The Story Of All Stories

We need to love with out fear. We need to love like there is no tomorrow. We need to love like it could end at any moment. We need to give love the power to break our hearts but if we love with out fear, like there is and like to could end at any moment. We will never give love the power to break our hearts.

This tiny little metaphor of a cigarette has gotten me thinking about what has the power to kills us but we can limit its power to kill us. My first thought was love. And then I couldn’t find anymore. I know there are millions but for some reason that thought of a love so strong that no matter the circumstances the love holds strong.

A love so strong that even though someone might be like a grenade you agree to stick by them through thick and thin. You take on all their worries and problems and issues and you wear them like they were your own. Or a love so strong that even distancing yourself from that person won’t lessen their attraction for you or you for them.

John Green has written into the lives of teenagers of the 21st Century. Although we aren’t all suffering from cancer The Fault In Our Stars has made Gen Z think about the way they live their lives and how they conduct relationships. Now I know this book/movie obviously hasn’t had an effect on the whole generation but I have seen and heard of several account of people wanting to change their lives because of this story line.

So let us just imagine ( 1 ) us in Hazel’s shoes and ( 2 ) us in Augustus’ shoes.

                                                    Hazel:

Your whole life you have been battling with cancer. You have ended up in hospital countless times with a wide variety of things. You can’t breathe for yourself because your lungs are to far gone to hold any amount of air so you have to wheel around a machine with you everywhere you go just to live.

Your mum thinks you have depression so along with your doctors advice you are made to go to a support group. The group isn’t really supportive so much as more depressing. Sitting in a room full of sick kids, some more sick than you, some that you will never see again because by the time the week has gone one or two have succumb to the battle against what ever they have.

To sit in a chair and listen to a list of ongoing names of ex-attendees of the group and wonder how long until your name is there. Then one day you run into this guy on the way into the group, you get this weird feeling. You sit across from each other at the group and he stares at you the whole time.

He talks about how he is scared of oblivion and you cut in and tell him that oblivion is inevitable. After the group you two start talking, he then invites you over to his house and you agree, he calls you by your first and middle name, which annoys you but you find it kind of cute.

You tell him your story both cancer and life. And then you tell him about your favorite book, he agrees to read it if you read his. You agree to and both read each others books. Days go by with out him talking to you and you get worried. Than one night during dinner he texts you about your book “An Imperial Affliction” worried that he has lost pages because it ends in the middle of a sentence.

As time goes on you two keep talking hanging out and you find yourself falling for him. Your friend and his girlfriend have this thing where they say “Always” as in they will always love each other. One day whilst talking you say “okay” and he says “maybe that will be our always” and from that day on “okay” is your “thing”.

Then one day you have this thought about limiting the amount of people around you so when you die you don’t hurt anyone that doesn’t need to be. So you tell him that “You are a grenade and at some point you are going to blow up, and you would like to minimize the casualties.

This is where he tells you he would be honored to have his heart broken by you. But you insist that you just stay friends. Your friends girlfriend breaks up with him and he is a mess. You go to try and help calm him down but he just ends up destroying a bunch of stuff.

Even though you have said just friends, you feel the complete opposite and the more time you spend with him the more you fall for him. You tell him about writing to the author of your book but having no reply. And he goes and gets in contact with the authors assistant that invites the two of you to Amsterdam.

He then goes and uses his "wish to the genies” on going to Amsterdam, the genies agree and agree to help the wish of the two of you in Amsterdam come true.

After getting told you can’t go by doctors, you get saddened when you get an email from the authors assistant confirming dates, this is when your mum tells you, you have been cleared and are allowed to go.

This is his first time on a plane and he holds your hand, squeezing it in fear. When you land in Amsterdam you two spend time alone around Amsterdam before a romantic dinner at a upper class restaurant. They give you champagne and a delicious meal and desert.

And the out of no where he tells you he loves you. You melt. The next day you go to the authors house and find our he is a pig of a man. You leave after the two of you start a little argument.

The authors assistant, follows you and apologizes, she then takes you to the Anne Frank House, which once you reach the top of, you and him share you first kiss. You start to feel embarrassed when everyone starts clapping after.

You get back to your hotel and the next thing you know you two are making out. You lay on his bed and he warns you about his leg. You piece by piece remove clothing. The next morning you get up and leave him a note about the circle of virgins and guys with one leg which he joked about back home.

Your last day in Amsterdam you and him spend time alone by the water. This is where the pain starts. He tells you his cancer resurfaced. His whole body is made of cancer and he doesn’t have long left. You both start to cry.

When you make it back home your sickness stays the same as his deteriorates quickly. One night he calls you and asks you to get to the place you have support group and to bring the eulogy he asked you to write for him. He has staged a mock funeral. You and your friend both speak and both sob your way through. 8 days later he dies.

Your heart shattered, at his funeral, the author of the book shows up, you argue and he gives you a piece of paper which you throw on the floor of your car. Your friend tells you that the author gave you something he had written before he died. It was his eulogy for your funeral. Reading it bought you to tears.

To Be Continued —