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"Enjoying yourself? You must be, this is the closest you'd ever get to popularity." A snarky voice came from behind me and I turned to come face-to-face with Brittany. She glared at me, her pink lips stretching into a sickly smile.
I rolled my eyes, looking her up and down in distaste.
"You know, there's a lot of things you're close to getting right now, but I'm in a good mood, so I suggest you stop your mouth from running before it takes you somewhere you don't want to go." I warned passive aggressively. I felt shock at my words because I wasn't usually this mean, but I was already stressed from the anxiety of telling my secret, so I wasn't able to bite my tongue, at this present moment.
Brittany seemed shocked too, but she covered it up with a spiteful glare.
"Oh? You get Aaron's attention for a few months and you think you're high and mighty? Get off your high horse, Bitch, reality is waiting." She spat out with a sneer, her voice was drenched in venom.
I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted my a voice.
"You mean, the reality where you crash a barbeque that you weren't invited to and talk shit to Aaron's girl because you're jealous. Wow, reality is a bitch, isn't it?" Raven said coming to my side with a smirk on her face. Savannah stood by her side and, although she was shy, she also had a frown on her face. She looked towards me with a smile before speaking.
"If you weren't invited then what are you doing here?" She questioned, her tone was polite yet there was a sense of 'dislike' in it.
Brittany eyed them both with shock before shaking her head and flicking her hair behind her shoulder with a manicured hand.
"I don't need an invitation. It's pretty clear that the boys would want me here. Besides, it seems they're letting anyone here these days." She said eyeing both Savannah and I. Savannah squirmed under her stare uncomfortably to which Brittany smirked.
I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted my Aaron walking towards us. He ignored the others and looked straight at me, a smile on his face.
"Amelia's here, princess. I think we should go over and be there for Justin." He said, motioning over to where Justin was stood.
I could see Brittany smiling flirtatiously from the corner of my eye. She put a hair behind her ear.
"Hi, Aaron." She drawled out, in a tone she probably thought was sexy. I smiled when I saw Raven gagging silently at the side.
Aaron turned towards Brittany and gave her a nod of acknowledgment before turning to look at Savannah.
"You can come too. Amelia would want to meet you." He finalised, reaching his hand out to take mine. I watched as Brittany narrowed her eyes at this.
Raven scoffed loudly and folded her arms.
"Once again, you're forgetting me, Aaron. Guess there's a new favourite in your life then, huh?" She teased, looking down sadly.
Aaron laughed at her words before putting an arm around me. I blushed at his touch and watched him as he spoke.
"I'd try deny it, but it's true. She's not just my favourite; she's my everything." He said, stroking my arm with his hand. I looked up at him shyly before leaning into his touch. He smiled at this and pulled me along with him towards Justin. Savannah followed slowly and, although I couldn't hear them, I could see Raven chastising Brittany, her hands on her hips.
We walked over to see Justin and a black haired girl in a tight embrace. Danny stood on the sidelines watching as we came up beside him. Danny smiled at us.
"You guys missed it but, don't worry, I'll catch you up. They were arguing and now they're hugging. Done, you're caught up." He beamed at us and Aaron rolled his eyes at this.
After what seemed like decades, they pulled away from each other and the girl walked over to Aaron and pulled him into a hug. He smiled before hugging back.
"I missed you, Amelia." He let out with a sigh.
I smiled when Justin walked towards me, a hint of a smile in his dull grey eyes. I nudged him with my hand.
"You didn't tell me you were dating Savannah." I whined, a moody look on my face.
Justin raised his eyebrow at this before gesturing towards Savannah lazily.
"You knew I liked her, so what else could have happened?" He let out bluntly and I rolled my eyes at his words.
Suddenly, Danny was near us and he slapped Justin's back hard with a grin on his face.
"Silly naive Justin. There's so much possible outcomes from liking someone. Like, a one-night stand, friends with benefits, a summer fling, a ch-" he was cut off when Justin slapped him on the side of his head with a glare.
Aaron laughed at this before coming closer to us.
"And, then you ask why he's so adamant on not letting you date his sister." He teased before pulling me towards Amelia.
He gestured in my direction, a slight smile on his face.
"Amelia, this is Alexis. She's my g... er, she's my friend." He said nervously, his hand reaching out to touch the back of his neck, something he often did when he was awkward. I ignored this and smiled at her before shaking her hand.
"It's nice to finally meet a girl who could tolerate Aaron." She joked, her eyes the same shade as Justin's.
Justin smiled at this before motioning towards Savannah, who stood there with a shy smile on her face.
"And, this is Savannah. She's my girlfriend." He said, his voice devoid of emotion, but his eyes were filled with affection.
She greeted her too and then she looked towards Justin, a serious look on her face. We all knew what she was thinking of. I looked towards Danny and he too was sporting a serious look. Justin shook his head slightly before letting out a deep sigh.
"Look, I love you both, but I'm just afraid of what will happen if this whole relationship goes wrong. It's gonna ruin a lot of relationships, not just one." He blurted out, his voice deep. We all understood what he was speaking of. Danny and Justin are friends. Amelia is Justin's sister. If Danny and Amelia potentially break up, it could ruin Justin's and Danny's friendship. Not to mention, this would take a toll on their friendship with Aaron because he'd be in the middle of all this.
Danny sighed at his words and nodded his head. He moved closer and, for a second, I didn't see the childish boy who made us laugh but, rather, I saw a man who wanted something with all his heart.
"Look, Justin, I understand that and I'd never go forward with any of this if you don't want me to. But, what you need to understand is that nothing matters more than your guy's friendship. You and Aaron are my life. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise that. I can't help my feelings, Justin. I really like her and you know I won't hurt her. Please, just give me a chance." He pleaded and I smiled at his words. He was, indeed, a man.
Amelia moved to his side, a sad look in her eyes.
"I made some mistakes in the past, Justin, but I've realised them now. I want to be back in your life again. Daniel's right, if you don't want to accept this, we'll understand. But, I finally feel happy. I thought what I had with Kyle would fill the gap with what happened in our past, but it didn't and it broke me. Daniel makes me feel like myself again which is something I haven't felt in quite some time. Please, give us a chance." She said in the same pleading manner that Danny had done. Her grey eyes glistened with tears and her shoulder length hair swayed with the wind. I smiled at the similarities I saw between her and Justin.
Danny grinned at her words before placing his hand over hers, in a tight grip. Justin didn't miss this and he stared, his eyes deep in thought. After a short while, he sighed yet again before speaking, reluctance evident in his tone.
"Just one chance."
*******************
"Well, she's a very.... colourful girl." His voice spoke out and I laughed.
"Dad, don't be mean. Raven's really nice. She's just... loud, is all" I reasoned with a giggle to which my mum smiled.
My parents had shown up, no less than 2 minutes ago and were greeted first by, none other than, Raven. By the time, I had made my way over Raven had already skipped away to Mason and, judging by the look on my parents face, she clearly didn't hold back.
I smiled when Aaron showed up at my side and shook my Dad's hand.
"Hey, Mr. Dawson, I'm glad you could make it." He said sweetly and I thanked the heavens that he was being polite.
In turn, my dad scoffed loudly.
"I'm glad too. What I'm not particularly glad of is the choice of your jeans again, son. You fancy looking like a girl?" He questioned jokingly to which my Mom nudged him in the side.
"Dad!" I groaned, taking back the thanks that I had offered to the heavens. He held his hands up in surrender before gesturing to Aaron's jeans.
"Hey, I can't help it. Blame your boyfriend. Those jeans make me want to pull my eyes out." He complained before sending a smug look to Aaron.
Aaron smiled, folding his arms.
"Who's stopping you?" He bit back, a sweet smile on his face.
My dad glared in response and opened his mouth to speak, but my Mom interrupted him to prevent any further arguments.
"Thank you, Aaron, for inviting us over for this barbeque. It was sweet of you." She said with a smile. Aaron smiled in response before leading her away to meet the others. My dad followed behind, begrudgingly.
Finally, the time has come.
****************
"It really is tasty!" I exclaimed, savouring the taste of meat in my mouth.
Raven laughed at this before smiling proudly.
"Well, duh. My man made it, so it would obviously be tasty." She said, cutting her food up with a fork and knife. I laughed at her words.
We were all, currently, seated on the patio. Raven was on my right and Savannah on my left. The table was circular, so the seating was me, Raven, Mason, Drake, Danny, Aaron, Justin, Amelia, Mom and Dad and then Savannah. A few other people were here also, but there was no seats left at this table, so they were sat on a table across from us.
I carried on enjoying my meal. That is, until I felt a swift kick at my shin under the table. I screamed in surprise and stilled when everyone's eyes landed on me. I smiled at everyone before making the excuse that a bee was near me. At this, their eyes returned to their food and I glared at Aaron. One look at his eyes, however, and I knew what he wanted.
I squirmed in my seat nervously and Aaron looked at me with concern in his eyes. I smiled to reassure him I was okay, but truth be told, I didn't feel okay. I felt anything but okay. I nodded my head to show him I was ready and, with that, Aaron cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. Once he succeeded in that, he motioned to me with a hand.
"Lexi has something she wants to share." He stated simply with a smile, but it was enough to make me nervous again.
Everyone turned to me and I breathed loudly. This was it. I had to tell them. I looked around the table to see the faces of the people who I had begun to grow close to and to those who had been there for me time and time again. I looked to my Mom, who had a concerned look on her face and I remembered all the times where she had that look. She cared so much about me.
My mum pursed her lips and breathed out heavily.
"How can you skip and hum so nonchalantly as if there's no risk of you dying tomorrow?" She questioned, her voice trembling.
I closed my eyes and turned away from my mom. I wouldn't cry.
"Don't I have the right to be happy, mother?" I shot back, trying to keep my voice strong.
She grabbed my shoulders and twisted me around, hitting my back on the fridge.
"You have the right to live as well!" She screamed, glaring at me with so much love.
"I also have the right to make my own choices, mom! I want to die" I screamed back, grabbing her hands and pushing them off of me.
"Why?!" She questioned. She looked at my face, trying to read me. She fell to her knees, staring at the ground sadly.
"Why?" She questioned, more softly this time.
She looked up at me, guilt-ridden. The look nearly made me snap.
"Am I not a good mother, Alexis? Do you hate your life here with me?" She questioned, crying.
"No" I reassured, kneeling on the ground beside her.
"You're the best mother in the world and I love being here with you" I said, hugging her.
And, I did love her more than anything. She was my rock, my first friend, my everything and I had bought her nothing but sadness.
I looked to my Dad. He had always tried to be there for me, even when he was busy for work. In fact, he had come from abroad to be with me in the time of need. He cared about me so much.
"Alexis, my little girl" He exclaimed. "Come give daddy a hug!" He said, stretching his arms out in a welcoming manner.
I laughed, jumping into the arms of the man who had cradled me since birth.
"I missed you." I whispered quietly and, by the way he hugged me tighter, I could tell he heard my comment.
Dad grinned, pulling back.
"And that, pumpkin, is why I came home earlier than intended."
He always tried to fill the gap I felt after losing my Grandfather and he did an amazing job. I loved him for that.
I turned to look at Danny. At first, he seemed like Aaron's clueless friend who was both oblivious and ignorant to my presence, but now I couldn't go a day without seeing him and hearing his complaints. He even considered me as a friend. I could tell that much when he didn't want me to leave. He cared about me so much.
Danny latched onto me in a warm bear hug. I rubbed his back in comfort and tried to pull back, but to no avail. He wasn't letting go. I tried again, but all efforts ceased when I heard a loud sob. And then another. And then a whole cascade of sobs.
He was crying. For me.
I clenched my eyes shut tightly. To hear him sob like that, for me especially, caused a pain that could not be described. I had caused that sadness in him. It was me.
I could hear it all. Among all the sobs, there were pleas. He was asking me to 'stay' and 'listen to Aaron'. He was asking me a lot of things; many of which I knew I could not deliver.
And, then, he was asking me to promise him. To promise that I'd stay, no matter what to which I responded with a tight hug.
I had misjudged Danny and he exceeded my expectations. He was well and truly a great friend of mine.
I turned to look at Justin. At first, it seemed as though he had nothing but contempt for me. He had pushed me off everytime I had made an excuse to speak to him. His answers would be harsh and short. But, after opening up, I realised that he was not the brooding emo that I thought of him to be. He was a caring and considerate friend, something I discovered when I heard how pained he was on knowing of my illness. He had been there to guide me and he was always there. He cared so much about me.
"One hand, Justin. I could count the people that would miss me when I went on one hand; what's worse is I couldn't even fill up that one hand. I have just two people." I sobbed, gripping tighter onto Justin's hand.
In response, Justin pulled my clenched fist up, splaying out all my fingers.
"Well, now you have three extra." He said and then he did something, so foreign and unexpected, it took the wind out of me.
He smiled.
"Five people isn't a lot either, Justin and you know that." I said morosely.
Justin nodded slightly, putting his hands in his pockets.
"True, it's not a lot, but it's not about the number of people that love you. It depends on how true the love is that each individual offers."
He had always been there to guide me and to help me when I was down. He was more than a friend to me. He was like a brother to me.
Lastly, I settled my gaze on Aaron. We had met under unusual circumstances and, at that point, it seemed as though I was just an object he used to achieve his goal. But, not it was different. I could see the affection for me, in his eyes. I could tell by his words when I told him I wasn't getting treatment. He cared about me so much.
I couldn't say anything, however, because Aaron wasn't going to let me speak.
"No, you listen to me. I do care. I care a lot. You must be fucking blind if you don't see that." He said, making my heart flutter.
He breathed in deeply before talking again.
"I care about you in ways I can't describe. It doesn't matter if you don't believe me; I know how I feel. I don't need your stamp of approval." He said and I could imagine him shrugging indifferently. I blushed at his words.
His voice arose again from the other side.
"With the decision you've made, you can't blame me for leaving. I've lost an important woman in my life; I can't lose another. I'm not going to sit around helplessly and watch something happen to you. I won't be able to take it." His voice sounded bitter yet- at the same time- it sounded vulnerable. He was begging and I couldn't stand to hear it.
He was there as a companion and always managed to streak a smile across my face. I realised now how much I needed him. If he didn't come into my life, I probably would have been buried 6 feet into the ground by now. He changed me and he brought all these people into my life. I loved him for that.
With affection in my eyes and courage in my heart, I opened my mouth to speak.
"Some of you guys don't know this, but I was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anaemia when I had turned 13. It was very slight, in its first years and I didn't understand it's calamity, until I was a bit older. When I was around 16, I began to learn more about my condition. It turns out that the only possible treatment for my condition was Bone Marrow Transplant. It was very expensive, but my parents still paid for it. That was the easy part. For the treatment criteria, I needed someone else's Bone Marrow to replace mine. This person had to have Bone Marrow with an 100% match to mine in order for the treatment to be successful and the chances of this were very slim. The hospital's next step was to search for a possible donor for me. In order to maintain this search, they had to be paid for their time and effort. A year went by and no donor came along. At this point, our family entered a financial crisis. It was getting harder and harder to keep the roof over our heads and, at that point, I came to a decision. The treatment search had to stop. It was doing more harm than benefit and it was showing little success. I accepted the fate chosen for me. I accepted that there was no donor for me out there and that I should leave this world in peace without ruining the lives of my parents as I left. That was the decision I had chosen." I breathed out, tears in my eyes.
I looked around to see shocked looks on the faces of those who didn't know. The other's who did know were sporting a sad look. I looked to my Mom to see tears in her eyes as she gripped my Dad's hand. I sent her a reassuring smile before turning to look at Aaron.
There was a ghost of a smile on his lips and he nodded, urging me to go on and so I did.
"Over this past year of stopping the search, I only went to the doctors for a general transfusion to sustain my system. But, I had skipped many as well and, not before long, my blood cell count had depleted to a dangerous level. I was on the brink of death. I thought I was going to die. That was until Aaron came. Aaron had found out about my illness a week before I reached the critical state and, in that time, he hired a private doctor to carry the search. The money that I had given the hospital was just enough for a local search within a certain area, but Aaron pushed past that. Way past that actually which is how I found Isaac Braxton: the 33 year old donor from New Zealand to whom I owe my life. He was an 100% match. My bone marrow was removed and replaced with his. Sure, I need to have checks to see if my body rejects his bone marrow, but all seems good so far. I'm cured." I breathed out heavily and the tears cascaded down my cheek in waves.
I can't remember what happened after that except for hell breaking loose.
I was pulled in for hugs left, right and centre. I smiled to my left to see my Mom and Dad smiling at me. I mouthed 'Thank you' to my Mom to which she beamed and hugged me again. The tears streaked her face and I could tell that a massive weight had left her shoulders. She then turned and made her way over to Aaron and my dad followed suit.
Something tells me that my dad won't make fun of his jeans anymore
"Alexis!" Danny boomed, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. He laughed raucously before pulling back and grinning at me.
"I can't believe it! You're gonna stay! With me! And we'll live happily ever after!" He exclaimed, pulling me into another hug. I felt him kiss my hair through laughs and I smiled at his affection.
I looked towards Justin to see him stood with a blank look on his face. I moved closer and nudged him. He shook his head in response, his grey eyes cloudy.
"I feel like I'm dreaming and I'm scared to wake up." He said honestly, his voice deep.
Frowning, I took in his words before an idea formulated in my head and I reached towards him and pinched him. I could tell it pained but nothing changed in Justin's expression, except for his lips that stretched into a smile, a sight that was both rare and beautiful on him. He moved closer and suddenly his lips were on my forehead. It was quick, but I realised what had happened and I smiled at his way of showing affection. He dragged a hand through his hair lazily.
"This whole time, it was at the back of my mind and it was honestly killing me. You don't know how relieved I am." He breathed out, a relieved look in his eyes.
Everyone had relieved looks in their eyes and I smiled at how much they all cared. I loved them all.
****************
"What are you doing?" Aaron's voice questioned behind me as he stood at the doorway.
I smiled from my place near the sink.
"Washing my hands. What does it look like?" I asked sarcastically before drying my hands off with a paper towel and turning to look at Aaron. He was handsome as always. He was wearing a navy blue button down shirt and dark jeans. Something so simple yet he made it look amazing.
He laughed at my words and folded his arms.
"Well, it looks like you're checking me out." He retorted, raising an eyebrow.
I blushed at his words, embarrassed that he had seen me checking him out and turned back to the sink. I cleared my throat before speaking.
"Okay, whatever puts you to sleep at night, Teddy Bear." I teased, remembering how Sam had called Aaron that.
"You know I call him teddy bear when no one's around because he doesn't want anyone to hear the name I gave him, but I can't help it. He's my teddy bear" she whispered, a sad smile streaked across her face.
Aaron stilled at this, a blush covering his cheeks.
"Where did you hear that from?" He asked awkwardly, looking at everything else but my eyes.
I laughed at this before miming the action of locking my mouth and throwing away the key. Aaron smirked at this and he moved closer. Surprised at his movement, I stepped back until my back hit the sink. His smirk widened at this and he leaned down towards me but, before his lips could make contact with mine, I placed a hand on his chest.
"Oh no, we're just friends. Isn't that what you told Amelia?" I spat out, folding my arms.
Aaron scoffed at my words, moving back.
"I only said that because when I said 'I love you', you said 'thanks'. I thought that was your way of friendzoning me." He explained.
I laughed mockingly at his words before motioning between us.
"Okay, if that was the case then why were you trying to kiss me right now? Friends don't kiss." I snapped back, narrowing my eyes at him.
Aaron smiled at my words before shrugging his shoulders.
"I know, you're right on that one. Friends shouldn't kiss, but I can't help it. Everytime I look at you, I wanna be close to you. Especially, after you told everyone about your illness. You were scared, but you still went through with it. I'm so proud of you." He said softly, an affectionate smile on his face.
I grinned widely at his words, but frowned when I remember he had called us friends. I tucked a hair behind my ear before continuing.
"You could just remove the friend status and then it won't be wrong to kiss me." I suggested, a blush creeping on my cheeks.
I watched as his smile widened and he moved closer.
"You're my girlfriend, Lexi. You can't take that back. Not now, not ever." He said, before coming towards me.
I smirked at his words, but still moved closer to him.
"And, if I were to take it back, in the future?" I teased and I watched at how his eyes darkened at my words.
He was so close, his breath hit my lips. His eyes darted from my eyes to my lips. I stared intently, awaiting his next move. His lips fell near my ear.
"Shut up and kiss me" He whispered roughly. A chill shot up my spine. I pulled back, staring at his eyes and leaned in.
And, with that, his soft lips were on mine. His mouth moved in perfect rhythm with mine and my heart fluttered when I felt him smile against my lips. His arm encircled my waist, a good thing too, seeing as though I was moments away from fainting due to the ecstasy of it all. I could feel his love in the kiss; his care for me. He coaxed me out of my shell and I lay in his arms, vulnerable, but content nonetheless.
I felt protected and safe in his arms, something I hadn't felt in a long time and I revelled in the feel of it all.
Who knew that one favour could lead to all this. This emotional rollercoaster of sadness, pain, heartache, love and friendship. I felt like I had died and woken up with a new beginning. This was it. This was my life now and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
"Oh, I love you too, by the way" I mumbled against his mouth with a laugh.
**************
"Wow." Danny let out, a pained look on his face, so I could tell he was thinking.
"What is it?" I asked from my current position on Aaron's lap. Aaron was busy talking to Justin on his right which left only me to attend to Danny's antics.
Danny shook me off with his hand.
"Nothing, it's just a thought." He said, trying to dismiss it, but this increased my curiosity.
I shook my head at his words.
"No, tell me, I wanna know." I asked, urging him to continue.
Danny thought for a second before relenting with a sigh. He moved closer to me before speaking.
"If I were you, my mind would be all over the place right now. What if, that moment you fainted in your kitchen was the end of it and that was the point where you died? And, all this after it, is a figment of your death-induced imagination. Or, you're in heaven right now and this is what heaven is for you. A happy life with Aaron and all of us and your treatment gone, right? That's what I'd be thinking." He concluded, his face deep in thought.
I gaped at his words and opened my mouth to speak, but stopped when Danny spoke.
"Anyways, don't mind me, I'm gonna go see if there's any meat left on the grill. These muscles don't feed themselves." He joked before walking away towards the patio, leaving me in shock.
What the fuck.
__________________________________________
Epilogue coming soon....