with his friends, some distance away, and I wondered what I should do. All around me, people were talking and having fun. All of a sudden, Phillip was making eye contact with me and he winked. I stood there, gaping. Then he took a few slow, deliberate steps to reach me and I realized my heart was racing and my breath was coming fast and hot.
“ Are you a virgin, Alyssa ? ”
Hot, hot breath in my ear. I nodded; my heart was pounding too hard for me to say anything .“ Le t’ s undo that, shall we ?” He turned me around and made me face him. He looked even more handsome up close. Phillip had the sort of face that was old-fashionably handsome. He had blue eyes the colour of the monsoon sky, hair the darkest brown imaginable and a body that was perfectly muscular: not too much, not too less .“ Okay ,” I breathed. I mus t’ ve looked scared because once we reached my bedroom; he looked into my eyes and reminded me to breathe. I took a deep breath and entered. He followed and I decided to clarify something .“ Phillip, I do n’ t know anything. I do n’ t know how to- how to do anything. This is my very first time .” He smiled at me .“ This is my first time too ,” He reached out one hand and motioned for me to take it. I did, and he pulled me to his body and just touched his lips to mine.
“ You do n’ t have any disease, right? Like, AIDS or anything ? ”
He chuckled and shook his head.
Then we just stood there for a while, our lips touching the tiniest bit. Then he crushed his lips down on mine, passion close to fury raging in both our eyes. After that, it just came naturally.
the middle
Phillip
Alyssa fell asleep at once, after we did it, but not before she told me how grateful she was that I was doing this for her. I just could n’ t help thinking how fast it was all going. I was falling in love with a girl who was dying of cancer; a girl who would be dead after a month. I took one look at the peaceful, sleeping woman curled by my side, and my heart melted. I would do anything, take her anywhere in this month. Alyssa was a beautiful woman, in my view. She had red hair that came till the curve of her back and green eyes that were so clear I could see my own face in them. Her nose was this little snub that was upturned at the end. I’ ve noticed females, but only those who were considered the cream of the crop, the ones with long legs, blonde hair, blue eyes and big boobs. But this girl made me ignore them all.
When she woke up in the morning, she looked up at me and smiled .“ Good morning ,” she said. I smiled back, truly terrified that she would see through me. I never thought I would fall so hard for a girl I thought I was only doing a favour for .“ What do you want to do today ?” I asked her. I made a silent promise to myself to show her the time of her life this month. She would die a happy woman .“ Sleep ,” She murmured sleepily.
“ Ha-ha. Good luck, sleepyhead. I’ m going to take you out today, make you so tired you wo n’ t even dream tonight. Be prepared .” I promised her .“ Really ?” She blinked up at me. I nodded .“ So. Name your very first goal . ”
“ Get married .” She said .“ Tha t’ s done, wha t’ s next ? ”
“ Uh. I think it wa s… sexual intercourse .” She said, and blushed. I resisted the urge to laugh .“ Okay. After that ? ”
She hesitated, and I knew it was something that was n’ t entirely possible. She said it anyway .“ Children ,” she said and averted her eyes. I knew they were filled with tears even when I could n’ t see her eyes .“ Oh, Alyssa .” I murmured and took her in my arms. I could give her joy, happiness and anything she wanted for only so long, before this mysterious cancer killed her. Wetness spread on my shoulder and I realized she was crying, sobbing, almost.
“ It hurts, Phillip, it hurts so bad .” She sobbed into my shoulder, and I felt a hollow pit in my stomach, tenderness for this
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