Coffee and Cigarettes

"So, what, are you dating him now?" Ryder asked me rather bluntly as he, Libby and I went to visit Cara in the hospital. I just shrugged and didn't really say anything. Libby kept grinning like a madwoman and giggling every few seconds, not yet saying a word.

It was right after school when Ryder and I met up with Libby, who brought a bouquet of beautiful, bright daisies for our unconscious friend.

We walked through the hospital's automatic doors and trotted over to the receptionist's desk and requested to see Cara. She nodded and led us to her room down the hall where she slept soundly, still in her coma, but seeming slightly more peaceful than before.

"She looks almost happy," I noted, taking a seat next to her as Libby placed the daisies on the windowsill. "I wonder what she's dreaming of."

"My sexiness," Ryder stated with wiggling eyebrows. Libby's giggles increased into full-blown laughter until I clamped my hand over her mouth and reminded her that we were in a hospital.

"Sorry," she finally spoke. "But that was hilarious."

"What was so hilarious about that?" Ryder pouted, his hands resting (in a very feminine manner) on his hips. "I'm beautiful."

"Yeah," I agreed. "You'd be a hot girl if you ever dressed up in drag."

Ryder glared at us and crossed his arms over his chest, muttering things to himself about how verbally abused he was by us and how he needed to hang out with guys more to shake off the effeminate stereotype that followed him like a lost puppy.

"So, Libb," I began, "how are things with Mikey?"

She sighed happily. "Awesome," she said, nearly swooning. "He's such a great guy and I'm so glad that I've found him."

I smiled. "I wish I could find someone like that."

"You technically have," Libby pointed out, wagging a finger at me. "If I do recall, Frank did kiss you and confess his love for you. In under five minutes."

"Skilled," Ryder agreed.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Do you really think that at the age of sixteen that we really know what love is?"

Libby shrugged. "I don't see why not. I mean, some adults don't even know what love is. Why should it only be them that are allowed to feel strongly about someone? I mean, don't you ever get that feeling, that really warm fuzzy feeling deep down when you're with that special someone--"

"Frank," Ryder interjected.

"--and you feel like you want to be with them forever and ever, no matter what happens?"

I just stared at her blankly whilst shrugging my shoulders.

"You can't give love one true definition," Libby reasoned. "I think that if you're in love with someone, you'll just know. Even if they don't love you back, you know in your heart that the person you're in love with has a special connection and meaning to you and will always have a place there, no matter what happens."

"Hey Libby," I finally said after a short silence. "When did you get so wise?"

"When did you get so cynical?" she shot back jokingly, smacking me upside the head.

"So," I said. "Are you saying that you're in love with Mikey?"

She smiled. "How quickly you catch on."

"Does he feel the same way?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Haven't said the words to him yet, but I think he gets the general idea. Whenever I'm with him, it just feels like...I don't know, nothing else matters but the two of us in that point in time."

I gushed. "I wish I could experience something like that."

"Oh, my God, Morgan!" Ryder wailed. "You totally can and you totally will once you realize that you're fucking in love with Frank Iero!"

I blushed furiously. "I'm not in love with him."

"Yeah," he smirked. "And I don't love cheese."

"Aren't you lactose intolerant?" I asked, laughing slightly.

"Doesn't stop me from eating the stuff," he said defensively. "Anyway, my point is that even if you're too thick to see it, you and Frank go together so perfectly and you know it. He's said that he wants to change his promiscuous lifestyle just so that he can be with you. He's really trying, you know. Everyone sees it except for you, for some reason."

I shrugged. "I was never good with relationships."

"Evidently!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "Sometimes I think that you're actually completely hopeless."

I had to laugh at that, too. "You know," I smiled. "Maybe I will give Frank a chance. Maybe I owe it to him for being so cold to him and everything."

Libby smiled. "Yeah, and if he ever tries to act like a douchebag ever again, I'll give him a swift kick to the groin!"

"And when Cara wakes up," Ryder said excitedly, "We can all get together and jump 'im!"

I rolled my eyes. "I think you guys are way too excited at the aspect of us breaking up so that you can kick his ass."

He shrugged. "Planning ahead," was his excuse.

We kept on talking about love, friends and life in general for about an hour and a half. We'd only realized what time it was when Ryder's watch beeped. It was six o'clock and we had to leave, even though we didn't really want to. That day, the hospital seemed really calming.

We looked out the window and saw the sun starting to sink into the horizon, giving Cara's fair skin an angelic glow.

We all stood from our seats and said goodbye to Cara before making our way over to the door. Just as we stepped over the threshold, we heard a voice.

"Hey, what pretty daisies, are they for me?"

We all turned around, wide-eyed.

Cara was sitting upright, holding the flowers close to her heart with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes.