The graduation dance was the following night and originally she wasn’t going to go. But he asked if she’d be there, in class and she’d said yes.  Carefully she chose her outfit and then went to meet everyone at the university.  The few classmates who did talk to her, complimented the outfit and her newly dyed black hair.  Her smile turned upside down, when she saw Jay put his jacket around Eun Gyo.  When Jay began breakdancing in the centre of the dance floor, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Two girls shoved her out onto the floor with him and they danced together.  She could see that his girlfriend was angry and jealous. So when the song ended, Chan-mi went to the washroom.

 

Jay went to go look for Eun Gyo, after he was done dancing.  He was on his way up the stairs, when he saw Chan-mi clutch her head and sway, he caught her, before she fell.  They went outside for some fresh air.

 

“Hey are you okay?”

 

She sat down beside him, “Of course.  This time it passed quickly and no nose bleed.”  She paused, “Jay, please just keep it a secret until we graduate.”

 

He promised he would, “let me take you home.  I just have to find Eun Gyo and tell her I’m leaving.”

 

“I can just walk, I don’t want you getting into a fight over this. I’m not worth it.”

 

“Don’t ever say that! We’re friends, I can get you home and come back. Just wait here a minute okay?”

 

She nodded.  When he returned, Jay was no longer smiling.  Chan-mi knew the drill and waited to get on the bike.  Like last time, it was minutes and she was home.

 

“Do you still want to be my partner for the showcase?” She asked, after returning his helmet.

 

“Yes, do you?”

 

“I keep forgetting my steps, so yes dancing with you will make it easier. But we don’t have much time for you to teach me your stuff.”

 

Jay grinned, “I’m up for the challenge if you are.”

 

“Sure am.  Good-night Jay,” she beamed.

 

The next morning in class, Chan-mi noticed that Eun Gyo snubbed Jay, when they were dismissed. He was obviously upset about it and that made Chan-mi feel bad. It was her fault that he was unhappy.  She’d be satisfied with just keeping him as a friend. Wanting to make things easier for him, when she saw Eun Gyo in the hall, she stopped in front of her and offered her hand. It was a truce of sorts, but Jay’s girlfriend wasn’t willing to share.  What would her reaction be, when she found out Jay would be dancing with Chan-mi?

 

Thinking the worst, Chan-mi went out onto the performance stage and tried to remember the steps to her own choreography. She was surprised when Jay showed up.  He showed her some moves and they worked on it steadily for thirty minutes straight. He finally sat down, tired.

 

“You’re a very patient teacher,” Chan-mi complimented him, joining him on the floor.

 

“If we work on it every day, even between classes, we’ll slay it.”  Jay then pushed a gift box towards her, “you’ve got to wear this for the performance though.”

 

She crouched beside the box and lifted the lid. Reaching inside she pulled out the glittery black outfit, she’d seen when window shopping.  It was the day, he’d found out her secret.  Tears came, not because of that, but because it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

 

He had wanted to make her smile, not cry.  Jay realized it was the first time he’d seen her cry.  Every day she battled to get through it, her courage and bravery, made him admire her.

 

“I’ll wear it every time we practice…. Thank you so much Jay.”

 

“Try it on, see how it fits. I hope I got the shoe size right.”

 

Chan-mi put the kicks on first and then the outfit.  “Fits perfectly!” Her smile made her face shine.

 

The next few days found the two of them dancing every chance they got. He taught her how to pop and lock, as well as glide across the stage. They practiced in and out of class. And made a video so Chan-mi could practice at home.  They would dance to his song and her music choice. During a spare, practice took place during school hours, in one of the dance studios. As promised Chan-mi wore the outfit, Jay’d bought her.  She looked like a sparkly street cat. Dancing in front of the mirror, showed them their hard work was paying off. They were completely in sync with each other. Every arm movement, each hand, foot placement and pop, were in time with the other person.

 

First she felt light headed, then pain shot up her spine straight into Chan-mi’s head.  Her body crumpled and consciousness left.  Jay flew to her side, “Chan-mi! Oh God no!”  When she was unresponsive, he immediately picked her up in his arms. He ran out the door, almost colliding with Eun Gyo.  

 

Chan-mi moaned, in pain.  Jay said, “hold on to me. I’ll get you to the hospital on my motorcycle.  Can you hold on?”

 

He didn’t bother putting a helmet on her. Jay got her on, he didn’t even know how. Her body slumped against his back. Not knowing if she was conscious, he pulled the costume arms and tied them around his waist. Once secure, he raced off to the hospital. He saw the same doctor from last time and they took her from him immediately. This time the doctor said she had to stay overnight, so Jay called her mom.  He waited until she arrived.

 

“Hi, I’m Jay Park, Chan-mi’s friend from university.  The doctor said she’s resting now.”  Jay noticed the dark circles under the mother’s eyes. He almost expected her to collapse too.

 

“She barely can keep food down, when she eats.  Chan-mi refuses to give up. Every day she begs me to let her go to school.  ‘Mom, I just want to dance at the showcase.’ How can I say no, she’s fought for every day of her life!”  

 

Jay put an arm around the mother, she was in no shape to go to her daughter.  This is what a husband was for, to lean on and sport his wife during the hard stuff.  But he was the only one around and so he manned up. The mother told him that her daughter had never had a friend stay by her side like Jay.  Chan-mi was always too sick to even date. 

 

“She’s never even kissed a boy… my baby….I won’t get to see her get married or have children. It’s in her head now,  so it’ll get worse.”  the woman sobbed in Jay’s arms.  “I’m sorry.”

 

“Hey it’s okay.  It must be so hard to do this all on your own.” He didn’t want to be the one to tell her, that Chan-mi had been hiding just how bad the leukemia truly had become. It wasn’t just all in her head, but in her whole body.

 

“You’re a good boy.  Thank you.  Go see her, she’d like that. I need to clean up first.”

 

Jay asked the nurse, where Chan-mi was.  “The door on the left.  She may be a bit out of it, we have her on strong medicine, to ease the pain.”

 

He nodded and went inside the room.  His dance partner lay motionless in a bed. Jay watched the drip of liquid travel down the tube into his friend’s arm.  “Chan-mi?”

 

She mumbled and he couldn’t hear her. Going closer, he took her hand in his. 

 

“Jay?”

 

“Yeah it’s me. Hate me later, but I called your mom. She’s here, I’m sorry.”

 

Chan-mi her lips, he helped her sip a cup of water.  Then she spoke, “I could never hate you.  You’re my dance partner, my friend.”  

 

That made him smile.  He could tell her strength to speak was fading fast.  Chan-mi’s eyes closed, for a second he thought she wasn’t breathing, but the machine told him otherwise.  He was the only one in the room with her.  Jay leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

 

“Now you’ve kissed a boy. Next you’ll dance with me for our showcase. And then you’ll graduate, standing on your own two feet. You once told me that anything is possible if you believe.  I believe in you Chan-mi.”

 

Her mother came in shortly after and nodded when he said he had to leave. “Thank you for everything.”

 

“She’ll be up and dancing tomorrow, you just wait and see,” Jay said as he left.

 

It was almost right after Jay had gone, that Chan-mi opened her eyes again and saw her mother.  She smiled, “mom it’s okay.  Tomorrow is the showcase. I made it to graduation.”

 

“You’re a strong girl and you have a good friend in Jay.”

 

“I know mom, he’s the best.  Can you bring me my journal from home, it’s on my bed.  And the doctor had the nurses take away my outfit.  Please get it back, Jay bought it for me. I’m wearing it when we dance tomorrow.”  

 

Chan-mi knew she didn’t have much time left.  After her mother left, the doctor came in and told her the facts, no lies. She asked to make a phone call and the nurse lent her cell phone to Chan-mi.

 

With all the energy she could get, the call connected to Jay.  “Hi it’s me… Yes I’m okay.  I’ll be at the showcase and we’ll have a standing ovation!  Don’t worry I won’t drag us down… See you Jay!”

 

The nurse had overheard and when she took back her cell phone, said, “it’s hard to lie like that, but you did the right thing.  You’re the bravest, most courageous person I know.”

 

“Thank you.  Next I have to be the best actress ever, so my mom doesn’t hurt anymore too. We need to stop now.”

 

Nodding, the nurse turned her face away, so the dying girl would not see her tears.  “I’ll come in soon and check on you.  Do you need anything?”

 

“No I’m fine thanks. I’ll rest until my mom comes.”