I giggled as he took my hand and swept me up in his arms, tickling my stomach.
“No! Luke! It’s too cold! I can’t go outside!” I whined, smiling as he made a face at me.
“Fine.” He replied. “I guess I’ll just leave you here then.” He ceremoniously dumped me on the couch, threw a blanket over my face and walked away.
“Ohkayy…I guess I’ll come…” I stood up and wavered for a second before sitting down again. I glanced at Luke, hoping he hadn’t noticed. No such luck.
“Don’t pretend that didn’t happen. We really can stay in if you want.”
“No, no it’s fine. I want to go stargaze. Please let me walk myself?” Most teenage girls don’t have to beg their boyfriend to let them walk by themselves. Most teenage girls don’t have to worry about a razor cut, wondering if it would let to another infection. Most teenage girls don’t have eight surgeries under their belts.
Needless to say, I am not an ordinary teenage girl.
Luke sighed, grabbed my crutches and helped me stand up. “Come on now, crutchie. I’m letting you walk, but I’m still helping you down the stairs.”
“Gee, thanks, Mom.” He rolled his eyes at me and we began our painstakingly slow way to the front porch.
Five minutes later, we were wrapped up like mummies, my head on his chest as we gazed up at the stars and watched our breath appear in the cool fall air. Closing my eyes, I felt Luke’s heart beat underneath my head, a reminder of why I was still here.

The previous summer, before my junior year, Luke had saved my life. It had been a normal day-we were goofing off with our friends at the beach. He had been trying to throw me into the water, when he suddenly stopped, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes.
“Ellie…what’s that?” He pointed to a small, purple spot on the back of my knee. Cursing, I looked at the pimple-ish abrasion on my leg.
“I think you better take me home.” I said to Luke, a panic rising in the back of my throat. The year prior to that, I had a severe staph infection, MRSA, in my knee-I had seven surgeries and almost died. The spot turned out to be the same infection, back to strike again. I was put on antibiotics and the infection dulled, allowing me to be myself again. Fast forward to my junior year, the same year the love of my life asked me to be his girlfriend. I got the infection once again, but I only had to undergo one surgery. The chances of getting MRSA once are 4 in every 10,000, yet it was my third time. If Luke hadn’t told me about the spot, I would be dead.

Jerking myself back to reality, I felt Luke brush my bangs out of my eyes.
“What’s the matter, babe?”
“Nothing.” I replied, smiling up at him. “I’m just thinking about how lucky I am.”
He looked at me, surprised. “Really?” One of our jokes was how unlucky I was, but I had never really thought about it.
“Yes, really. I’m alive. I have my leg. And best of all, I have you.”
He grinned at me and kissed my forehead. We lay there for another minute, taking in the silence and pointing out the brightest stars to each other.
“Oh My Gosh, Luke!!! Did you see that?! What did you wish for?” I pointed to the spot that the shooting star had just speed across, leaving a trail of light in its path.
H sat up and pulled me into his arms. “Nothing.” He replied, taking my face in his hands. “I’ve got everything I’ll ever want right in my arms.” He kissed me lightly, taking my mind off of everything else.

Two months later, I lay in a hospital bed with yet another infection, dying. No one would tell me so, but I knew it. I had countless tear streaked faces visit me in my forlorn little room, bearing stuffed animals or flowers.
Every day, Luke visited me, cared for me. He still called me crutchie-his pet name since the beginning and bought me a stuffed purple dragon-the only stuffed animal I tolerated. He reminded me how much he loved me and held my hand when I needed it. He was the only one who thought I was going to survive. I’d like to finish saying that his love pulled me through. But this is no ordinary story. I write this on my deathbed, a final tribute to the love of my life. Thank you, Luke. You saved me once. When you look up at the stars, just remember that I’m smiling back at you.