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November 8

If there's one thing I didn't know about Shane, it's that he can be super clingy.

Getting him to stay at the school so he won't miss his game is a tough feat but I somehow manage it, taking a cab to the central hospital which is only a few minutes from our school. I text Riley and Racheal who have already gone to class and tell them where I'm going. Racheal replies instantly and tells me they'll get her mom to drive her as soon as they get out of class.

'But we can't come if she's busy,' she texts me

'You can take the bus, Rach,' I remind her.

'Oh. Right.'

By the time I arrive at the hospital and make my way down the twisting and turning halls to find the room Marla is being kept in, my legs are starting to hurt from all the walking. I'm not so bad with directions but I'm sure I've lost my way more than once. Thankfully, though, when I bump into Mika, he guides me the rest of the way.

"Do you know what happened to her?" I ask him.

Mika shrugs. "Mama got mad and started knocking on her door. She didn't open it so Mama got angry, saying she didn't want to find Marla unconscious in bed or something. They had a fight about her boyfriend and she got mad and tried to leave the house. It was mad."

I don't answer, trying to escape the images that flash across my mind's eye. Unconscious in bed, limp, lifeless ... Carter.

"Hey, don't worry," Mika says, putting a hand on my shoulder as he leads me down the narrow, bleached hallway. "It's nothing to worry about. The doc says she didn't eat anything in days and might have some mild depression or some shit but they'll take care of it. She'll be okay."

I force a small smile. "Thanks, Mika," I say. "You've grown up so fast."

The fourteen-year-old Mika flashes his braces at me, stopping in an empty hallway.

"Where's everyone?" I ask.

"The nurse kicked us all out," Mika admits, sticking out a thumb toward the closed door. "Said only two attendants allowed with one patient. Mama and Papa are inside already."

"Thanks," I repeat.

"No worries, Tay." Mika backs away with a salute and leaves.

I turn toward the door, knock twice, and slowly push it open. The scent of bleach and blood reaches me and I hold my breath, focusing instead on the sound of the rhythmic beating of Marla's heart. As soon as I'm inside, I see Mama Harley and the big man Marla calls dad but I've never spoken to standing next to her bed and casting her thin form in vast shadows. Marla lifts her hooded eyes, smiling slightly when she sees me.

"Okay, Taylor is here now, you guys can leave," she says to her parents, shifting in bed and waving me over.

"No way," Mama Harley complains, sniffling loudly. "I ain't leavin' my baby alone."

"Mama," Marla groans, rolling her head on the pillow and giving me a pleading look.

I fight my smile; it's clear that whatever happened is no longer a problem. This is such a Rudder family thing to witness. Last night they were having a major fight that landed Marla in the hospital, and today they're all a happy family again. If only my family would be this easily fixed.

"Marla's right, Mrs. Rudder," I speak up, walking over to the side of Marla's bed. "I'm here now. You should go home and rest. You've been here all night."

Although I'm only improvising and taking guesses at this point, I know I'm right. Mama Harley's puffy eyes and Mr. Rudder's unshaven face tell me they haven't gone home in hours and are probably starving and sleep-deprived.

"I'm not leavin' until Marla --" Mama Harley begins.

The door swings open, banging against the wall inside and making us all jump. Wide-eyed, we all spin around to stare at the newcomer.

Wavy hair a mess, dark eyes wide and panicked, Hashir stands there, panting and adorned in a loose jacket the floats behind him when he takes two long strides into the room, pushing past me and reaching instinctively for Marla's hand.

"Marla," he gasps.

It all happens too fast. The smile that appears of Marla's face is brighter than any I have ever seen, her eyes boring into Hashir's tear-filled ones. As for Mama Harley, she spits out an angry curse and pushes at Hashir's shoulder, positioning herself between him and the bed with me pressed against the heart monitor that is quickly picking up speed.

"Stay away from my daughter, you," Mama Harley snaps, pointing a threatening finger into Hashir's face.

"Mama!" Marla whines.

Hashir, however, glances once at Marla before pulling up to his full height and facing her angry mother.

"You did this to her," Mama Harley exclaims.

"Mama!"

"You here to cause more damage now," the woman goes on. "How dare you? You don't get to touch my daughter."

"MAMA!"

"What in the world is going on here?" A nurse appears in the doorway, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at all four of us.

I don't blame him, the sight must be absurd, with Mr. Rudder fuming in one corner and Mama Harley jumping Hashir while Marla tries to get up and stop her. As for me, I'm standing pressed between the heart monitor and staring at Hashir and Mama Harley's soon-to-begin brawl.

"Get out all of you," the nurse says. "What part of not more than two attendants do you people not get?"

"Mama, Papa, go home," Marla says quickly, sounding choked.

Glancing at her, I see her lower lip trembling as she struggles to fight back her tears.

"Mrs. Rudder, please," I speak up quickly, wanting to support my friend.

"I'm not leaving my daughter with this filthy man who broke her heart," Mama Harley spits. "This what your god taught you? To play with a young woman's feelins and toss her aside? This what all your prayers and --"

Hashir's fists clench and I'm sure I'm not the only one who notices his jaw tightening.

"Mama, stop it, this is enough!" Marla almost yells. "Please, just leave."

"You guys need to leave, you're upsetting the patient," the nurse intervenes.

"I'm not leavin' you alone with --" Mama Harley begins.

"I'll be here," I jump in quickly. "I'm here, Mrs. Rudder, please, just go."

"Just leave, Mama," Marla sobs, her voice stifled when she presses a hand over her mouth.

"Please," I insist.

A few moments pass by with Mama Harley glaring at Hashir who keeps his lips sealed but step firm. Marla wipes her eyes and I take a step closer to the bed to assure her I'm here. As for Mr. Rudder, he's the first person to nod at the nurse and follow his indication to leave the room.

"This isn't over, boy," Mama Harley hisses at Hashir before turning around and stomping out of the room.

The nurse blows out a breath of relief and nods toward us before closing the door and leaving.

Silence fills the room and Hashir closes his eyes, inhaling deeply through his nose. He shifts closer to the bed and Marla, a sigh escaping his lips as his shoulders slacken.

"Marla," he says in his deep voice. "What is this? I thought we had a deal never to hurt each other."

Marla who has been crying silently finally cracks a smile. "We're both liars, yeah?" she jokes.

Hashir sighs again, reaching out and taking her hand between both of his. He lifts her fingers to his lips and kisses her knuckles.

I drift away from the bed, giving the two of them some much-needed privacy.

"Your mom hates my religion," Hashir mumbles, his voice barely reaching me as I take a seat on the small metal bench furthest from the bed.

"She hates everything about you," Marla corrects him.

"I don't blame her," Hashir responds softly. "If I was in her place ..."

"You'd listen," Marla adds. "She shouldn't be letting her anger control her like this."

Hashir chuckles, reaching out and caressing Marla's hair. She leans into his touch and I look away, staring instead on the disturbing poster of some dental complications on the wall. The bleeding gums and green monsters poking daggers at the teeth are frightening enough to keep me from focusing on what Marla and Hashir are saying.

"I don't care," Marla is sobbing by the time I tune back into the conversation. "I don't care how long we have. We can keep living separately and still be together. It's the heart that matters, Hashir. I love you and I want to be with you as long as I can."

"I could live up to fifty," Hashir counters, wiping Marla's tears. "It's not me I'm worried about. I just don't want you to waste your life for a sick man."

"It's my life and I can waste it whomsoever I fucking want, okay?" Marla snaps, throwing off his hand. "Don't tell me what I can or can't do."

Hashir laughs, a helpless but light sound. Marla snickers in response and even I can't help but smile a little, feeling like a total creep for listening to their private chat.

"Marry me?" Marla asks.

"You're freaking insane," Hashir comments, sounding amused.

"Yeah, well, you're a psycho for getting AIDS when we could have had a dozen babies but oh well." Marla waves a hand, still smiling a little through the tears. "I'm serious, though. I want to be with you."

"This is silly, Marla," Hashir mumbles, shaking his head sadly.

"Remember how you once told me that you believe that couples who are married and live in the world together will be in heaven together?" Marla says. "I want us to go to heaven and have kids there. Don't take this away from me."

"You say this now," Hashir says. "But wait a couple of years and you'll change your mind."

"Okay, what if I don't?" Marla asks, trying to get up. Hashir helps her, putting a pillow behind her and fixing the bed into a more comfortable position. "What if I still want the same thing when I'm twenty? Will you marry me then?"

Hashir chuckles softly. "If you feel the same way after you've graduated college, I swear to the God we both believe in that I'll marry you without a second thought."

"Deal?" Marla raises a hand for Hashir to shake.

Hashir, instead of shaking the hand, takes it in his and places it on the left side of his chest where his heart is supposed to be.

"Deal."

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A/N: *sigh* I love Marla and Hashir. Sorry I kind of let Shane disappear in this chapter but I promise I wrote another scene and it got long so I split it up. BUTT I'm posting it right away so go read that too and don't hate me. Question, though, what are your views about Marla and Hashir? I swear they were not supposed to be in the story but they're cute and I can't help myself.