~Phil~
-----

Two weeks felt more like two years.

It seemed like all I was doing was schoolwork that I was missing for that day or sleeping. I ate probably four times in that two week timespan so my weight had dropped more than it had already dropped when my parents stopped feeding me. While they were gone, I used to sneak food but I had to learn the hard way to not do that anymore.
"Are you ready to go home today?" Brenda asked me excitedly.
I stared down where my legs would be in sadness. It seemed crazy that in about a week's time, I would have "new legs". I still don't think I've fully comprehended this whole losing my legs thing even after two weeks.
"Come on, let me see a smile on that face of yours!"
"But I don't want to go back to my parents though." I muttered more to myself than to her.
"You don't have to go back!" She whispered, lifting up my chin with her hand and forcing her to look at me. "They moved away."
"R-really?" Hearing those words shocked me. "T-they're gone?"
"Yeah." She smiled at me. "I found out all the stuff they did and they fled. The police are looking for them right now."
All I could do was smile.
"You're safe now Phil."

*****

As I was heading back to Brenda's place, I thought about all the things that changes once you lose your legs.
Stairs are useless to me at the moment because I don't have my prosthetics.
My arms will get stronger because of having to move around the wheelchair all the time.
It's going to be much harder to carry around all my books.

"This is your room!" Brenda told me when we got home. "It used to be a place where my grandkids would stay when they were kids but I adjusted it a little bit to better fit someone your age. Plus, it's on the ground floor so that you don't have to worry about going up the stairs to reach it."
"It's lovely." I smiled. It was a simple room. There was all the stuff from my old room in it so it really made me feel at home in a positive way for the first time in years.
"Well, take it easy and don't stay up too late because you're going back to school tomorrow."
School...
I mean, I guess it could be worse.

*****

My definition of "taking it easy" was sitting in my room and listening to Muse on repeat. They're such a great band. I really want to see them in concert one day.
Suddenly, I had the weird urge to rip out a piece of paper out of my notebook and write down the things I wanted to do before I died. So that's what I did.

Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. Graduate high school in at least the top ten percent.
2. Go to a nice college.
3. Find a best friend (Bonus points if I go with the cliché and fall in love with them because love gives a nice spice to the journey of life.)
4. Publish a book (Double bonus points if people love it.)
5. Learn to love myself
6. (Tied with five as the most impossible one) Learn to walk again.

After I had written the list down, I pinned it to the my door so that every single day when I left my room, I would be reminded to go out and try to fulfill my dreams that day.
But dreams come slow and you go fast.
Never has that statement felt more true.