Her entire world came collapsing down onto her like a ton of falling bricks as she snapped back into reality. She tried to stand up but a sharp pain shot through her leg and she fell back down onto the bed. She cried out in pain as the man hurriedly called for emergency. The doctors and nurses arrived just before her vision blacked out into nothingness.
There were voices. Two of them. One she vaguely recognized from her brief conference with the man and another one, kinder but straight forward. She could not make out what they were saying as she struggled to capture attention. She needed water. Badly. “Water,” she moaned. “Water.”
The man looked at her and signaled to a nurse to give her some water. She nodded dutifully as she reached for the cup of water on the table and handed it to her. She grabbed it from her and drank thirstily. She choked on the water and began coughing. The nurse patted her back to help her. She gasped, “What’s happening? I don’t remember anything.”
The doctor turned to her. “I hope you’re ready for this. Ms.?”
“Just tell me!” she shouted desperately when she found her voice.
“You’ve got bone cancer.”
“I know that…” she whispered sadly. She sulked a bit and leaned back against the white pillow.
“Also, we would like to know who you are. You’ve been found by two policemen next to the Marriott Hotel by a coke machine.”
She didn’t answer. Bone cancer? How can it be? What did I do to deserve this? she asked herself sorrowfully. What did she do wrong, why did God have to punish her like this? “Tell me, what are my chances of recovering?”
“Pardon?”
“I said, get me the hell out of here,” she repeated slowly, but effectively. Her anger was slipping out bit by bit.
“I’m afraid that won’t–”
“Just get me the fuck out of here!” she screamed and pulled herself off the lumpy uncomfortable bed that seemed like heaven next to the cold and damp pavement in the streets. Somewhere inside, her energy restored and she bounced back to life. She looked around for the door and spotted it near to her right. She ran towards it. It was one of those prison doors that didn’t open from the inside. She screamed defeatedly. There were two policemen standing on either side of the door, they looked at her oddly from the other side. “Open the fucking door!” They looked at each other and then at her again.
“Not in this lifetime doll,” one of them said.
“Let her out.”
She turned around and looked at him. The policemen lifted their eyebrows.
“I said, let her out.”
Reluctantly, they opened the door and she grabbed her clothes that were lying on a chair, then ran out the door leaving the three stare blankly after her.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
As soon as she was out of sight, she began walking again. It had all been too frightful and too much to bear for a weak girl like her. She ran into the public washrooms and changed into her worn jeans and her thin T-shirt. I need to get myself a life she thought. As she walked around pointlessly, she found herself going back to the Marriott Hotel. She knew it was dangerous to let herself back there but there was something that captured her mind and luring her to go back. She stood in front of the building, looking around. There was nothing special. There was no one special. But there has to be something that made me come back. I can feel it in my bones she insisted. Just then, a lighthearted, warm laugh filled her ears. She perked up and to see 5 young men walking out the hotel, surrounded by bodyguards. Her eyes drifted toward the voice. Immediately in her heart, she knew that he was someone special to her. He’s an angel. Sent from heaven to me she smiled in her heart. She felt herself being drifted towards him. One more step, just one more step and I’ll see my angel. Just then, a group of teenage squealing girls ran towards the guys. Their hands were overflowing with gifts and pictures of them. Feeling confused and a bit dizzy again, she blinked back, unsure of what to do. Who are they? she wondered before she collapsed into a pair of strong arms.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
“She doesn’t look like a fan.”
“She doesn’t look like she’s fainted because she saw Nick’s boxers.”
“Hey! It’s in this year!”
“Not with bright red ones Nick.”
“Quiet guys! I think she’s waking!”
She slowly opened her eyes to find herself facing the five guys. And my angel she added mentally, he looks even more perfect close up. She held onto her breath as she opened her eyes fully. It was too good to be true. She was alone, with these people and no one else. She didn’t know any of them but strangely, she felt as if she’d known them for years. Forever.
“Who are you?” he asked.
He has a beautiful voice. As perfect as I imagined it would be. Better. She stared longingly into his eyes, getting herself lost in those pools of blue. He blinked and backed a little, confused. He waved a hand in front of her face. She snapped back into reality. “Autumn,” she whispered, “Autumn Love.”
His mouth curled up into a smile, “I’m Nick.” he said.
“I’m Brian.” said another behind him.
“Kevin.”
“Howie.”
“A.J.”
She sat up, “It’s you,” she whispered to him, “It’s really you.”
Nick looked from side to side and seemed unsure of what to do. “Um… who?” he asked gently. He thought she was attractive, but definitely strange. He wondered if she was a bit crazy, but then again, she might be just an obsessed fan. She’s different though. Somehow.
“You can feel it too can’t you? Look inside your heart and tell me you feel what I’m feeling.” she held onto his shoulders and shook him lightly.
An unreadable expression was written all over her face. He searched her jade green eyes for answers or hints of who she was but nothing was exposed. What he only saw was a lonely weak and determined girl inside. He didn’t know her, yet he was so attracted to her. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her eyes. Everything else seemed to fade and slip away. He couldn’t hear anything but her voice. She stroked his blonde hair.
“Tell me what you feel. We’ve been waiting for this day for forever. Tell me that you love me.”
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He shook himself out of the daze and glanced back.
“Uh, Nick, we have to get going.”
“Um, yeah,” he turned to Autumn, “Look, uh, I really want us to be friends ok? I’ll be seeing you. Where do you live?” He looked down at his shoes, not daring to gaze back into her eyes. He was scared that he would only get lost in them again. Her gaze was so intense, so hard to pull away from. It was like gazing into the galaxy, millions and millions of stars twinkling at once. So deep and soulful. So easy to wander off and get lost in. So dangerous.
She looked away.
“I understand if you don’t want to tell me your address since we’ve only met, about half and hour ago but, could you just tell me phone number maybe?”
She didn’t answer.
“Alright. That’s okay with me. Maybe I’ll see you around,” he picked up his bag from the floor. She grabbed onto his arm. He looked at her questioningly.
“I really want to tell you… but… you wouldn’t want to know me after I’ve told you,” she brought her face up to look up at him. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she looked away, ashamed.
“No, tell me,” he insisted. He couldn’t lose hold of this girl until he was sure of what his relation with her was yet.
“I don’t have a home.”