Saving the Reject | Michael Clifford | Editing

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"Should we come back later?"

"Oh, come on, Scar. This isn't the first time she's been asleep when we've come in," Charli explained with an eye roll, pulling her best friend alongside her down the lively halls of the SC3 (Sydney Children's Cancer Center - Evie came up with the nickname, and her Star Wars fanatic little sister proceeded to call it the S-C-3PO). "Knowing Evie, she'll wake up in like five minutes anyways."

Only slightly in front of Scarlett, Charli was beginning to become annoyed with her hesitant and slow friend, of whom she knew was stalling. The resistance the curly haired girl continually put up was more than frustrating. It was as if Scarlett didn't want to see Evie, and Charli knew that it had to be more than the fact that she didn't want to wake her.

"Seriously, Scar, come on," groaned the redhead, tugging once again on her arm. They were right outside their friend's sealed room, when Scarlett halted altogether.

"Wait, wait, wait," Scarlett stuttered quickly her words slurring together, "I have to sneeze."

Usually, when a person voices their dire need to have a spastic-nose-attack (as described by Ingrid Veder in their sophomore year), they lose the ability to, and are denied the pleasure of release. Scarlett Gray, however, is not the usual person - in fact, there has never been a time in Charli's memory that Scarlett hasn't sneezed when she said she needed to. So, naturally, Charli let go of her friend, and cautiously took a step back to avoid the germs that would likely be spewing from her mouth and nose.

One extremely slow build-up, loud ah-chew noise, and rapid head movement later, Scarlett stood back up straight, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Bless you!" the girls heard from the other side of the door.

Scarlett suddenly looked to Charli, horror written across her face. "Did I wake her up?" Charli shrugged nonchalantly, pushing the door open. Within the small SC3 room was Evie, sitting up in her bed, wide awake, laughing hysterically.

Evie Ray was beautiful girl - she always has been. Even with the tolls of cancer, there was a sense of beauty about her that simply couldn't be taken away. Eight months after Chemo-therapy, her golden brown hair had grown remarkably quickly, now styled into a personality-fitting pixie cut ("cute and easy to deal with," remarked Scarlett the day she styled it). Her hazel eyes were innocent, pure, untouched by the demons that have so long ago overtaken the ocean blue irises of Charli. It was safe to say that none of the three of them were considerably lucky, or even satisfied with what has happened in their lives, but Evie was above all the most optimistic one of the group. Yes, she had fears and weaknesses, but that was what made her human, and she fully embraced everything that came her way.

"Was that another lame attempt to scare us or something?" Charli inferred, speaking of her being awake instead of asleep, as Charli and Scarlett had been informed when they were buzzed in. That's another thing about Evie - she was the lamest, nerdiest, but most charming person you will ever meet.

"Hey, I gotta have a little fun sometimes!" Evie brightly defended as Scarlett walked into the room, embarrassed.

"Your methods are weak!" Charli laughed. Evie shrugged, accepting it, and joining in with her friend's laughter. 

Charli walked to the desk beside Evie's bed, placing her backpack on it, and beginning to open it, thinking already about what homework she should start with (Calculus, without a second thought). "Wait, Charli," Charli stopped what she was doing, her eyebrows furrowing as she questionably gazed up at Scarlett, giving her her full attention, "before you get settled, can I talk to you two?"