DzŠƒ–ǯ•‹‡ǡdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǤDz‘™…‘‡›‘—ǯ”‡ƒ––Š‡Š‘•’‹–ƒŽǡ [Unremarkable Classmate]-—ǫdz ǯ†„ƒ”‡Ž›‡š…Šƒ‰‡†ƒˆ‡™™‘”†•™‹–Š her before this moment, and I knew nothing about her except she was cheerful and bubbly, completely unlike me. I was taken aback; someone she barely knew had come into knowledge of her serious illness. How, then, could she wear such a brave smile? I decid‡†–‘’”‡–‡†Šƒ†ǯ–”‡ƒ†ƒ›‘ˆ‹–Ǥ–™‘—Ž†„‡ˆ‘”–Š‡„‡•–Ȅ both for me and her. DzŠƒ†›ƒ’’‡†‹š”‡‘˜‡†Žƒ•–™‡‡ǡdz•ƒ‹†ǤDzŠƒ†–‘‰‡––Š‡ •–‹–…Š‡•–ƒ‡‘—–Ǥdz DzŠǡ•‡‡ǤŠ‡›Šƒ†–‘”—•‘‡–‡•–•‘›’ƒ…”‡ƒ•Ǥˆ–Š‡†‘…–‘”• †‘ǯ–‡‡’ƒ‡›‡‘‹–ǡǯŽŽ†‹‡Ǥdz What was she doing? I was trying to be considerate, and she was shattering my efforts. I tried, unsuccessfully, to read her expression and figure out her true intentions. Her smile deepened, and she flopped onto the couch next to me. Dz•–Šƒ–•—…Šƒ•—”’”‹•‡ǫdz•Š‡ƒ•‡†ǤŠ‡ǡƒ•…ƒ•—ƒŽŽ›ƒ•‹ˆ•Š‡™‡”‡ ”‡…‘‡†‹‰ƒ›‘”ƒŽ‘˜‡Žǡ•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡDz‘—•–ƒ”–‡†”‡ƒ†‹‰‹–ǡ†‹†ǯ– youȄ‹˜‹‰™‹–Š›‹‰ǫdz I thought, ‘–Šƒ–ǯ•™Šƒ––Š‹•‹•Ȅjust some practical joke. It just happened to be me who took the bait. That we were passing acquaintances was just coincidence. DzŽŽ”‹‰Š–ǡǯŽŽ…‘‡…Ž‡ƒǡdz•Š‡•–ƒ”–‡†•ƒ›‹‰ǤŠ‹•™ƒ•‹–Ǥ‹‡–‘ ”‡˜‡ƒŽ–Š‡Œ‘‡ǤDz‘—…ƒ—‰Š–‡„›•—”’”‹•‡ǤŠ‡”‡ƒŽ‹œ‡†›„‘‘™ƒ• missing, I came here frantically s‡ƒ”…Š‹‰ˆ‘”‹–ǡƒ†ˆ‹†›‘—Š‘Ž†‹‰‹–Ǥdz Š‡™ƒ•Ž‘•‹‰‡ǤDzŠƒ–ǯ•–Š‹•ƒŽŽƒ„‘—–ǫdz Dz›„‘‘ǤLiving with Dying. You were reading it. I started writing in ‹–ǡ‹†‘ˆŽ‹‡ƒŒ‘—”ƒŽǡƒˆ–‡”ˆ‘—†‘—–ƒ„‘—–›’ƒ…”‡ƒ•Ǥdz DzŠ‹•‹•ƒŒ‘‡ǡ”‹‰Š–ǫdz She let out a roaring laugh, undeterred by the hushed hospital setting. Dz —•–Š‘™†ƒ”ƒ•‡•‡‘ˆŠ—‘”†‘›‘—–Š‹Šƒ˜‡ǫ‘‡–™‹•–‡†’”ƒ –Šƒ–™‘—Ž†„‡Ǥ‘ǡ™Šƒ–™”‘–‡‹•”‡ƒŽǤ›’ƒ…”‡ƒ•†‘‡•ǯ–™‘”ǡƒ†ǯ ‰‘‹‰–‘†‹‡•‘‘ǤŠƒ–ǯ•™Šƒ–‹–‹•Ǥdz I paused for a beat that stretched on to something longer. DzŠǡ‘ƒ›ǡdz•ƒ‹†Ǥ DzŠƒ–ǫdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡ•‘—†‹‰†‹•ƒ’’‘‹–‡†ǤDzŠƒ–ǯ•ƒŽŽ›‘—Šƒ˜‡–‘•ƒ›ǫdz