Everything Everything

My disease is as rare as it is famous. It's a

form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, but basically,

I'm allergic to the world. I don't leave my house, have not

left my house in fifteen years. The only people l ever see are

my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives. New next door

neighbors. I look out the window, and I see him. He's tall,

lean and wearing all black-black t-shirt, black jeans, black

sneakers and a black knit cap that covers his hair

completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare

right back. His name is Olly. I want to learn everything about

him, and I do. I learn that he is funny and fierce. I learn that

his eyes are Atlantic Ocean-blue and that his vice is stealing

silverware. I learn that when I talk to him, my whole world

opens up, and I feel myself starting to change-starting to

want things. To want out of my bubble. To want everything

everything the world has to offer.

Maybe we can't predict the future, but we can predict some

things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with

Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster.