Last First Kiss

Roommate

Elijah's POV

I walked down the stairs to the floor Alex is on. He asked me to come over at 10 o'clock. I walked down the hall and saw boxes stacked outside his apartment.

I immediately panicked, thinking he was leaving. Alex stepped out of his room and saw me standing there.

He didn't say anything, he just walked past me and up the stairs. I ran after him. He went down to my apartment and went inside.

I ran in after him. He put a bunch of folded cardboard on the counter. He took one and unfolded it into a box.

He looked at me with a smile. "Don't just stand there, help me pack."

"Are you leaving?" I mumbled. He shrugged.

"Kinda?" I looked down at the floor. "But you're coming with me."

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I taped the last box shut and looked back at Alex as he carried the boxes out of the apartment.

I picked up the box I had and carried it outside. Alex told me he found an apartment for the two of us to live together. One of us would pay rent, the other would pay for food.

I put the box down and went back inside. I went over to the cat carrier where Cereal laid, curled up on the blanket I had put in there. I scratched the top of his head and he leaned into my hand.

"Sorry buddy," I laughed a little. "I know you just got used to this place, but we need to move." I gave him a treat and closed the cat carrier. I carried it out to Alex. I smiled at him. I was very excited about living with him.

We spent the next hour bringing the boxes down to a truck Alex rented to move everything. He got in the driver's seat and I got in the passenger seat. I took Cereal out of the cage and held him in my arms. He snuggled into my arms and fell asleep.

I looked over at Alex with a smile.

"I've never had a pet before." I cheered. Alex smiled and patted Cereal's head. He began driving, I watched out the window the whole ride. It wasn't that far away, but I've never been that far away from the apartment before. Seeing parts of the city I'd never seen before was interesting.

Before I knew it, the truck came to a stop.

"We're here!" Alex called, getting out of the car. I put Cereal back and got out. Alex took me up the stairs to look at the apartment. It was bigger, for obvious reasons. I ran over to one of the bedrooms and put Cereal down.

"I've claimed this one!" I yelled. I heard Alex laugh from the other room. I went back outside and started grabbing my stuff from the truck.

Alex's POV

I saw Elijah running back and forth from the truck to the apartment building. He looked so excited. I'd never seen him this energetic before. He normally moves slower, probably because he's sick.

I also picked this apartment because the smoke in this part of the city isn't as bad. It cost me a lot but I'd rather be living with Elijah to make sure he's ok.

In the other apartment building, even just hearing him clear his throat worried me. Now I can check on him without having to climb up a flight of stairs or fire escape.

We spent the rest of the day getting ourselves settled in. By the time we finished, it was time for dinner. I placed two plates of chicken at the table. Elijah came over after feeding Cereal and sat down.

We started eating, but after a few minutes Elijah started coughing. I knew he wasn't choking because he'd already finished. I got him water and a few paper towels. He held his chest. It looked like he was having trouble breathing.

He took a few sips of water to help. As he drank it though, the water turned red. I took it from him and brought him over to the sink.

I had him clean out his mouth a little before drinking water again. Elijah cleaned off his hand and mouth after.

"You need to see a doctor," I sighed. "This isn't a normal thing."

"I'll see a doctor when I'm dead or rich. Whichever comes first." Elijah mumbled and went into the bathroom to take some medication.

He keeps saying it's a normal cough, but there is nothing normal about it. I don't understand why he won't go to the doctor. I understand it costs money, but his health is more important.

I want to try to find a job tomorrow. Before I didn't care about a job because I was only taking care of myself. Now, I need to pay the rent. If I don't, both of us will be on the streets.

I cleaned up the table and checked on Elijah. He was hunched over the sink. His breathing looked normal so I left him alone.

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Elijah's POV

"Good morning," I said, as I walked out of my room. Alex stood in the kitchen, wearing better clothes than he normally wears. I looked at him confused.

"It's the best I could do," He laughed. "I'm going to find a job. Breakfast is on the table." He left and closed the door behind him. I sat at the table and ate the pancakes Alex had made.

I glanced over at the counter and saw a small list of company names on it. Some were crossed out. Alex must've written a list of places to get a job.

I was happy for him but also felt sad. I've never had a job that lasted more than a month. Not because I'm a job worker, but because I'm sick. I suppose customers don't want someone handling their order that coughs up blood.

I turned around and saw Cereal finishing up his food. I took a small piece of pancake and fed it to him.

"I guess it's just you and me until Alex gets back," I said. Cereal ate the pancake and I scratched behind his ear.

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Alex's POV (sorry for all the changes)

I stood outside the apartment building and watched the streets. I held a cigarette in my hand.

I'd been denied from the places I wanted to work at. I sighed, a puff of smoke coming from my mouth.

I heard the door open. "That's not a good coping mechanism," I heard someone say. I turned and saw Elijah standing there, his hand over his nose and mouth. I dropped the cigarette and put it out with my foot.

"You didn't get a job, did you?" Elijah mumbled. I turned away.

"I'll try again tomorrow," I said. "You can go back inside." Elijah shook his head and held out his hand.

"Give me your lighter. Then I'll leave." I dug into my pocket and pulled out my lighter. I gave it to Elijah but he still held his hand out.

"The cigarettes." Elijah demanded. I rolled my eyes and gave him the pack of cigarettes. "Thank you." He went back inside and I looked up at the sky. It had an orange, blue, and red color. It looked calming and peaceful.

I went back inside and up to the apartment. I opened the door and saw Elijah unconscious on the floor.