Status: This story is written in both characters points of views, their thoughts are indicated by parenthesis and brackets. Lorne's thoughts are in brackets and Nera's are in parenthesis.
On the Roof
Reasons
I hug my left leg and leave the right to scrape against the wall of the apartment building. I can hear grunts above me as he tries to sit beside me. Baggy flesh rests upon my leg,
"Sorry...I shouldn't have asked." I pat his hand with mine, and shrug.
"No, it’s ok. I have a lot of friends. I love them all and they love me. I mean, how can they not?" She jokingly flips her hair over her shoulder and smiles. Her eyes flash towards me, hazel shocking my system. Her other leg tips over the edge and she leans back on her hands.
"I hate to be nosey, but why are you even here? You’re such a happy person, it seems. So…alive.” She is still smiling, but her eyes begin to sparkle with tears. Chuckling a bit, she looks down at the ground below, which is nearly empty at this time of night, almost debating to scoot off the edge without answering. Looking back at me, there is only a thin line where her smile once was.
“I have brain cancer. It’s terminal.” She shakes her head, trying to jar the thought out of her mind. I can’t imagine her being sick, she’s too young, too vibrant a human being. No matter how hard I try, all I can see is her strutting down the streets with other young people, drinking and celebrating youth together. She squeezes her eyes shut and dips her head.
“The doctor…he told me I won’t be myself anymore. I’ll be a vegetable when it’s my time to go. I can’t…I can’t live like that. I can’t let my friends see me like that either. They have to remember me as how I am.” The tears wavering over the edge of her eyelids are starting to fall.
“I don’t want to die, but I can’t live. Not like that.”
Suddenly it hits me through her sad eyes and I can see everything. The hospital bed, the pale blue gown, the stale smell of sickness. Her wonderstruck eyes dull and her once shimmering hair wiry and faded. And then, I see me. [I can’t let her die like this. No one should be alone in something like that, even if they want to.]
His sweater tickles my face as he engulfs me in a strong hug and I lose control. I am weeping tidal waves and there is nothing to stop me.
“I’ll be there for you.” He whispers to me over and over again, rocking me back and forth like a little child. I shake my head and I try to push away but he just hugs me tighter.
“No, I can’t die like this it can’t happen, no one can see me like that. I can’t…I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. You can, and you will.” He slowly starts to lift me up and walk me to the door of the roof.
“W-where are we going?” She stutters, still trying to push away. I look down at her now red, puffy eyes and smile. I look around the roof and it looks beautiful.
“Home.”
"Sorry...I shouldn't have asked." I pat his hand with mine, and shrug.
"No, it’s ok. I have a lot of friends. I love them all and they love me. I mean, how can they not?" She jokingly flips her hair over her shoulder and smiles. Her eyes flash towards me, hazel shocking my system. Her other leg tips over the edge and she leans back on her hands.
"I hate to be nosey, but why are you even here? You’re such a happy person, it seems. So…alive.” She is still smiling, but her eyes begin to sparkle with tears. Chuckling a bit, she looks down at the ground below, which is nearly empty at this time of night, almost debating to scoot off the edge without answering. Looking back at me, there is only a thin line where her smile once was.
“I have brain cancer. It’s terminal.” She shakes her head, trying to jar the thought out of her mind. I can’t imagine her being sick, she’s too young, too vibrant a human being. No matter how hard I try, all I can see is her strutting down the streets with other young people, drinking and celebrating youth together. She squeezes her eyes shut and dips her head.
“The doctor…he told me I won’t be myself anymore. I’ll be a vegetable when it’s my time to go. I can’t…I can’t live like that. I can’t let my friends see me like that either. They have to remember me as how I am.” The tears wavering over the edge of her eyelids are starting to fall.
“I don’t want to die, but I can’t live. Not like that.”
Suddenly it hits me through her sad eyes and I can see everything. The hospital bed, the pale blue gown, the stale smell of sickness. Her wonderstruck eyes dull and her once shimmering hair wiry and faded. And then, I see me. [I can’t let her die like this. No one should be alone in something like that, even if they want to.]
His sweater tickles my face as he engulfs me in a strong hug and I lose control. I am weeping tidal waves and there is nothing to stop me.
“I’ll be there for you.” He whispers to me over and over again, rocking me back and forth like a little child. I shake my head and I try to push away but he just hugs me tighter.
“No, I can’t die like this it can’t happen, no one can see me like that. I can’t…I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. You can, and you will.” He slowly starts to lift me up and walk me to the door of the roof.
“W-where are we going?” She stutters, still trying to push away. I look down at her now red, puffy eyes and smile. I look around the roof and it looks beautiful.
“Home.”