Chapter 19
being the diligent waiter that he is, and left them on their own for awhile.
"He's cute," Anya remarked, smiling cheekily at Gaby.
She nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "He is," she gushed. "He reminds me
of Sean for some reason."
"Ugh!" Anya groaned. "Not Sean! He's too cold and he's butt ugly!"
Gaby swatted Anya`s hand angrily. "Take that back! Sean isn't ugly! He's
cute!"
"Sorry," Anya muttered under her breath. She didn't find Sean cute in any
way. She met him once and thought that he was too quiet and insensitive.
Anya saw all the signs Gaby was flashing but he was just too caught up in
his own little world to stop and take notice that her cousin was in love
with him! I always wonder what she found in him that is so endearing, she
mused. Well, I guess he must be some kind of a friend if Gaby cares for him
like that.
Gaby cleared her throat. "Let's forget about Sean, ok? I'm so over him. I
just wish he was still my friend." She clenched her fists and took a deep
breath. "I'm hungry," she stated, changing the topic as it was making her sad.
Anya nodded. "Me, too! I could eat a horse!"
"You can't do that! I love horses! You can't eat any horses! And we don't
serve horse meat in here!" Shane rattled from behind her back. He was
smiling from ear to ear, obviously pleased with his humor.
"Funny," she said sarcastically. She eyed the tray full of food. "Looks
yummy to me!"
"Yeah," Gaby affirmed, rubbing her tummy. "Burger and chips sounds fab! And
pasta as well!"
Shane laid the food on the table and sat beside Anya so he could get a
better glimpse of Gaby. She looks better now than the other day, Shane
quietly thought. She's got colour on her cheeks and her eyes aren't so tired
looking. And her lips, he paused and reverted his eyes back to her lips, her
lips look so soft and inviting and….
"Shane!" Gaby shouted. "What the hell are you doing, zoning out like that?"
Anya and Gaby were laughing at him.
"What did you just ask me?" he shook his head to dislodge the picture of
Gaby`s lips in his head.
"I was asking you what Ronan's great surprise was!"
"Oh," he looked away and then flashed them a sweet huge smile. "We're in
the Guinness Book of World Records and we're worth more than the Spice
Girls! Yay!" he narrated excitedly. "So as a gift, besides this eight-week
long vacation, he wanted us lads to get together and throw a massive party!"
"That is sooo great," Gaby gushed, leaning forward to hug Shane. Anya
smiled and congratulated him, too.
Gaby noticed Anya`s unusual quietness. She was usually very talkative and
entertaining but today, she was in a quite dreamy mood. She studied her
cousin slyly for a minute, watching her artful gazes and the way she ran her
hands through her shiny black hair. Oh God! Gaby exclaimed to herself. Anya
has a thing for Shane!
"Why are you smiling like a Cheshire cat, Gaby?" Anya asked nervously. Did
she catch me staring at Shane? Was I that obvious? She asked herself,
cracking her knuckles tensely.
Shane looked up and studied Anya. She had the same eyes as Gaby`s---big
dark eyes but with curlier lashes, her lips were pouty and red. Her hair
reached past her shoulders and glinted when the rays of the sun hit it. He
blushed when he saw Anya staring back at him with a questioning look.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"It's ok," she said quietly, turning her eyes to Gaby. "Whatever it is
you've noticed, keep it to yourself!" She knows, Anya thought. She knows I
have a thing for Shane.
They ate silently with the occasional chattering. Several people have
arrived for their usual snacks. Gaby leaned her head back. She tried to
focus on Shane's head but her gaze won't steady. Her head was throbbing
intensely, pulsating like a mad jackhammer. She grasped the soft seat whilst
gritting her teeth. "Shit!" she muttered under her breath. Her throat felt
clogged. A vomit was coming up, she knew. She bolted right up, her hands on
her mouth, and ran to the restroom.
"Gaby!" Anya and Shane both shouted after her, fear evident in their voices.
"I see she told you," Anya stated, looking straight into his eyes.
He nodded. A thousand and ten thoughts ran through his head. What's
happening to her? I saw her looking hurt and in pain. "She told me she has
brain cancer when we were in the air plane together. How'd you know?"
"Because I saw the fear in your eyes when she stood up. I heard the fear in
your voice when you shouted her name."
"I can't understand why she's out here when she should be getting
treatments so she would get better," Shane said, letting out all the
thoughts bothering him.
"She's been through several chemotherapy and a surgery. She took steroids
for four months for her chemotherapy but she stopped because it was giving
her nasty side effects. My uncle and aunt were very much against the idea of
ceasing the intake of medicine but they couldn't enforce it to her. It is
her body after all, she says. She doesn't want to be treated anymore, that's
what she told me. She lost hope she'd ever get better. The doctors where
unsuccessful in taking out the entire tumor during her first and last
surgery. There were some that couldn't be taken out because it could cause
serious damage. Her parents wanted her to have treatments again but she
declined strongly. She told me if she's going to die, then she will.
Instead, she told her parents she wants to travel. I invited her. She
agreed. So she's here."
"She's awfully brave. She knows what she wants," Shane admiringly said. "I
wish I could do something."
Anya smiled, her eyes crinkling. "She's really brave. But sometimes I wish
she wouldn't be so stubborn and get a treatment to take out the tumor or
something so she'd get better. She's so adamant not to be treated again. I
know she knows she's dying. I don't know if she's in denial or just trying
to live a normal life. I'm so scared for her." Tears started to escape her
eyes so she blinked them back.
Shane reached across the table and squeezed her hands. "I am scared too.
You must think it's insane for me to care so much about her when I know her
for only 3 days. But I do care for her, truly."
She nodded. "I know what you mean."
Several minutes later, Gaby came back. She took the seat beside Shane. A
fake smile was plastered on her pale face. Her eyes were bloodshot and she
looked tired. Her hair looked like she just rolled out of the bed.
"Are you ok?" Shane asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, I am. I think I bit on a garlic that's why I threw up."
Anya snorted. "Yeah right!"
"Whatever, Anya," Gaby brushed. She wasn't in the mood to fight. Her head
was still throbbing but not as hard as it was a couple of minutes ago. She
was sorely tempted to take in her medicine, a bottle of prescribed
painkillers that makes the pain go away, that she carries in case of
unbearable headaches, but she didn't. The pill makes her so groggy and tired
and she didn't want any of that. She didn't need any medicines.
"Do you wanna go home now?" Anya asked worriedly.
She shook her head. "Nope, I'm having fun right here, sitting beside my
Shaney!"
Shane looked at her distressfully. "Are you sure, Gaby? I can drive you
guys home if you want."
"What is it with you guys?" she hissed, her temper flaring. "So I am having
a horrible headache and I vomited! What's the big deal? I don't want to go
home!" she stood up and dashed to the door and left them staring after her.
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