Devils Roses 01 - Cursed

wrong with Giselle?” My sister stood beside me, watching where Giselle had left.
    “ The drug that we took was poorly made, to say the least, and almost killed us. But apparently, in rare cases, an allergic reaction can occur causing an inflammation—”
    Alise held her hands up, cutting me off. “Whoa, dumb it down.”
    “ She has the beginning stages of liver disease, which can lead to liver failure, and in some people, can lead to death.”
    My sister opened her mouth in understanding. “Ohhhh, okay. So why didn’t that happen to you?”
    I shook my head. “Her reaction was an allergic reaction. We both reacted to the drug, but she is allergic to what is in the drugs.”
    “ You got lucky.” Alise plainly wasn’t getting the fact that, no matter what, I never would have had the reaction Giselle did. The fact that I clearly wasn’t allergic to the drugs we took, was too foreign for her.
    I nodded. “Yeah, and Giselle got unlucky.”
    Sometimes talking to Alise cheered me up, like watching a chimp in heels walk around in lipstick.
    “ Will you be okay?” Alise looked concerned. These were new expressions for her. She was lost on how to make them perfect. Instead, she looked a little constipated.
    I smiled. “Yeah, in a month or so the damage to my liver should be healed, but just in case, I can’t drink, eat red meat or fatty foods, or do drugs.”
    She laughed. “So just go back to boring old you?”
    “ Yeah, sleep, math club, chess club and homework. All that clean living you refuse to attempt.”
    Alise wrinkled her nose and leapt on me. “No way—too boring.” Her abrupt and sudden hug scared me. She pulled back just as quickly. “Okay, well I have to go to Shane’s house and break up with him, before he finds out I kissed Blake. I know Giselle heard everything.”
    “ Yeah, I don’t think she is texting your friends right now to tell them that; she has a lot on her mind.”
    Her silver eyes sparkled. “You don’t know the real Giselle, only the sick Giselle. They are different people. See you later, gator.” She walked out clicking on the shiny, industrial flooring in her high-heeled boots, which came over her knees.
    “ Julia Roberts wants her boots back,” I shouted at her.
    She laughed, throwing her head back and waved backwards without looking, and I was alone.
    I sat on my bed and thought about the last week. Where had it gone? I felt the warm wind as the papers beside my bed rustled. I looked around. “Mom?”
    I couldn’t smell her and I couldn’t see her, but I knew she was there. I let the wind wrap around me. “I didn’t forget about you, Mom. It’s just been a rough week,” I whispered to the room.
    The wind was gone, as quickly as it had hit. I lay back on the bed and felt my eyes start to droop.
    They fluttered a few times, but the wind came back. It tickled across my bare arms and cheeks. I lazily lifted one eyelid. The bright, white-blue eyes were all I saw. The corners of my mouth lifted. "You came back."
    "You can see me? Even though you're dreaming?" his voice was a deep whisper.
    I lifted my lid again and nodded. "Of course I can, silly."
    The warm wind floated over me. I reached a hand out. The warmth I touched made me freeze. He was real. He was really there. My heart started to pound. Both eyes opened. "Did you come back to finish me off?" I whispered, terrified.
    He looked crushed. I couldn’t help but stare at his beautiful lips. "No. Of course not. Why would you say that?"
    My hand gripped the back of his. "Did you drug me?"
    He frowned, "What? No. I'm not real, Aimee. I'm a figment of your imagination."
    The warmth in my hand proved he was there, until he wasn’t. He was gone. I clenched my hand. My palm was still warm from touching him. I looked around the room. He wasn't there. Had he really been there? I heard footsteps. My insides clenched, until I saw it was Blake walking through the doorway. His face was a mask of shame. I hoped he would wear it for a while, even if I was grateful it was him.
    “ Hey.” He sat on the chair across the room from me. “Where's Giselle?” he asked looking at her now-empty bed.
    I frowned. “It’s not good. She had an allergic reaction to the drugs.” His eyes grew wide as I explained the whole situation with Giselle and her dad and mom. We talked like things had never changed, but they had, and I saw him in a new light, one I didn’t know how to feel about.

Chapter Three
    Beautiful boys everywhere...