She puts the car in park and we walk inside. I walk in to see my dad standing at the kitchen counter. "Dad!" I run over and give him a hug. "What are you doing home?" He looks at my mom. "We wanted to surprise you." "Was this the big surprise? Cause if so I might have to change my mind about surprises." "Not exactly. How about you come sit on the couch." "What's going on?" I look at my dad. "Dad?" "Listen to your mother, sit down."
I sit down on the couch with them across from me. "Your father got a new job." "Really? Dad that's great." "Which means we're going to be moving." "What like a town over? Yeah that's fine cause I'll still be in the same school district right?" "Actually honey the job is in California." My heart dropped to my stomach. "What?" "Your father wants to try new things." "Then go be a life guard at the community pool for God sakes. Don't move your entire family across the country." "Hey your father just wants to be happy and I want to help him." "You wanna help him be happy? Here's an idea, get a job." "I'm." "Looking for a job? Yeah you've been looking for a job for the past ten years Mommy! Maybe actually apply for one."
"You can not speak to you mother that way." "Why do you care so much about how she feels? When she could care less how you feel because she only cares about herself." "Your father just wants to be happy." "Yeah and I want to be able to produce normal blood cells but I can't." "Go to your room. We start packing tomorrow and we move on Monday." "For once I just wanted to live a normal life. But like always, you made that impossible." "That's me, the mother who ruins everything." "I haven't changed my mind. Surprises still suck." I ran to my room and slammed the door.
For most people starting at a new school sucks. But for a girl who has to stand in front of a class and explain her life story to a bunch of teenagers who don't care, it honestly feels like I'm going to barf up bricks. I start packing up now because if I don't then I start thinking. I start thinking about how many people are gonna say I'm faking or how many people will ask me why I'm not bald. Leukemia is like a best friend you didn't ask for, or an unwelcome guest. No matter how much you try, you just can't kick it out. I wouldn't be as mad at my mother if I was any other girl. But since I'm not any other girl, I'm pissed.
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Not Another Faker
Teen FictionJulia Maxwell was diagnosed with leukemia when she was six. On side of dealing with this condition she has to deal with the struggles of moving to a new high school her junior year. She has to learn to lose and love again, and prove to people that s...
