It had been about a year since their first meeting and Hazel had a special surprise for Oliver. It was mid October and the leaves were a beautiful painting of fire and honey. There was an especially pretty place in the woods behind their neighborhood and she was planning a picnic. She had a pink quilt and raspberry tea in a thermos (Oliver had scared Hazel out of Starbucks with a plethora of health problems their coffee could cause). She borrowed her grandma's old picnic basket and filled it to the brim with cheese and homemade pastries(another newfound skill).

For the past few weeks Hazel had been especially busy with work and school and had been ghosting Oliver in an attempt to catch up on lost sleep.

 She hoped and prayed that he would come when she sent the text. Crossing her fingers that it would end well.

“Hey I have a surprise for you! 4:00pm at the old oak tree??

xoxo”

 Her phone only had fifteen minutes of battery left by the time he replied.

“On my way now”.

When he got the text he had just gotten home from work. It was a cool Saturday afternoon and the bright blue fall sky was painting the air. 

Oliver internally cheered at the news. Hazel wasn't mad at him for the last few weeks of not talking. It had been awkward since he had learned that his asthma had worsened. Knowing Hazel, she would find a way to blame herself the second she heard about it.

The invitation was the perfect chance to make it up to her. He ran around his house, trying to find the gift that he had made. It was a little purple glass vial he had blown himself. It was full of bubble solution that smelled like citrus. 

He wrapped a silver chain around the cork wand. It had a small little pendant made of two miniscule stones, a pearl for Hazel and a fleck of turquoise for him. The second reason he hasn't talked to her recently was that he had gotten an actual job so his Dad could focus on the rest of the kids.

Oliver had been trying to catch his breath for the past two days, but it was 3:28. Oliver checked his phone and instantly regretted it. He had completely forgotten to text back. Three minutes later he was opening the garage and pushing his bike out onto the street. His little blue bottle sat sadly on his desk next to his other forgotten belongings.

Hazel had been waiting for about twenty minutes up on the hill. She tried to text. No answer. She called. Just a voicemail. She wasn't worried though. He probably just turned off his phone.

Oliver finally reached the start of the overgrown path and jumped off his bike and into the woods. The air was freezing and bit his throat and lungs like an angry dog but he still ran as fast as he could. He had used the inhaler before he left anyway. He was fine.

Hazel rearranged the food again. Feeling restless she decided to climb up the old oak tree.  She hoisted herself up into a crook in the rough limbs and waited.

A cool breeze blew into her face and she regretted not bringing a warmer sweater.

Oliver jumped over the little stream and finally made it to the foot of the hill when he started to really feel the burn. His chest was tight and the air felt thin as he hobbled up the hill. Did I actually use the inhaler? No, it's just that I'm on a hill. He thought. Whatever, I'll just use the emergency one when I get to the top. Just gotta get to Hazel.

When she saw him at first she wanted to crack a fun joke about how awkwardly he was walking. But then in an instant everything changed. In a small moment, the summer dream came crashing down like hail.

 He fell to his knees and tried to call her name. Hazel practically fell out of the tree. Her mind overwhelmed her body with panic as she ran towards his slumped body. Her palms and knees were skinned and stung but she didn't care. She needed to get to Oliver.

“Oliver, where's your inhaler! Oliver!”, she yelled.

He gasped for air. He pointed to his backpack that had fallen to his side. 

Hazel ripped in open and dumped out the contents. A little purple vial smashed on the ground and soaked a dictionary. a headphones case tumbled out. There were rpg miniatures, school papers, pens, a sketchbook. 

But no inhaler.

Oliver wasn't getting any better. He wheezed and desperately tried to breath but all that happened was his lungs burned a bit more.

“Oliver, it's not here! Oh lord what do I do!¨ 

Hazel grabbed her phone out of her back pocket and to her dismay it only had a few minutes of battery power left. She rushed to call 911 as Oliver tried to breath.

¨It's gonna be alright, It's gonna be fine! Everything's alright!¨

Hazel's eyes started to pool with tears as the operator picked up. 

“911 what is your emergency?” Asked a woman who clearly hadn't gotten an actual call in a very long time.

“Me and my boyfriend are in the woods behind the Eastcreek development and he's having an asthma attack and he doesn't have an inhaler. He can't breathe and I don't know what to do!” Hazel screamed back between gushes of tears.

The woman's dry tone instantly changed to focus as she responded. “Okay, stay calm, where exactly is your location?”

“Go behind the bright yellow house at the back of the development and there is an overgrown path. Follow that over the stream and you'll come to a clearing where there is a big hill with only one huge bright red oak tree,” Hazel shot back. Trying to keep herself from passing out too.

“Okay you're gonna have to-” Hazel pulled the phone away from her face and swore. Her phone was dead and her boyfriend was dying. 

She turned back to him. He was just getting worse. His lips had turned blue and his eyes were wide as he choked. It was all so unreal. Like some sort of  twisted dream. The same boy who she had always known to be calm and to breathe easy. Dying as his own body betrayed him. 

 Hazel couldn't help him that much but she had to try. She pulled him off the ground as tears soaked her shirt and matted into her hair. She sat him up against her body as he tried to breath.

“Come on Oliver! You gotta breathe! You can't stop!¨ she sobbed.

But Oliver’s pulse was still way too fast and his lips were getting bluer. He clumsily grabbed Hazel by the chin to force her to look at him. His eyes were red and sleepy looking but he smiled weakly at her. He grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. 

¨Oliver let go! You need to breathe!¨ Hazel screamed. Trying to push him off without hurting him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, refusing to let go. He rested his head on her shoulder and she felt him stop gasping for air. 

“Don't joke around like this Oliver! It's not funny!” she squeaked, shaking his body.

Why did people always have to do this! Even when they were on the verge of death they still found a way to make it their fault. They shouldn’t be guilty for the universe being a scumbag!

¨GET UP YOU STUPID HIPPIE BOY!¨, she cried. Desperately trying to find a pulse. ¨You don't just give up and leave!¨.

She shook him. Nothing. She tried to find a heartbeat. Silent. She tried to do something. It was all useless.

Hazel buried her face in his empty chest and wailed. ¨What is wrong with you, you stupid idiot! Please just get up!¨

Dispatcher: Dispatch team 003 any updates on the situation?

Responder: Yeah. After getting stuck behind the pileup on the highway we went to the wrong side of the development and when we actually found the right place Andy.. fell in the creek

Dispatcher: Keh! Seriously? That hilarious

Responder: Be quite Andrew. Were coming up to the area the caller described. 

Dispatcher: Alright… and?

Responder:There's a girl, ‘bout 16. Sobbing her eyes out but I don't see anyone else

Dispatcher: Yeah that sounds right. Wouldn't be surprised if she has some sort of schizophrenia and started panicking for no reason before her call was cut off.ughhh!

Nothing interesting ever happens here. Am I right?

Responder: ...

Dispatcher: Hello? You there Clover?

Responder: Oh lord…

Dispatcher: Hello? Is something wrong? She threw something at Andy? 

Responder: Ummm…oh, she wasn't lying. She's crying over the guy corpse… very much so dead

Dispatcher: Oh lord..Oh my lord! Seriously? Oh crud *inaudible most likely swearing*

Responder: Yeah this kids already stiffening up. Walt says he probably started having the attack about 3  hours ago. 

Dispatcher: ...

Responder: We're trying to get her off him and to calm down before she hurts herself. Other than that there's nothing we can do.

Dispatcher: ...oh gosh*inaudible muttering* 

Responder: *sniff*I know. I know honey. You gotta let go though*sniff*. I know but you gotta get off him.*inaudible chatter*. It's okay. It's gonna be alright. I know

Dispatcher: Oh gosh… any updates?

Responder: I'll talk to you in a bit. Can't get the kid to calm down yet but we pulled her off her boyfriend.

Dispatcher: Oh lord.

Responder: Alright.. How bout your house after the shifts are done?

Dispatcher: Yeah.

Responder: So…I'll give you an update in a while.*Click*

4 ⅓ years later..

The outdated ceiling fan blew cold air in her face. The grease covered clock in the corner read 10:24 pm and the open sign was out. The worn booths all smelled like cheap cleaner and the chairs and tables were pressed against the wall. At the counter there was a display case of cheap pastries and juices that probably had more corn syrup in them than actual juice. 

The small little cafe in a nook of a huge city was seemingly lifeless. Probably because it was. A young woman scrubbed furiously at the floor with a sad looking yellow sponge. Her bland hair was grayed and thrown into a too tight bun while her clothing loosely hung to hide a skeletal frame. She had creased up concealer covering her dark circles and thick massacra to hide empty eyes. 

She once was much different. An amazing swimmer in perfect health. With lovely cherry red hair and beautiful bottle green eyes, living in a small town where everyone knew each other along with her 3 younger brothers and parents. 

Up until her junior year she was like this. No one really knew why she changed so much. Why she moved away, never went college and worked 4 jobs to live in an apartment a hair away from being a dumpster fire. If you spent enough time listening to the gossip around her hometown, you could probably piece together something sort of resembling the truth.

“She killed her boyfriend,” one sour old lady would spit. “Oh yes, I heard she became a full blown terrorist afterward. Burglary, blackmail, forgery of money. You name it. She did it,” one mid aged woman with too much plastic surgery might say.

 “Are you sure? I saw them together. A match made in heaven they were. And he died of an asthma attack, I thought.” One of the husbands who dared to speak might add, earning him a handful of dagger-like glares.

The air smelled like delicious lavender cleaner as she finished up the last few tiles. It made her want to go home to a nonexistent bed with nonexistent cloud like sheets and a nonexistent friend to make her feel like she was more than that one person who always pulls the late shift at a crummy cafe.

She started to let her mind wander but it was all a strange blur of memories streaking past like a river.

After years of practice she held back the urge to jump into the water. The past was permanent so remembering had no use.

When the woman finally came back to earth she realized that the entire room was filled with pearly bubbles. She swore. Must have used too much soap. Those bubbles would be such a pain to clean. Bubbles. Her mind began to wander again. 

Past the thick walls of her present and into the dense forest of the past. Deep within the twisted briars she found a bitter sweet little flower. Cool purple buds and olive stems with a soothing aroma. Olive and lavender. She thought sleepily. She came to the river again and walked down to where it met the sea. She hesitated for a moment, and she dove.

She went deeper and deeper to the cool black ocean where the chlorine bleached pools sat. There was a young man sitting by the edge. His face was blurry but she could see him blowing bubbles out of a little blue jar. He smiled at the woman. He motioned for her to come closer. Offering a little purple bubble jar. 

She tried to reach for him but he suddenly went into a coughing fit and fell into the pool. Air bubbles came to the surface for a moment. She tried desperately to pull him up but it all went dark.

She was back in the cafe again. But this time tears streaked her empty face.

And then she saw it. A big, bright, pearly bubble flew down to her. It had such a delicate beauty that she stood completely still in fear that one single move may cause it to shatter.

It had letters in it. Slowly they arrange into the words ‘miss you’. The woman couldn't believe her eyes as the bubble burst into a thousand diamond tears. Another took its place. A single heart. Then the other bubbles all began to fall together into a figure. Finally the heart fell into its center and the small room was filled with a burst of warm light.

It was him. He was different though. All bright like sun rays and with exotic white wings springing from his shoulder. He ran over to her and wrapped her up in the most loving hug she had ever felt. Like hot chocolate running down your throat while being wrapped in a warm towel.

She weakly smiled through tears as he held her close. Not letting herself believe it was just a hallucination from sleep deprivation and cigarette smoke.

“I’m so sorry I left you so soon,” he cried. “I should have never put so much weight on your shoulders. I wanted to stay with you for so much more but I just hurt you worse than anything else could. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before.. I’m sorry I left you alone like that!”

Tears like sapphires poured from his eyes as he spoke. His voice getting higher and higher.

The girl just sat there and hugged him tighter. Not having to fear that he would break, but praying he was real and not a sign she needed more caffeine. 

His tears fell down his cheek and into her hair. They smelled like flowers and soaked her scalp. But she just held him closer as he spoke again.

“I can’t stay here forever. I wish I could, but this time you don't have to be left alone. You can come up with me and we can stay together forever. In death I can give you the life you deserve!” There was an excited tone to his voice now. He talked so quickly he clumsily stumbled over words.

It was all her fantasy coming to life in an instant. He was offering her a dream. What was a little bit of death going to do but make her happy? The words were about to roll off her tongue. ¨Yes! Please take me with you!¨ she would say. And then they would leave this tragedy of a place to go somewhere better.

But there was a small voice in the back of her mind. It was firm and clear as it grew bigger and bigger. ¨dont leave yet¨ it said. ¨Everyone is going to die at some point. You have so much more time here. Don't let your life go to waste. You'll be back with him someday but now's not the time¨. She wanted to strangle the voice, It sounded like her grandmother.

“You shouldn't waste the life he didn't get a chance to live”

The woman hated to admit it but the voice had a point. She desperately wanted to never let go but she knew that it wasn't right. She pulled his warm body away from her and was able to smile as she replied. “I really want to come but... I think. No, I know I still have a life to live. I don't want it to go to waste. I want to live the life you didn't get to have.”

There was a flicker of confusion and disappointment across the angel's face but it was soon replaced with a genuine grin. That beautiful smile on his old friend's face had not graced the world in years. It was all he needed to know it was okay.

“If that's what you want. So be it”, he replied softly.

He was about to turn and leave but she grabbed him from behind and pulled him into a kiss. It was such a strange sensation that burned and cooled their senses. She stretched her arms around his neck so her fingers brushed his warm feathered wings. When the angel processed what was happening he wrapped his arms around her waist to bring her closer.

It was like a fairy tale. For a few seconds of her life she felt nothing but joy.

 When he had to leave at last, she asked one more question. “Promise you’ll wait for me?”

He turned to face her one last time. The angel smiled and nodded before turning to the door. Before his hand even touched the grimy handle. He was gone. 

A lone bubble floated down from the ceiling and shone brightly like crystal. Yet again there were letters that formed four simple words. 

‘Don't forget to breathe.’

The young woman half cried half giggled as the beautiful orb popped and melted into a little chain on her lap. It was pure silver and had a beautiful pendant, a pearly orb that was held by fine little pieces of turquoise.

When she put it on it fell perfectly on her chest, right next to her heart.

When that young woman left that little dead shop in the corner of the big city, she was no longer empty. And as long as she could keep air in her lungs and light in her eyes. Never again would she forget to breathe.