Baby, I'm a Million.
Shelter Me.
I sat with Cameron and Ferris at lunch on Monday. We didn’t talk much except to say that we would all go see Nancy after school. We hadn’t realized how much Nancy kept us all entertained until she wasn’t there. It made me very thankful that her accident wasn’t worse than it was. I still wished that it hadn’t happened at all. I had so much I wanted to talk to her about that would just be inappropriate to mention with the situation at hand. I just wanted things to be normal, but that wasn’t gonna happen for a long time. When Ferris got up to throw his things away Cameron slid over next to me. I smiled at him shyly. I realized I hadn’t really had a chance to talk to Cameron about how he felt about the situation, and I knew that’s what he wanted to talk about. It’s all any of us talked about.
“I’m having a hard time with this,” he says softly. “I find out that she’s the person I love, and she-” his head falls on the table. He takes a deep breath and trembles like people do when they’re crying. I put my hand on his shoulder.
“She’s gonna remember, Cam.”
He puts his head up, his eyes were bloodshot.
“What if she doesn’t?”
“Well then, I guess you’re gonna have to start over. If she fell in love with you then, she can do it again. She’s still the same Nancy.”
“I guess you’re right.”
We grow silent again just as Ferris sits back down. Bender walks over to our table, and he sits down beside me. I say hi to him. As he says it back he glances over at Ferris, but it’s not the usual intense look. It’s a look that signals that for the moment they’re not fighting. He’s still careful to address me specifically.
“I heard about Nancy’s accident. How is she doing?”
“She’s doing better. She remembers some stuff, but not much.”
“I should drop by and see her. When is she coming home?”
“Today-”
“We’re going after school,” Cameron blurts. This earns him a punch in the arm from Ferris. Bender looks up at him, but quickly looks back at me.
“You can come with us if you want,” I say despite hearing Ferris groan.
“Okay, cool. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”
Then, the bell rings. Everybody rushes out of the cafeteria. On our way to our next class, which we had together, Ferris pulls me into a corner. I could tell that he was mad.
“What’s with that?”
I knew he was talking about Bender, but I didn’t feel like dealing with it right then. So I decide to play dumb, “With what?”
“You being all friendly to John Bender, that’s what!”
I roll my eyes, “You’re the one who has a problem with him Ferris. I don’t hate him, and whether you like it or not Nancy is friends with him.”
He sighs, but doesn’t say anything else. This argument was over, and I pushed it out of my mind as we continued to class.
“I’m having a hard time with this,” he says softly. “I find out that she’s the person I love, and she-” his head falls on the table. He takes a deep breath and trembles like people do when they’re crying. I put my hand on his shoulder.
“She’s gonna remember, Cam.”
He puts his head up, his eyes were bloodshot.
“What if she doesn’t?”
“Well then, I guess you’re gonna have to start over. If she fell in love with you then, she can do it again. She’s still the same Nancy.”
“I guess you’re right.”
We grow silent again just as Ferris sits back down. Bender walks over to our table, and he sits down beside me. I say hi to him. As he says it back he glances over at Ferris, but it’s not the usual intense look. It’s a look that signals that for the moment they’re not fighting. He’s still careful to address me specifically.
“I heard about Nancy’s accident. How is she doing?”
“She’s doing better. She remembers some stuff, but not much.”
“I should drop by and see her. When is she coming home?”
“Today-”
“We’re going after school,” Cameron blurts. This earns him a punch in the arm from Ferris. Bender looks up at him, but quickly looks back at me.
“You can come with us if you want,” I say despite hearing Ferris groan.
“Okay, cool. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”
Then, the bell rings. Everybody rushes out of the cafeteria. On our way to our next class, which we had together, Ferris pulls me into a corner. I could tell that he was mad.
“What’s with that?”
I knew he was talking about Bender, but I didn’t feel like dealing with it right then. So I decide to play dumb, “With what?”
“You being all friendly to John Bender, that’s what!”
I roll my eyes, “You’re the one who has a problem with him Ferris. I don’t hate him, and whether you like it or not Nancy is friends with him.”
He sighs, but doesn’t say anything else. This argument was over, and I pushed it out of my mind as we continued to class.