The Cheerleader

9. New beginnings.

It's been a month since the party at the prison and my hair had finally grown back. It wasn't as long as I would've liked, but it was good enough. It stopped just at my neck which felt odd to me since I've always wore it long to my back. I was now admitted into the C wing, which involved serious medications. It was for those who were on their second stage of cancer. I was lying in bed when my doctor came into my room.

"Hello czarina, how are you feeling?" She asked as she removed the cap off of my medicine.

"I'm doing better, thanks." I said as I took the pills from her and gulped them down with the glass of water she handed me after.

"Oh, splendid. Do you like your new room?" She asked.

"Actually, I do." I more than liked it, I loved it. It was next to Ina's room, since she was on her second stage as well.

"I'm glad you do, okay take it easy today okay." She said and left.

Minutes later, another doctor came in with a bright smile on her face. What now?

"Hey sunshine, you have a visitor." She said.

I sat up more straight before nodding in approval. "May I ask whose it?"

"A guy by the name of Francisco. Do you know him?" She asked.

I tried to remember anybody by that name, and then it hit me. The guy from the party!

"Yes send him in." I said.

"Okay." She left and soon after, Francisco came strutting in with a big bouquet of roses.

"For you." He said with that heart stopping smile of his. "You look beautiful by the way."

I blushed at the barely received compliment. "Thanks Francisco."

"My pleasure." He answered. "So, any plans for today?" He asked as he sat at the foot of my bed.

I thought about that for a minute before shaking my head. "No, none that I'm aware of. Why?"

"I was wondering if you would like to catch a movie?" He asked as he waited for my reaction.

"It's 3 in the afternoon." I laughed. He nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but at least I'd get to spend more time with you." He said.

I don't know why, but what he just said really moved me in a positive way, as if hope was knocking at my door. "Yeah, you're right."

"OK, let's ride beautiful." He stood up and waited for me to do the same.

When my feet touched the floor, I looked down at my hideous outfit and groaned in embarrassment. Really czarina? Cotton pants and a tank top? Well the white spaghetti tank top was okay, but not the cotton pants.

"You okay?" He asked when he noticed my hesitation.

"I'm not dressed for the movies."

"Alright, I'll wait outside until you're dressed." He said with a smile before exiting my room.

I changed out of those ugly pants and threw on my skinnies and my white flats. I left the room in a swift before bumping into someone.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't- Carlo?" Why was he outside my door, I wasn't speaking to him.

"Uh, hey- I was just taking a scroll around the hospital." He scratched the back of his head as if he was nervous or something.

"Oh okay, well I have to go." I walked around him but he blocked my path.

"Where you going?" He asked curiously.

"Movies." I said. Please don't ask-

"With who?" I knew it....

"With me." We both turned to see Francisco walking towards us, his eyes trained on Carlo. Did the two not like each other?

"Well she's not going..." Carlo boldly stated as if I was a child.

"Says who?" Francisco asked with raised eyebrow.

"Me." He barked back.

"Don't you have a female to attend to? Or were you just using that one too?"

"Shut up!"

"Okay, that's enough! No more arguing." I turned to Carlo. "You don't get to say where I can and cannot go, you don't have that kind of authority over me."

His facial expression changed from angry to ..... Remorse? I couldn't tell.

"Ready?" I asked Francisco with a sigh of my own and he nodded.

I didn't turn around once to see if Carlo was still standing there, and quite frankly I didn't care.

We arrived at a movie theatre in less than a minute since we were engaged in each others lives.

"What are we watching?" I asked as he paid for our tickets.

He looked down at me with a smile before pulling me on the popcorn line. "You'll see."

"Okay." I simply said as he payed for our food and drinks.

He even offered to carry the tray for me which I let him. We walked into the theatre, quickly finding a seat in the middle section as the movie started. I looked at the screen to see the words 'my sister's keeper' in big writings.

I've never watched it before, only heard of it. As the movie went on, I found myself crying at the fact that the younger sister would fight just to give up her organs to help her older sister who was diagnosed with cancer.

Hours later and we we were back in the car driving off. "Did you enjoyed it?" Francisco asked hesitantly.

I nodded. "Yes, it was so thoughtful, sad but thoughtful. Thank you for taking me." I told him.

"Of course, anytime." He said.

There was something I truly wanted to ask him, I thought now would be the best time. "Can I ask you something?"

He spared me a look as he turned the corner of the hospital. "Yeah, sure. Anything."

"How did you know that....." I trailed off.

"You had cancer?" He finished off for me. I nodded. "Like I said before, I'm friends with Ina."

"And you're still into me?" I asked.

We were now parked in front of the hospital's entrance.

"Why wouldn't I be? Just because you have cancer doesn't mean mean you're incapable of falling in love." He said as he looked over at me with a small smile.

Wow. I didn't even know what to respond back with. He really stole all of my ability to talk.

"Aren't you gonna say something?"

"I wish I could but I would rather listen to you speak all day." I silently smacked myself in the head for that corny remark.

He laughed wholeheartedly and it was the first time I've heard it. "Well, it was all true. I really am beginning to fall for you, sorry I'm being so clingy-"

"-no, you're not. I'm okay with it." I stopped him before he felt embarrassed. "Well I have to go now, bye."

I was about to open the car door when he stopped me. "Wait, you forgot something."

"What-"

And before I could asked what he meant, his lips was on mine. I was shocked at first but soon followed along before he thought I didn't want to kiss him. Our lips danced with one another as our foreheads brushed together.

When we finally pulled away, we were both panting softly for air. "Sorry, I just had to." He said with a grin.

"It's okay, I enjoyed it. Thanks for today." I said and kissed him once more on the cheeks before exiting the car. I looked back and watched as he drove away and out of sight.

I walked back to my room with the biggest and goofiest smile on my face.