Day by Day

Disclaimer: This isn't really my story. Someone just asked me to write their idea. Eh, romance ain't my thing.

----------

“Nana!” I called her name as she walked away. “Wait up!”

“Kei!” Nana looked back. “I thought you’d be late.”

Her warm smile brightened the morning. We walked to school together like any other day. I’ve known Nana since we were kids. I remember seeing her for the first time when her family moved in as our new neighbour.

I was shy meeting her at first. She always took initiative to lure me out of home and drag me to all sorts of fun. Years passed by and we’re now teenagers attending the same school. We always walk together in going there and back home. Lately, I’ve been meaning to tell her something important. Each day I hesitated to tell her. Each time I wanted to say it, I would come up with a different topic instead. But not today. I must tell her.

“Hey, Nana…”

“Hmm…?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I… um… I’ll tell you after class.”

“Alright” she laughed. “You still haven’t manned up have you?”

I nervously chuckled. Nana was always different from the other girls with her tough attitude. Some would tease her as rather boyish while I was quite a pushover. We were both average students. We had different interests: Nana is into sports while I was into books. Somehow, we still get along. I watch her during her soccer practice while she accompanies me to the library.

The thought of seeing her later made me anxious. I looked at the wall clock oblivious to the last minutes of discussion. At last, the bell rang.

I gulped when I met Nana outside.

“Ready to go, Kei?”

“Yeah…”

Nana talked about her day while I pretended to listen. Normally I’d pay attention but the words in my head nagged me.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“U-um…” I stuttered. “Y-y-yeah.

“Oh, right! You wanted to tell me something, right?”

I took a deep breath and looked at her in the eye. I can’t back down now. It’s now or never.

“Nana” I said. “I love you.”

“What?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you for so long” I shivered. “I didn’t want to hide it anymore.”

“Kei.”

“Nana?”

“Xavier proposed to me.”

“W-what?”

“He confessed to me yesterday. I was going to tell you later.”

Xavier was a senior Nana hanged out with. I knew that they were good friends but I didn’t see it like this. Nana had friends from different sections and year levels while I barely expanded my circle.

“Nana” I spoke. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him…” she replied. “I told him that I loved him back.”

I was shattered. All this time I never came in close.

“Kei, I’m sorry.”

“No problem” I faked a smile. “I’m happy for you.”

“We can still be friends no matter what.”

We walked back home quietly. That wasn’t all I wanted to tell her.

*****

It’s been a few days since I talked to Nana. I was sent to the hospital shortly. I wonder how things went in my absence. Maybe Nana has new company now to go to school with. Perhaps she’s having fun with her new boyfriend. I just hope that she’s doing well without me.

“You have a visitor” the nurse told me.

“Nana!?”

“Kei!”

“What are you doing here?” I asked her.

“Just wanted to check up on you” she replied.

Once again, we got to talk like we always did. I got updated about school mostly. But I convinced Nana to talk about how things were going for her. Turns out Xavier wasn’t really the guy she wanted.

“Kei…” she softly spoke. “After you get out, let’s see each other again.”

I looked away from her. My sorrow was visible.

“I’ve been thinking” she continued. “I didn’t like Xavier to begin with. I already had someone in mind all this time.”

“Who?” I turned to face her.

“Someone who’s been with me for as long as I could remember. Someone who was there when all my other friends were not. Someone who accompanied me everyday.”

“Nana?”

“Kei, I love you. I’m sorry that I didn’t say this when I had the chance.”

“Nana…”

“But I promise,  when you get out we…”

“Nana!” I began to cry. “I’m not going out.”

“What are you saying?”

“My illness… it’s terminal.”

“What!?”

“When I found out I was dying, I wanted to tell you as soon as possible. Before it’s too late.”

She held my hand as tears dripped from her eyes.

Time passed and Nana visited me each day. I could feel my body gradually numbing. She just sat there beside me. I could no longer speak nor turn my head to look at her.

My breath was mitigating.

Though I could no longer speak to her, I just wanted to say, “Nana, I love you.”