As I stood at the entrance of the school's cafeteria I couldn't help but wonder where half the day had gone. Surprisingly, half of my first day of school had gone exceptionally well. There were no bullies, no one shoving and pulling at me and most importantly no insults.
My train of thought was interrupted when I felt someone tugging on my arm. I looked to my side and found a smiling Theo looking down at me.
Even though we've only known each other for three days, I felt like Theo was someone I could truly trust. It scares me that I trust him so easily. "Come on let's go, I'll introduce you to my friends." He said pulling me out from my train of thoughts yet again. I grinned and followed him into the cafeteria.
I began to feel uncomfortable when I noticed the curious looks some persons were giving me. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself down. I looked ahead and ignored them, when we came to a stop in front of a table being occupied by three people. "Hey, guys! I found us a new friend, this is Angelina, she's new to the school." Theo explained to his three friends. " Hi, I'm Angelina as he just said." I shyly introduced myself. "Hey Angelina, I'm Jessie, that boy over there is Jackson and that gloomy girl is Octavia.". I smiled warmly at her and slowly say down. "Your accent is really cute by the way," Jessie said while giggling. " I have no idea why my accent is such a big deal. " I exclaimed with a short laugh. "It makes you sound sexy." The boy, Jackson said suddenly. "Jackson!" Jessie yelled while hitting him behind his head.
I found myself laughing once again, here I was sitting with a group of people, something I thought would never happen to me. "Ok! So Angelina tells us a little about yourself.". Jessie said with a clap of her hands. "Ok...well. I love to dance, draw, and read. There isn't really much to tell I guess.". "I dance too! You should totally try out for the dance team." Jessie said with a squeal. "Is she always like this?". "Pretty much, you'll get used to it after a while," Octavia said, speaking for the first time since I got here. "Hey." A voice suddenly said from behind causing me to clinch out of surprise. "Oh, hey Grayson, Mason."
I looked around and found two boys with the exact same features. Twins. I thought to myself. They were both incredibly handsome. Black hair and piercing green eyes. "Who's this?" One of them asked after they both sat down. "This is Angelina, she's new here," Theo said while giving them a look that I couldn't quite trace. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Grayson and this is my twin, Mason. He doesn't talk much." Grayson said. I made a mental note of their shirt colors so I could tell them apart. "It's nice to meet you too mate," I replied with a big of confidence dropping from my tone.
"Holy crap! You didn't tell me she was British!" Grayson suddenly yelled making me flinch once again. "I have no idea why my accent is such a big deal. It's not that special." "Special!? It sounds hot!" He replied. I giggled at his choice of words. I felt eyes staring at me, and found the source of them to be Mason who had yet to talk. He was watching me as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle. I immediately looked down feeling uncomfortable. "Mason! Stop staring at her." "Whatever. I don't see why you would bring a newbie here, you know how I feel about the rich spoiled brats at our school." Those simple words were enough to send chills running down my spine. "Don't pay attention to him, Angelina, he's just in a bad mood," Grayson said while rolling his eyes. "It's ok." I found myself saying to him as reassurance, hoping he wouldn't see past the fake smile I currently had on, something I had mastered all too well over the years.
...
The rest of the day consisted of boring classes and homework. I made my way out of school and waited for Josh to pick me up since my car hadn't arrived from England yet. As I waited, preparing myself for a long talk with Josh when I got home, I heard someone call my name. "Angelina!" I spun around to find a breathless Theo standing near me. I looked at him amused and had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing. "You.....walk...too....fast." He said in between breaths.
After catching his breath, he finally stood up. "I came here to invite you to go eat pizza wi-" He was suddenly cut off by the sound of a car pulling into the parking lot. I looked at the entrance and saw Josh's car. He parked in the spot next to Theo and me and got out with a smirk on his face. I bit my lip and turned back to Theo. "Sorry. I can't, Josh wants me home today.". "Ok well, next time." He said while jogging over to the rest of the group. I saw them looking in my direction but ignored their stares.
"Hello, brother," I said with a little nod. "Hello to you too sister." He said with a bow. I laughed and he soon joined in. "In all seriousness, you have an appointment at the treatment center today. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you this morning before you left." He said with a pained expression.
It was like time had stopped in that very moment, I felt tears in my eyes, and the fact that I could also feel the stares of Theo and his friends weren't helping. I closed my eyes shut when I felt Josh wrap an arm around my shoulder. "Come on, let me help you get in." I nodded and sat down in the passenger's seat when he opened the door.
"I'm sorry, it just feels real now. I'm now comprehending the fact that I have cancer. Josh, I don't want to die." I said once he was in the car sitting next to me. "Angelina, your strong and you're not going to die, I'll be here every step of the way cause that's what family does." He said hugging me. I slowly nodded and pulled away while wiping my tears. " Ok. Let's go." I whispered softly. I was going to be ok, I said to myself, reassuring my thoughts and conscience but mostly trying to convince my own self, and God did I hope that I was right.
...
I looked around at the formal decor and furniture surrounding me in the doctor's office. My nerves were on a high knowing that my life depended on the one person who would choose the way I was treated. I was really trying to be positive but my doubts overcame all thoughts of positivity.
"Hi. I'm Dr.Silver, a cancer specialist, and I'll be your doctor throughout your journey." Dr. Silver, who was sitting behind the desk, said. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Silver. I trust that you'll help Angelina get through this?" Josh replied protectively. I rolled my eyes and grinned. "I'm sorry for my brother's harshness, Dr. Silver. He isn't as optimistic as I am, I know that I'll get through this." In return, Dr. Silver grinned and pulled a file out from his desk.
"Well, Angelina, your cancer was caught early enough to do something about it. My treatment plan for you is chemotherapy with a four-week plan, two weeks of chemo and two weeks for rest. I need to do an MRI today so I can see if it has progressed. If it had progressed then we'll need to start chemotherapy within a couple of days to prevent further spreading.". "Ok, could I possibly get a lollipop when I'm better?" I asked with a grin on my face. Dr. Silver let out a small laugh and nodded his head. "Your optimism is refreshing, I've never had a patient that thought so positively. I can tell that we're going to get along." Josh laughed along this time and for a moment since I was diagnosed, I felt happy.
...
I walked into the hospital's cafeteria after being pushed out of the room so Josh could talk to the doctor alone. I had done the MRI and we were waiting for the results. I looked around at all the occupied tables and patients. Most of them looked gloomy and sad like they were just awaiting their death. I took a deep breath and turned around just as someone tapped my shoulder. I flinched in fear but turned slowly, and found a girl in hospital robes with bright blue hair. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I saw you standing here and well I like to make friends so I came over." The girl said with a smile. I laughed at her shyness. "It's fine, I'm Angelina.". "I'm Allison but my friends call me Alli. Are you a patient or are you visiting?" She asked bluntly. I contemplated on whether I should tell her or not but decided on the former. "Uhm...I'm a patient. I was diagnosed with leukemia about a week ago. What are you here for? ". "I was diagnosed with leukemia too, a couple of months ago. I'm here for chemo." She said with a grin.
"Come on, I'll show you around and introduce you to my only other friend here." She said grabbing my arm and dragging me off. I squealed in surprise but continued to let her drag me along.
...
By the time Alli was done, I had memorized all the places in the hospital for future reference. She had introduced me to her friend Nathan, who was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to use tubes where ever he went. We all had a lot in common and I slowly found myself becoming close with them even if it had only been a few hours.
"So Angel, what do you say you give me your number and we all hang out this weekend outside of this hospital?". Nathan asked. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea. Here let me put my number in your phone." I grabbed his phone and typed my number in it while saving my name as 'Cancer Girl' and handed it back to him. "Why Cancer girl?" He asked with an arched eyebrow. " I don't know before cancer I didn't know who I was. " I said taking a deep breath. "I...I was bullied back at my old school in England and I guess after I found out about the cancer I finally found who I am as a person, moving here made me realize that I'm none of the things kids back home called me. And oddly enough, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the cancer." I said with a shrug.
When I looked up from my spot on the floor, Nathan's eyes held no pity, nor empathy but understanding. I looked at him confused until he sighed. "I was picked on in school for my tubes. They used to call me a freak so I know how you feel." It was my turn to look at him in understanding. " I'm sorry that happened to you guys. ". Alli interrupted, throwing her arms around us both. When she let go I checked the time and realized that we had been walking around for three whole hours. "Guys I gotta go back. My MRI results should be out by now." I told them with a frown. "Ok, we'll see you tomorrow when you come in for chemo," Alli replied as I began to walk away. I smiled with great joy at the new memories, and friends I had made today.
I soon found myself outside Dr. Silver's office, making my way inside. "God, Lina where have you been? You've been gone for three hours!?". "I'm so sorry Josh, I met two new friends, who have cancer too and we just lost track of time," I said quickly, in hopes of calming him down. He calmed down and let out a sigh of relief. "Dr. Silver went to get the results." He said after a while, I nodded and sat next to him just as the door opened and Dr. Silver walked in.
"Ok, the cancer is slowly progressing. It has grown 4% larger. You'll have to start chemo in two weeks according to plan, for two weeks straight and then you'll get two weeks rest. Well, do this three times so therefore you'll have six weeks of chemo and six weeks of rest. At the end of that period well do an MRI to see if it worked."
At the end of his explanation, I sighed and put my head in my hands. "So I probably shouldn't try out for the dance team then?" I asked with dread filling my voice. "No, we need you to keep as much energy as possible." I nodded and felt tears spring to my eyes. I quickly blinked them away not wanting to cry here at this point. "Thank you, Dr. Silver, for, well be here tomorrow at the time you set," Josh says formally after noticing my distress.
Dr. Silver gives a curt nod with a sympathetic look in his eyes. Josh stood up while wrapping an arm around my shoulder and lead me.our of the office. "Lina, I think maybe you should stay home tomorrow, just take a day off." I nodded, not really paying any attention to what he had said not what was going on. I couldn't dance anymore. I found myself repeating over and over again in my head. Cancer was taking over my life, and I definitely did not approve of it. I frantically looked at my surroundings and suddenly found myself in the car with Josh. I leaned my head onto the seat, tears dropping from eyes, and instantly felt cold, the same way I felt whenever I was being bullied. And I really hoped that someone somewhere would make me warm again.