freezer, but when he brought the jar to me and I saw the flies trapped inside, their little lighted bodies going dim, I started to cry.
“What's wrong?” he said.
“It's sad,” I said. “They don't hurt anyone. They're so gentle. And now scientists are going to experiment on them.”
Jesse said, “They're insects. They have no nerve endings or higher brains.”
I kept crying and said, “I don't care. It just doesn't seem fair that they should die.”
Jesse said, “They don't have to die.” Then he unscrewed the lid and let them all go.
I felt stupid because I'd made him throw away spending money. I said, “I'm sorry.”
And he said, “I promise I will never catch fireflies again, because they should never be held against their will, or frozen and dissected, even if it is for the good of science.”
I wondered if he was poking fun at me for being so silly about an insect, but when I looked into his beautiful blue eyes, I saw that he was serious. He'd held the power of life and death over them but had released them, allowing them to live on, to please me. And while we watched them fly off into the night, I got the feeling that we weren't really talking about fireflies at all, but about mercy and kindness and doing something nice just because you can.
September 7 (one of the worst and BEST days ever!)
We took Jesse to the airport today at noon. When we came home, I locked myself in my room and had a good cry. I'm going to miss him so much! I already feel like there's a big hole inside me because he's gone. I think he might like me too. (I hope.)
Here's exactly what happened. Mom dropped us off and went to park the car so that Jesse could check in. We waited in line together, and after Jesse checked in, we hung around the terminal, becausewe both knew that once he went through the metal detectors it was really goodbye. (Mom had told me she'd park and come inside to look for me at the check-in counters.) Jesse held my hand and I tried to act cheerful and not to cry even though there was a lump in my throat the size of a tennis ball.
He said, “I really had a good time.”
I said, “Me too. Thanks for coming.”
He said, “Can I come again someday?”
I said, “Will you? Maybe next summer. You think?”
He said, “Maybe.”
A tear trickled down my cheek and he wiped it off. He said, “I'll e-mail and write. You too?”
All I could do was nod, because I didn't want to bawl like a baby.
He headed toward security to wait in line and pass through. The line was moving slowly, but not too slow for me, because I didn't want him to leave. He was almost at the front of the line when he turned and hurried back to me. I stared, wondering what was going on. He said, “I forgot something.”
“What?” I asked.
Then he grabbed me and kissed me right on the mouth! Before I could react, he turned and raced back to security, threw his backpack on the conveyor belt, and went through the detectors withoutsetting off any alarms. Except for the one inside my heart. It was ringing like crazy. Everyone around us was watching, and I know I must have turned twenty shades of red. Here I was, standing in Hartsfield Airport with hundreds of people heading off to their flights, and I, Melinda Skye, fourteen for only a week, had experienced my first real kiss in front of God and everybody.
Today, Jesse kissed me, fast and hard, and it felt wonderful. Best of all, he meant it with all his heart. Tomorrow, I'll tell Bailey. Tonight, it belongs to just me.
MELINDA'S DIARY
Friday the 13th
Chemo sucks. It took an hour and it hurt. The only thing that saved the day was visiting my old floor and saying hi to the kids. Keisha has gone home. But I saw three new faces of kids who've checked in since I left.
Cancer sucks too. Especially when it picks on little kids. I'm tired now and don't feel much like writing.
TO: All Concerned
Subject: Outpatient Chemo Begins
This has been a hard week for our little girl. Her friend
“What's wrong?” he said.
“It's sad,” I said. “They don't hurt anyone. They're so gentle. And now scientists are going to experiment on them.”
Jesse said, “They're insects. They have no nerve endings or higher brains.”
I kept crying and said, “I don't care. It just doesn't seem fair that they should die.”
Jesse said, “They don't have to die.” Then he unscrewed the lid and let them all go.
I felt stupid because I'd made him throw away spending money. I said, “I'm sorry.”
And he said, “I promise I will never catch fireflies again, because they should never be held against their will, or frozen and dissected, even if it is for the good of science.”
I wondered if he was poking fun at me for being so silly about an insect, but when I looked into his beautiful blue eyes, I saw that he was serious. He'd held the power of life and death over them but had released them, allowing them to live on, to please me. And while we watched them fly off into the night, I got the feeling that we weren't really talking about fireflies at all, but about mercy and kindness and doing something nice just because you can.
September 7 (one of the worst and BEST days ever!)
We took Jesse to the airport today at noon. When we came home, I locked myself in my room and had a good cry. I'm going to miss him so much! I already feel like there's a big hole inside me because he's gone. I think he might like me too. (I hope.)
Here's exactly what happened. Mom dropped us off and went to park the car so that Jesse could check in. We waited in line together, and after Jesse checked in, we hung around the terminal, becausewe both knew that once he went through the metal detectors it was really goodbye. (Mom had told me she'd park and come inside to look for me at the check-in counters.) Jesse held my hand and I tried to act cheerful and not to cry even though there was a lump in my throat the size of a tennis ball.
He said, “I really had a good time.”
I said, “Me too. Thanks for coming.”
He said, “Can I come again someday?”
I said, “Will you? Maybe next summer. You think?”
He said, “Maybe.”
A tear trickled down my cheek and he wiped it off. He said, “I'll e-mail and write. You too?”
All I could do was nod, because I didn't want to bawl like a baby.
He headed toward security to wait in line and pass through. The line was moving slowly, but not too slow for me, because I didn't want him to leave. He was almost at the front of the line when he turned and hurried back to me. I stared, wondering what was going on. He said, “I forgot something.”
“What?” I asked.
Then he grabbed me and kissed me right on the mouth! Before I could react, he turned and raced back to security, threw his backpack on the conveyor belt, and went through the detectors withoutsetting off any alarms. Except for the one inside my heart. It was ringing like crazy. Everyone around us was watching, and I know I must have turned twenty shades of red. Here I was, standing in Hartsfield Airport with hundreds of people heading off to their flights, and I, Melinda Skye, fourteen for only a week, had experienced my first real kiss in front of God and everybody.
Today, Jesse kissed me, fast and hard, and it felt wonderful. Best of all, he meant it with all his heart. Tomorrow, I'll tell Bailey. Tonight, it belongs to just me.
MELINDA'S DIARY
Friday the 13th
Chemo sucks. It took an hour and it hurt. The only thing that saved the day was visiting my old floor and saying hi to the kids. Keisha has gone home. But I saw three new faces of kids who've checked in since I left.
Cancer sucks too. Especially when it picks on little kids. I'm tired now and don't feel much like writing.
TO: All Concerned
Subject: Outpatient Chemo Begins
This has been a hard week for our little girl. Her friend
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