A Little Too Soon for Goodbye

4 -Agreste Mansion

"What?" He whispers, a look of disbelief crossing his face. "I am dying." I say, forcing myself to stop crying. I watch as his face goes from one of disbelief, to acceptance, and finally pain and grief for me even though I'm not even dead yet.

He begins to cry, and I pull him into a hug. I cry with him, and we hold each other. I look at the time and realize that class starts in 10 minutes, and whisper, "School is starting again soon." He lets out another sob, but manages to stop crying a minute later. He looks at me, his eyes red and puffy, and I can tell that he is heartbroken by this news. "You are one of my best friends. I don't want to loose you." I wrap my arms around him, and pull him into me. My face is in his hair, and I whisper, "I know. I know. I don't want to go either."

"Do you want to just head straight to your house? I really don't care about science, math, and pe." He nods, and says, "I'll call my bodyguard to come pick us up."

A few minutes later, the fancy car is in front of the bakery and we leave. I take my school stuff so we can work on the project, and we get into the car. Adrien and I stay silent for the car ride, but he holds my hand gently, not wanting to let go.

When we get there, we stay silent and get out of the car. Adrien quickly walks around to the other side of the car, and hooks his arm with mine. We walk up the front steps and Adrien opens the huge door.

"Adrien? Honey is that you?" I hear his mom call, and he sniffles, saying, "yeah Mom it's me." His voice is thick with sadness, and it doesn't sound like him.

I hear her quick heels tap, and she walks out of the kitchen, wearing an apron. "Oh, um, hello Marinette. I didn't know that you were coming over. What's wrong?" She asks, looking at the both of us. Adrien's body jolts with a sob, and he turns to me, hugging me tightly. He hasn't stopped touching me since he found out.

He doesn't want to let go.

He buries his head into the crook of my neck, and I feel his tears on my skin. I bite my lip as I clutch to him, a few tears escaping my eyes. "Marinette? Is he okay?" I look over at his mother, and see the extreme amount of worry for her son that she has.

"He will be." I say, my voice shaking. "Are you okay?" Emelie asks me, and I look at her. "No." I say, my voice shaking. "Will you be?" I shake my head no, answering her question. She comes over and hugs us, wrapping her arms around us in her loving embrace.

My relationship with Emelie is amazing. Some times I come over, and just talk to her. She's a huge influence in my life, and like a second mom. She gives me all of my advice. I love her so much. I'm closer to her than I am with Adrien. She's my home away from home. We usually bake and cook together while we talk, and I leave before she tells Adrien that dinner is ready.

I absolutely love her, but I've never told her about my cancer. When she got sick, I was at the hospital when Adrien couldn't be, and supporting her through all of it. For half of it I was dealing with cancer of my own.

Adrien stands up, and looks at his mom. "Marinette, you need to tell her. She has to know." I nod, and look at Emelie.

"I'm sick. I'm really sick." I say, more tears falling down my face. She gives me a confused look, and I say, "About a year ago, I was diagnosed with stage two Metastatic Melanoma, that had spread a lot. While you were getting your final treatments, I was getting my first. But, it never progressed. It stayed the same. I had a few mets in my organs, skin, and brain. I also got a tumor, and they removed it. But nothing was changing. The chemo helped, and I did beat it for about a month, but then the cancer was back.

"I've been going in every week, and have stayed at a stage two. Until today. It was my monthly check to see if the cancer progressed at all. And it has. A lot. I'm at stage 4, and the chemo isn't working. I can't get better, Emelie. I was given 6 months this morning. I'm dying. I am going to die soon."

She covers her mouth, and tears form in her eyes.

"No. Not my sweet girl." She pulls me into a tight hug, and she begins to cry. I hug her back with my one hand -the other one being held captive by Adrien- and we stand like that for like 5 minutes.

Mr. Agreste comes out of his office, and we all turn and look at him. He first looks at mine and Adrien's combined hands, a small look of surprise on his face. Then he looks at each of our faces, and his surprise turns to confusion. "What's going on?" He asks, taking off his glasses. I look at him, a tear running down my cheek, and say, "I'm dying Mr. Agreste. I have 6 months left to live."

"Oh, Marinette." He says, the kind man coming over and hugging all of us. When his wife got sick and was in the hospital for awhile, he became a cold, distant man. But when she started to get better he returned to his old self. His joyful, loving self.

We soon pull away, and Adrien says, "We're gonna go upstairs." Adrien says, grabbing onto my hand again and pulling me behind him. We go up to his room, and we sit down on the couch. He pulls me into him so I'm laying on his chest, and I love this new form of affection, even if it's because I'm dying.

That sounds so weird. To say that I'm dying.

"I want to spend as much time with everyone as I can." I say, looking up at him. He nods, and tucks my head back under his chin. "Whatever you want, Marinette. Whatever you want."

———————

When I get home, my parents are asleep. I go up to my room and immediately begin to write in my journal.

Dear diary,

   Today the appointment was the worst one yet. They told me something I thought I'd never hear. I'm not going to get better. Even after battling this sickness for almost a year, living in the hospital for three months, several surgeries, treatment after treatment of chemo, and hiding it from absolutely everyone except my parents, it didn't work. I'm going to die.

And they said that I only have 6 months left.   

I never expected things to turn out like this. Ever. My life was supposed to move on. Not end in a short 18 years. I'm supposed to graduate this year. I want to have the opportunity to go to college, mess up in life, get married, have kids.

Not get cancer at the age of 17, and have the life I wanted vanish right in front of me.

How unfair is this?

But, I guess some of it was good. I got to hang out with Adrien, and I told him. He refused to let go of me, and we mourned together, over myself.

It's weird to be sad about something that hasn't even happened yet. It's weird that it's even possible.

But, I have 6 months. I'll make the most of them.

Every single day.