Reminisce

He felt tears form in his eyes as he turned his head to look at the beautiful sleeping girl in the arm chair next to him. Her hair fell in front of her face, covering her tear-stained face. he wanted to reach out to her, but knew that he couldn't without injuring himself further. Arron was only conscious for a few seconds before he passed out yet again...1

~~~~~~~2

A red kickball landed at his feet as he strolled through the park, hand in hand with his mother.3

"Hey! Can I please have that back!?" a girl about his age called from his left. She started to run towards him to retrieve the ball.4

His mother nudged him slightly. "Return the ball to the nice girl, sweetie. Maybe you can even play with her! It must be hard for her to play soccer by herself." She smiled down at him and gently wiped the hair away from his face that had fallen in front of his eyes. "Aww honey, you really need a haircut, don't you?"5

Arron blushed, for the girl had gotten close enough now so that she could hear everything that his mother was saying. He glanced down at the ball that was still at his feet, tapping it slightly with his foot before he took a few steps back from the ball. He planned to run at it and kick it as hard as he possibly could, but his attempt failed when he tripped over the ball as he ran at it instead.6

The girl covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile as the boy's mother helped him up. She automatically stopped giggling when she saw that he was crying. The young girl ran over immediately, no longer caring about the ball that was slowly beginning to roll away.7

"What's wrong!? Are you okay?" she asked in a concerned way.8

He shook his head, embarrassed that he was even crying in the first place. "Nothing I guess, it doesn't hurt that bad any more. Mommy, you can put me down now." Arron turned towards the goal, pointing a small thumb towards himself.9

"I'm Arron Yan. Who are you?"10

She, in turn, pointed her own thumb towards herself. "I'm Hebe Tian." She curtsied and smiled at him. Letting her short pale peach skirt flow back around her legs she added, "do you want to play soccer with me?"11

It was the start of their friendship. Every day one would be at the other's house, playing soccer, house, school, Frisbee, or anything else that the young children could think of.12

They went to school together, all through grade school, and all through high school as well.13

Both remained single until Arron mustered up the courage to ask Hebe out to dinner one dark and cloudy night.14

She clapped joyfully, launching herself at her friend while laughing. "I thought you'd never ask." She smiled, "Where will we go?"15

"Doesn't matter," he smiled back at her, relieved that he wasn't rejected by her.16

So they went to the nearest food place that they could find... McDonalds.17

"A Supersized Big Mac Meal, 2 apple pies, and a double cheesburger please," Arron ordered at the cash register, pulling out his wallet.18

Hebe looked up at him oddly. "How did you know what I wanted, Arron?"19

He laughed at his date. "You always get the same thing when you come to Mcdonalds, Hebe."20

He paid for it, and when the food came he took his double cheesburger off of the tray, giving the rest of the food to Hebe.21

They ate slowly, neither of them wanting their "date" to end. But finally Hebe finished her apple pies, and her Big Mac, and scarfed down her delicious but greasy fries.22

She sipped on her soda slowly. "Arron, why did you ask me out?"23

He looked at her confusedly. "What do you mean? I thought you were happy that I asked you out."24

She smiled at him while sucking on her straw. "Of course I am, silly! I was just wondering..."25

"Wondering what?" He leaned forward over the yellow table.26

She grinned. "Why it took you so long!"27

They got up from the table and began to walk towards their houses. Surprisingly, they had lived next door to each other all of their lives and never noticed it until the day that they met each other when they were five.28

A bright flash illuminated the sky as a thunderous clap was heard nearby.29

"Come on Hebe!" Arron said to her, grabbing her hand and pulling it to make her run home with him.30

She laughed. "No I'm good, you know I love the rain."31

He smirked, pulling her down onto the bench that happened to be right in beside them, half a block away from their houses.32

The first drop hit right in front of them, causing both of them to look down at it as the sky began to pour out the rain, drenching them both in seconds.33

The sky flashed again, and Hebe glanced at his face quickly, not wanting to get caught studying his features. His adorable smile, his deep brown eyes...34

He turned towards her simultaneously, but quickly looked up at the flash of lightning instead, blushing for staring at her and having her know.35

"You know, we're going to get sick from this," he calmly said to his best friend.36

He felt a tap on the shoulder, and turned towards her suddenly. Her lips met his quickly, only for a second. "At least we'll be sick together, Arron. I can't stand being without you."37

~~~~~~~38

She snapped her head up suddenly, silently praying that everything had been a nightmare, but one look around her gave her the answer that she wasn't hoping to receive... it wasn't.39

Hebe looked down at the man that had slipped into unconsciousness once again. She felt another set of tears begin to fall down her face. The woman didn't bother brushing them away before they fell down onto her gorgeous white dress.40

"It's mine anyway..." she told herself, looking down at her wedding dress.41

She heard an inhuman sob and wondered who else was in the room before she realized that it was herself who was uncontrollably sobbing.42

Hebe realized that she had been waiting by his bedside all day and night, waiting for him to awaken. She wiped the newly forming tears from her eyes so she could see to make her way to the bathroom.43

~~~~~~~44

Arron pointed towards a balloon dart booth. "I can win you something if you want me to, Hebe." He gazed happily at his girlfriend of six months.45

She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Arron Yan Ya Lun, you have horrible aim."46

He scoffed, moving his shoulder away from her head. "I do not! I'll prove it to you!" He strutted over to the booth, pulling out his leather wallet and paying for 5 darts.47

He looked back at her while throwing the first dart, trying to see if she'd be impressed with his aim while he wasn't even looking, but he gasped as he saw her cover her mouth to try and keep from looking.48

"Eh! Watch where you're throwing!" The manager of the booth scolded him, pulling a dart out of his hat.49

"Sorry."50

Arron tried once again to throw the dart at the wall of balloons, but he hit the ground instead. The next time he hit the ceiling.51

The fourth time... he hit a balloon but it bounced off.52

By this time, Hebe was in hysterics, almost crying because she was laughing so hard. She walked up to him as he positioned himself to throw the last dart. She plucked it out of his hand right before he threw it.53

"My turn."54

She slightly flicked her wrist as she threw the dart, causing it to go diagonally through two balloons.55

Arron stared open mouthed at her. "How... how did you...?"56

She smiled at him, pointing towards the small heart pillow that she wanted as a prize. The manager grabbed it and handed it to her.57

"Thank you!" She politely curtsied, as she always did, and dragged her still shocked boyfriend away from the booth. She lightly smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Arron! You almost killed him! And close your mouth, I don't want you choking on a bug."58

"But... you aren't supposed to win your own present, I'm supposed to give it to you!" he whined.59

She giggled. "I didn't win it for me..." she handed him the white heart shaped pillow. "I won it for you."60

~~~~~~~61

His eyes fluttered open slowly, and the first thing he noticed was that his gorgeous fiance was no longer in the green lounge chair next to his hospital bed.62

Instead, he found a small white heart pillow under his head instead of the uncomfortable and lumpy pillow that was there before.63

He smiled as he thought of her, and he closed his eyes, wanting to reminisce on the good things of the past, instead of the horrible things that he knew were coming in the near future.64

~~~~~~~65

They all threw their blue caps up into the air joyfully. He saw Hebe running towards him, and she leaped up into the air into his arms, kissing him softly on the lips.66

"I can't believe we finally graduated..."67

He grinned down at her, wanting to hold her petite body forever in his arms.68

"Me neither Hebe, me neither."69

Arron saw her eyes begin to brim with tears, and he instantly cuddled her closer to himself. "What's wrong...?"70

"Nothing is wrong Arron, everything is too right," she frowned as she looked into his eyes. "I was accepted into the American college I applied for."71

He gasped, his eyes growing wide. "You were accepted into Harvard?! Hebe, this is amazing! It's your dream to become a professional lawyer."72

"But... I won't see you..."73

"No buts... you're going Hebe Tian Fuzhen."74

And so she did. It took much persuading, but she finally agreed to pursue her dream instead of her love for her boyfriend of four years, and her best friend for thirteen.75

He saw her off at the airport, both of their eyes brimming with tears.76

"Wait for me, okay?" she asked him solemnly before she stepped in line to enter the plane.77

"You know I will."78

~~~~~~~79

Hebe walked back to her chair, glancing down at her fiance, who was supposed to be her husband right now. She looked over at the clock.80

Five thirty in the afternoon. It was exactly twenty four hours since their wedding should have taken place... if only...81

~~~~~~~82

He awoke suddenly to a phone ringing, very early in the morning. He glanced at his nightstand clock before he got out of bed to run to the phone.83

Four thirty in the morning.84

"Hebe!" He breathlessly answered the phone, having to run downstairs to find it.85

"Hey Arron!" She happily said. "Guess what day it is?!"86

He glanced at the calendar beside the refrigerator.87

"November 20th?" At this hour in the morning his brain wasn't fully functioning.88

She sighed. "And...?"89

"And...?"90

"Your birthday silly!" he could hear him squeal in delight on the other end of the line.91

"Eh, it isn't that special if you aren't here."92

At that moment he heard a knock on the front door, and he cautiously walked over to it, wondering who it could be at this hour of the morning.93

He unlocked it and opened it slowly, gasping as the door was thrown open and a small figure threw herself against him, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the floor with her on top of him.94

She kissed him happily, grinning as soon as they broke it.95

"Happy birthday."96

~~~~~~~97

He smiled at the memory, it had been her last year of school, and the only time where she had saved enough money to fly out to Taiwan to meet him. She was supposed to have saved it until Christmas and go see her family... but Arron was much more important to her, especially on his birthday.98

~~~~~~~99

"Congratulations Hebe!" he enveloped her in a bear hug.100

"Thank you, Arron."101

It had been hard for her to graduate from Harvard, but she had finally done it... and had been able to move back to Taiwan and find a well paying job right by her home.102

~~~~~~~103

Hebe looked down at the clock again, noticing that she had missed two appointments with some clients already, but then remembering that she had taken the month off... for their honeymoon and for settling down into their new house that they had just bought together.104

~~~~~~~105

He led her by the hand towards the park where they had first met, glancing back every few seconds to look at his lover's face.106

"Right... here." he stopped walking and led Hebe into the exact place where they had met.107

Slowly, he got down on one knee, reaching into his back pocket to pull out a small velvet box.108

He saw her gasp and cover her mouth with her small, perfectly manicured hand. Hebe's eyes began to water.109

"Hebe Tian Fuzhen, my girlfriend, the love of my life... my best friend. Will you stay with me forever?"110

She placed her hand on the side of her face, as if she were thinking about it. After a moment that seemed like an eternity, she threw her arms around the man bent on the ground next to her.111

"I thought you'd never ask."112

The wedding was set for August seventh. Everything was set out perfectly. The guests had been contacted almost right away, the dress had been bought, caterers had been hired. Everything was beautifully put together.113

The dress was gorgeous, the tux was handsome...114

But there was only one problem.115

The limo for the groom was late.116

Of course, Hebe didn't really mind waiting for him. She just wanted to see the look on his face when he saw her in the dress that she had picked out.117

When the limo finally arrived at Arron's house, he couldn't wait to get into it. But he realized that he had forgotten something. The rings.118

Both of them knew that it wasn't supposed to be his responsibility to hold onto the rings, but neither Hebe nor Arron knew any cute little kids that they could trust to be the ring barer.119

After a long period of time, he found them and hopped into the limo, becoming more and more nervous with each second.120

Not nervous for the actual wedding, no, that could wait. He was more nervous about after the wedding...121

And that was when it happened. He saw bright headlights illuminate the window next to his face, and heard a loud screeching crash and felt something ram into him forcefully before he completely blacked out.122

Hebe had rushed to the hospital, not even taking the time to change out of her wedding dress.123

She rushed to the front desk, demanding to know which room he was in.124

"Ms, Arron Yan is in surgery right now... and it doesn't look good. You can see him when he's out."125

And that was that. The second the surgery was over she had stormed into the hospital room, asking if he was alright.126

But she was very depressed by the answer she received.127

"Stay with him as long as you can. He doesn't have much longer..."128

~~~~~~~129

Hebe turned her head slowly to her right to look at her fiance once again. She gasped when she saw that he was staring right back at her, mouth slightly open in a gape of shock.130

"Hebe, you're... you're so beautiful," he breathed.131

"Arron! You're up!" She quickly got up out of the chair she was in and carefully wrapped her arms around her fiance on the hospital bed.132

He sighed. "Not for long, Hebes," he grabbed her hand.133

"Hebe, we both know that I'm going to die soon. I can feel it, and I know the doctors have told you."134

New tears formed in her eyes, and she didn't bother to wipe them away. She wanted him to see that she would cry for him.135

Arron smiled softly at her, lifting his hand slowly, wincing at the pain, to wipe away one of her fallen tears.136

"Now now, don't be sad. I love you Hebe, eveything is going to be... okay..." his words slowly faded as a ringing filled the room and his hand loosened around hers.137

Doctors came swooping into the room, each trying everything they could to resurrect him as Hebe repeatedly called out to him.138

"I'm sorry," a doctor said to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.139

"Call it."140

"Arron Yan Ya Lun. Time of Death: Five thirty in the afternoon. Date: August ninth."