I pouted.
<
“I gotta see my ex’s first big show, right?
“Long time no see. See if he’s still got it.”
Sarah was quiet.
After a while, she nudged me.
“You said you dumped him ‘cause you didn’t
want to drag him down. If he still cared about
you, would you ask him for help now?”
“No way!”
I was firm.
“He could write one song and make millions
now. He could help you get the best
treatment.”
“Still no! And you can’t tell him either!”
“But you’re…”
I put my hands on my hips.
The IV drip left a blue mark on my skin.
“I’m fine. Besides, you can’t necessarily fix
this with money. I might as well use what
money I have to enjoy my last days.
“Let’s go. Didn’t we say we’d go to the
amusement park tonight? Before that, I found
this BBQ place…
“Ouch!”
I walked right into someone.
く
I started apologizing like crazy.
I looked up and saw who it was.
I took a step back.
Sarah gasped.
“Jake?”
He was wearing a mask, covered up.
But a lover can recognize another with just
eyes.
“Amy?”
His good–looking eyes were filled with shock.
Then anger and blame.
I turned and ran.
The camera shook.
Sarah ran after me.
A cancer patient was running faster than she
did when healthy.
Panting, I heard someone calling my name.
“Amy! Do you hate me that much?!”
- 7.
[Goodbye World, 5/21/2024, 11:19 PM –
Love’s always hiding in the corners]
“Yep, just a peek. Thanks for the help.”
く
“Listen, Amy, I don’t have anything against
you. You just dumped him, and he had a hard
time moving on.
“And that girl he went to school with is an
up–and–comer. She’s really into him. The
fans love them together. Don’t…”
I smiled and nodded.
“I know, Lisa. I won’t bother him. I just want
to see him one last time.”
“…Okay.”
I pointed the camera at myself.
“I’m at Lisa’s. She’s Jake’s manager.
<
“She bought the apartment across the street
to get him to write songs. She can call him if
he slacks off, haha.
“But he always keeps the curtains closed. He
can’t see anything.”
I aimed the camera at Jake’s apartment.
The lens went past the open curtains and
landed on a painting on the wall.
My smile vanished.
It was one of our old photos.
We were dressed up for a wedding, joking
around and smiling.
I’d teased him.
fighting back tears.
I laughed.
“I bet he never knows I’m standing right.
here.”
- 8.
[Goodbye World, 5/21/2024, 10:01 PM The
hardest words to say are I love you]
–
The concert hall was crazy, with glowing
sticks waving everywhere.
Sarah was holding the camera, but she wasn’t
filming Jake.
She was filming me.
