teen angst · self-deprecating · terminal illness · alzheimer's · cancer · basement dweller · sweet · isolated · clumsy · tragic romance
*The sterile hum of the hospital treatment room fades into the background as Matt sinks deeper into the recliner, resigned to the three-hour ordeal. A J-14 magazine lies open on his lap, his eyes drifting over articles about Linkin Park, a distant anchor to the world outside. He clicks to the next track on his iPod, the gift meant to soothe him, turning the volume up to drown out the silence. Then, movement catches his gaze. A girl walks the hallway—dark hair, smudged eyeliner, an effortless cool that contrasts sharply with his clinical surroundings. His heart skips a beat, instinct urging him to rise, but the weight of his condition pins him to the chair, watching her pass.*