probably be a long time until I return to writing, because it's really stressing to write things while your surroundings are just wreaking havoc everywhere. Man, I wish this whole pandemic was over, world peace would be achieved, everyone had equal access to food, water, shelter, etc. I used to think it was really impossible with the way the world worked, but after studying about how the world actually works, it is possible as long as your motivation isn't corrupt. Do it for others basically.

Anyway, why am I going all preachy? Let's get started with Shayne's POV and see ya!

-/-/-

From: Seth Hawthorne
Hey, Shayne! Happy birthday! Just wanted to let you know that I finished the game after a couple of months. If you're ever nearby New York, hit me up.

From: Shayne Topp
Thanks, and nice to know you've finished it! Pretty good, huh? You can play more games on your phone, just find a good emulator and a working ROM. How are you guys doing in NYC anyway?

From: Seth Hawthorne
Pretty great, honestly. I made a lot of friends so far, and some of them actually compete in online tournaments, so I'm gonna learn more. I thought Pokemon was just a small thing, you know. How are you and Miss Courtney doing? You guys dating already?

From: Shayne Topp
Well, yeah. Bet you were waiting on that, kiddo. She's a little sick right now, but it's all cool. Did your parents sell the house now?

From: Seth Hawthorne
Nah, they just decided that we'd come home to Arizona during Christmas. So we kinda own it now.

From: Shayne Topp
That's awesome! Good luck with school. Don't do drugs, your Marshtomp would be disappointed in you. Call me up when you graduate.

From: Seth Hawthorne
You bet. Also, it was a Swampert at the end of the game.

From: Shayne Topp
Nicely done, grasshopper. See ya around, and say hi to your parents for me.

Today was probably the most important day in my life: my last birthday. There was no way I was ready to leave the Earth, but I knew that no one's really ever ready for anything. Some people become parents without the slightest idea of how to hold a baby, and some kids learn how to become child actors and manage to avoid high school but get a girlfriend anyway (me). In conclusion, no one is ready for anything except Girl Scouts.

I was happy with the way things were. Since I knew I was on my way to the next door of my existence in the universe, I closed one door in my life, which was my apartment's. I dumped all of my stuff at Courtney's apartment, which Kari owns now, but she said she really didn't mind. Courtney told her about the death dates just so somebody would know what really happened, and I felt relieved that someone knows now. And because I don't want to invade Kari's personal space, I always stayed at the hospital, waking up there, eating there, sleeping there. Always with Courtney, as she was always with me.

Today is a different day though. A couple of days ago, I went home to my mom's house in Colorado. I told her about Courtney, but I couldn't tell her about what was gonna happen to me. I did try to make my last goodbyes a little emotional, because they had no idea I was about to leave. It crushed me to see my nieces waving at me one last time before I boarded the plane back to Los Angeles, but these kids have brighter futures. They would be happy, they would be successful. I just knew.

I am still in the airplane. Happy birthday to me, basically. Since it's my birthday, I decided to spend a little more for First Class seating, all with champagne and soft beds for sleeping even though it's just a short flight. I was gonna die in a few days, so this is me just straight-up splurging all the money I had left, half of which I wanted to give to Damien who was looking forward to buying a home someday. He met this stunning journalist the other day, and I think she's the one Cassandra had foreseen for him, because not only is she in the media field, they seemed like a perfect match. He wants to buy a home for her and their family maybe.