To Make You Smile

To Share The Music

Chapter 4

To Share The Music

I bought a new pair of headphones at an electronics dealer to give to Alisa. I chose the same shade of coral pink for the color because it really suits her and her golden hair. I went back to the hospital and went staright to her room. It's a Sunday, so visitors are allowed to go to this part of the hospital where they keep the ones with terminal illnesses. This caused a lot of noise in the halls, but I tried my best to remember what Alisa said about your surroundings being noisy is because it's alive. I sighed and knocked on her room. The nurse opened it for me. "Uh, is this not a good time?" I asked the nurse. She shook her head and smiled. "She's just asleep, Louis."

I nodded and went inside after she exited. Sitting on the same chair again, I watched her sleep. I noticed that she was holding a dark blue colored pencil, similar to the shade of blue I wore yesterday. I slid my hand under her pillow and pulled out her sketchpad, looking for the colored sketches. The one with me behind the door was finally finished, but it was in grayscale. I flipped to the next page and saw an expertly drawn, full color image of the sunrise sparkling off the lake that at first I thought it was a huge photo right out of a digital camera. 'She's really good at this,' I thought, envying her talent. The next was an unfinished drawing of me in my clothes yesterday, which probably explains the colored pencil in her hand. When I set it down, I realized she was staring at me, her eyes full and sparkling with curiosity. It startled me that my hands suddenly shook. "You really shouldn't stare at people like that just after waking up and without calling their name. You scared me."

She giggled. "Perhaps I should do that again to you sometimes. Haha."

I sighed and set the sketchpad down beside her. She picked it up and continued coloring. "I slept a little late last night because I was so intent on drawing you that I forgot the time." She was back into her usual self. "So that's why I overslept today."

I took the headphones out of my bag and slid it on her head. She looked up at me while sliding them down and checking them. "Did you buy it for me? It seems new."

A price like that is nothing to a doctor's son. "Yeah. You said you were a headphone type."

"Thanks. But where do I get music?" She put it back on her head. I took the cord and connected it to my iPod, choosing a mellow melody without any lyrics and playing it on the right volume so it wouldn't harm her ears. She smiled and closed her eyes as she listened to the music. "So, you like it?" I asked.

"Very much!" she replied enthusiatically. "I owe so much to you, I think I won't be able to pay yo-"

"I just want to see you look so happy. I mean, it really makes me happy, too."

She looked at me, her mouth slightly agape. "Thank you so much, Louis."

"No prob." I set the iPod down on the desk next to her. "I downloaded a few movies on that, too. Watch them if you feel like it. The music also has lyrics. I'll be leaving this with you," I said, gesturing to the gadget. "Take care of it."

Alisa nodded and browsed the photos. "There's nothing here."

"Take pictures of yourself or someone, if you like." I put my hands in my pockets. "I'm going back. Can you handle yourself with that now?"

"Yeah. See you."

I rolled around in bed, listening to music from my iPad since I left the other gadget with Alisa. I heard somebody knock on my door, so I stood up and opened it. There was Dad standing in the doorway. "Hey Dad, what can I do for you? I've already did my chores, so if I forgot something-"

He chuckled. "I'm not here to assign another task to you. You just have a visitor. Go to the living room downstairs if you want to see who it is." He waved his hand and disappeared back into his office. I don't really get visitors except for girls trying to ask me out or a few guys borrowing my game disks. I rubbed my eyes and saw a familiar blonde sitting nervously on the couch, fidgeting with her fingers. "Oh hey Ali- wait, how did you get here?"

"Your Dad brought me here." She smiled at me. She was wearing casual clothes, probably from Dad again. He was always buying her clothes- even though sometimes he gets the sizes wrong and gives her something a little too big or a little too small. He's always into buying clothes for his patients. She wore a lilac, long-sleeved polo and silver tinted jeans with simple white sneakers. "What for?" I asked.

"He just said I should go here sometimes and feel welcome. I don't know why, though." She leaned back on the couch carefully. "I brought the iPod with me, in case you want it back."

"No, no, keep it with you." I sat down beside her, not minding how messy my dark brown hair was from rolling around in bed so much or how sleepy my brownish-black eyes were. "Want some food?"

"No, thanks."

"I insist. Be privileged." She laughed at my last two words. "Okay. I just want those crepes you got me in town."

I sighed. "Wait for me here. I'll get changed." I went upstairs and fixed my hair that if not combed would attract a bird to lay her eggs there. I changed into the first thing my eyes landed on inside the closet- an orange polo shirt with thin alternating blue and white stripes and a blue number '3' patch on the left sleeve. I chose some random pair of shoes and jeans. When I got out, I saw her looking at me curiously. "Sorry if I took too long. I'm half-awake. Don't worry, I'm fully awake now."

She just chuckled and stood up. "Let's go?"

"Wow, look who's so eager to walk around."

"The movie in your device boosted me up."

"Huh? Which one?"

"The one about the sick girl and the guy tending to her. Kinda like our story, without all those goo-goo eyes and stares. Haha."

I sighed and opened the door for her to go out first. While we were walking, she was singing one of the songs I recognized was from my iPod softly to herself. I reached behind her and pretended to twist a volume knob on her back. "H-hey! That tickles!"

"Share the music."

"Which?"

"You can sing at least louder..."

She brightened up. "Okay!"