Breaking The Fiction Line

Have you ever found yourself stuck between reality and fantasy? I have. I get stuck there so often I have to find ways to get out. I now spend most of my time trying to erase that line between fiction and nonfiction- truth and legend. I’ve tried just about everything- even invisible ink, but the line still prevailed. One day I will destroy that accursed line.

~~~~


"Don’t worry I’ll be fine," I told Jeffery, my best friend in the whole world, as I slid the goggles over my eyes.
"You know, one day, you’re going to get yourself killed," he said nervously.
"I’ll make you a deal, I won’t die until it does."
"What do you mean it?"
"That stupid line that keeps fantasy from the real."
"When will you learn that it is called fantasy because it is exactly that? It’s NOT real!"
"That’s what they want you to think, but I know better."
"Who wants us to think that?"
"The government, society, parents, people with a stick up their... I don’t know, but someone wants you to think it."
"Well as long as you know, right?"
"Exactly. Now make sure you get this on film," I said as I raised my arm to the sky and prepared to jump off the roof of my three-story house.
My newest plan was to prove that humans can fly- without an airplane or any other kind of electronics. Of course I wasn’t going to just jump off, flapping my arms hoping they would keep me up. I had made a type of glider out of some fabric. I was also open to the idea that my plan might fail so I made provisions for that as well. I had put my trampoline under my jumping spot, placed every pillow and blanket in my house on top of it. I didn’t really think I’d need them though. I mean, I was positive my plan would work... well... almost positive.
I had been doing things like this since I was ten and told I had leukemia. I had always had a love of fantasy; it was my way to escape. Who wants to live in a world of disease and tests when you can live in a world of knights, dragons, magic, and elves? I started trying to prove my stories were real because anything can happen in fantasy stories, and if fantasy was real, and anything was possible, then a cure could be possible. It sounds stupid, but it’s the only thing keeping me from giving up hope- the only thing keeping me alive.
No one else knows this- not my parents- not even Jeffery. Most people who see me doing these crazy stunts either think I’m as crazy as the things I do, or they think I’m just craving attention. Most people don’t even know I have cancer. The only people who know are my parents, grandparents, and doctors. I want to tell Jeffery, but I don’t want him to treat me differently.
"You really don’t have to do this," Jeffery said snapping me back to reality.
"Yes, I do," I said more calmly than I felt, closed my eyes, and fell. Wind rushed by me and I felt like I was in the air for minutes, instead of seconds. I felt like I was flying- like I was free. My body turned so my back was to the ground. Then I felt blankets surround me, heard the ripping of the trampoline. My eyes fluttered open for a moment before darkness swallowed me.


~~~~


I was doing it! I was flying! I had wings, and I was flying over my house! I did it! I was flying and everyone saw me! There was Jeffery taping my flight, and my dad’s work, and the hospital, where my mom works, the entire town. I can’t believe I actually did it. I finally destroyed the line!
There’s my mom. She’s crying and sad. Why is she sad? She should be happy for me. I did it. Why wasn’t she happy for me? Doctor Brown? Why is he there? Why is he talking to my mom... and there’s my dad, and Jeffery... walking in a door? But we’re outside. There shouldn’t be a door in the middle of a field. Why is everything so blurry all of the sudden?


~~~~


"Piper... Honey... Doctor Brown? I think she’s coming to," I heard my mom say. What’s going on? Where am I?" I asked as soon as I found my voice. "You’re at the hospital Honey," my mom explained. "What happened?" I asked groggily. "You hit your head when you jumped off the roof, which we will discuss later, and you were unconscious. You’ve been out for about three hours," she said.
"So it was all a dream?" I asked. "What was all a dream?" my dad asked. "I was flying... with wings and everything. It was amazing," I said. "No Sweetie, you didn’t fly," he said sadly. "But you came really close," Jeffery piped up from behind. "I really thought you had it for a minute."
"Thanks Jeffery, so did I."
"Now, Jeffery, don’t you encourage her. If you encourage her she’ll keep doing these ridiculous stunts. She can’t afford to keep doing these stupid stunts in her condition," my mom said. "They aren’t stupid," I yelled. "You call jumping off the roof smart?" she yelled back. "What condition?" Jeffery asked quietly. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do," I said, deliberately ignoring Jeffery’s question, wanting it to be left unanswered. "What condition?" he asked a little louder. "If that’s what you call smart, I’d hate to find out what you consider stupid," My mom said. "What condition?" Jeffery yelled. "Leukemia, Jeffery, Piper has leukemia," my mom blurted out.
"Mom! How could you?" I asked almost at the point of crying. "I’m sorry Honey, I just... I’m sorry," she said seeing how hurt I was.
"I think visiting hours are just about up; Piper needs her rest," Doctor Brown said trying to come to my rescue.
"Thanks Doctor Brown, but can Jeffery stay for a little longer please? I think we really need to talk... in private," I said looking at my mom. By this time tears were running down both my face and hers. "Okay, I’ll give you a few minutes, but try to make it fast, I wasn’t kidding when I said you need your rest," he said kindly.
"I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner Jeffery. I really didn’t want you to find out like this. To tell you the truth I didn’t want you to find out at all," I said not able to look him in the eyes.
"Why? You tell me everything. I thought we were best friends," he said disappointed. "I thought that if you knew you would treat me different, and I didn’t want that. I wanted you to treat me like you would anyone else," I said. "I know now don’t I? Have I treated you any different so far? You’re my best friend and nothing is going to change that. I’m not going to treat you any different because you’re sick," he said. "I should have trusted you more than that. I should have told you as soon as I found out. I’m sorry," I said finally looking him in the eyes. He was actually crying. "You should have trusted me more than that."
"Forgive me?"
"You’re my best friend, how could I not?" he said with a smile.
"Since best friends tell each other everything. Tell me, why are you crying?"
"I’m not crying. My eyes are just watering because that fan is blowing right in my eyes," he said wiping his eyes, trying to remove any traces of him crying. I thought it was kind of funny watching him cry. Jeffery is about 6’5" and really muscular. Seeing a tough guy like him crying just hit me as funny, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
"What’s so funny?" he asked as he turned off the fan. "Nothing," I said still laughing. "Come on, friends tell each other everything, remember?" he said light-hearted. "I was just imagining me jumping off the roof in that outfit; I must have looked ridiculous," I said lying, then laughing even harder actually imagining what it really did look like. "It did look pretty funny," he said chuckling. "Hey, it wasn’t that funny, Chuckles," I said with a smile. You might think differently when you see the tape," he said as he dodged the pillow I threw at him.
"I’ve got a question for you," he said seriously. "Yeah...?" I asked a little nervous at his sudden seriousness. "Does your having leukemia have anything to do with the stunts you try?" he asked sitting down beside my bed, clutching the pillow that I threw at him as if he let it go, the entire building would come crashing down around him.
After a long silence I said, "It has everything to do with the stunts." And I told him everything. I sat in silence for a few minutes waiting for his reply- waiting for him to tell me I was crazy, but he didn’t. He held my hand in his, looked into my eyes, and said with tearful eyes, "I understand completely."
That did it. I broke down and started crying. All of the tears I had held in for all those years came pouring out. I looked at Jeffery and saw he was crying to. I suddenly found myself lunging forward to hug him.
We sat there crying for a few more minutes when Doctor Brown came in and told Jeffery he had to go now. "Don’t worry she should be out of here in a few days. We’re just going to keep her for observation," Doctor Brown reassured Jeffery. "I’ll be back as soon as I can," he said as he gave me another hug as he walked out the door. "Don’t forget to get some sleep, Silver Shadow," calling me by my nickname when we played superheroes when we were little. "Yes sir, Streak," I said calling him by his superhero name, smiling big as I saluted him.
The next few days he came by every day, and we became closer than ever. Then on my last day at the hospital, a bouquet of a dozen red roses was delivered to me. The card read:

I know you feel like you’re stuck
Breaking the line of fiction
But you don’t have to feel like that anymore
Because you have me
And as long as we are together
Anything is possible-
Even a cure

I was crying when my mom and dad walked in to take me home. "What’s wrong Piper?" my dad asked when he saw me crying.
"I’m done. The line’s gone," I said as I saw Jeffery walk through the door and our eyes locked.