Hanahaki

3

I'm really going to miss Joy when I'm gone. I hope she doesn't mourn me much, I don't deserve it. I really don't deserve any of this.

I spoke up,

"We should probably go home, Joy." I said with a slight frown on my face, I didn't want to leave just yet. I didn't ever want to leave her side.

    When I returned to my apartment I sat down on my bed and slept. I was so tired of everything. I was tired of having to put up with this disease, I had to put up with Joy for a whole night without sleep, I had to put up with the fact that I'm doWe started to go home, Joy lived a completely different direction than me.  So understandably, when she started to walk in the same direction as me I was confused. I turned looking at her and making eye contact.

"I'm not going to let you leave me that easily, I'm not going to end the last time I see you at a crappy coffee shop. I'm coming to your house at 4:00 and we ARE pulling an all nighter!"

She yelled at me like it was going to be an unpleasant experience, which it wasn't.

Joy arrived at 4:30. She looked as if she had just run a marathon to my apartment.

"You're late" I said bluntly looking at her dead in the eye. She bit her lip and then responded.

"Yeah sorry, I got caught up watching youtube videos." she replied guiltily looking at the ground. I simply rolled my eyes and moved to the side so she could  pass through the entrance. I watched as she made her way to the living room and plopped down on the old couch. The couch let out a groan under the weight of all her stuff on it.

We are sleeping in here right?" Joy questioned staring at the wall blankly.

"Yes, we are," I said after moments of awkward silence. You could cut the tension with a butterknife. We both looked as if there was something we wanted to said but restrained from saying it.

'She probably wants to be somewhere else right now' I thought sadness painted all over my face.

"Cheer up numbskull!" Joy said brightening my mood.  I gave her a small smile.

We spent the rest of the night having milkshakes binge watching shows till 1:00 am and playing truth or dare. Luckily, I only had to go to the bathroom to throw up rose petals 3 times.

When we were walking back to her house i spotted something. Not just something, someone. I look at them and stopped in my tracks. Joy kept walking and talking for a few seconds as if I was still at her side. When joy realised I wasn't walking with her a few moments later she turned around a saw who I was looking at.

"So, that's who it is huh," She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. I wanted to reply 'yeah' or 'yes' or even 'how did you guess?' but when I opened my mouth no words fell out of it, only petals. I quickly closed my mouth and bent down to scoop up the petals around my feet laying on the concrete. My hands were shaking as they touched the cold concrete whisking the flowers away before anyone could notice.

I could feel more flowers making their way up my throat almost clogging it in the process. I waved my hand at Joy frantically trying to get her attention and she handed me her scarf to put over my face. I wrapped it around my head so my mouth would not show quickly. When I got up I looked back at the person once more, but this time they noticed me and waved from across the street. I looked at them weakly and continued walking to the Joy's house.

Occasionally I would cough and petal or two would come out and get poured into the scarf, but overall I think I made it to Joy's house safely.