Note: [ ] means that either Rowen or Kayla are talking to the reader.

****************************

     [I'm sitting in this dimly lit room, trying to figure out exactly why I am here. To tell you the truth, it all seems like a sick dream; you know the ones where you are having a blast with some cute girl, but get interrupted by someone or something waking you up. I mean, it's a beautiful Friday afternoon and instead of us hanging out at the library, we're in a whitewashed room slowly passing the time away. Man, how did we get here? One day life's great and the next, it's like a scene out of "ER". You see, I'm here with my sister, well…. she's really my best friend, but we're practically family. She's now trying to move her twig-like legs to the middle of the bed, hold on a sec……….ok, I have to help her every once in a while to move around because she gets bruises and bed sores when she stays in one spot for a long period of time. I guess your probably wondering what an eighteen-year-old girl is doing in a hospital. Well you see, she fainted about seven hours ago in her dorm room, although it may have been longer. Her roommate found her sprawled out on the bathroom floor with a gash on her forehead, which came from the countertop she bashed into when she fell to the ground. The doctors say it happened because she is extremely malnourished, and how this came about, I don't know. I did know that she use to take pills and things of that nature, but it was all prescribed…I believe. Besides, she eats almost as much as Kento. Well, I guess it starts with Katelin, her roommate, who scared the hell out of me when I answered the phone early this morning…….]

(Rowen answers the phone)

     "Hello?"

     "Rowen! Rowen! She's on the floor! There's something wrong with her! Rowen, please help me, I don't know what to do!" a hysterical voice screamed from the other end of the phone.

     "What? What are you talking about, and who is this?" he moans.

     "It's Katelin…get up, get up!," she cries in between sobs, "Kayla fainted and won't wake up! She looks so sick…I don't know what's wrong with her!"

     At that moment, he drops the phone and dashes out of bed. "Oh my God. What is going on?" He then picks up the phone and tells the frantic girl to calm down.

     "Call the ambulan-"

     "-I did! I did...I called them!" she interrupts rudely.

     "Kate, calm down, okay. Go with her to the emergency room and I'll meet you guys there. Just keep calm for her, okay?"

     "O.k. Ro. O.k." She quickly hung up the phone and nothing but the busy signal was heard.

     With his heart beating uncontrollably, he slips on an old pair of sweat pants and grabs for a white T-shirt.

     "I can't believe this. She was fine earlier today. Baggy clothes for a bummy day. What could be wrong?"

     He just couldn't understand what was going on, but he tried to concentrate on the tasks ahead of him, as he makes his way out of the front door quietly.

(Back in the hospital)

     [Now that I think back on it, I couldn't believe I was so calm. Man, was that ever a wake up call. (yawning) I'm so tired, we've been here since, (looking at his watch) since 5:30 in the morning and it's almost 2:00, but I'm not going anywhere until she gets better]

*********************

(The nurses come in to tend to the sick girl)

      [What's going on….oh, I guess it's time for them to change and feed me like a baby. I hate this. They swarm around me like bees to honey and the way they talk….I can't understand a word they're saying. And I'm telling you, the next time she cuts on that damn bright light while I'm sleeping, she'll be right next to me in a bed. So, I guess your probably wondering why I'm in this sad situation, huh? Well, I have a disorder. They call it anorexia nervosa…which is pretty much saying I refuse to eat because of a psychological problem. In other words, I'm a nut pretty much, but in all seriousness, I can't help it.  It's like how a smoker feels when they haven't had a cigarette in hours and can't stop the craving. It eats at you which such force and power, you're basically at it's feet begging for mercy, which you won't receive. Food and me are like oil and water, I guess.. I can't manage to find common ground with it, I mean I want to eat, don't get me wrong, but whenever I do, it kind of….. makes a comeback if you know what I mean. I also use to take all these pills and sometimes needles…no, not the drug kind. But, at this point in time, I feel like crap. Fever, pneumonia creeping in, and anything else you can think of has invaded my body. Um, I can't talk for anything, unless you call moaning a form of communicating. And the way I look….I probably would put you in a coma if you saw me. (Nurses leaving) Finally, they're gone. Demons! Sorry, as you can see, I'm not really in the mood to be bothered right now, unless it's anyone close to me. Speaking of which…..where did Rowen go? (painfully moves her head) Oh, there he is. My best friend or brother, whatever floats your boat. I don't know what I would do without him. He has been there for me through thick and through thin. See, I met him my sophomore year at Han'a High when my family moved from New York a couple of years ago. My mother is Japanese, but my abusive, twisted father is African American. Now don't get me wrong, I love him very much, because he's my father, but I will never let what he did to my family pass. If it weren't for Rowen, I don't know what would have happened that night my father went berserk…..]

(Empty apartment around midnight)

     She gathers her brother's clothes as quickly as she can, without making a sound. The apartment seemed dreary and lurked with a heavy presence, which Rowen felt as he observed the hall. He held on tight to the small five-year-old, Misha, and motioned Kayla to finish her task. However their attempts were ill timed, and the heavyset figure made his way towards the back of the hall.

     "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" The voice seemed so monstrous and deep that even the ronin couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

     "Daddy, I was just getting some stuff for a sleepover that I was going to." she sweetly stated as she stared at the ground.

     "I don't remember you asking to go to no party. Put your stuff back and put Misha in bed. You, get out of here. I don't know who you are, but I don't want you around my daughter." he forcefully states pointing in Rowen's direction.

     Slowly walking up to her drunken father, she gently taps his arm and slightly smiles.

     "Daddy, please let me go. He's my friend and I promise I'll be back early-" At that moment, he slaps her hard across her face causing her to stumble back into a door.

     "Do I have to speak another damn language to you? Are you slow or just ignorant? I didn't think I had any crazy kids in my family."

     Seeing that the girl was over-powered, Rowen sat the young child down and dialed for the police. Moments later, he quietly prowled over to Kayla and helped her to the living room.

     "We're getting out of here. Go, take Misha and I'll be right behind you."

     Nodding in agreement, she does what she is told and heads down the stairs, holding the scared little boy in her arms. A few feet behind her, Rowen sneaks out of the door and quietly shuts it.

     "Let's go to my mom's apartment. You can stay there until he's gone, alright?" he states wiping the trickle of blood from her mouth.

     "He won't hurt you two again."

     [Now, tell me if that's not a real friend. Will do anything to get you and your family out of harms way.  His mom even comforted my mother when she found out what happened while she was away at work. Those were hard times, but now my family is safe away from my father and I'm, well, I'm not doing so well. She freaked out when the hospital called her early this morning to explain what happened to me. I feel so bad to put her through all this…uh oh, not again.]

**********************

(Rowen rushes to her side)

     [She's puking again. I wish I could take this sickness out of her body. She looks so…pitiful and sickly. Like one of those weak antelopes that gets picked off by a hungry cheetah or something. I know it seems harsh, but she knows this. She told me herself that if she could, she would meet her fate right here and now, instead of going through all this pain. Watching this isn't easy……great, now I'm trying to smile and hide back tears at the same time. She really doesn't need a weak friend right now, especially since her family and the gang aren't here yet. Excuse me a moment (wiping eyes)……Don't tell her I was crying, ok? I mean…..this is my best friend, almost my sister …the one I would do anything for. Now she lies before me like some dying sacrifice to a god. If you could see her. Her eyes are pretty much sunken into their sockets…her fingers, her whole body looks like thin skin wrapped around the ragile branches of a withering tree. She's become curveless and tired looking. Man, she used to be so lively, active, loud, (trying to laugh) talkative, rude, but….well, to tell you the truth, she still possesses this beauty that I can't really explain.  She's not giving up, though. Her eyes are trying to search for me.  I can see it. ]

     "Hey, crazy. Do you want anything?" he whispers concernedly.

     Her heavy head rocks slowly side to side and she stops suddenly to look into his face. The dreary brown eyes squint into his and stay still for a few seconds, then releases a shiny drop of water.

     "No…no, don't cry, Kayla. You're doing good, you are.  Don't cry, ok?" he assures her as he rubs her rough, bony hands.

     He notices her lips begin to quiver uncontrollably and her nose starts to run.

      [I can't do this! It's to damn hard! I'm just supposed to sit here and watch her die?….]

     His sobbing had turned into an uncontrollable cry of pain and he got up and turned to the doorway.

     "Kayla, why! Why did you do this to yourself! You're bigger than this! You're not sick, you hear me! You're not!  Hey…when you get better, let's go and play some basketball…I'll even let you win this time, ok?"  He saw the plethora of tears rolls down his friends face and turned away again.

**********************

     [My dear, sweet Rowen. I can't…..I'm trying so hard to be here for you and be the lively girl you once knew, but I have no control now. He looks so wild….so frustrated and confused. He can't handle the truth; the pressure that has been laid on all of us is too heavy. If I could get out of this damn bed I would take him in my arms and hold him so tightly. I can't even tell him that I am proud he has been so strong for so long. Look at him. I've never seen him this way. He's like a scared baby crying for it's mother. I'm so sorry, my love. I am so sorry.]

     Turning back around to the bed-ridden patient, he wipes his eyes and tries his hardest to smile.

     "I'm sorry, Kayla. Quite honestly, I can't handle this.  Fighting the Dynasty doesn't even come close to the pain I'm feeling…..and you. Damn!….I'm sitting here whining about my problems and you're the one laying in that stupid bed." He then notices that she is no longer looking at him, but behind him.

     "Hey, bro. We know it's hard." A black-haired boy states, looking incredibly sad.  All of sudden, Rowen shakes his head and a burst of tears that were being held back came out as he hugged his friend. While this was happening, the rest of the group went in and stood around the bed of their close friend.

     The weak girl gently moved her head in their direction and made an effort to flash a slight smile. Her glossy eyes, again, begin to fill up with tears as she watched the hurt expressions on their faces.

     "Hey there, pretty girl. We missed you very much." a chestnut-haired boy states sweetly in his British accent.

     "Yea. We haven't seen you in awhile. Can't stop…thinking 'bout you." a loud voice states boldly, but shakily.

    [The guys! I am so happy they are here! They look so sad though….and Rowen; still crying. Maybe if I move abit…to show them I'm alright….]

     Her small body sluggishly moved over to the edge of the bed and stopped. Seeing this, Rowen immediately rushes over to her side, and fixes the covers and holds her hand.

     "Yea Kayla?" he asks rubbing her hand gently.  She opens her mouth and strains her hardest to say,

     "Hello and tell my mom and Misha, hi."

     At this the gang perks up at her sudden attempt to talk.

     "We sure will, Kayla. We definitely will." Rowen excitingly assures her.

     The room became quiet for what seemed like eternity and all eyes fell on Kayla. She softly looked at each of her friends and then to Rowen.

     [Uh oh,…. I guess this means it's time to go.  Oh,…..this is such a sick feeling. I feel so heavy and cold, almost like I'm frozen. I….I…..]

     Then suddenly the grip she had on Rowen got tighter and she began to choke forcefully. The group of boys automatically started to call for the nurses and speak to Kayla to keep her from slipping away.

     "Hold on Kayla!!! Hold on, stay with me, ok! Alright!  Don't stop looking at me! You hear me….look at me!"

     Rowen became hysterical again and all the group of young men could do was watch. They have never seem him so crazy and out of touch with reality. He knelt next to the bed, his face infront of hers, just staring into her eyes.

     "Don't you leave me,…please….don't go."

     The nurses rushed in and pushed the visitors away in a ditch effort to keep the girl alive.

     "You have to move, sir. Please!" the nurse shouts as she makes her way over to Kayla.  

     Ignoring the lady's request, he still held onto her hand, knelling in front of her.

     "You're going to be okay, Kayla. And when you get out of here, we're going to go to the movies and out to eat. Get you some real food," he states to her as her eyes begin to get watery once again.

     The grip on his hand was still tight, and he knew that if it were to loosen, that was it, but he chose to ignore that fact.

     "You're so beautiful, you know that."

      At this a small smile came upon her bony face and a tear fell from her eyes onto the drenched pillow.  The nurse again complained, but the boy still ignored her.  She bent over him, trying to not to fall and keep her balance. The others watched in awe as they observed the tubing being stuck into her body and the instruments being prepped for any emergency operations. The beeping of the machine next to her bed had filled the room with a tune all hoped would get faster, but every second, it sounded like it got slower.

     The two watched each other, crying and staring into eachother's eyes. They knew, everyone knew, the time was near.

*******************

     [Well my love, can I call you that? Well, you should know. I love you so much, and when I go, I will always be watching over you and the others. So please don't cry, okay? My poor Rowen.]

*******************

     [She's leaving me. Reality won't let me pretend it will be alright anymore. It has won the battle. It's taking a big part of me away, and the love I have for her will never be known….]

*******************

     At that moment, he reaches up to her and kisses her softly on her dry, cracked lips. Her eyes open to their normal position and she knew then that she had to fight to stay alive. She opens her mouth slightly and states weakly,

     "I am trying."

    He smiles and nods his head. He knew the battle was lost, but it is honorable to go down fighting. Seconds began to pass painfully and the doctors worked as hard as they could, but the beeping was practically gone.

     Then…

     "Shock her now!" the nurse shouts as the beeping became a flat, piercing tone.

     They worked quickly and pulled out all types of contraptions like the ones you would see on television.  As every shock flowed through her body, Rowen shared the same fate willingly. He couldn't let her go, he would never let her go, but the time he had dreaded  had snuck in.  Death had slithered its way in and attacked its victim. The grip on his hand grew intense, and he looked up at the shocked expression on her face. Her body twitched wildly for a few seconds, and her eyes grew wider. The group of guys couldn't do anything but look and stare at their close friend fade away before their eyes. She screamed in pain and cries out to her mother.

     "Mama!,…. Mama!….." Her face falls towards her love for the last time and she smiles; then the grip loosens.

     And then it was silent.  She was gone.

     The young boys begin to quietly cry and sob uncontrollably.

      "No! No!! Kayla, please don't leave us! Please! Don't go!" he screams as the others try to hold back their tears.

     A blond-haired boy walks over to the shocked boy on the ground and hugs him. He tried to think of something to say to his friend, but nothing in this world could be said to calm him down. And her mother, what then?

     Then, Rowen looked at the lifeless body upon a messy bed and stood up straight. To their surprise, he stood beside the bed and bent down to kiss her again. He noticed her eyes were still watching him, and he felt safe and calm.

     "She will always be watching over us." he assures the bystanders as he lowers her eyelids.  Then he turned around and walked out the door.  Confused but not saying a word, the others pay their respects to their friend and leave the room.

     After comforting Kayla's mother, who was amazingly strong when confronted with the outcome, she spent time with her child one last time before they took her away. The boys were in awe at the courage this woman had possessed, and although her daughter was gone physically, she told them that she would always be there in spirit. She placed a gold bracelet, which she was going to give Kayla on her wedding day, on Kayla's wrist and kissed her goodbye. Then taking her son in her arms, she hugs the each of the sobbing boys, walks out the double doors and disappears into the distance.

************************

(At the grave site)

     [Well, it's been a whole week since she passed away, and I still can't sleep at night. I have to take sleeping pills just to catch some shut-eye. But, here I am, Kayla. I told you I would be back every Friday to visit you. Your mom and brother are doing fine and your dad…..he was devastated when he found out. Feel sorry for the guy, really. When they told him that you passed away from pneumonia, he didn't show any emotion at first, but later I heard he actually did cry. He missed out on a very important person in his life…..I think about you all the time, you know. Today in Physics class, Mr. Hoshi forgot you weren't in the class anymore. He called your name off of the roster, and the whole class went quiet. Speaking of which, Monday, the school had a moment of silence for you. A lot of people stared to cry, but amazingly I didn't. I don't think you would like me to keep crying like that. "Act like a man," you probably would say. I wish I could express how much I miss you, but I'm sure you already know…….so,…. Oh…um, I brought a picture to give to you….remember when we went to the carnival and took that goofy picture together? Well, I want to leave it here with you. (places flowers and picture on the grave) So, I guess that I will see you in couple of days then. (begins to walk away, but glances back with watering eyes). Please just remember this one thing Kayla….I love you.]

     [I love you too, Rowen.]