Mine Forever: The Beginning (Chapter 10)

Chapter 10 - Javon

9-Years-Old

Billie and I were back to being best friends. Sometimes she studied at my house study or I studied at hers. We ate together at home and during lunch at school. But, I still couldn't sit next to her in class because of Mrs. Ward's rule about switching seats. So, I stayed and stared at her from afar. She would glance at me often. During recess, sometimes she would play with me or jump rope with the girls.

As the weather chilled, we began to have inside recess. I liked to get a book, sit in a corner, and read, getting lost in my imagination. Billie and the girls played with dolls. It was strange seeing her play with them. But she was a girl, I guess it was allowed.

Over the weekend, her parents took us ice skating. It was my first time on the ice. Billie said it was her first time as well. She skated with her dad, and I skated with her mom. She seemed to catch on quickly. She was light on her feet. I, on the other hand, struggled. My feet kept slipping forward. I fell a few times. Billie let go of her dad's hand and came over to help me up. Her mom looked at us, smiling. When Billie held my hand to help me up, she fell on the ice.

"Billie, are you okay?" I asked. "I'm okay," she chuckled.

I nodded. "Good."

Her mom helped me to my feet. I slid again. Her mom held my hand on one side and Billie held mine on the other while her dad did a backward skate in front of us. I continued to slide. Billie let go of my hand.

"Watch me." She skated so freely. I couldn't believe it was her first time. She was a natural.

I looked at her mom. She gave me a closed lip smile. Then, I asked to stand outside the rink. Her mom skated me to the outside. I wanted to watch, so I kept my eyes on Billie. She was improving by the second. She put one knee down on the ice while her hand rested on her other knee. Then, she stood. How was she doing that? Was she an ice princess? She caught up with her dad and took his hand. Her mom held her other hand, and they skated together as a family. I watched in amazement. Then, she let go of her parent's hands and skated over to me, waving me onto the ice. I slid cautiously onto it as she held my hand.

"I got you," she said.

I knew she did. I watched her confidently while sliding forward. As I took tiny steps, she squeezed my hand until I was able to glide forward. She was beside me the entire time. Finally, I was steady on my skates--free. Billie's eye glistened while giving me a proud smile. Her parents skated past us, holding hands. They smiled at us and kept going. We skated and talked throughout the rest of our time on the ice. I enjoyed experiencing that with her.

When we left the rink, we went out to eat. And she stayed the night at my house. It was a fun day. I stayed up, looking at her as she slept, but then she sat up to see what I was doing. There were little bags under her eyes. She looked so tired.

"Billie, go to sleep." I leaned over, rubbing her shoulder.

"You first." Her voice croaked as she stretched. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"Making sure you're okay." That was true, but I couldn't tell her the entire reason for my sleeplessness. I liked to watch her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful.

"I'm okay." She put her hand on my shoulder.

"I know." I slid inside my sleeping bag.

"Javon."

"Yeah."

"You're sweet."

"Thanks." I smiled and my stomach jumped. I finally went to sleep.

In the middle of the night, I woke up and she was awake, smiling at me.

"Why are you awake?" I asked.

"I wanted to stay up. I was just looking at you." She winked. Then, she laid down.

I chuckled. She was amazing.

We fell asleep until the late afternoon. We awoke to the smell of breakfast even though it was later in the day.

We awoke with a stretch.

"Did you sleep okay?" I asked.

She nodded, groggily.

We prepared for the day, then played for the remainder of it.

***

In school, after our spelling test, Mrs. Ward strolled over to me.

"Hey, I think you should register for the upcoming spelling bee. You would be going up against the best spellers in the school. It's available to a limited number of students. Since you're the best speller in the class, I thought this would be a great opportunity for you." She handed me a permission slip.

I skimmed over it. "Thanks. I'll give it to my parents," I said with a smirk.

Billie gave me a thumbs up.

I smiled at her.

When I got home, I handed the slip to my mom. She said she was proud of me and signed it. I returned it to school the next day.

After school ended, I started practicing right away. Billie started helping me practice. My mom and dad helped too. First, I would complete my homework, then it was time to practice.

If I visited Billie at night, she would drill me with spelling words. She started coming to my window, more often. I worried about her because it was cold outside and she wasn't dressing appropriately for the weather at night.

"Billie, please wear your coat," I warned after I helped her climb inside my window.

"Yes, mom." She chuckled.

"I'm serious. Please." I pleaded.

"Okay, but it's not that cold from my house to yours."

"Just do it."

"Alright, Javon. You do it too."

"I do. I will." I didn't always wear a coat to her house, but I doubted I would get sick. On the other hand, Billie already experienced it, and I didn't want her to go through that again.

She came the next night but still no coat.

"What are you doing?"

"I forgot." She flashed me her cute puppy dog face.

Ugh! I couldn't resist it. "Okay."

After she quizzed me, we fell asleep.

One night, I walked to her house, while she was walking to mine. We laughed in the middle of the yard. I was so glad that she was wearing her coat. I took her hand and we strolled to her house, sliding into her window. She seemed so tired as she yawned and rubbed her eyes continuously.

"Are you okay?' I asked, squeezing her hand.

She nodded slowly.

At school, she lay her head on the desk. As I put my hand on her back, I felt the warmth coming through her shirt. "Billie are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She gave me a closed lip smile. Although she was still so pretty, she didn't look well. "Maybe you should go to the nurse," I suggested.

"No. I'm okay."

She sat up and stared at me.

"Okay."

I think she was getting sick, again. I don't know why she didn't want to go to the nurse.

She came over after school. Her eyes had bags and were slightly red and her face looked washed-out.

"Billie, are you okay, sweetie?" asked my mom concerned.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"You don't look okay," I whispered into her ear.

"I am. Don't worry." She touched my hand.

We completed our homework, and then she helped me with my spelling words.

The next day, we did the same thing. She was really dedicated to helping me.

"You're gonna win," she said, giving me a high-five. We practiced at her house or my house until the competition.

It was the day of the spelling bee. I breezed through each of the words, beating out each competitor one by one. Then, It was between me and one girl. I got the last word right, winning the competition. I was so happy. I won a large trophy with a gold bumble bee on top, and a one hundred dollar visa gift card. I was also automatically entered into the city's competition. I held up my trophy while on stage, noticing my mom and Billie in the crowd proudly cheering. I wanted to do something nice for them, so I took them out to dinner. Billie was coughing throughout the meal.

"Billie," I said, concerned, looking at my mom.

"I'm okay." She nodded.

Why was she doing this? She didn't seem okay. I had to talk to her. My mom took her by the hand to the ladies room to get some toilet paper. Her eyes were watering. I put my hand on her shoulder when she returned.

She gave a weak smile.

That night, I went to her window.

"Billie, why are you doing this? Why don't you want to get help? I know you aren't feeling well," I said.

"I've been taking lemon and honey, and cough medicine. I'm fine," she said with a stuffy nose.

I hugged her. She didn't feel warm, but she didn't appear fine. "You're not fine." I blinked away the tears that were trying to fall.

"My mom took my temperature. She said the flu was going around but nothing serious. So I'm okay." She pointed to her chest with her thumb.

"Alright." I gave in but turned away to wipe away the tears on my face that had managed to slip from my eyes. I was worried about my friend.

I laid beside her on the bed. I couldn't sleep. I her watched moan and squirm in her sleep the entire night. When I went home, I crashed onto the bed, falling asleep.

When I returned to school, I was congratulated by my class. They put my picture in the hallway as the top spelling student in the school.

Billie helped me practice for my next competition and so did my mom. We worked on it daily. Billie had a few coughing spells but she seemed to have them under control as long as we gave her plenty of fluids. Sometimes, her eyes watered. Whenever I watched her, she would smile at me. Billie, I thought.

It was the day of the competition. I wore a suit and tie. I left my tie undone, so Billie could do it. When she started tying, her coughing fit began.

"I'll be back." She left the room.

When she returned, her eyes were red.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yes." She finished tying my tie.

She smiled at me and I hugged her. "I hope you're okay," I said in a whisper.

On the way to the competition, I held her hand. She was sleeping when we arrived. I gently shook her awake. She woke up and stretched. I took her hand, helping her out of the car.

She looked exhausted and sick.

I wanted to help her.

"You're gonna win," she said as we walked toward the arena.

I squeezed her hand.

We walked inside. It was huge and the place was packed. My stomach flipped and my heart raced with nervousness. I sat and talked with Billie and my mom for a moment before joining the other competitors. I held Billie's hand. It felt warm.

"Maybe we should go," I said.

"No. Win," said Billie.

"What's the matter Javon?' asked my mom.

Billie discreetly shook her head, not wanting my mom to notice.

"Nothing." I sighed.

I smiled at them and walked backstage.

Again, I breezed through each spelling word that the announcer asked me. I felt like I could do them in my sleep. They were words that I wouldn't use in everyday conversation, but it was still was a breeze. It was between me and two other people until I won. I won a five hundred dollar visa gift certificate, a fifty dollar card to the restaurant of my choice and a large columned trophy with a gold bumble bee on top. I was also entered into the state competition. I saw my mom and Billie and the crowd cheering.

I wanted to give my gift card to my mom and Billie. I walked over to them, telling them what I wanted to do.

"No. That's for you," said my mom.

"Yeah, what your mom said." Billie nodded.

"Guys, I want to do this. You helped me win."

"I don't need anything. Save it," said my mom.

"Billie?" I searched her eyes.

She shook her head, blowing her nose. We stood up and started toward the door. My mom walked behind us.

I walked beside Billie, clutching her hand, and placing the card into it.

She gasped.

"Let's do something together," I whispered in her ear.

"Okay." She nodded.

My mom touched our shoulders. "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing mom," I said with a coy grin.

Riding in the car, Billie coughed continuously, so I rubbed her back. My mom went to a convenient store, buying her a small bottle of orange juice.

I untwisted the cap for her, then Billie drank slowly.

"When you get home, get some rest sweetie," my mom suggested.

Billie nodded. Then, she twisted the top onto the orange juice and lay her head on my shoulder. What was wrong with Billie?