Tumors And Hearts

Xx-nikki-xX

“I think you know
Tonight, tonight
Gonna touch you, taste you, tease you, show you
what I’ve been waiting for [yeah, yeah]
Sugar cube
Tonight, tonight
Gonna make you, take you, face you, shake you right down to the dance floor”

I sang along to Sugar Cube by Porcelain and the Tramps as it blasted throughout Manda’s apartment.

It was Sunday night and tomorrow was my first day on TNA. To say that I was only a little nervous would be lying… terribly…

I was sitting on the chair in Manda’s room while she was spread-eagled on her bed. We were just lying around, talking about random things, trying to keep my mind off tomorrow. Needless to say it wasn’t working.

“Relax Nikki!” Manda said for probably the millionth time that night. “You’ll be fine!”

“You’re right.” I said leaning back. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what? We’ve talked about everything imaginable!”

“I dunno.” I said thinking. “How are things with you and Matt?”

“Good, I guess.”

“Just good?” I asked. It seemed like Matt was so in love with her.

“Yeah. I dunno.” she said sitting up on her bed. “I’m in love with Matt, but sometimes I think I like Chris as more than just a friend. And he’s told me on more than one occasion that he thinks he’s in love with me.”

It wasn’t hard to see that Chris had a thing for Manda.

“Yikes.”

“Yeah.” she said again. “Don’t tell anyone I told you that!”

“I swear I won’t.” I said. “Well, since you shared that with me, I have something to tell you.”

“Spill.”

“I’m dying.” I said.

“Way to be dramat-”

“Manda.” I said cutting her off. “I’m really dying.”

“What?” she asked looking confused. “No you aren’t. You look perfectly-”

“I have a brain tumor.” I said cutting her off again. “It’s slowly killing me. I’ve been to a billion doctors and they’ve all done everything they could, but nothing seems to work. I’ll be dead in less than four months.”

Manda looked like she was going to cry. “But… we just got to know each other! Does Dixie know about this? I don’t think she would want you wrestling in your condition.”

I nodded. “This is her ‘going away present’” – insert quotation fingers – “to me. She knows how much I love wrestling and that’s it’s been a dream of mine ever since I started watching it. She had a special four month contract made up for me and everything.”

“Oh wow.” Manda said. She still sounded a little shocked.

“But you can’t tell anyone. Not even Chris and Alex… or Matt for that matter.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want people feeling sorry for me or give me any kind of special treatment.” I said. “I can’t stand being treated differently.”

“Well, you have my word,” she said looking me right in the eyes. “I swear to you I won’t tell anyone. But I better be fucking invited to your funeral or I’ll beat your ass!”

I laughed. “I’ll make sure to invite you.” I said as her phone started going off.

"Oh yeahhhhhhh Whoo!
I can slap a tornado!
I can dry up a sea, yeah!
When I live for the moment,
There ain't no, ain't no in me!"

“Is that Matt’s ringer?” I asked.

“Of course!” Manda said before answering it.

I turned around to face the computer that was now playing Brick By Boring Brick by Paramore. I brought up the internet and checked my facebook while I waited for her to get off the phone.

“Oh shit. I think the Chipotle we had earlier is catching up with me.” I heard her say about fifteen minutes later. “Could you talk to Nikki for a minute?”

I held out my hand and took the phone, not even taking my eyes from the computer screen.

“Hey Matt.” I said. Holy shit I’m talking to Matt Hardy!

“Hey what’s up?” he said in a cheerful tone.

“Not much on this end, how ‘bout you?”

“Not much here either, just a bit of partying.”

I heard someone yell something in the background, they sounded wasted. “It sounds like it.” I said.

“Are you excited for your first day tomorrow?”

“I think nervous is a better word for it.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll do fi-”

He cut himself off and I suddenly heard him yell at someone to give him his phone back.

“Hey Manda!” a new voice shouted in my ear.

“Um… I’m… not… Manda…” I said.

“Well, then who are you?” the voice asked, slurring his words. This guy was seriously wasted.

“Nikki.”

“Hi Nikki! I’m Shannon!”

“Hi Shannon.”

“You sound really pretty!”

“Um… thank… you…?”

“You’re welcome!

“Shannon! Gimme back my phone!” I heard Matt yelled in the background.

“But I wanna talk to Nikki!” Shannon yelled back. “She’s so pretty!”

“You dumbass!” Matt yelled. “You can’t even see her!”

I could tell that Shannon was trying to run from Matt.

“I gotta go!” Shannon suddenly said. “Bye pretty lady!”

“Bye...” I said before he ended the call.