Memories of a Life Shared

Chapter 3 Noana

Noana parked in the same spot she had been parking for the last couple weeks, it was almost like her home. She felt renewed after her shower and her break down. Her mom had left her a sandwich for when she woke up and it was the best sandwich she had had in a while. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath, hoping to walk in and Tanner would be awake by some type of miracle. As she walked down the hallway nurses greeted her by name and asked how Tanner was doing. She stopped and talked to a few of them for only a few seconds because she needed to get back to him.

She walked into the room and Tazer was kneeling on the floor holding Tanner’s hand with his head on the bed. He looked like he was asleep, she tried to be as quiet as she could. He lifted his head as she sat her purse down on the floor and smiled a sad smile at her. She knew he was hurting, Tanner was his best friend.

“Hi.” He said weakly.

“Thanks for staying with him. I’m sorry it took so long. I ended up falling asleep.” She explained with a guilty look on her face.

“It’s okay, I got to spend some time with my best friend.” He gave her a weak smile.

He walked over to her and gave her a hug, she gladly accepted it, “I have something to tell you.”

“I’m listening.” Her voice hitched in her throat.

“Teresa stopped by, she is in town for a few days.” Tazer started, Noana’s mouth went dry and all of a sudden she could hardly breath. “Noana, she is taking tanner off all of his machines by Friday. I’m so sorry Noan. I’m sorry.”

“You’re lying.” She said. “YOU’RE LYING!” She screamed at him and pushed him away.

“I’m not Noana. She was just here twenty minutes ago. Why would I lie about something so important?” he asked.

“She can do that. She has no right. Tazer what am I going to do?” she asked as she sank to her knees. He knelt down to hold her, she balled her hands up into fists and started to beat on his chest. “She can’t take him from me. I need him.” She was still beating on his chest, he pulled her into a. Tight hug and held her as she cried.

She couldn’t breathe her whole world was crashing down on her. This was crazy stuff that only happened in the movies, mothers were supposed to fight for their children not start a whole new life while their son is dying. She would never want to take Tanner from this world so fast, he had only been in the hospital a few weeks. There had to still be a chance for him to heal and be just fine.

“Taze, can I have a little time alone with him?” she asked, tears still running down her face.

“Yeah, I’m gonna go home. I’m sorry.” He choked out.

She walked over to Tanner and grabbed his hand, she couldn’t help but want to kiss him and hold him. She knelt down beside of the bed and prayed for a miracle, she prayed until she drifted into a memory.

“Tanner is coming over to do our science fair project. Don’t embarrass me tonight.” Tazer said as they walked down the driveway after the bus dropped them off. Noana rolled her eyes at her brother and stuck her tongue out.

“I won’t, but you don’t have to be a butthead about it. Which one is Tanner again?” she tried to hide her smile.

“The one you flirt with every single day in the lunch room. The one that you can’t help drool all over in math class. The one that rides the bus with us and sits with me everyday.”

“I don’t flirt or drool. Also, call him and tell him to bring his math homework. Once you are done with your project I need help with the math.”

“You wouldn’t need help if you actually paid attention to the teacher.”

Truth was, she didn’t need any help, she just wanted him near her. She really liked him and thought maybe their flirting was getting somewhere. She new he asked about her when she wasn’t around, their friend Jade said he asks about her every time they are at Jake’s, Jade’s boyfriend, apartment. Jade was her inside person since the boys always hung out with Jake who was about four years older than them and in college. She always wanted to be near Tanner, there was just something about him that she was drawn too. He was incredibly handsome, dark drown hair so soft, aqua blue eyes that sparkled when he smiled, tan almost all year around with just the right amount of muscle. What she loved most was his laugh, he had the deepest and loudest laugh of all his friends, she could hear him before she saw him and his laugh always made her smile.

There was a knock on her bedroom door. “Come in.” she called from her desk.

She knew who was at her door by the way he smelled when he stepped in. She smiled but hid it from him.

“Taze said you needed help with your math homework?”

“I got it figured out, but would you want to go over our English for Monday? We have to read that book and write an essay. Maybe reading it together might not be a bad idea.”

“Yeah, that would be great. I don’t have my book though.”

“That’s okay, we can share. I’ll read the first chapter and you can read the second.” She grabbed the book out of her bag and started to read, he sat on the floor leaning up against her bed.

After the first four chapters her back and rear end start to go numb from her vanity chair. She moved to the bed and laid across it on her belly just beside of his head as he read to her. She felt tired and tried to keep herself awake by fidgeting and trying to get more comfortable. Tanner stretched his back and yawned.

“You want to sit up here with me? These pillows are pretty comfortable.” She asked him hoping he’d say yes. He didn’t say a word he just got up and plopped down on her bed and grabbed two of the extra pillows and shoved them behind his head. He opened the book back up and continued where he had left off. Noana laid down beside of him and tried to peak over his arm to look at the book. He subconsciously moved his arm and wrapped if around her shoulders, she laid her head on his chest and read along with him as he read aloud. She hadnt realized he had stopped reading and was just looling at her until he had made a couple small circles on her arm with his fingers. She sat up and smiled at him.

“Sorry, I think I accidentally fell asleep.”

“Hey, can I tell you something and you not freak out?” he asked casually as he marked the page and sat the book down on the bed beside him. She could only nod her head, her mouth went dry almost too dry to speak. “I’ve had this thought in my head for quite sometime now and if I don’t tell someone I’m gonna explode. I, uh um, I really like you, Noana.”

The look her her face was surprised then relaxed into a smile. “I really like you too, Tanner.”

“Noana, would it be okay if I kissed you?” she could hear his voice shake. Her stomach dropped to her toes and was replaced with a million butterflies. She couldn’t speak. She swallowed hard and nodded her head.

He sat up and scooted all the way up against the head board making him just a little taller than she was. He moved slowly and calculated, placing his warm hand on the side of her face. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth that his hand gave her. She felt him pull her ever so slightly towards him and she obeyed his tug. His lips touched hers briefly and she felt sad at the disconnect, maybe he didn’t like her after all. She opened her eyes and he was smiling at her. He leaned in slowly again and pressed his lips to hers once more, this time he took his time and the kissed went farther than just a peck like before.

Noana touched her lips thinking about that wonderful evening. She prayed harder that he woke up so she could kiss his beautiful full lips again.

“Please, Tanner, wake up. Wake up for me, please. I still need you.” She begged.