She isn't like them

It’s a new day’s morning and Ken and Will are going to school. The two are talking quietly when Ken notices Rebecca a few feet ahead. He raises his arm opening his mouth to yell at her to stop so they can reach her, but stops before he does.

"Don't you call your new crush?" Will says after seeing who he was going to call.

"She's not my crush. She looks like a normal girl, right?" He scans her.

"Well yeah. Except for the fact that she's always on her own she's a perfectly normal girl. Not worth mentioning."

"She doesn't even wear brand clothes and sometimes her complexion is paler than usual. Could such a person be rich?" How do you pay with a credit card?!

"Nah. But she could be sick. She could have a terminal illness, so she decided to live her last years of life in solitude so as not to make her departure any more difficult for her loved ones and for herself." Ken stops and stares at his friend with his mouth open.

"...Just kidding. There's no way she has a terminal illness and isn't being treated in an hospital."

"You can't know that."

"Things like this only happen in movies. And you're not the main character of a romantic tragedy." But Ken was no longer listening at this point.

"If this really is her last days, I have to make sure she's having the best time!"

"Sometimes I can't tell if you're too nice or too stupid."

"I had already decided, but now it's for sure. I'll be her prince charming until her last days! To repay her for yesterday, too!"

"It almost seems like you're waiting for her death..."

"I'm not insensitive like you."

Seeing that Nora isn't with him and seeing Will checking his phone more often than usual, he asks him a question.

"Nora isn’t coming to school today?"

"She said she caught a cold. I hope she's okay."

"If it's just a cold, it will pass soon."

"She hasn't answered me for two hours."

"She's sleeping for sure. You're so overprotective when it comes to her..."

“You’ll understand how it feels when you find someone you have deep and serious feelings for.”

"I don't need real feelings, I'm an actor. I can improvise any emotion when necessary." He says proudly.

"I already know that this day will be very long." Will sighs, looking at his phone's blank notification screen.

* * *

Once in class, Ken keeps staring thoughtfully at Rebecca.

"Continuing to stare at her won't magically make her appear on your bed." Will jokes.

"I could never do that with her, she's so small she'd break." Ken leans back in his chair crossing his arms. Rebecca, on the other hand, is pulling out books and pens from her backpack, listening attentively to the directions of the teacher.

"Besides, she seems to be perfect in everything she does. Except for her own health… Oh!" Something comes to mind. "I almost forgot I had mom make rice salad with tomatoes and salami.

"What's the correlation?"

"She seems to like them a lot. I just have to get her to eat them. She can be very stubborn."

"Good luck dude."

"Thanks." Ken pauses to think for a few seconds before speaking again. "It's the first time I've seen you interested in my problems."

"Well, usually you always talk about different random chicks. It's the first time you've talked about a chick for so long."

"She isn't like them."

"I really don't understand what you see in her; with Nora you immediately gave up and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

"I never said it out loud because you’d have killed me instantly, but you know how I feel about Nora."

Will gives him a killer look as the teacher scolds them.

"Douglas and Thomas, either involve the rest of the class in your conversation or shut up." And the two fall silent instantly.

A few hours pass and it's break time. Ken sees Rebecca leaving class, probably to go to the bathroom. As Briar sits down facing Will's desk, Ken takes the food for Rebecca, sits down at her desk waiting for her.

Briar watches him and then looks at Will, who’s also looking discouraged at his phone screen. Briar looks at him annoyed for a few seconds before blurting out.

"Ken's already doing… whatever he's doing, don't get into it too. Talk to me!"

Meanwhile, Rebecca returns from the bathroom. She doesn't say anything when she sees Ken sitting in front of her desk, having gotten used to it by now.

"Do you remember our appointment tomorrow? For the theater." He tells her as she's getting her usual sandwich and a bottle of water.

"Yes. At four at my house."

"Are you sure that's not a problem?"

"Of course, there will be no one to disturb us."

"Okay then. By the way, I have something you might like." He shows her the rice salad, smiling. "Want it?"

"No...?"

"Come on! You’ll like it for sure."

"But then you won't have anything to eat."

"We can exchange food!"

"Why should I give you my sandwich...?"

"It's like your trademark. I like it."

"...Okay." They swap them. He takes a bite of the sandwich as she eats a spoonful of rice.

"It's good! Did your mom make it?" She asks while he’s chewing the second bite.

"Yes! It's good, isn't it?"

"Have you tried it?"

"No, but I can tell. My mom's food is always delicious."

"Try it!" She hands him a full spoon, he immediately opens his mouth leaning towards it and eats it in one gulp.

"I was right!"

They continue to eat their food in peace, until Ken breaks the reassuring silence.

"I was meaning to ask you... do you have some illness?"

"O-oh. You must be referring to my asthma." She takes a sip of water. "I have chronic asthma. My airways are overly sensitive and prone to inflammation, so I tend to avoid places with excessive pollen or smoke...although my moods can also affect it. Especially when I I feel anxious or under pressure. Oh, seeing my attacks might scare you but I have my bronchodilator with me at all times so don't worry."

"I really don't know how it works but it must be hard to deal with."

"It's something I can manage on my own and I generally don't get serious attacks."

"But that time..." He refers to the little 'accident' that happened during their first meeting.

"A-ah, I already forgot. You really don't have to feel guilty."

"If you say so... but it's not a terminal illness, is it?"

"No. In my case it's very mildly. I wouldn't risk dying, at most I could end up in hospital. But it won't happen because..."

"Because I'm going to stop it! I'm going to make you feel better before it gets so bad that I have to take you to the hospital."

"I... I'd really like it if you did." She smiles at him, but it's an almost sad smile.