Strike One

Chapter 25

Some people don't know this but I have another older brother named Justin. I know, my parents started the trend of naming us with E's after my oldest brother was born. Way to make him feel left out mom and dad. Anyway, Justin is in the military. I miss him so much while he's gone and when he comes home it's not for very long. He's gone right now and he has been gone for about a year. Sometimes, at night, I cry myself to sleep because we don't get any mail from him so I don't know if he's still alive or not.

Lately, I've been thinking about Justin a lot and it's affected my mood. I have been hardly eating or sleeping. Although I'm hardly sleeping, it is how much sleep I used to get before the whole sickness thing. Justin does not know that I have cancer yet and I have no idea how he'll react. He doesn't even know I have a boyfriend. He'll find out sooner or later though.

It's the weekend so that only means one thing. DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EXCEPT EATING JUNK FOOD AND BINGING SOME TV!!!! The best time of the week. It's so much fun and since everything's changed, nobody really bothers me anymore, so more free time to myself.

Sadly, my binging didn't last long because my mom was asking me to take the trash out since it was trash day. I didn't disobey but she seemed a bit too happy and excited for me to take out the trash. I walked outside and brought the trash can to the street, but when I turned around, I saw someone I wasn't expecting to see.

"Justin?" I asked.

"Elizabeth?" He asked. He seemed shocked it was me, but I only grew a few inches. Oh yeah! I lost all of my hair. Duh.

"JUSTIN!!" I yelled and ran to him and jumped on him in a hug while wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso.

"I missed you so much!" He said while wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I missed you too." I was starting to cry at this point because I thought my brother was dead. I mean, if you thought your brother was dead then he shows up right in front of you, you would cry too.

"You've changed so much! I missed so much of you growing up." He said while putting me down.

"I haven't changed that much but there is something we should tell you."

"Really? Like what?"

"You should probably be inside for this because it's hard for me to say." Part of that was true, yes, but I was also in sweat pants and a sweatshirt with no bra on while wearing a beanie because I was relaxing today, and I didn't want anyone from school seeing me.

We walked inside and everyone greeted him. We all sat down to tell him about me. If I was being honest, I'm surprised he hadn't noticed something was up yet because I was wearing a beanie with not hair sticking out of it.

"So, what's going on? Why do we need to have a serious talk?" He was looking between all of us expectantly, awaiting an answer.

"We just need to tell you something. Elizabeth, do you want to tell him?" My dad directed the first part towards him but the second towards me.

The subject of me having cancer is still kind of hard for me so I didn't want to talk about it. I just shook my head in an answer and asked to be in my room. My parents gave me sympathetic looks and nodded. When I was walking up the stairs I heard Justin ask, "What's wrong with Liz? Is she pregnant or something?" While continuing to walk up the stairs I muttered under my breath, "or something."

I decided to take a shower and do something today since Justin was home so I started getting ready. I took about a ten minute shower then got dress. I've been out of the living room for about 15 minutes in total and was styling my wig while it was on the stand when there was a knock on my door. I'm not super smart sometimes and allowed the person to come in when nothing was covering my bald head. Just my luck, the person was Justin.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Was the first thing he said. Not an "Are you ok?" or even a hug.

"Because every other time I tried to write to you I never get anything back. I thought you either dead or didn't care what was happening in my life." I answered.

"I'm sorry I didn't write back. I was always too busy to write back. But I always read your letters, and I kept all of them. Of course I care about your life. Why would you think otherwise?" He sounded a bit hurt. But that's his fault and you'll find out why in two seconds.

"Every time you do come home, you're always talking to mom or dad or hanging out with Eliot. You never have time for me. I'm just the annoying little sister who you don't care about until something happens to me." I replied while getting a bit angry.

"That's not true, Elizabeth and you know it!" He yelled.

"Yeah? Then how come Eliot got a letter from you a few months ago and I didn't get one from you since you first joined the military? I'm proud of you, truly, I am, but sometimes I wished you never joined because you payed more attention to me when you were still here and ignoring me!" I started yelling, then my voice got low while I was sobbing. "I needed you Justin, but you were never there for me, so why should I care now?" I asked while grabbing my wig and running out my bedroom door.

I got to the mirror by the front door and put my wig on. I yelled to my mom that I was going out, then ran out the front door. I don't know where I'm going but I need to talk to someone, anyone, who will actually listen to me and give me advice. Someone who will actually care about me.