Forbidden Love: Fate (Zac and Ivy Trilogy Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

I’m wearing
jeans. And they have zippers. I’m winning round one this time,
little Moon.
    “Zipper,” I proudly say.
    “Ha-ha. No. It’s Zacky, silly. You’re the
letter Z.” She giggles, her whole body shaking with her laughter. I
end up laughing too. And that’s when my stomach decides to join in
the fun and growls.
    Moon glances at me and starts giggling even
louder until she’s holding on to her tummy. I’m a little
embarrassed that my stomach is misbehaving, so I just sit there
smiling awkwardly at her. After a little while, her laughter dies
down.
    “Do you have to give a shot to yourself too
before your stomach growls?” she asks.
    “Huh? A shot?” I’m really confused.
What’s she talking about?
    “You know, a little pen. You stick it into
your skin before your tummy growls. I have to give myself three
shots a day. Otherwise, I feel sick and go to sleep.”
    I’m a lazy-ass boy when it comes to subjects
not relating to music, but maybe going to science class is really
useful after all. I remember last year we did a project on medical
conditions. Everyone went for the asthma and heart diseases. I
decided to do something different and researched diabetes with Kai.
Hearing the procedure Moon described to me, it sounds like she has
type-one diabetes.
    I want to confirm my suspicion, but I’m
scared I might offend her. Moon, though, explains everything of her
own free will, like she’s talking about the sunny weather
outside.
    “Mummy told me I’ve had it since I was a
baby. And I’ll properly have to give myself shots for the rest of
my life too. I just gave one to myself before. You want to
see?”
    “Sure.” I nod numbly, stunned at the sudden
revelation.
    She lifts her shirt to reveal her round
tummy. On the side just about two inches from her belly button are
a series of injection marks.
    “Does it hurt?” I ask, my voice shaking.
    Theory-wise, it’s all fun and games when you
learn about this condition in the classroom, but when you meet
someone face to face, especially one who happens to be a kid too,
you know it’s no laughing matter.
    “At first it does. But now it doesn’t hurt
at all. I’m used to it. Mommy, Gigi, and Vivi help me with the
shots. Now I’m an expert. I even do my own blood test too.”
    I have to give credit to this kid. She’s
gone through so much, yet she’s still smiling like it’s completely
normal. Wait! Did she just say blood test?
    My body freezes. I’m not good with blood.
When the nurse draws my blood for tests, I always get this feeling
like I’m going to pass out.
    “You… you… said blood test, right?” I ask to
clarify. I think I’m having ear problems.
    “Mmmm. I test to make sure my sugar in my
blood is normal. Then before I eat, I take my shot. Do you want a
demonstration?”
    “Umm, yeah, sure,” I fluff, reluctantly
agreeing on the spot.
    What have I gotten myself into? No matter
how cute this little girl is who’s begging me with big puppy dog
eyes, I should never ever say yes, especially when I’m shit scared
of blood.
    “It’s like this, see.” She takes my ink pen
and positions it on the pad of my index finger. With quick action,
she stabs the tip of the pen into my skin, causing me to yelp like
a dog in pain.
    “Oww.”
    She giggles. “You’re funny, Zacky. I like
you.”
    Well, if putting me through this much pain
makes her like me, then I don’t mind being stabbed again.
    I look at her flashing grin. It’s like a ray
of sunshine. I know now that nothing can rob this kid of her
happiness, even the pain of injecting insulin into her body three
times a day or having regular glucose tests with a needle.
    I feel ashamed of myself complaining about
pain just being stabbed with a little pen. Maybe I should learn
from her, adopt a bit of her attitude, be a bit more grateful about
life.
    A moment of thoughtful silence passes
between us, when the sound of someone shouting wakes me from my
thoughts. Looking up, I see an old