Polaroid Cancer

Casey rests back in her bunk, closing her eyes and picturing the first time her and Oliver had ever met. She had thought he was the weirdest looking being her eyes had ever laid upon; what with his tattooed skin, thin figure and sickly looking face. He looked absolutely miserable. But a light had flickered in his eyes that day, a light that had been dormant for some years and Casey was the trigger. Of course, she wouldn’t learn that until some odd months later, and it still sent shivers up and down her arms every time she thought about it. The single memory of someone so regular, so ordinary, like her had caused him to changed his life completely.

She began wondering if any other girl could have done the trick, because in all honesty, there were definitely others who are ten times more attractive inside and out.

What if it had all just been luck? Pure chance and coincidence that he had chosen to go to that specific store that day? What if he had ended up on the other side of the world, falling in love with a girl he didn’t even know the name of, like he had with her?

Rolling over on her side, Casey gazed down at the silver ring that adorned the base of her finger. It glittered in the fading sunlight, winking at her magnificently.

“I’m glad he came to Quik-Stop. I wouldn’t change a single thing that has happened,” Casey murmured determinedly, a warm smile fluttering on her full lips.

“Aye, Casey, what’re yeh mutterin’ about?”

“Oh, hello, Matt,” Casey greets him with a slight wave as she sits up, “Well, you know… killing people, pillaging villages, raping the women. The usual.”

“Sounds fun,” He grins and sits down on the bunk across from her, letting out a drafty sigh, “I’m completely knackered. Tonight’s show was a lot more intense then normal. Ah, Oli is s’ pposed t’be here soon, he was mutterin’ about getting something, but ‘e wanted me to tell yeh that he’d be a little late.”

“Hm, alright,” Casey shrugs, “Where’s Maudie?”

“Out sleepin’ on th’couch. Thought I’d check up on yeh though an’ pass on Oli’s message at th’same time.” Matt says, “‘Ow’s that ring feelin’?”

Casey went pink, “Uhm, well, yeah. Uh, it’s still a bit odd, but I’m already starting to get used to it. I rather like it, to be honest. It’s my parents I’m worried about right now.”

“Yeh ‘aven’t told them yet?”

“Er, no… they might get kind of… weird if they knew who I am marrying.”

“Why is that?” Matt asks, lowering his voice a tinge.

“They don’t exactly see guys that look similar to Oliver as a ‘perfect boyfriend‘. God, you should hear them go off about that, they could literally go for hours about it…” Casey scowls, a grimace fracturing her face, “It’s painful. I’ve heard it since I was a little kid and I’ve heard it every time I see them. They’re always like ‘Casey Wolton, you never have a boyfriend! Why don’t you go out with the nice young fellow that works with you?’”

She rolls her eyes, sighing, “Of course, for awhile, I had led myself to believe I was attracted to the type of guys they wanted me to be attracted to. If Oliver and I had met three years before, my parents would have probably called the police on him and told them he was trying to rape me… or something. They’re ridiculous. They argue all the time, too. I don’t understand how they’ve been together, or even travel with one another, all these years.”

“Really?” Oliver is standing in the door way, leaning on the frame and staring down at them, “Why haven’t yeh ever told me this b’fore ?”

“B-because… you seemed so excited to meet them and I would have felt terrible crushing you on h-how they… really are,” Casey stammers, her face going a bright shade of red.

“‘Ey, Oli, give ‘er a break. She’s embarrassed of’em, can yeh blame her?” Matt says reasonably, Oliver seems to simmer down a bit and Casey has never felt so relieved to have Matt there she could have hugged him on the spot.

“Yeah, yeh right,” Oliver grins at Casey and flops down on top of her, “I missed yeh, next show yeh should stand on the side of the stage an’ watch. Maudie will be there, she knows all abou it, so yeh would be okay.”

“G’night yeh two,” Matt says as he quietly pads out of the room.

“Good night, Matt!” Casey gives her fiancé a slight frown, “Uh… er… crowds kind of freak me out. I get serious stage fright… I mean, I know I’ll be on the side, but there’s still that chance, that chance, that people could see me.”

He lets out a disgruntled noise, “Oh come on, I’ll give yeh some vodka to loosen up yeh nerves. Would that help?”

Biting her bottom lip, her brows furrow in thought, “Eh, I guess so, but I don’t want to be ‘knocked off my ass’ drunk, you know?”

Oliver bursts out laughing in her face and snuggles up next to her, “Yeh won’t be! I’ll mix it up with soda so it won’t be so strong. I promise yeh’ll ‘ave fun, jus’ gotta give it a try, babe.”

“Okay,” Casey kisses him on the nose and smiles diffidently, “Next show, I will.”