The cellphone sprang to life, spitting out the catchy chorus of the latest pop song that lit up the sales charts. Xion's hand poked out from under the covers and doused it immediately. She hated the song now. It probably wasn't a smart move to make her favorite song her alarm ringtone. It seemed like a good idea at first, but every time she heard the song, it brought back horrible memories of trying to wake up. After squelching the phone, she rolled off the bed and hit the ground. She pushed herself up and groggily searched for the bathroom. She stumbled inside and rinsed her mouth. She squeezed the tube and a column of paste topped the bristles of her toothbrush. She started scrubbing her teeth vigorously when she heard noises from downstairs. It was six in the morning, what was Sora doing up? She descended downstairs while brushing and looked into the living room.
She almost spit out her toothbrush.
"Are my eyes fooling me?" she mumbled, froth threatening to spill out from her mouth. "Are you actually studying?"
Sora looked up from his notebook and grimaced. "Spit it out before it gets on your shirt."
She went to the sink and followed his instruction. She turned the faucet to wash the bubbles away. "What's gotten into you?" she asked clearly, the brush no longer stuck in her mouth.
"There's a quiz today. If I don't get a decent grade, heads will roll--mine specifically."
"Oooh," she drawled tantalizingly. "Kairi's got you in a vice-grip?"
"No," he answered. His job was in jeopardy, Kairi had nothing--actually, it was all Kairi's fault!
Xion sat down on the sofa and watched as he examined his notes. "You know, I've been wondering...what do you do all night?"
Sora stopped his review and sat up. He thought she would've ignored his absences but it was kind of weird when he was coming home at four every night. "I got a midnight job," he answered truthfully.
"Really? Hmmm..."
He sighed. She always did that for further prompting. "What is it?"
"I just thought that you were staying out all night with Kairi."
He almost choked on his spit. She was closer with that assessment than she thought. "Nah, just work."
"Why are you working anyways? Do we need money that much?"
He wouldn't say it was for her medical bills. "With mom on vacation, somebody's gotta pick up the slack." Their mom actually found a donor and called to tell him about it yesterday. She told him to keep it quiet to Xion since she was still in the process of "negotiation." He didn't know what there was to negotiate. Most "donors" are actually dead, since people can't live without a heart. It was apparently a complicated situation.
"Well, don't run yourself to the ground. School's important!" She was starting to sound like Kairi.
Learning that there was a potential donor was a load off his chest. Once these days of working stopped, he could focus on school. With the free time, he could start thinking about his future. Kairi repeated the word "future" like it was the be-all end-all of everything. He never gave it much consideration since he lived day to day."Do you have a dream, Xion?"
The dark haired girl flipped her feet on the coffee table. "Of course!"
She surprised him sometimes. Even when she stuck in a hospital bed, she dared to dream. He envied her. "What is it?"
"I want to be a nurse," she replied. There was no hesitation. She knew exactly how to answer the question.
"A nurse..." It made a lot of sense. She spent a lot of time in the hospital. The nurses were probably the only company she had most of the day.
"Nurses are amazing people. They do all the dirty work to make sure the patients are comfortable and smiling. I want to be just like them," she admitted enthusiastically.
Sora was warmed by her words. This girl, despite her difficulties, looked forward to the future with no uncertainty. The question of death didn't even exist. It was as is she knew she'd be alive to see her wish come to fruition. "I'll support you the best way I can."
"What about you?" she asked back.
"I'm not sure," he confessed. "I haven't really thought about it."
Xion got up and gave him a pat on the back. "You'll find it eventually. Just study hard!"
He smiled. "That's the plan."
