A Year to Live

Forever If We Can

"Isa, wake up." I heard a raspy voice whisper my name. I felt my back crack as I opened my eyes and realized I had fallen asleep in Muscle's arms. "Graylan can see visitors now." He whispered when my eyes connected with his. 

I realized that we were still in the hospital, and my heart sank when the events of last night played back in my head. My best friend gone. I didn't know what I would do without her, but I knew that as long as I had all of these people with me, they would try to help me the best way they knew how. I looked into his sincere eyes, and wrapped my arms around his neck, yanking him against me. 

He didn't refuse, and pulled me close against mine. "Thank you teddy bear." I murmured against his neck, allowing the scent of his cologne to fill my nose. I sighed into him, but pulled away soon after, turning to my father who was standing there, smiling sadly at me. 

"Everything went well right?" I managed to croak out. He nodded, and I could tell that the sympathy wasn't for Graylan, but for Carmen. I couldn't have both. I stood up from Muscle's lap, and followed my dad to Graylan's room. 

When I entered, I saw Mariem, Reid, Natela, Sabrina, Jameela, Jaxon, and Blake standing around Graylan's bed. I frowned a little when I couldn't see him, but the sound of the door opening turned everyone's attention to me. All of their eyes filled with regret, even Jameela's as they came over and gave me hugs. I was surprised, but I enjoyed each one, and held onto them tightly. When they all backed away from me, my eyes met those of the ocean I fell into the day I saw them.

I heard the others leave, but my eyes never left his. The tiny specs proving to me that the fish were still swimming in them. "Isa-" He started but I just shook my head, embracing every minute that I had to look at him. These past few months have been a whirlwind, and I knew not to take things for granted anymore, because each moment that I was looking at this boy could be my last.

"Don't talk. Let me enjoy this." I informed him. A twitch pulled at the side of his soft red lips until they formed a toothy grin. I didn't return it however, I was too busy getting lost in his eyes and remembering everything that we had been through. Everything we'd shared that had brought us to this point.

Can I see more of her? Those simple words had started something that I would never forget. Someone I would never forget. 

"Graylan Dorlan." The words came off of my tongue like spun sugar that I wished would have lingered for longer. 

"Isadora Hale." He replied, the sound of my full name foreign, but sweet when I heard it from him.

I snapped out of the Graylan induced trance I was currently in, and realized he was walking towards me. "You really shouldn't be stand-" I started before he placed his index finger to my lips, making me freeze at the touch. I forgot how much this boy could do to be with one simple movement of his finger.

"I remember the first day I saw you. You came into my room, and refused to make eye contact with me. You looked at the chart like it was the most interesting thing you'd ever seen, and I could never figure out why. The way your eyes widened when you read the last line made me smile. A smile I never thought that I could have since my mom died. When your eyes connected with mine, I didn't know whether to faint, or run over and kiss you. I had never seen anyone with eyes as blue as yours, or lips as soft looking as yours. I don't know what came over me when you started talking, but I don't remember listening very much. All I could think about was kissing you. Can I kiss her yet? Could I use shutting her up as an excuse?" He pondered the thought, his words sounding like music to my ears.

Graylan had wanted to kiss me? He didn't even know me. 

"And then I got to know you. And I realized that you weren't someone to kiss on a whim." He shook his head, but his eyes were locked with mine the entire time, and I refused to look away. "You're someone who needs to be handled with care. Someone who needs to know just how special they are every second of every day. Just how beautiful. At first, I thought that I couldn't do that. I didn't possibly deserve someone as perfect as you. But when you wanted me back, I didn't know what to do. The second you walked out of school and into my first chemo session, I realized something that I was too much of a chicken to realize before." He whispered, the pace of my heart accelerating at an unhealthy pace.