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Katelyn's birthday party had gone perfectly. She loved all of her gifts, especially her new puppy who she named Alina. Grant and my mother had decorated the house beautifully and all my family members had made it to the party. So surrounded by friends and family, she had a great birthday, as she had even told me so.

    Today was my tenth wish though, one I wasn't looking forward to. Not because it wasn't a good wish but because it was the day I had to explain everything to the man who had become one of my best friends in the past few weeks.

     "Storm. Katelyn. How are you two doing on this beautiful summer day?" Speaking of that man, Grant made his way into the living room where Katelyn and I had been sitting.

    "I'm doing good!" Since it was Sunday, Katelyn was still happy due to her party that happened yesterday.

    "I'm fine." I said quietly, knowing Grant would sense something wrong with me.

    "Storm, what's wrong?" I shook my head at Katelyn's question.

    "Grant? May I speak with you in my room?"I said as I stood up. I wasn't able to look Grant in the eye.

    "Yeah." I nodded and headed up the stairs knowing that he would follow.

    Once we made it to my room, I shut the door behind us. Grant seemed almost panicked at my unusual behavior all of a sudden.

    "I'm sorry if I'm scaring you. It's not my intention." I spoke as I turned my back to Grant and looked out my bedroom window after I opened the curtains.

    "It's okay." He seemed to get awkward. It was an understandable reaction at my behavior.

     "Grant?" I spoke in a whisper.

"Hmm?" He grunted lightly back at me, not knowing my next sentence would change his life forever. Change my life forever.

"I want to shave off my hair..." I said quietly, almost at a mumble as I kept my eyes outside the window.

"Shave off your hair? What do you mean shave off your hair?" He turned me around to look at him, and he looked at me quizzically.

"I mean exactly what I said. I want to shave off my hair." I had a better sense of confidence that time as I spoke with more certainty than before.

"You have beautiful hair Storm. Why would you want to cut it all off? Listen," He seemed to be speechless at my sudden command to cut my hair, "I-I get that maybe you want to change because this bucket list and everything, but cutting all your hair off is a little much don't you think?" His eyebrows knotted at me, making my stomach churn. I knew I had to do this.

   "Stop it Grant. I-I... I want to cut my hair off. N-No matter what you say. You don't understand." I felt tears begin to form in my tear ducts as my voice trembled on its foundation.

"Then let me understand. Tell me why you want to cut your hair." He said it firm but had a slightly frightened tone in his voice, knowing something was wrong with the way I was acting.

"Because Grant. Because, I'm sick... I-I'm sick..."

"Sick?" His expression became confused as I felt tears start to fall down my face. I took a deep breath and planned my next sentence carefully.

"I have leukemia, and I don't have long to live." I paused as Grant made a noise that could only be explained as choking on his next words.

     "Remember when you met me, and you said that bucket lists were for when people die?" I felt every ounce of energy in my body be taken away suddenly as I started sobbing.

  
      "I-I made this bucket list because I know I won't last after summer. I came to you because I thought you were the perfect person to go on an adventure with." I smiled sadly and finally found the courage to look him in the eyes again. His mis-matched eyes held tears as well.

    "I don't have long at all, and I've done nothing my whole life. I can't die like that. I have to do something with my life whether that be for two months or two minutes. I have to live the best life I can."

     "Bu-but why shave your hair, Storm?" I could tell the poor man was keeping in his tears, as was I at this point, but my technique wasn't working as well as his.

   "I want to shave my hair to show that my medication can't control the rest of my life. I'm going to control what I can and that's my hair. I'm not going to let the medication take what so precious to me... I'm gonna take it myself." My voice was confident but the tears from my eyes showed I was feeling anything but confident, but I had to do this.

Grant smiled, a mix between sadness and pride. I creased my eyebrows at him but nodded slightly.

I walked into my parent's bathroom and grabbed my dad's hair cutter. Grant followed me into the bathroom just as I plugged the cutter in and turned it on. I looked into the mirror to see Grant still holding the same smile at me. This time, I smiled back before taking a deep breath.

And with that, I began, one movement at a time.

~KennyandEmo~