I stared out the hospital window, in constant thought. I didn't know what would happen next, nor did I want to care about that. I just wanted to think of the possibilities, the many ways that I could do something. It's not right for Oliver to be here, not right at all! He was doing so good for the past few months, but when he fell at P.E., his health took a drastic turn for the worse. The doctor said that he had about a year to live, that his cancer is spreading throughout his entire body. I didn't understand. Why did this have to happen to him anyway?! No one in his family had cancer, and his family history didn't have any case of the disease in it. But a voice made my thoughts go to a halt.

"You doing okay, Liz?" I turned from the outside view to the view of Oliver, sitting up on his hospital bed. He looked pale, lighter in color than my last week's visit. I did not want to believe it, but here we were, one of my closest friends dying of a disease that maybe I can't fix. I haven't tried yet, but his doctor and nurse warned me not to use it because who knows what could happen. I have healed injuries in the past, but not a disease. However, I was willing to give it a try. That was for another time though. For that moment, it was just him and me.

"Hmm?" I said, dazing off and on from my thoughts.

"You haven't said much since you walked in," Oliver noted. "Anything going on at school that's making you stressed?"

"What, no!" I exclaimed quickly. "School's not bothering me a bit. I'm usually ahead in my homework because I read too much."

"Then, what's up? What are you thinking?"

"I-I was just thinking about...maybe I could...heal you?" Oliver frowned a little. He knew that I already discussed this with the doctor and his warning.

"You know that we can't do that," he said plainly. "The doctors don't want to take that risk."

"But it's hard to see you this way!" I argued with conviction. "I-It's scary, in my opinion. We don't want to lose a friend like you." I looked down at the floor and sighed. "I'm sorry buddy, but I can't see another option if you want to get well." I wanted him to be well. I wanted him to stay by William and Melody, and I wanted him with me. As I thought more, I began to silently cry. It was so weird for me, to display my vulnerable state to him. But I couldn't take the pain anymore. It was too much to just hold in.

"Liz, look at me." I gave in to his request, and I saw a smile on his face. A smile? What could he be smiling about? He's practically on his deathbed! Why was he smiling? "Whatever happens to me," Oliver began, "it's going to be fine. Whether I die or not, it doesn't mean that life just stops there. We can't go back either, so we just go forward."

"How are you so content right now?" I sniffled, still crying. "You seem so at peace with whether you die or not."

"Well, to be honest..." He started to speak, but he had tears in his eyes too. "I'm kind of scared."

"So, you are contradicting yourself, Olly? Why would you do that?"

"I-I don't want you to worry about me. You and the others have been watching out for me ever since I got sick, and when I do pass away, you guys won't have to mourn too hard..." To this notion, I laughed a little.

"You know, that's not going to work," I stated. "We would miss you so much, especially me." I blushed a tiny bit at my last sentence. If I were, to be honest, it had to be at this moment. I would probably not get this chance ever again.

"You...You would?" Oliver said in surprise. "Why is that?" I bit my lip hard and stood up from my chair. But I didn't think I would make my point clear enough, so I went to Oliver's hospital bed and sat down at its edge. However, I did not look at him because of my apparent nervousness.

"Is it okay if I am honest with you?" I asked curiously.

"Of course."

"Okay then. Well when I think of you, you're more than just a.......close friend." I took one deep breath, said a silent prayer for courage, and continued what I was saying before. "I-I really, really, really, really......really, really...........l-like you?" By this point, my face felt like it was burning and I finally looked at Oliver to see how he reacted to small confession. He was surprised, his face a little red too, and then he smiled brightly. It was the brightest smile I have seen from him in a long time, but I was caught off guard by it. "W-What are you smiling about?" I questioned, looking away. I didn't expect a smile. What I did expect was some sort of reply. But suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, and I quickly surveyed the area. "What is happening?!" I said aloud, still glancing around fast.

"It's a hug," Oliver laughed. "What do you think?" I felt him hug me a little tighter and said, "It looks like I am in your care, huh? I don't mind that, not one bit!" He smiled more at me, and I felt his head rest on top of my head. I was shocked that he was hugging me, and there was one thing that confused me.

"So, are we an item now?" I asked, finally hugging back. "Is that how this works?" To my question, Oliver kind of chuckled.

"Yeah, we are," he smiled. "I guess that is how it works now. But I'm a little worried though."

"About what?"

"I am worried about you. Didn't you say that some of the students were making fun of you for your magic power?" I tensed up at what he said, hugging him tighter now. It was true though. Some of the middle school students at my school were teasing me, for being the way that I was. I was born with it, so I can't make it go away. I know that my magic powers make me different from everyone else that is normal, but why do we have to be teased for something like that? Even Melody and William, who became magic users when we entered middle school, are still coming to terms about all the teasing. They haven't told too many people about their new abilities, in fact, they haven't figured out what kind of skills they obtained yet. But that's because they are scared, they are afraid of how many people will tease them because of their magic. Almost everyone knows about my magic abilities since I was born with them, so, unfortunately, I was an easy target. Now that Oliver mentioned it, I did not want to see him get hurt because he was friends with me.

"Uh-huh," I said softly. "It hasn't been too bad, but it has been bothering me. Mama and Papa suggested that I go to a different high school when I graduate middle school, mainly because of their academics but they are hoping that the school would be more accepting of me. So, I have to hang on for a few more months. But now that you mentioned that, maybe we can find a way for the students at school not to find out about this. I can't let them hurt you...some of them have been trying to get Melody and William off my side too, and the other friends that I have."

"They would do all of that just because you are not like them?" Oliver said in a more serious tone. "Lizzy, that is serious! They are discriminating you because of your special powers. Aren't you going to do something about it?"

"I have been trying," I replied with a sigh. "But it is only making matters worse. Papa Ray warned me about this, but I didn't know that it would happen to me. The school was fine until we hit middle school. Then all the drama happened, and everything has been going downhill from there."

"But you still go to school."

"Well, I don't have much of choice. If I want to be a historian, then I have to go through high school and get to college." I sighed again, but louder. "I wish there was a time skip button I could press, just to get me there."

"If there were, I would have pressed that button a long time ago." He looked out the hospital window, and I gazed at him. He was probably thinking since he had this habit of looking at other things or places when he was thinking. "I have an idea," he spoke after a few minutes. "But it might not be the best idea in everyone else's eyes."

"What do you mean?" I questioned. What was he going to say?

"How about we keep our relationship a secret?"

"W-Wait, what?! Don't you think we should at least tell our families first?"

"Sure, we can, but they will be the only ones that know. That way, you don't have to worry about me getting pushed by our peers to join their side instead of yours. Also, if anything were to happen to me in the next few months..."

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Olly!" I blurted out. "I promise. I will protect you until you get well!" I will not let it happen, I can't let that happen to him! He was someone I cared for deeply, and I can't let him die yet. Oliver only smiled a little and said,

"I know you will." Suddenly, we heard someone clear their throat. We both turned to see the nurse, who had her hands in her hips.

"I don't mean to interrupt you two," she started, "but these IVs are not going to put themselves into Oliver."

"R-Right," Oliver began with a red face, "you can put them in now." We both let go of each other, and I stood up from the hospital bed, stepping back from the bed so that the nurse can insert the IVs.

"How long were you waiting?" I asked curiously. I saw a twinkle in the nurse's eyes as she said,

"Not too long, sweet girl. But if I were, to be honest, I did not want to interrupt the moment you two were having. By the way, can I just say that I knew that this would happen? I wasn't sure when, but I knew it would happen sooner or later that you two would get together!" I blushed immensely at her comment and turned my head to the window. Of course, she would think that. I am pretty sure that everyone knew it would happen!

"I don't want to be rude, but I don't think you are helping, Ms. Natasha," Oliver said with a sweatdrop.

"I didn't think so either," Natasha chuckled. "I apologize, Lizzy. You've been here so many times, and I usually like to tease the regular visitors. I hope you don't mind." I turned to the nurse and smiled lightly.

"I don't mind," I admitted. "I like to tease my friends too. Olly is a prime example of that!"

"I hate to admit it, but it is true," Oliver sighed. "It is more of a family thing: you get teased when you become part of the family." I giggled because it was right, and I watched Natasha the nurse put in the IVs on Oliver's arm. It looked like it would be a pain, but I don't mind the needles.

"There you go," the nurse said after inserting the needle. "The fluids should be coming into your system in a minute or two, Oliver."

"Is it painful?" I asked both of them.

"It's not too bad once it has happened a few times," Oliver explained. "You get used to it."

"I hope that I never have to put IVs in you," Natasha said to me, looking my way.

"I hope so too," I replied. "But I am sure that I don't have to worry about it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I was definitely wrong about the last part of my dream! When I woke up from my coma, I had two IVs on my arms, one for each arm. I have to admit, it wasn't too bad like I thought it would be. But besides that, I found out what happened to Oliver. In fact, I am pretty sure that I know of Oliver's illness. I think it was brain cancer, but when he got better some of that cancer got to his lungs. It was terrible what had happened to him. But I'm sure that he got better after that!

Anyway, it looked like we were starting a relationship. Now that I think about it, it must have been an exciting way to start off one. I was worried about his reaction to my confession, and then we kept the relationship a secret. That was because I feared how Oliver would get hurt since I was a sorceress by birth. I do not get why people would tease me for something like that though! Can't they understand that it is hard enough to fit in with society, but also, I have to go through school? How did I not go to school during that time? How did I handle that kind of pressure? Was it Oliver's encouragement again, or the fact that I still had people I can call friends at the school? What a scary thing to think about.

But now that I have time to think about those past circumstances, I wonder how it will affect me know. Do I still like Oliver, or has that love died away already? I guess the only way to find out is if I talk to him about it. Is he still around? Like I wrote the other day, William and Melody wanted me to find out what happened to him, and the memory-dream stopped when I was still in the hospital. What happened after that? Did he live...or did he die?"

Lizzy shook her head at the sentence she just wrote. "Why do I think about these weird things?" she asked herself. "Have I always thought about everything?" She put down her journal and stood up from her desk. "Maybe I should think about this more since that is what I seem to be good at. A walk outside would do the trick!" She walked to her bedroom curtains and opened it slightly, only to see that it had started to rain. "Okay..." she said to herself. "I guess I can't walk outside. I could if I wanted to, but I would get a cold. I don't think I do well with colds." She sighed and closed the curtain, wondering what she should do next. Jarod and James were not home because they had to attend their college classes, and the parents of the household were away again. So, it was just Lizzy on her own, which she thought to be normal. The girl groaned loudly and collapsed on the floor, with nothing to do and no one to talk to, except for her Duel Monster friends. "I'll just talk to them," she thought. "They can give me a hint or two." A light appeared from the card deck on her desk, and Northwemko stood in front of Lizzy, holding her staff as usual. "Hi, Northy."

"I see that you are dealing with another memory-dream, my Mistress," Northwemko noted. "But I cannot necessarily give you a hint about your wonderings."

"Aww man!" Lizzy exclaimed, groaning more. "I was hoping that you would help me! This thing about me figuring out my past is starting to get annoying and becoming a headache. I am sure that you were there when I visited Oliver at the hospital."

"That I was," Lizzy's Duel Monster friend replied. "You brought your card deck every visit, and once in a while, I would come out of my card."

"To do what? Chat with the both of us?"

"I was more of a...what do your people call it again? A person that is a confidant of other people's feelings."

"You mean like a counselor?"

"Yes, a counselor! I was...your counselor, and so was the nurse."

"That's right!" Lizzy remembered. "Nurse Natasha was Oliver's nurse throughout his time in the hospital. Could she give me the answers I am looking for?"

"She could," Northwemko began with a sigh, "though I think she would agree that you have to discover these things yourself. It is a headache, but it will be educational for you."

"Educational?" Lizzy repeated. "Me, having to go through almost my entire life all over again, is supposed to be educational?! What I am learning about myself, Northy is that I didn't have the best life growing up! I did not have a mother or father, I got kicked out of a guy's house for being the way I am, and now a childhood friend had cancer! I could not do anything about it! The doctors claimed it to be unsafe. Well, that's not fair because they have not even tried to do it! It is at least worth the risk!" Lizzy, at the point of her long statement, sat up and looked at Northwemko with a look of distress on her face. "My life isn't as happy as I thought it would be."

"What did you expect it to be, Mistress Fi?" Northwemko asked.

"I don't know, but I am pretty sure that being magic, discriminated, and an orphan was not part of the happiness."

"Do you think your powers are bad?"

"Well, no. But it seems like everyone else thinks it is bad! People teased me for being a sorceress, and I don't think that is fair!" Lizzy then thought of what her father figure, Ray, had told her in the past. The people of Sector Seven were mostly of supernatural origins, and they don't have the same rights as the people that live in other sectors.

"I can understand your frustration," Northwemko sympathized. "I have been watching over you ever since you found me in Sector Seven. What I have noticed was that you did not care about what those people have said to you, almost turning a blind eye to those vicious comments."

"But doesn't it get to my head?" Lizzy asked her. Suddenly, another Duel Monster appeared in the room from Lizzy's card deck, a man with a blue cape and armor. The monster card's name was Neo the Magic Swordsman, though Lizzy just called him Neo.

"It has," Neo said with crossed arms. "Those students have tried countless times to bother you, and I wished for my sword to strike their heads!"

"Neo!" Northwemko scolded. "Violence is not the solution to all things!"

"It is better than just watching them hurt the girl!"

"Guys, I can see your concerns, and I know you're worried whenever I come into contact with those people," Lizzy began, "but can we get back to the main point, on how life is not that happy for me?"

"Do you expect life to be happy at all times?" Neo asked. "It cannot be possible! Even in those books that you have read do not have happy beginnings."

"That is a fair point. But what's going to happen next? Will I get a good memory-dream or a bad one?"

"It depends on what is next. What was your memory dream about this time?"

"My...close companion was in the hospital, and the doctors said that he didn't have much time to live and..." Lizzy continued telling the rest of the memory-dream, and her two Duel Monster friends listened intently, although at the end of the story they both looked at each other with concern. "Uh, guys, what's wrong?" Lizzy asked. "Why do you two look worried?"

"Lizzy, I do believe that it is almost time for you to know the truth," Northwemko started, "of where that boy is now."

"You've seen Oliver?! Where is he? I need to know!"

"Why is that?" Neo questioned.

"W-Well," Lizzy began, thinking a little, "I may still like him."

"I do not think you can tell him now, Elizabeth. How about you wait until after your next memory dream to do so?"

"But why? Do you know what I am about to dream of next?"

"No. However, I think I can guess on what it will be about. I cannot tell you what it would be, but I do not know how you are going to feel after the dream." Lizzy didn't understand what Neo said. He doesn't know how she's going to feel? That didn't make sense to the girl. Also, how can he guess what was going to happen next? "He is a Spellcaster monster," Lizzy pondered. "So maybe he can manipulate time and go to the past?"

"No, I cannot," Neo chuckled, reading her mind. "However, I can read other's thoughts. It is a gift I picked up while traveling through different dimensions."

"So, you are a mind reader!" Lizzy announced. "Have I used that ability of yours every now and then?"

"Yes, you have. I am sure that by the end of these memory dreams that you will recount of times where I have helped you with my gift." Although, I am sure that Northwemko has been of help to you more than I have been."

"Why is that?"

"I am not sure, though I can conclude that it is probably a women thing." Northwemko glared at Neo and slapped his shoulder. "What did you do that for?!"

"I can assure you that my assistance to Mistress Lizzy is not merely a women thing!" she scolded. Then they began to argue about what is the definition of a "women thing", which made Lizzy laugh hard.

That's the end of the chapter! Thank you so much for reading and if you enjoyed the chapter, put down a vote! See you on the next chapter of Sentimental Memories. :)