Page 24 of A Dead Girl's Guide to Living
“Thanks,” Katie said warmly, wrapping her hands around her mug with a soft smile.
The waiter walked away.
Her expectant gaze returned to me.
I suddenly felt like I was standing at the front of a classroom, being asked to findx.
“I had a little bit of cancer growing up. And then I needed a heart transplant,” I rushed out, my cheeks heating.
How the hell does someone havea little bitof cancer?
“Oh. Wow…” Katie echoed, her eyes widening slightly. “I mean, that’s... huge. It’s incredible, though. I mean, not the cancer or the transplant part, but the... surviving part.”
I nodded.
Another beat of silence passed between us.
Come on, Ellis, I begged myself. Say something normal. Literally anything.
Ask her a question!
“So… uh, what do you do for work?” she asked, trying to move the conversation along, her eyes still hopeful.
Okay, this was a normal question. I couldn’t mess this up.
“I make content online,” I told her, squeezing my mug a little tighter.
Katie perked up at that, her eyes sparking with interest. “Cool! Like TikTok?”
I nodded and released my mug slightly. “Yeah, and YouTube.”
She grinned and leaned in a little. “What sort of content?”
“Oh, well… it’s mainly about my experiences… with cancer, and then being a transplant recipient,” I murmured, clearing my throat. “Discussing the psychological effects of… prolonged medical trauma.”
Damn, Ellis, you soundsohot. Who wouldn’t want to date you?
Katie’s mouth opened slightly, and she blinked. “That’s, um… cool. Really specific.”
“Yeah.”
Oh God. Jesus, if you’re real, just smite me now. Take me out.
She took a long sip of matcha. I took a long sip of black coffee, ignoring the fact that I was actively burning my tongue.
I inhaled slowly, searching for a conversational lifeline.
“So, you said you’re an artist?” I asked.
She brightened considerably. “Yes! I do digital illustrations and commissions. I love it.”
“That’s cool,” I offered weakly.
I mean, it was cool. Drawing was a talent. Creating anything was a talent. And while plenty of people did it, not many could do itwell.
“Thanks!” she beamed. “Do you draw?”
“No, but my ex did.”
