Prompt

Writing Prompt: Start your story with "She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled."

Ok, Here we go...

She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled. A moment later the city bus pulled up and she carefully stepped on.

"Well, hello Lizzy!" said the bus driver. Retired from the Army, he had started driving the city bus to get him out of the house for the day. "Where's your ma today?"
"Hi Mr. Montgomery. Momma has to work today. She said I go to see Chris by myself."
"Well, that's mighty brave of you, riding the bus all alone."
"I'll be alright."
"No doubt about that. I'll make sure you get where you're going."

She took a seat directly behind the bus driver. It was the first time her mother had ever let her ride the bus alone. She was nervous and wanted to be close to the kind Mr. Montgomery. But if anyone asked her she would say she sat there so she could listen to the Jazz playing quietly on his radio.

Along the way they passed the little store where her and Chris used to buy ice cream sandwiches with the money they earned walking old Mrs. Appleworth's dog. She remembered the time Chris was in the back of the store leaning against the drink coolers and talking to that girl from school who giggled too much. She wanted Chris to hurry up. She was bored and the store smelled like beer.

"Chris! Come on. Mamma's gunna be worried!" she had yelled to him. But he never even looked at her. He just waved his hand towards her in an effort to get her to stop bothering him. So she wandered around the store a bit and then casually walked out without paying for her ice cream. As soon as she was out the door she ran all the way to her building, up the stairs, and into her apartment. She was gasping for air when she arrived home but she tried to act normal.

"Hi Momma." she said casually as she unwrapped her stolen treat.
"Lizzy? What on Earth is going on?" her mom asked while wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Where's Chris?"
"Talking to a girl at Mr. Robert's store."

Just then Chris came bursting through the door. "God damn it Lizzie!" he yelled. "What did
you go and do that for?"
"Don't you talk that way in our house, young man." their mother said.
"Ma, Lizzy stole that ice cream! Mr. Roberts said I better get her back there right away or he's gunna send the cops here."
"Elizabeth Rachel Hawkins! I swear. What gets into you girl?"

At the store Momma paid for the ice cream and then made Lizzy work at the store after school for two whole days as punishment.

"Lizzy. Hun? This is your stop." Mr. Montgomery's voice broke through the fog of her memory.

As she approached the hospital the glass double doors opened to let her into the cool, bleached air. She gave a small nod to the lady behind the desk and walked to the elevators. The door opened as soon as she pushed the button and she stepped into the empty oversized elevator. On her way up she took the small metal box out of her dress pocket. She had gotten it out of Chris' room that morning while Momma was making breakfast. It was red with a black lid that had a red dragon on it. She rubbed her thumb over the dragon while she waited for the door to open.

Her dress shoes clicked on the shiny tile floors on her way to Chris' room. The door was open and the curtain was drawn halfway so she could only see him from the knees down. His skinny legs and feet were the only disruption to the smoothness of the thin blue blanket.

"Hey Chris. Happy Birthday!" she said as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. The blinds covering the window were open and the room was filled with summer sun. The nurses had brought in a balloon that said "Happy Birthday" in colorful letters on a silver background. The TV was on but he sound was turned down to almost nothing and the remote laid on a wheeled table along side Chris' uneaten breakfast.
"Hey Monkey Face." Chris whispered. "Where's Ma?"
"She had to work, she said to tell you that she'll be by later." Chris nodded and moved his eyes back to the soundless TV.

"I brought you something." She said after a moment and handed him the dragon box. He struggled to remove the lid, working on one corner and then another. Lizzy almost offered to help him but knew better. He finally opened it to reveal a blue and red braided friendship bracelet.
"Thanks." he said holding it up in the sunlight. "It's really great."
"I made it for you." she said taking it from him and wrapping it around his thin wrist. "You are supposed to make a wish while I tie it on." Chris closed his eyes and wished while she tied the ends in a knot.

He held his arm up to both admire and show off his new bracelet.
"So what did you wish for?" she asked.
"I know I'm not supposed to tell." he said smiling and giving her hand a light squeeze. "Did mom say when she would be here?"
"Seven I think. Do you want me to get your breakfast for you?"
"No thanks. I actually going to take a little nap. If that's ok."
"Sure Chris. Whatever you want." She sat back the hospital chair and watched him drift off to sleep.