by Jasmine Rose
"Let's go, Lena." Mom patted my shoulder, signaling that these were officially and hopefully my last moments in this hospital. I turned to her and she put one arm around me as we made our way out of Sainte-Catherine’s hospital. I gave small waves to some friends I’d made over the last week. I didn’t have the right to go outside, but the doctors said that it wouldn’t do me any harm to walk around the halls. The nurses gave me slight smiles and I returned them back.
Opening the entrance doors, I almost cried of contentment. As I hadn’t gone out of a building in more than two months, well it had felt like having a deep sleep, feeling the wind in my hair and the sun’s light on my face felt like heaven. We were in February now, but the piles of snow in some corners of the parking indicated that spring wasn’t coming by for a long time. I smiled upon seeing freshly fallen snowflakes glittering at the contact of the sun, making them appear as diamonds.
After a thirty minute drive, Mom stopped the car and I pulled my headphones out of my ear, stopping my train of thoughts. Surprisingly, she gave me a small smile that held childish mischievousness. She led me to the house and stood beside the door, as if waiting for me to open it. I raised an eyebrow as she handed me the keys.
I gave her a confused look, but she pointed at the door. Removing one of my incredibly soft mittens off, I inserted the key in the hole and twisted the knob. Pushing the door, it opened wide.
Weird.
There was a strange smell; perfume and cake. The lights were out, the curtains were closed and even though it was only 4 in the afternoon, I couldn’t see anything. I put my hand on the wall to my side, patting it to find the switch.
‘WELCOME BACK HOME!” screamed about 20 people as the lights turned on again. I nearly jumped out in fear. But, realizing what was going on, a grin was immediately plastered on my face and I felt joy rush through me at the sight in front of me.
Decorations were placed literally everywhere in the living room; colorful balloons, garlands hanging from random spots. Our small dining table had been moved from the kitchen and was filled with pizza, soft drinks and a huge chocolate cake. A banner reading “WELCOME BACK, JACK” was hanging from the wall, but the Jack part was scribbled on and beside it, there was a messy Lena.
Belle, Tori, Adam and a couple of school friends were present there too. They all rushed my way, each giving me a hug. I searched for the brown, almost black tall head, but found no one.
After about an hour of chatting with people, eating and just plain old celebrating, I sat on the couch taking small sips of my Coke and watching others socialize. A small, dry chuckle escaped my lips as I overheard Kevin from science flirting with Belle, but she replied, “Listen, Reddie, I’m not really in the mood for this. So go, flirt your silly bum with some airhead, okay?” And that’s when the poor boy blushed as red as his hair and shamefully walked away.
Boy, was she good with boys or what!
A small girl came towards me and sat next to me. She gave me a small smile. Long blonde hair framed her face. She had blue eyes that shone with curiosity and wonder.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hi?”
She stuck out her hand to me, “I’m Ellie.”
My mouth dropped a little, but I gladly shook her hand. “I’m Lena. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
She grinned. “Lee-yum talks about you a lot too.” I felt my heart get warm at the mention of him.
“You’re an amazing little girl, do you realize that?” I thought back to what Liam had told me about her.
She nodded. “And you’re very pretty.”
“Can I hug you?” I said. She answered by attacking me into a hug. I laughed a little.
“Don’t ever hurt Lee-yum again, please. Don’t go to sleep.”
She was talking about the coma.
“I promise I’ll take care of him,” I said.
“Good,” she said, eyeing the plate full with chocolate cupcakes hungrily. “Do you want a cupcake?”
I shook my head. “No, you go get one.” She smiled at me again and went to take one.
At the same moment Ellie stood up and left, Tori plopped herself next to me and gave me a one-sided hug.
“Hey there, pretty brown eyes,” she sang the last part. I gave her a half-heartened smile, hoping she’d buy it. Her eyebrows instantly furrowed and she switched from happy to worried.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her brown eyes shining with curiosity and concern.
“Where’s Liam?” I answered instead.
Her expression changed, from confused, to giddy, to excited, to mischievous. When Tori was mischievous, something was about to happen.
“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. I rolled my eyes at her subtlety. Nudging her a couple of times, I tried to get it out of her.
“Tell me, please?” I whined, ignoring the fact that I sounded like a baby.
“I-I don’t know, I swear,” she giggled, as the poking turned into tickling. I gave up, slumping back to the couch.
“I officially hate you,” I declared just as Adam called her over. Tori gave me a sly wink and walked, or technically ran into her lover’s direction.
I sat alone for a couple of minutes, glad that everyone had forgotten about me. I kind of needed the peace and quiet. Actually, I really wanted to see Liam right now. You know that feeling when your heart’s all fidgety and sending butterflies everywhere? Yeah, I had that.
Bad.
Belle, Adam and Tori were now walking towards me, but that wasn’t what scared me, it was the freaky smiles on their faces. It was the kind of smile that made them seem as if they had won the lottery or murdered someone and hid their body on an unknown island in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean.
They kept on getting closer and then each sat beside me. “What’s up?” I asked, slightly nervous.
“Guyyyys,” I trailed off, not really knowing what to expect. Adam gave Tori a thumbs-up sign and she nodded in determination. She turned to me and grinned.
And suddenly, I was blindfolded by my favorite scarf that smelled like strawberries. My vision went completely black. I automatically reached to un-tie it, but one of them held my hands together and clutched them tightly.
How fantastically wonderful.
“What’s going on?” I received no answer. I was helped up and my sister was pushing me to walk in an unknown direction. It seemed as if no one noticed the kidnapping going on.
“Stairs, be careful,” muttered Tori. I went down the stairs, which made me understand that I was going into the basement. The door behind me closed, signaling that I was left alone.
I took the blindfold away from my eyes and opened them to be met with complete darkness.
There was a slight shuffling. I felt a fear creep on my arms. I was not a fan of the darkness. “Um, hello?”
As if by magic, a dozen candles or so lit up and cleared my vision. They formed a gigantic rectangle. In the middle of it all sat Liam with a small smile on his face. He sat on a picnic blanket and stood up upon seeing me.
He bowed a little and took my hand. He placed a small kiss on it that made my heart skip a beat. “M’lady.”
I laughed, “Liam?”
“Please, do sit,” he offered a pillow that was on the ground. I sat on it and watched as he sat in front of me.
“Are you mentally unstable?” I asked before I could help myself. He chuckled. There seemed to be a fire dancing in his eyes because of the candles.
“No,” he said, taking a small basket from behind him. He gave me a plastic bowl and took out a big Ben & Jerry’s container. I let out a small gasp.
“Cheesecake brownie?” I asked, already knowing the answer. He nodded, took out an ice cream scoop. He put three large balls of the delicious looking ice cream into my bowl and did the same to his.
I took a bite of it with a plastic spoon and moaned in delight. “Oh, god.”
“I know,” said Liam, savoring the ice cream himself.
“So you invited m
e down here to eat ice cream, surrounded by candles—” I paused at him, pointing at the ceiling, “—under glow in the dark stars and a moon?”
He nodded. “Nothing but the best for you,” he winked in an exaggerated way. I let out an unladylike laugh.
“You rock,” I said.
We sat there for what seemed like forever, eating ice cream and talking. There was something different about the way he talked and the way he was. He was more carefree, yet I noticed the spark of fear in his eyes. He had developed strength.
I stared down at the empty bowl of ice cream and grimaced. He caught my look and offered the half empty box. I took a big scoop of ice cream and looked at it.
Liam seemed concerned. “You okay?”
“Other than a pain in my ribs and a slight brain freeze, I’m fine.” Liam’s eyebrow rose.
“Can I put ice cream on your face, please?” I asked.
“Uh, sure?”
And so I did exactly that. He let out a small shriek when the freezing cheesecake and brownie flavored ball collided with his face.
“Why?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I wanted to see that,” I stifled a laugh.
He scooped up a small amount of ice cream and put it on my face as well. “Liam!” I cried out, shivering. He slid a spoon on my face so that the ice cream was well distributed.
I started laughing hysterically. “Why?” I said, in the same tone he used earlier.
He grinned and his ice cream covered cheeks looked adorable. “I wanted to see that.”
We looked like idiots, faces covered with ice cream and grinning like Cheshire cats, but it was a moment I wanted to capture and keep forever.
“Would you be mine?” he said. His eyes got wide at the question he asked. It was obvious that he didn’t mean to say it.
I looked at him.
He sighed. “Would you be mine, Lena?”
I blinked.
“I can’t risk losing you, not again. Please, be mine.”
I leaned over and placed my lips on his. I pulled back and smiled.
“It would be my pleasure. And I’m not just saying that because you give me ice cream and you taste like it.”
He smiled.
29
Euphoria
"But it wasn't about their love story; it was the way he looked at her. She was his savior, the one who helped him get up after the world pushed him down. He thought she was the most beautiful human to set foot on Earth, and made her believe it. I, personally, hope to find a love as strong as theirs one day."
~The Author~
Lena Rose Winter
Staring out the clear window, I admired the view before me. The gravel-gray skies were bare today; there was no storm. A beautiful layer of snow lay on the ground from yesterday’s harsh storm.
"Mooooom! Please?" I pleaded, watching as my mother literally tucked me in the couch, as if I was a little kid about to go to sleep.
Except that it was 3 in the afternoon and I was far from being a kid now.
"NO! You're sick and you're not getting out of the house. I don't care if you have homework, you need to rest. It's all Liam's fault," she exclaimed, putting on her jacket and eyeing me disapprovingly. Although, faking anger was not her thing at all. A hint of amusement on her face betrayed her.
“Please, I was sick this week, I’m not sick anymore! And don’t blame Liam,” I protested. And it was true, I came down with a strong cold this week, but this morning, I felt just fine. The wonders medicine can do.
"Oh, don't smile like that!" she scolded, seeing the smile forming on my face. I shook my head at her, taking a sip of the hot chocolate in my hands. Sneaking a peek at her, I mentally praised her outfit. She wore a pale blue sweater that complimented her skin, black boots with small heels and a big, elegant white coat. Knowing her, she didn’t usually dress up like that for nothing. So, there must’ve been something special waiting for her.
"Now, I'll be back at around six, okay?" she said, planting a small kiss on my forehead and heading for the door.
“Mom?” I said, stopping her for a second.
“Yeah?”
“You’re going out with Roger aren’t you?” I asked, a small smile forming itself on my face. She nodded, affirming my thoughts. I stood up, the huge checkered blanket wrapped around me securely. I attacked her in a hug, feeling her body relax.
“Is he outside?” She blushed, and that was enough for me to know. I hadn’t seen Roger since the first date he had with my mom, the same day where I snapped at her. I never had the chance to apologize to him for my behavior. Besides, if my mom was going to start dating again, I was better off being on good terms with the luckiest man.
“I want to meet him, please,” I said, smiling at her. Her face brightened considerably and she took out her phone and called him. In the span of seconds, the doorbell rang and I opened the door.
This time, instead of being too busy being shocked, I actually looked at him. He was handsome, still taller than Mom even when she wore heels. His black hair had a few gray hairs in it, but that suited him. He was heavily dressed up; I could see that he was someone who didn’t like the cold.
“Hello, I’m Lena,” I greeted, holding out a hand for him to shake. He smiled; a welcoming expression on his face. He seemed relieved.
“Roger Johnson.”
“I’m incredibly sorry for being so rude and impolite the last time, I’m really sorry,” I apologized. Mom squeezed my shoulder, gratitude for my actions evident.
“It’s perfectly okay, I understand,” he said, looking at my mom with a twinkle in his eyes. I could feel that this wasn’t their second date and I was perfectly fine with that.
“I’m happy for you too, and please treat her well.”
“Always,” he said with a wink, “May I?” He offered his arm to my mom, who accepted happily. She blew me a kiss before heading out with him. I felt my heart warm at the sight of her staggering to walk in heels in the snow, she held on his arm tightly. She slipped, but he caught her just in time. The couple’s laughter filled the air, and I smiled, chuckling to myself as I closed the door.
Mom was in good hands.
I let out a sigh; boredom already reigning over me. Tori was out for the whole day; Adam took her to a Winter Amusement park, something like that. Belle was occupied as well, she had work today. Liam, well, he had said that he was busy today for some reason that he refused to tell me.
Liam.
He was mine, I was his. I really did like the concept of that. Some nights I still pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I knew I was still too young to be truly in love, but I was. This wasn’t some kind of a silly high school crush. It wasn’t about his looks or his shy attitude, it was about everything. I could’ve went on and on, but the fact that he was so sure of loving me back was one of the many reasons.
Oh, for God’s sake, he came to visit me when I was in a coma.
I swear, he is like a perfect character coming out of a book written by a teenager, I thought, my heart fluttering at the thought of him.
I took out the movie Aladdin and put in the DVD player. To be perfectly honest, Disney movies never grew old and would always be my favorite type of movies. They knew how to blend romance, humor, action and mystery in about two hours.
After about an hour into the movie, the doorbell resounded in the house. I stopped the movie, mad at Aladdin for lying to Jasmine again about “getting dressed up as a commoner to escape palace life” like her. He kissed her that pose paused because of me.
I reluctantly stood up, groaning. I had no idea who it was, but I was disturbed by the fact that they interrupted the movie and my little moment. Opening the door, I instinctively pulled the huge checkered blanket tighter around me, the frostbitten wind giving me goose bumps.
“Hey there,” said a voice that I knew too well. Liam was standing in front of me, completely obscured and safe of the frosty weather, except for his face. His scarf was messily covered aroun
d his neck, his lips barely showing. Blue eyes shone with excitement and mischief.
Ah, I guess Aladdin was interrupted with a good reason.
“Are you just going to ogle me all day and not let me in?” he said, smirking. I felt my cheeks get warm and ushered for him to come in. Upon closing the door, he placed a chaste kiss on my cheek casually before taking his jacket, hat, scarf and gloves off.
“Ellie’s coming in a few minutes too; I didn’t want your mom to kill me for being here,” he declared. I simply nodded, babysitting Ellie seemed really fun; and the idea of spending time with Liam was even more pleasing.
