Love Must Be Earned

Prologue (The Turning Point)

I was so exited. It was my first day of preschool and I was going to be attending the same school as my best friend. Don't get me wrong I loved all the guys I hung out with around my neighborhood, but Mark was my absolute favorite. We did everything together and for the most part Lance always chaperoned. Fast-forward a few months past days of playing eating lunch and learning together and you come to November.

I sat in Lance's room awaiting the arrival of both him and his brother, Mark. Unfortunately when the door to his room opened there was no Mark and instead the tear stained face of his brother is what awaited me.

"Sit down," Lance sat down on his bead and patted the spot next to him.

After a few minutes of silence I got up the nerve to talk, "What's wrong?"

"Andi, Mark is in the hospital, he ... he has cancer."

"Oh, okay," I hadn't known what was wrong because no body had told me but mark had been missing school and getting sick a lot so I knew something had to be wrong.

"He's had cancer for a year now. His condition has gotten much worse though an we don't know how much longer he has," a moment passes, "would you like to go see him in the hospital."

I simply shake my head not having any words. Before we leave I sneak off to Mark's room. I walk into the pitch-black room. Mark always hated the light and always kept the widows boarded up, but I could get around in this room in the light or the dark. I had been in this room so many times it was like my home, and I had a sinking feeling it wouldn't be like that for much longer. I walk to his bed and reach below it to grab is favorite teddy bear and take the steps to the first floor to join the family at the minivan.

After a dreadfully silent car ride we park at the hospital and Lance, taking my hand, leads me to Mark's room. I poke my head in and Mark's paleface cracks a smile. His eyes look like death and the room smelt like a hospital should. It smelt like hell. It smelt like a place I never wanted to see my friend go especially not looking how he did. I push past this though and walk into the room, and Lance leaves us to be alone.

I pull the teddy bear from behind my back, "I thought you would want this."

Showing a little bit of strength he takes the teddy bear from me and in a small voice sais, "Thanks, and thank you for coming. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but I just wanted things to stay the same between us."

"It's fine by me, " I give him a quick hug and pull away, "I'm just glad I'm hear now."

We had both always been very mature children. We had to be after what happened to Alejandro. He was the firs person I knew who died but it didn't really affect me because I was only two, but it still made Mark and I act older than our age.

Marks head slowly turned to the side and I figured he had just fallen asleep. It was only when the beeping of the monitor started that I realized what truly just happened. The doctors and nurses began rushing in and so did Lance. He plucked me from my feet and pulled me from the room as I kicked and screamed.

After fifteen minutes of waiting that felt like an hour the doctor walked out of the room.

"Addressing Mark's family and me he slightly shook his head and said, "Im so sorry, there was nothing more we could do. I'll leave you alone now and come back later."

I didn't cry I didn't freak out, I didn't get angry, I didn't do anything visible, but that was the problem, because at that moment I put up my walls. The walls I would seemingly have for the rest of my