Stormy

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I read once that lightning strikes just once not twice, but it did on the day I met him.
"Stormy." My twin sister called my name.
I turned to her, a tired smile gracing my face. She thrust two magazines in my face.
She tapped her feet, anxiously waiting for my reply, "Well? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"He looks good in the both of them." I told her.
She frowned at me, "Is that all you have to say? It's Jake freaking Austen. He can't just look good. He is absolute perfection." She finished with a dramatic sigh.
"Emerald, leave your sister to rest." My mother said as she came into the room. I gave her a grateful smile before trying to sit up in my hospital bed.

My body screamed at me to stay put but for their sake, I pretended to be stronger than the pain.
I grabbed the two magazines glancing between the two of them, "He looks better in this one."
Emerald nodded, "I know right? I'm thinking of getting his name tattooed to my face."
My mother gave her a look, "You can consider yourself disowned the moment you step into that tattoo shop."

Emerald rolled her eyes, "Please. You don't have a choice but to keep me besides I'll be the only one you have soon." She froze, the impact of her words hanging in the room.
"I didn't mean—"
I stopped her, "It's fine Mer. I know I'm not going to beat it but I will fight for as long as I can."
My mother stood up, the pain evident in her eyes, "We better get going. I heard there is a storm coming. Are you sure you will be okay by yourself?"
I nodded. She bent down kissing me on my forehead. I watched her walk away and I knew the same thought crossed her mind anytime she said goodbye.
"Would it be the last time she would see me alive?"

I wasn't scared. I accepted my fate the third time the cancer came back. I was only holding on so I wouldn't cause my mum and sister pain for as long as I could.
I closed my eyes, my weakened body giving into hands of sleep.
I woke a few hours later to the rain pouring angrily. I wondered if the heaven would weep for me when I took my final breath.

My eyes went to the window, watching the rain pour. The first strike of lightning was unexpected.
Lightning strikes just once not twice so I didn't have to be scared but then the second one came hitting the exact same spot and before I knew it, I let out a scream.
"It's just a little lighting."
My head turned as fast as my tired body could carry it.

I blinked. Had the stories I read about finally become my reality? Emerald had left her magazine and I couldn't be mistaken unless I was dreaming. Jake Austen was standing in front of me.
The twenty two year old famous artist with the voice of an angel. The only man on the planet Emerald was obsessed with.

He furrowed his eyebrows, a frown gracing his face, "Why do you look so pale?"
I snapped out of it, my eyes narrowing, "You don't see me complaining about how huge your head is."
He frowned even more, "Don't you know who I am?"

I folded my arms, the movement sensing a fresh wave of pain through my body, "And I'm supposed to care because?"
He stepped into my hospital room.
"Excuse you, I didn't say you can come in." I kept my glare intact.
"Do you know how many girls would kill you be in your position right now?"

"Why don't you go be around." I air quoted the "those girls then? What are you even doing here in the face place? Aren't you supposed to be in some sort of celebrity acting all famous?"
He sighed, running a hand through his head.
I had looked at myself in the mirror severally to recognize the look in his eyes. Unlike the perfect face I saw on every magazine my sister thrust in my face, he looked tired.

"Look, I think we got off on the wrong side. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you pale. I'm just having a really bad day. Make that bad year actually."
I kept quiet, keeping the glare on my face.
His eyes went down the magazines on my bed, "For someone that is a fan, you don't seem too excited to meet me."

I rolled my eyes, "Please. I'm not. They belong to my sister. I don't even know what she sees in you."
He flinched and I felt bad but before I could apologize he spoke, "You are right."
He laughed but it held no humor, "I haven't written a single song in two years. Then my manager went to promise I would be dropping a new album in two months and my life basically is all just messed up. I was supposed to come here and pretend like I'm excited to see sick people and I'm honestly just tried."

I didn't know what to say so we kept quiet, both of us just staring at rain still beating the ground angrily. Without an warning a third lightning struck.
I yelped holding my blanket tighter.
"That's the third time." Jake whispered, "That's the third time it's striking the same spot-"
"And lightning is meant to strike just once not even twice." I completed for him.

We went silent again.
"Why haven't you written in two years?"
He turned to me, "Honestly I don't know. The lyrics used to flow so easily when I was just writing because I loved music and then I became famous, all those songs sold and I lost touch of my connection to the soul of music. I have tried to get it back but no matter what I do, it's like it is just gone."

"Maybe I should stop trying then. I mean in the end, we are all going to fade to nothing so what's the point of it?"
"I'm an eighteen year old girl with cancer. I don't remember a point in my life when I didn't have to worry about being sick but I wake up every morning and I fight because even though I know I won't win, I know that I at least tried."
He looked into my eyes and for a moment I thought I was the character in a story and the world stopped.
"What is your name?"
"Stormy." I said sniffling a yawn.
He finally smiled and he looked like the boy from the magazine.
"It suits you." That was the last thing I heard before I surrendered to sleep.
I woke up the next day and just like the lightning, he was gone. It was almost as if I dreamt it except for his autograph on the two magazines on my bed.

Three months later
I felt it the moment I opened my eye that day. I knew that would be the last day I would open my eyes again. Emerald rushed in.
"Stormy. You need to see this." As usual us thrust her phone in my face. My mum glared at her, but I smiled anyway.
Jake Austen's beautiful face came on my screen and he was talking.
"For a moment there I thought I lost it, and then during a lightning storm, I met a girl."
He was still talking but I got so tired.

"You were right. He is really gorgeous." I whispered.
They say twins can sense each other's energy so I knew she knew.
She turned off her phone as the first set of tears escaped her eyes. Her voice quivered, "He named his new album Storm."
I smiled but I knew it was so weak. My Mum come to my side and I wished with all my heart that I could keep fighting for them but I was just so tired and it hurt so much.
I squeezed my sister's hands with the last strength I had, "Tell Jake that I'm glad he didn't stop trying and I really love you guys."
I heard them whisper the words back as I closed my eyes and for the first time in over fifteen years, I finally felt it. I finally felt peace.

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