I listened to the uneven breathing of the other person in the room. They shifted slightly causing a low groan from the chair beneath them. I targeted on the unstable beeping of the machine next to me. A soft cold hand grazed against my jaw line and then tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. I sighed; it was a high-pitched, happy sound, normal for me. I heard a gasp of shock as I turned my head towards my angel. My eyes fluttered open. I froze at the person in front of me. He looked familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on where I had seen him. He had the same green eyes as my angel did.
“Who are you?”I burst out. My voice was low and rough; I hadn’t used it in a while. “Why are you here? Who let you in? Help,” I growled, my voice heightened with sound. The boy shot a hand out and covered my mouth. I wanted to bite him but decided against it.
“Sh, be quiet,” he advised. “My name is Mark. I rescued you the other day at school when you collapsed.” My blue eyes widened in shock. I sat up in my bed, ignoring the shoves he threw at me. Mark, I remembered. He was the boy who sat in front of me in first period. I knew I recognized him from somewhere.
“You were my guardian angel?”
“Guardian angel?” He looked confused, as if he had been asked a Trigonometry question.
“I thought I was going to die because an angel came and saved me,” I explained gesturing to him. Mark’s lips curled up in a smile. He looked pleased with the compliment.
“Well, you aren’t dead, that’s for sure. You are in the hospital. Can I ask one thing?”I hesitated before finally nodding. “Why did you collapse? The doctor wouldn’t tell me anything. Not even on the ride to the hospital.”
“You rode with me to the hospital?” I demanded. Mark glared at me with those beautiful green eyes of his.
“Don’t change the subject,” he warned me with a knowing smile. I felt heat flood my cheeks and I giggled silently.
“I will tell you only if you answer my question.” I waited for him to nod. When he did, after a moment or too, I finished, “I have leukemia.” His eyes grew into saucers as he looked me up and down.
“You don’t look like you have cancer.” Those were the first words out of his mouth. The sentence was like a slap to my face. My body went rigid and my eyes narrowed.
“So what? I have to be bald or weak to have cancer?” I countered. The beeping of the machine sped up; my heart rate was dancing across the monitor. He flicked his head back and forth.
“No, it’s not like that. I just thought… I’m sorry,” he gushed. I studied him; it did look like he was sorry. I took a deep breath and my shoulder relaxed. Looking down, I spoke again,
“Now you have to answer my question,” I murmured.
“Okay.” Mark sounded cautious, as if he didn’t want to make me cry.
“Why do you care so much about me? Why are you here?” I gazed at him. Mark looked flustered. He cast his eyes downwards fiddling with his leather bracelet.
“You were different. You didn’t care that Carrie was talking about you or didn’t act shy in school. You had this aurora of confidence around you.” He took a peek at me. Warm tears were forming at the corners of my eyes. He was so sweet. “And you had killer eyes.”
“Thanks.” My voice faltered. I caught his hand in my grasp and examined it closely to keep my eyes away from his breath-taking beautiful face. I squeezed his hand once. “Don’t leave me. Stay with me ‘till I die.” Mark opened his mouth as if to say something more. But he closed it and swallowed noisily. He nodded.
“I will,” he declared.
“Oh, and call me Alex.” I gave him a smile and closed my eyes. He held onto my hand as I fell into a deep sleep. I LOVE HIM, my mind shouted drowsily right before everything seeped into blackness.