Romance Awareness Day 12: Groundhog day soulmates - a specific day loops until you find your soulmate

Word Count: 941

maybe that time is coming soon

Hazel somehow manages to do the impossible and persuade her mother to let her skip group therapy on the Wednesday this story takes place. She does it by promising that instead she would call Isaac and ask him if he wanted to do something technically active during the time.

"It's still group therapy, in a sense," she had said. "It's just a very small group. Just me, Isaac, and Monica."

She's not sure when she even got Isaac's number or Monica's name, but she since it is saved in her phone for some reason, she might as well make use of it.

And Isaac is glad for the distraction, since he's apparently got a big operation come Monday that will leave him blind.

They don't do a lot, just sitting in her room and talk about a few things, but Hazel still counts it as a win. Pretty much anything is better than sitting in Jesus's heart, even if it involves a lot of PDA on the part of the couple.

Isaac and Monica stay over for a couple of hours and then Hazel can get back to her America's Next Top Model marathon. It's a reasonably good day, all in all.

Hazel's days are similar enough that it takes her mother reminding her about group therapy to notice that something isn't right.

"Wasn't it Wednesday yesterday?" Hazel asks her mother. "Because I definitely remember it being Wednesday."

Her mother pauses doing the dishes at that and looks at her. "How sure are you about that?"
"Pretty sure, considering I managed to talk you out of group therapy, possibly the achievement of a lifetime."

"Well, in that case you're definitely going to group," her mother decides.

Hazel protests at that, because group is far from ideal.

"Clearly, you're meant to meet your soulmate today. And if missing group prevented that, you'll be going." Because two cancer kids suffering together is such a romantic idea for soulmates, right.

"Maybe I was just meant to go out with Isaac and Monica instead," Hazel argues. "Go feed the ducks or whatever."

"Do you really think that?" Her mother's tone confuses Hazel. Is that some odd form of scepticism or is it honest curiosity?

"If I am, it's not like anyone but me will know, right? And at worst I've lived a day more." Because these time loops always reset progress in illnesses and such, Hazel does know that, even if she has no idea how she knows that. Probably from some documentary or something.

This technique works five times before Hazel feels bad enough about using her mother's pity to stop.

This time, she will go to group, if only so she can honestly say to her mother that it is a tried and failed tactic and ask her to please try something else.

She arrives at group, carrying her green oxygen tank herself and not taking the elevator. She takes a cookie and some soda and turns around only to see a boy she had never seen before.

He's tall and lanky, more attractive than a cancer patient has any right to, and is leaning too far back in his chair, but most importantly, he is looking right at her and opens his mouth as if to say something.

Hazel looks away and takes a seat next to Isaac.

The group starts like it normally does, with Patrick and the Serenity Prayer, followed by the introductions. Isaac is asked to go first, which he does, followed by 12-year-old Michael with Leukemia and Lida and her appendix cancer.

Then it's the new guy's turn and he talks about his fear of being forgotten and he makes jokes that would be offensive to Isaac, were the two not clearly friends. And then something possesses Hazel to reply.

"What a woman," is Augustus's response to Hazel assuring him that his worst fear will come true. And there's a shine in her eyes that assures her that he actually means it.

Neither talks for the rest of the group, but once they're finally done and can leave, he asks her for her name.

"No, your full name," he corrects her.

"Hazel Grace Lancaster."

Then Isaac arrives and Augustus stops him. "It's even worse than you told me it would be."

"Hey, I told you it was depressing. You wanted to go today."

"I guess you have a point there." He leans forward and Hazel is pretty sure he thinks she does not hear him when he asks if she is always here.

They talk a bit about the wonderfully empathetic doctor who will be doing Isaac's surgery and then Isaac leaves to go and snog Monica.

And then Augustus beings to make fun of Patrick's improper use of the word 'literally', compliments her, and invites her to see a movie and honestly? If this is not Hazel's soulmate she wants a refund. Because teasing her like this is not fair, even for the universe who is known for being anything but fair.

Her mouth runs on autopilot as they talk about Isaac's and Monica's PDA and it's only when he takes out a cigarette that her brain gets back and does it's job.

"Are you serious?" Hazel asks and proceeds to rant at him. Not being able to breathe properly is not exactly nice, thank you very much.

"It's a metaphor," he explains just as her mom arrives. "It can't kill you if you don't light it."

"Right," Hazel deadpans in response.

And before she knows it, she told her mom she will be watching a movie with Augustus Waters who is in all probability her soulmate.