101 Things To Do Before We Die

Chapter 9

Thank you for all the great support and feedbacks! You guys are really awesome, you know that? It's amazing how happy you could make me by just liking or commenting on the chapters. I want to thank you all for spending your time reading this. Thank you. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!

Chapter 9:

 

April

It has been almost a week since I last saw Rio.

I never got a chance to meet Rio at all. My mother was always around. Whenever I thought she was gone, she’d suddenly appear out of nowhere and I ended up staying in my room the whole day. She never once let me out of her eyesight, probably assuming that I would run to Rio as soon as she leaves me. She had that right though. I will definitely run out of my room to see Rio. I haven’t seen him for so long and I missed him. I can’t help feeling that way since I have been hanging around him in the hospital for so long.

“Her condition has worsened…” Dr Wright eyed my mother wearily as he looked through my health chart.

My mother’s eyes widen and her hand immediately shot out to grab mine, “How—how is that possible?”

“Did something happen?” Dr Wright asked, “Her condition greatly improved for the past few weeks and suddenly it just dropped…”

My mother looked at me from the corner of her eyes. Her brows slightly furrowed down. I got a feeling she is thinking the same thing as I am. “What does whether or not something happened affect her health?”

“Most of the time, a person’s mental state affects the body’s health. Just a week ago her condition was good and now this…it is only natural for me to guess so.” The doctor explained, looking at me from the corner of his eyes.

I pretended to be uninterested in their conversation as I watched the sky outside of my window. Rain pelted against the window. I hated how much it rains here. The rain is never ending and it makes you feel so cold and hollow inside. The conversation with Rio about visiting sunny Asian countries replayed in my mind and I smiled bitterly at the thought. I really miss talking to that dark-haired fellow.

“Ashlee?”

My mother’s voice broke me out of my reverie. My attempt to pretend to be uninterested in their conversation really became a reality. My mind had wandered off without even realizing it. I turn to look at her and saw the concern in her eyes. I know I have been acting distant and quiet this few days, something that the normal Ashlee Reed would never do, and it was starting to worry her. But I couldn’t help it; without having Rio around makes me feel so…hollow.

“I am going to run to the cafeteria to grab some food. You will be fine alone?”

I gave her a half-hearted smile, thankful for even the slightest moment away from her.

She smiled back, only more genuine before pecking me on my forehead and hurried out of the room. I sighed as I turned around in my bed. I don’t hate my mother nor do I hate her company. It is just that this few days she is always around, so much that it becomes suffocating. It made me feel like her watchful eyes are always looking at me, making sure that I remain no contact at all with Rio.

I sighed once again to the white boring ceiling above me before turning in my bed once again, this time turning my body to face the door. My eyes widen slightly when I noticed a small piece of white cloth underneath the space of my closed door.

I got of my bed and went over to the item on the floor, curiosity raging in my brain. At closer inspection only did I notice that the white cloth is a napkin. There seemed to be some sort of a scribbling on the front of it. I picked it up and read it. Immediately a spark of happiness shot through me.