I walked carefully into the tall office building, it was empty but it still felt corporate America-ish. I got on the 8th floor and wandered around until I saw the Helping Hands logo and walked towards a row of cubicles and offices. In the back, there was Emily alone on the floor surrounded by tote bags she was filling with brochures, crayons and toys.
“So this is where you save the world,huh ?” I asked looking around
“Something like that,” Emily smiled,” There is a charity run tomorrow and I’m doing last minute stuff.”
She always smiled when she talked about her work.
Helping Hands was the non-profit organization Emily did work for. She had fast tracked through the volunteer committee and was now president of it. I knew it meant a lot to her, I think they work with kids or something.
Emily walked up to me and leaned in close like she was going to kiss me when she slapped me across the face.
Hard
“Ow !Are you crazy ? You invited me—“
Before I could finish she pushed her lips against mine. That shut me up for a second.
“What the hell—“
“Sorry. I just wanted to see which one felt better,” she said, sounding genuinely apologetic
“And ?”
“Sorry,” she said again patting my shoulder
“Tell me that was for putting you through all that crap ?,”
“Slate . . . I have it too, I have HIV,”
I was almost disgusted with myself that the first thing I did was pull away from her. Her face instantly crumpled into tears. These weren’t the end-of-Titanic-wiping-the-corner-of your-eyes tears. She was dry heaving and coughing trying to catch her breath. They had come out of nowhere.
“No, don’t cry. Emily it’s okay,” I said pulling her closer to me, “It’ll be fine. HIV does not mean AIDS and AIDS is not a death sentence.”
“Slate, this could ruin me, I have to tell my parents, my friends, my colleagues . . . there is still a stigma and you know I wanted to run for office one day if when this comes out-- How could you do this to us ?”
I tried to ignore the sensation from her using the word ‘us’.
“Emily, listen to me; first of all you don’t have to tell anyone just yet you tell them when you are ready. Also, you need to get on the medications they have really good deals on them and you need to see a doctor, you have to take care of yourself,”
I repeated everything I had heard from Darcy and from the pharmacist.
But had never actually done.
Crap.
