Stay With Me

She was one of those people, that just caught your attention because she had that air around her that attracted you; that automatically made you love her. For me, it was easier to hate her, then love her, but we all knew - we all knew I was crazy for her.
The feelings for her started when we were fifteen. We were at a birthday party for one of our mutual friends, she was laughing with one of the other girls and right when I saw her, I just knew. She made my stomach do flip flops and my heart tighten and I lost my breath when I saw her. Of course, I was a fifteen year old boy and I had no intentions of trying to figure out what these feelings meant.
So, I, being the immature little boy that I am, stomped over to her and declared her my nemesis for a second time. She smiled at me, her eyes crinkling at the edges and teeth showing. She didn't say anything, just smiled, like she already knew that we were destined to be together. I did not want anything to do with whatever she knew, at that time.
I left after I declared her my number one enemy and she seemed to have no problem with it. In fact, out of the entire time I knew, Rae Forstome, she never once had a problem with being my enemy and that was one of the things I loved most about her.
It was after I declared her my nemesis, that I noticed her everywhere. At school, laughing and chatting with my friends, at local hang out places doing things with my friends; she was everywhere I was and I chalked up to it, that she was stalking me. I was also told I was paranoid about it because she did funny things to me, or at least that's my dad told me.
When I turned sixteen and pretty much invited virtually everyone, to the little bash I was hosting, she was there, smiling her pretty little face off and she danced with a few other girls. I wanted to throw her out, to tell her to stay away from all my friends because I thought she was stalking me and stealing all of my friends. Granted, at that time, it was pride talking because even though I obsessed over her, I wouldn't admit that I was in love with her.
When it was time to blow out the sixteen candles, I could feel her right by my side. I knew she was right there, smiling that perfect little smile of hers. I blew out the candles and she placed a delicate hand on my shoulder, leaned ever so closely in, just so could feel her brushing up against my back. She leaned it, just so I could feel her breath tickling my ear.
She breathed out and softly whispered, "Happy birthday," in my ear and then was gone. I felt like it was almost a dream that she had made such a move, but I knew; I just knew that it wasn't a dream and for some odd reason, I had a feeling when she told me happy birthday, she was also saying goodbye.
After my birthday bash, I never saw Rae; not at school, not at local hangouts, not anywhere that I usually saw her at. I heard a humor at school that she went overseas because she got pregnant, but for some reason, I knew that wasn't true. Teenagers were rueful and liked to spread lies, especially about a girl who never gave people time to know her.
I never understood why I never believed that she was good person, that she didn't flee because she was pregnant. I mean, I should've gone along with it, she was my enemy and I hated her. However, I knew the reason I hated her, the reason she was enemy was because she gave me those funny feelings in the pit of my stomach and my heart fluttered when it saw her and my hair on the back of my neck stood on edge when I could feel her near; because I loved her no matter how many times we spoke, no matter what feelings she caused me to go through and no matter how many times I declared her my enemy.
It was when I was at home, doing homework that it actually dawned on me that she had left for whatever reason. That I wouldn't see her perfect smile, or see her stealing my friends, or just be able to her charming laughter and for some reason, it brought back the memories of why I originally declared her my enemy.
It was back when we were ten or so. She was walking in the prissy neighborhood; where I lived, but it didn't bother her. It didn't bother her that her hair was uncombed, or that she wore a tattered up purple coat, or that her shoes didn't match, none of that mattered to her. She cared about people, even at such a young age, she cared. So, when she saw me, sitting in my lawn, complaining that I was hungry. She stopped what she was doing.
I saw her peak over the fence at me, her more green then hazel eyes staring at me and a plastic bag hanging from her hand that lead to her arm, that reached over my fence. She shook the bag at me, I didn't hesitate to scramble up and snatch the free food from her. I was a greedy brat at the age of ten. She just smiled at me.
"It's chinese from down the street. I saved up my whole allowance to get it, but you're hungrier than I am, so please enjoy it for me, okay?" I could see that she cocked her head to the side just a little and was smiling at me.
I scowled at her, thinking that she thought I was too poor to get my own food, I yelled at her, "I'm not poor, like you. My parents will buy me whatever I want, but it looks like I have a good little puppet that will. Won't you, puppet?"
I didn't even see her flinch at me being mean to her, she just continued to smile.
"You're my enemy, you know that? I hate you, so you're my enemy. Got that?" I glared at her, hoping to be intimidating to her. To just make her stop smiling at me, because at that age, I hated her smile and I definitely hated how she never seem bothered when people made fun of her.
"It's okay, Daniel. I don't mind sharing food with you if you want it. I also don't mind being your enemy, it's okay to me." She said and with that, she continued on her way home. What she said, it always hung in my head, always bothered me that she didn't mind, that she didn't care and I always wondered, why?
To this day, at the age of twenty-seven, I still wonder why and where she disappeared to. Eventually, the group I hung with, well we all grew up and separated. I became a doctor, in hopes that I'd be as caring as Rae was. I knew she would want to be doctor, probably for little kids, so that's what I became, so in some way I could be as grat as she would be.
It wasn't until I got a job opportunity to travel across the seas and be a doctor over there, that I got to see Rae again. When I packed up and moved and started the new job, she was my first patient. Granted, I specified for children, but I moved so I could get the experience for adults as well.
My shock rolled off of me in waves, as I read her chart over. Rae Forstome had cancer, specifically skin cancer. I walked into the hospital room, she was alone and she was staring outside, her perfect smile still hanging from her lips.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Daniel Romest. I'll be here treating you for awhile. Do you have any questions for me or would you like to know anything more of your condition?" I asked politely.
She slowly turned her head to me, that smile still there. Her more green than blue eyes staring right up at me. "It's good to see you too, Daniel. It's been quite some time, yeah?"
When her eyes met mine, my stomach did somersaults, my breath was taken away and I could feel the effects of love all over again. This girl, she was my drug, even after so many years. I smiled, "It has been quite a long bit of time."
I could tell that having the cancer, did not bother her like it would others, but nothing really did, and I could tell that. Though, the years did help her mature into the beauty she already had. Her freckles that once were definable against her pale skin, were now light and were just a sprinkling. Her large doe eyes, now complimented her cheeks bones and fit her face a little bit better. Her hair was long, long enough to the point where I didn't know if it stopped at the blanket covering her, or kept going. But, Rae was still as gorgeous as ever and still made my heart quiver.
"Am I still your enemy, after all this time?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking in a taunting manner. I was taken aback by the question.
"Why of course you are, the one and only nemesis of mine," I smirked back to the girl who still held my love. Her smirk turned back into her smile.
"I still don't mind, Daniel, I still don't." It was all she said and I knew she was dismissing me from her room and I took my leave.