His last thought

11| I'm serious.

"My mom just texted, she's on her way back." Caleb tells me.

"Okay, you're halfway done, about." I say.

"I'm so exhausted. I don't know how I'm going to to this."

"You'll get through it. Slowly but surely." I say and put my feet up on his chair.  "If you go to school tomorrow, you'll start to get used to it."

"Last time I went through chemo, I kind of dissed a lot of people I cared about after my hair fell out." He says.

"Tell me more."

"I was, about halfway done with the first semester of eight grade the first time I went through it. Everyone cares, for some reason. I guess I shut everyone out because I was vulnerable."

"You won't do that to me, will you?"

"No, I know you understand, so it's not awkward I guess." Caleb tells me.

"Was it also because you didn't want anyone judging you or making fun of you?"

"Yeah." He says and shrugs. "I was thirteen, bald, sick, and super fucking skinny for a teenager. I would make fun of me."

"Skinny?" I ask. "Did you not eat a lot during your treatments, because they usually make you gain weight."

"Not a lot, no. I'd throw up or just get really sick a lot."

"Sick, like flu or sick like, hospitalized for weeks?"

"Both." He says. "It really sucks. I don't have any control over almost anything I do, and I'm a teenager."

"Yeah, but you can't do anything, so stop dwelling on it." I tell Caleb.

"Yeah okay." He says and smiles. "I was scared for today, but I ended up having fun."

"Yeah, okay." I imitate.

"I'm serious." Caleb says. I sit there for a minute before my phone starts ringing.

"I'll-"

"I know." He says and I walk out of the room.

"What mom? Can we make this quick?"

"I know you're at the hospital right now, but try to make it home soon."

"Okay, I'll wrap it up." I say and hang up. I walk back over to him and see him on his phone. "It was my mom. She wants me home soon." I tell him.

"That's fine. Mine is going to be back soon, and I'm almost done."

"Okay. I'll call you later." I say and grab my stuff. "And don't forget to be careful walking, the chemo makes you-"

"Tired, I know." Caleb says. "Thanks for coming."

I nod and walk outside. I run into Noel, and she looks at me weird.

"Why are you here?" She asks with a smirk.

"Why does everyone want to know?" I say and walk away from her.

When I get home, I see my mom sitting on the couch with a glass of wine.

"How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date?" I tell her. "We were just hanging out."

"Okay, sure." She says.

"Why did you want me home?"

"It's already 7, and you have school tomorrow." She says and talks over to me. "You were with Caleb?" I nod and look away.  "I saw Kate earlier. We had a glass of wine together before she left to get Caleb."

"Fun." I say sarcastically. "He's not done yet. He had another bag left when you called."

"Kates there with him now." My mom says and shrugs. I grab my backpack and walk upstairs. When I get into my room, my phone starts ringing.

"Caleb, are you home?" I ask.

"Not yet, maybe twenty minutes or so before we leave."

"Okay. Why did you call?"

"I might come into school a little late tomorrow. I'm exhausted."

"Then why aren't you asleep?"

"I'm leaving soon."

"Why couldn't you just text me that you were going to be late tomorrow?"

"Because." He says and hangs up. I call him back and he quickly answers. "Yes?"

"That was rude." I say and lay down on my stomach on my bed. "Are you exited for Corey's party in two days?"

"I thought you said it wasn't a party."

"It's not. It's a bonfire." I tell him. "With party things like games and beer."

"Remind me me not to have any. Adam is coming over on Saturday and I don't want to be hungover."

"Yeah, I can do that." I say.

I hang up, put everything away and lay down. Adam. How long has it been since they saw each other? This is gonna get awkward.