I'm Anything You Want Me To Be.

"Dani, shh." I hush her down. I comb her hair with my fingers gently as she cries into my shoulder. "Stop crying. Shh. It was just a bad dream."

She shakes her head and continues sobbing. "Iann, it was.. It just.."

"No, shh." I cut her off. "Stop crying. It was just a bad dream."

Now, she just nods and tries to help me calm her down.

I'm desperately trying to get her to cease her tears, kind of because I hate seeing her cry, but mostly because I can't afford to have my sister under an asthma attack while she's under me.

I kiss her messy forehead and tell her one more time that it was just a dream.

I woke up to her screaming.

Day 1.

She was in her room, yes, but we agreed to keep the bathroom doors open.

And I heard her screaming. Something about me, then Mom, then Dad.

I threw myself off of bed and sprinted to her room, there I found her practically breaking down in her sleep.

She passes out in my arms after she calms down. She needs to be more stable, and I know I can help.

I leave her for a second to get my phone from the side table when I discover it's ringing. I answer it before even checking from whom the incoming call was. "Hello?"

"Iann--"

"Garrett!" I yell. "I'm so happy to hear your voice--"

"The feeling is mutual." he says.

I notice how his voice sinks. "Are you okay?"

"You guys didn't call to let me know you got home safely."

"I'm sorry, I was assuming Jared and Pat--"

"All they told me was that you guys got to the office, but I was expecting Dani to phone me once you got home--"

"Then why are you calling me,"

"Her phone was off."

I don't have to ask, but I just need to hear more of his voice so I could conclude that he really isn't okay. "How are Pat and Jared?"

"They're asleep," he mumbles. "It's nine am and they're asleep. We kinda need them awake right now,"

"Why?"

"John's on a roll, we need Jared and Pat to start building around this shit."

"Then mess around with it," I suggest. "Or if you wanna jump on their beds, go on."

"Nah. We'll mess around with this for a while," he takes my suggestion. "I hope you're good."

"I am," I say. "What about you?"

"Okay." he plainly says.

I'm sensitive enough not to force to know what is bothering him. Besides, it's probably got something to do with Dani. So I ask instead, "How's John?"

"He's amazing." Garrett is suddenly cheered up. "He's been so perky, I thought he wouldn't be because you just left but--"

"Hey, he doesn't need to make me his main problem,"

"Problen." he corrects. "He's pretty sure you're coming back, you promised."

"I promised no such thing."

"Well, he sure thought you did."

"Tell him--"

"Oh, don't upset Cornelius now."

I roll my eyes as I start to take my walk back to Dani's room.

"He hasn't told me details yet, though.."

"Details on what?" I ask Garrett to elaborate as my eyes gaze over Dani's sleeping frame.

"Details on.. Well, whether he's gonna ask you out or something," he replies.

"Garrett," I laugh.

It seems that after John and I.. Well, admitted some stuff.. This kind of teasing from Garrett isn't so bad anymore.

"Seriously though, you need to come back for him. If a week later and only Dani's here, I'm gonna drive over there and drag you by the hair if I have to."

"Garrett, why are you making such a big deal of it?" I ask, not swinging the bubbly mood of our conversation.

"Because John loves you and I am going to just die when you two end up together!" he exclaims sweetly, but jokingly.

I realize I should have kept my voice down as now Dani is stirring.

It reminds me "Is Kennedy around? I have to ask him stuff,"

"Yeah," Garrett says, in no time handing the phone to Kennedy and letting his voice take over.

"Iann!"

"Hey, Ken--"

"You didn't call, Garrett and I were worried--"

"He told me." I stop him. "Sorry. We're fine, no need to worry. Just hope you guys are alright there too--"

"We all are! Except for Jared and Pat who are pooped because of the drive--"

"Sorry,"

"It's okay. Anyway, what's up?"

"I was wondering if I'm gonna have to get Dani a new inhaler?" I wonder.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I don't know where to get one,"

"You could some kinds over the counter-"

"Kinds? What the hell--"

"There are different kinds for different cases,"

"Well, which does Dani use?"

"The ones you could get at any pharmacy. But I'd take her to a check-up if I were you while I'm at it,"

"Okay," I mutter. "Anything else I need to know? Other than the fact that I just found out she's asthmatic, I don't know how to treat it--"

"Just make sure you have an inhaler around. And if you can, don't make her cry." Kennedy advises.

"Okay.."

"I have to go now, I gotta help John with something-- Are you talking to Garrett some more--"

"Nah, nah. Thanks so much, Kennedy. Bye--"

"Don't you wanna tell John anything?"

I stop myself from hanging up. I really have this habit of being the first one to hang up whether I made the call or not. This habit of just hanging up after I say goodbye. I bite my lip now. "Tell him I'm missing him already."

"Are you really?" Kennedy chuckles.

I smile to myself. "Only if he's missing me too."

"Oh, he is."

"Then that's that."

"Okay. Just call again if you need anything,"

"Yes, yes."

"Take care. Bye,"

Then we hang up at approximately the same time, I'm guessing.

I look around her room, thankful she had the sense I didn't to unpack her things. I pick up her inhaler which she left on her empty suitcase and hold it in my hand as I plump down on her bedside.

I sigh and shake her up. "Get some breakfast, we're going to the hospital."

"Hos.. Hospital?" she mumbles, not as awake as I am.

"Yeah."

"I'm scared of hospitals," she says, her eyes beginning to open.

"What?"

"Hospitals scare the living crap out of me." She props herself up on one shoulder trying to shake the sleep off now. "Ever since.."

"Since..?"

"Since, you know.. Dad."

I didn't know it was that traumatizing for her.

"What happened when you had to go?"

"Kennedy held my hand till it was all over." A sincere smile forms on her face.

"Well, we can't get Kennedy to drive all the way here just so you could get a check-up, settle for me." I almost joke.

After we both freshen up, we find ourselves back in her car and driving to the hospital.

I glance at her. "Did Garrett ever go with you to the hospital?"

She simply shakes her head.

"You ever ask him?"

She shakes her head again. "I never told him I had.. Problems,"

"Who knew?"

"Kennedy."

"Just Kennedy?"

She looks on my curiosity and decides in a second to entertain it. "No. There was one more person who knew."

"Who?"

"John."

I look at her, and she looks nowhere ready to confront this with me. So I let it pass.

Soon, we're walking into the hospital.

Well, I'm dragging her by the hand. After a while, I get her to just calm the fuck down. I tell her to wait at the chair nearest the exit so I could just get her a check-in or check-up form.

"What's wrong with you?" A nurse by the counter jokes as I approach.

"I've got heartache!" I greet, just to keep the atmosphere light.

I must admit, I also hate hospitals. But after Jay and everything, I learned not to let it get to me so much.

I giggle. "I'm kidding. It's my sister, I'm taking her for a check-up. She's asthmatic and--"

"Okay," She slides me a clipboard and a pen. "Fill that up real quick, then come back over here with her."

"Might have a problem with that," I mumble as I start to just fill up the form myself.

"Why? Is she afraid of hospitals?"

"Frightened." I insist. I'm to fill up the two boxes for her age now, right next to her sex. I actually wonder how old she is till I realize she's my age. I jot it down.

"We could always give her a lolly." The nurse beams at me.

"Where were you ten years ago," I mutter to myself.

A nurse this kind and cheerful would've helped then. Maybe then Dani wouldn't be so terrified of hospitals.

"I'll go take this form to her to add stuff," I politely excuse myself and make my way back to Dani.

Dani is on her seat, staring down at her hands which are all fidgety.

"By any chance, could you be pregnant?" I ask to break off whatever she is thinking off.

Her cheeks flush with color as her vision darts to me. "What?!"

"It's being asked on the form," I assure her.

"Oh," she looks away from me, shy because of her outburst. "No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah,"

"Are you a hundred percent sure?"

"Iann,"

"Dani,"

"Ninety-five." Dani quietly answers.

"Garrett would've been smart enough," I decide to comment because Dani wouldn't talk. "I'll trust that." And tick the box.

Not much happens after this. It's just while the check-up is going on, she clutches onto my sleeve, and she literally runs out the hospital as if she were being chased by a horse. We're given a new prescription for an inhaler.

The doctor said it was okay to keep using the one she had but it would be better to just get a new one, so that's where we're headed.

But we make too many stopovers and we get to the pharmacy by the evening.

We get her an inhaler, then we start to go home.

"Crazy day." Dani and I say at the same time when we shut the front door after letting ourselves back into our house.

We look at each other.

Then we laugh.