One Million Words

This is a story close to my heart, I dated a girl with leukemia and it does have a profound effect on the people around this specific person. Things didn't work out and as far as I know she is still well. Please vote and comment.

To my editor Ozzy Vella, thank you so much for making this readable and being patient with ny mistakes. I appreciate it. Cassy, well you always help me sort through my crowded mind and make my ideas take on some life. Thank you

Enjoy fellowe Litsters!

xx SAbitch.

*****

It was a hot summers' day in Bloemfontein as Skylar hauled another case of beer from the truck into her house, her brother Aaron right beside her carrying the last box. It had been that time of the year again, when they opened the year up with the biggest and baddest party. With University classes starting soon, everyone had to have one big throw down. And everyone knew wherever the Robertson twins were, the best party you will ever attend was not far behind.

Pushing the crate to the bar, for the barman to stock the fridges, Skylar stood back looking at the lapa complete with a thatch roof. The large bar encircled half the area, with fridges and shelves fully stocked behind it. Sofas and bean bags were pushed against the walls giving way to the dance floor. The DJ booth set up in the corner, large speakers spanned around to give it the full sound base needed. She smiled as she looked over to the pool, as the water shimmered against the mid afternoon sky.

The pool was definitely going to need to be cleaned tomorrow. The only downfall to hosting a party was people falling in one minute and the next taking part in activities that she really didn't want to think about too much.

"It does look good, doesn't it?" Aaron said, standing at his sister's side.

"Let's jump in and cool down, then we can go and shower." Skylar suggested, raising her eyebrow at him. "Yeah?"

"Let's do it!" Aaron took off his shirt and lifted Skylar over his shoulder.

Before Skylar could say anything water chilled her body, and soon enough she was covered in the cool clear liquid. Fighting to get to the surface, Skylar pushed hard on the bottom and pushed up for the desperate need of air. She heard, Aaron's girlfriend, Jordan laugh as she took a deep welcomed breath of fresh air. Skylar went into attack mode as she jumped Aaron who in turn fought back with just as much gusto as his sister.

Jordan walked over to them a towel in hand as she laughed, they were similar in so many ways, and yet still different. She marveled at them, taking in the pitch black hair that they most often wore in a bed head style, right now it dripped over their faces. Showing off their piercing blue eyes that betrayed every emotion they had, if you knew how to read them. The button noses and tanned skin, a far cry from their Scottish heritage. Aaron had a square but strong jaw, where Skylar had a more rounded and soft face. The twins did everything together. There favorite pastime was bonding together as they lifted a few heavy metal rods. They called working out fun, but the result of their 'FUN' was in the toned and muscular bodies.

Jordan smiled at them as they got out of the pool, water dripping from Skylar's clothes, as they clung to her body showing every small toned curve. Aaron's body glistened in the sun as water droplets ran over him. She could easily make out each muscle with each movement they made, as Aaron pushed Skylar back in the pool after pulling her shirt over her head.

"Asshole!" Skylar shouted when she came up again.

"You love this asshole." he retorted.

"Unfortunately I do. Jordan, fasten a leash on your boyfriend!" Skylar shouted back.

"Why? It amuses me to see you two acting like kids." Jordan laughed and handed Aaron a towel.

Skylar laughed and made her second attempt to get out of the pool, running past the two into the mansion before Aaron got a hold of her. Almost slipping on the tiles, Skylar took a sharp turn for the stairs, Aaron hot on her heels. Skidding across the room, she fell flat on her ass. She threw her head back laughing as Aaron ran right past her, and stopping to look at her with a devilish grin on his face.

"You fucking loser!" she shouted after him, laughing too hard to get up again.

"Says the one who fell on her ass." he said, between gasp of air and laughter.

"Can you two please go get ready? We have an hour left before the party starts." Jordan groaned, stifling her laughter.

Skylar pulled herself off the floor, rubbing her ass as she walked up the stairs. She turned to find Aaron and Jordan hanging over each other laughing, as she limped up the stairs.

"Fuck you." she said through her groans of pain.

Closing her bedroom door behind her, as she continued to massage her ass, a reminder of something her mother said came to mind.

'It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt'

More often than not, Aaron and Skylar had developed a simple response, 'and then we get to laugh!' They would grin up their mother, with what they hoped were innocent looks and their mother would smile, shaking her head at them.

She missed her parents, but didn't understand why. They had always been too busy for the two of them. Too busy to pay attention to them, they had missed so much in their lives, and it never really had bothered her much. She had Aaron and he had her, and that's how they had always been. She shook her head ridding her mind of the memory as she walked into the bathroom.

After her shower, she blow dried her hair and ran her iron through it. She pulled on her dark Levi jeans and a black tank top over neon green underwear. Putting wax in her palm, she focused on making each strand of her hair in the perfect bed mess she preferred. She smiled in the mirror as she finished it off with hair spray. Stepping into her World Inc. sneakers, she walked out of her room, locking the door behind her. She hated when she walked into her own room to find a few unwanted guests doing god-knows-what.

She walked down the stairs, the sound of music and the chatter of the first few guests filled the space. Aaron and Jordan were already mingling, when she walked outside to the lapa.

"Beer." Aaron said when he saw her approach, holding a cold one out to her.

"Thank you." Skylar smiled, taking the drink and making her own rounds greeting and chatting with her guests.

It wasn't long before the place was filled with people. Skylar was already feeling slightly buzzed. She had made an attempt to mix and talk to everyone. Conversation was however, short lived, when someone new grabbed her attention. Her head swam as she made her way down to the gardens, seeking out a little solitude. She saw her silhouette in the shadows, a tall and toned woman, as she slowly closed the distance.

"Hiding away?" Skylar asked as she walked up beside her.

The woman turned slightly to look at her, as Skylar stared out into the city lights. "There are too many people falling over each other. Also I am way too sober to deal with it." The pretty brunette said, giving Skylar a friendly smile.

"I'm not completely sober, but I'm never drunk enough for that." Skylar laughed.

"Agreed, I don't want to look like a blubbering idiot." she laughed.

"I'm Skylar." Skylar said extending her hand to the woman.

"Annabelle." she responded and shook Skylar's hand.

"So, Annabelle, shall I get us a bottle of something and we have our own party until we feel like joining the crazy ones again?" Skylar offered.

"Sounds pretty good to me." Annabelle smiled and watched Skylar make her way to the lapa.

Skylar grabbed a throw from the couch and a bottle of vodka with lime and some tequila just for the heck of it. She walked back to Annabelle and for a second she stopped to stare, she was indeed a beautiful woman. Her dark curly hair fell to her shoulders, framing her soft face and causing her hazel eyes to shine in the dim light. Her curves were visible under the summer dress, a flat stomach with a well rounded ass and full C cup breasts visible through the fabric.

"I got vodka, lime and tequila. It should keep us busy for a while." Skylar announced as she spread the blanket on the grass.

"Sounds perfect." Annabelle smiled joining Skylar beneath the sparkling sky that spread out before them.

"So what do you do?" Skylar asked after she poured the drinks.

"I'm studying psychology. It's a bitch of a degree." Annabelle smiled, taking a sip.

"I will take your word on that." Skylar agreed.

"And you?" Annabelle asked in turn.

"Studying Literature, I have a passion for writing. If I could study philosophy, I would have majored in that." Skylar sipped her drink.

"So what do you write?" Annabelle's curiosity peaked.

"Mostly tragic love stories of the lesbian variety." Skylar laughed.

"Why tragic love stories?" Annabelle asked, smiling.

"I don't know, it just piques more interest and I am pretty good at playing with people's emotions. Especially making them cry." Skylar responded with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Fair enough." Annabelle smiled, lying back onto the blanket she stared up to the sky. Skylar followed her lead, resting her arms on her sides.

"Wow, the stars are bright tonight." Skylar commented.

"Yeah, can you imagine living in a house like this? Having the money for anything your heart desires?" Annabelle asked absent mindedly.

"It is not as full as you'd think. Money doesn't replace family and love." Skylar said with a wry smile.

"Maybe, but it does make it hurt less." Annabelle retorted.

"In some way, I guess." Skylar said more to herself.

"I wouldn't mind." Annabelle said imagining herself living in a house like this.

They lay in silence for a while, each with their own thoughts. It was Annabelle who broke the peaceful comforting silence as she asked more questions. They shared stories from their childhood, talking as if they had been friends forever and they were simply reminiscing.

"Come on, let's go dance." Annabelle announced holding her hands out to Skylar as she towered over the smaller woman.

"I am a horrible dancer, be warned." Skylar responded, taking her hand as she pulled her up.

They walked to the lapa, laughing all the way to the music. Annabelle took Skylar's hand and led her to the middle of the people dancing. As if her body had its own mind, her body moved to the sound of the music. 'Lyf Teen Lyf' (body against body) by Eden drifted around them. When the chorus hit everyone started jumping and that was something Skylar could do. Annabelle laughed at Skylar who looked like the Easter Bunny bouncing to hide Easter eggs.

They had been dancing for an hour, Annabelle impressed by Skylar, as a trance song began to play. Skylar moved and stepped perfectly to the beat. She knew Skylar was still acting the fool by the way she did it, her legs and feet moving from side to side, in different directions while she bounced up and down.

Annabelle looked at Skylar and tried to remember the last time she had such a good time or the last time she had laughed this hard. She had to do a double take when a man that looked almost identical to Skylar walked up to them.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"I needed some quiet, so I talked to Annabelle." Skylar shouted back.

"Annabelle, this is my twin, Aaron." Skylar shouted as she introduced them.

They shook hands and Jordan stepped into the group and danced with them, Annabelle had double the laughter when she watched the twins together. They moved together as if they could read each other's minds, Skylar dancing crazier than her brother. Annabelle excused herself to use the bathroom, bumping into a classmate on her way.

"I see you have met the hosts." Dana, who sat next to Annabelle in class, noted.

"Who?" Annabelle asked confused.

"The Robertson twins, Skylar and Aaron." Dana answered quickly.

"Wow, I didn't know." Annabelle stared into the crowd.

"Skylar doesn't really mix with people, she tends to keep her distance. Seems like you found a way in, though." Dana said and disappeared.

Skylar walked from the crowd to Annabelle, "Do you want a drink?"

"You live here?" Annabelle blurted out.

"Yeah, I do." Skylar answered, confused.

"So when I went on about wishing I could live in a place like this, why didn't you say anything?" Annabelle asked.

"Because where I live and how much money my parents have doesn't define me as a person. That's why I don't have friends, I only have acquaintances. People stop seeing you as a person and instead they see you as a walking wallet." Skylar retorted.

"Fair enough." Annabelle shrugged.

"So, do you want a drink?" Skylar asked again.

"Sure." Annabelle smiled, she opted to forget what Skylar omitted. After all she'd had a great time so far and she didn't know Skylar yet.

They danced and laughed well into the morning hours. Skylar heard that Annabelle went to the same university and it sparked a conversation about all of the drama that seemed to fillow students. Annabelle and Skylar said their goodbyes as the sun was coming up and when Skylar went to bed she realized that she never asked for Annabelle's number, but figured they would bump into each other on campus.

*******

Two weeks had passed since Skylar had last seen Annabelle and she couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful brunette. Annabelle had been the only thing that Skylar could think of, the way her hips moved to the music and her eyes wrinkled when she laughed. She was on her way home in the summer afternoon downpour when she saw Annabelle scrunched up in her jacket walking in the rain. Skylar turned her Porsche around and stopped next to Annabelle.

"Get in." Skylar shouted after she pushed the door open.

Annabelle looked bewildered but relaxed when she saw Skylar and jumped into the car. "Oh God, I'm gonna get your car all wet."

"It needs a clean, so don't worry about it." Skylar smiled.

"Hi Sky." Annabelle smiled.

"Hey, Anna." Skylar returned the smile. "Put this on, it's dry and will keep you warm."

"Thank you." Annabelle said and started peeling the wet jacket and shirt from her body to put on the offered hoody.

Skylar stared for a second and then looked away as she didn't want to make Annabelle feel uncomfortable. Once Annabelle had pulled the hoody over her head she started driving again.

"Where to?" Skylar asked.

"Emily Hobhouse dorm, please." Annabelle responded.

Skylar turned the heater up and Annabelle held her hands in front of the vent to warm them up.

"How have you been?" Annabelle asked after a few moments of silence.

"Good, just busy with school again, they start out hard." Skylar smiled.

"You're telling me. I mean I barely have time to eat!" Annabelle agreed.

They stopped in front the dorm. "Want to come up for some coffee?" Annabelle asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Skylar switched the car off and grabbed another from behind her seat.

Skylar got out and held the hoody like umbrella above her head and opened the door for Annabelle who joined her under the make shift umbrella. They ran for the stairs and once they were under the roof, they started laughing hysterically. Annabelle led the way upstairs and unlocked the door to her small room, "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back with coffee after I change."

She disappeared out of the door after she grabbed some clothes from her cupboard. Skylar lay on the bed, looking at the pictures that covered the walls. There were a few with Annabelle and her family, always laughing, unlike Skylar's own family portraits. Annabelle returned a few moments later dressed in sweatpants and Skylar's hoody with two mugs in hand.

"I hope you don't mind, it's just so comfortable." Annabelle said, a soft blush coloring her cheeks.

"Not at all, it looks good on you." Skylar said and accepted the coffee.

"It smells like you." Annabelle laughed, realizing that it comforted her.

"Hopefully in a good way." Skylar joked, moving up to allow Annabelle some space on the small bed.

"I wouldn't be wearing it if it smelled bad." Annabelle rolled her eyes.

"So after you left the party I realized I never asked for your number and hoped that I would run into you again." Skylar confessed.

"Me too. I wanted to thank you for an amazing night. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun." Annabelle admitted in turn.

"That makes two of us." Skylar smiled and sipped her coffee.

"Every time I needed a laugh I just pictured you dancing." Annabelle laughed.

"It wasn't that bad." Skylar laughed and felt something trickle from her nose.

She wiped the back of her hand against it and saw blood, 'oh God,' was all Skylar thought.

"Here's a tissue." Annabelle said holding the box to her.

"Thanks." Skylar stood up and bent her head forward to allow the blood to flow out.

"Does that happen often?" Annabelle asked a little concerned.

"Yeah, something about the veins being shallow in my nose." Skylar said in a muffled voice.

Annabelle held her hand and rubbed her back while they waited for the bleeding to subside.

"Thanks." Skylar mumbled and a few minutes later the bleeding stopped.

"Is it better now?" Annabelle asked.

"Yeah I think it stopped." Skylar said, wiping her nose.

They ended up talking for hours before they settled in to watch a DVD, Annabelle snuggling close to Skylar and pulling Skylar's arm around her. It was dark outside when Skylar left as she hugged Annabelle goodbye and made sure they exchanged numbers. Annabelle walked back to her room, feeling lonely all of a sudden. She missed Skylar's arm around her, the safety she felt when Skylar was near and she wondered what that meant. She couldn't figure out the butterflies she felt every time she saw Skylar or the way she would just smile when she thought of her. It was all so confusing to her and she fell asleep with those questions in her mind.

Skylar walked into her house and Aaron and Jordan were lying in front of the TV. "Where have you been?"

"With Annabelle." was all Skylar answered.

Her mind wandered back to Annabelle, the way her heart raced when they were together. She felt so at peace when Annabelle was in her arms, but Skylar had stopped letting people close a long time ago. Yet Annabelle seemed to break through her defenses without even trying. Then she remembered her nose bleed and that made her mood sink.

"Sky? SKY!" Aaron shouted after she ignored him.

"What?" Skylar irritated.

"Something's bothering you." Aaron said staring at her.

"It's nothing." Skylar lied.

"I wish you would stop thinking you can lie to me." Aaron said.

"You know me, you know I don't let people in and somehow Annabelle is breaking through my defenses. Since, well, since everything happened I don't want to let people close and only cause them pain, but I can't fight this." Skylar told him half the truth, if he knew about the nose bleed he would freak.

"Sky, just go with it for once. She might change everything." Aaron offered.

"Yeah, Sky, you deserve some happiness." Jordan agreed.

"I don't know. But I'm gonna turn in, see you tomorrow." Skylar said and walked off.

Annabelle texted her and they made plans for the next day.

******

Skylar could barely focus on her classes the following day, her nose had bled again and she was becoming increasingly worried. But her worries fell short to her thoughts about Annabelle. She couldn't wait to see her later that night, they had agreed on dinner and a movie. Time ticked by very slowly but the closer it got to seeing Annabelle the more butterflies swarmed around in her stomach.

Annabelle was still confused about what she wanted from Skylar. She had wondered about Skylar and why she secluded herself from society. She thought about Skylar increasingly every second, wondered what it would feel like to kiss her and hold her close without any boundaries, but Annabelle was straight so this confused her. Her class ended and her nerves were wracked, she had to get ready for her date with Skylar.