A Year to Live

Nicknames and Dirty Looks

Graylan and I spent the entire weekend together. Although the hospital wasn't the most romantic setting, everything was perfect. We watched my favourite movies, and I put up with his. Even though they weren't the most thought provoking, some of them were actually quite good. We took advantage of every single second we had. He had a couple of chemo sessions, but when they were done we didn't let the three months define us.

Most people who find out they had three months to live would want to spend it with their parents. Of course, Graylan's situation wasn't exactly suited for that, so he spent it with me. Every time he kissed me, he made it count. It felt like it was our final goodbye, and we just appreciated it more when we got to stay together. 

It was Monday now, and I was forced to go home and get ready for school. Thankfully Graylan was coming back today too so I wouldn't have to worry about him. I know it's stupid, but whenever I left, even if it was for a second, I thought something was going to happen. I thought he was going to disappear and never come back. It was a silly thought, but can you blame me?

I decided that for once in my life, I was actually going to attempt to look nice to school. Graylan and I weren't exactly in a relationship, but it sure felt like it. I wouldn't want to disappoint him with my usual sweat pants and sweater, so I threw on something nicer even though it was considerably less comfortable.

The shorts felt too short, but they covered my butt so I guess it was fine. All the popular girls wore things like that, so I assumed it was what Graylan liked. I paired them with an white off the shoulder halter top. You could see about an inch of my stomach, and although it made me uncomfortable, I just remembered that it was for Graylan.

I felt my heart flutter at the mention of his name, and my breathing become heavier. You're such a goner. 

After waving my hair and pulling my bangs back in a french twist, I decided I was presentable enough to go to school. I jumped down the stairs, excited for Graylan to see my new look. Maybe he would be okay with kissing me in public? Probably not you're still a junior. Right.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad!" I greeted my parents with enthusiasm, getting a well deserved 'what the hell?' look from them. I wasn't exactly a morning person, and mixed with what I was wearing, I could see why they were confused.

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" My mom asked, running over and placing both hands on my cheeks, inspecting me closely.

I rolled my eyes and took a seat, smiling at the brand new box of Lucky Charms. I poured myself a giant bowl and dug in instantly, ignoring the confused looks my dad was giving me.

When I finally got to school, my stomach was bubbling with excitement. I skipped down the steps and noticed Landon holding Carmen who was rubbing her head. What happened? I wondered until a senior bumped into me. "Oh hey, you're Isa right?" The tall guy said. I was staring at his chest and I could see it shaking with laughter before I finally tilted my chin up to see his face. Adam Jensen. He was basically a god when it came to sports, and everyone in the years below him was invisible. 

I quickly scanned the area behind me to see if he was talking to me, and concluded that he was. Well of course he was, who else is named Isa. "Me?" I clarified again, pointing to myself. He just let out a chuckle and nodded.

"I'm Adam." He smiled, holding out his hand. I looked down at it as though it were a foreign object and reluctantly put mine out to shake it. 

"I-I know." I felt myself stutter. I got extremely nervous around people who were older than me; and popular. "Isa." I choked out, almost forgetting my name for a second.