Confident • 5sos

Chapter 2

Word count: 1540

Courtney's p.o.v

My phone ringing wakes me up. I raise my head and realise everyone fell asleep out on the sofas. I untangle myself with difficulty, and rush across the apartment to get my phone; which is on charge.

"Hello?" I answer, not even looking at who's calling me before answering.

"Hi dear." My mother says, I sag slightly knowing I might be on the phone for a while. My mother does talk quite a lot.

"Hi mum, how have you been?" I ask, feeling awkward since I haven't spoken to her for 6 months.

"This isn't about me! Happy birthday darling, I didn't really know what to get you, so I put a large amount of cash into your account." She tells me, I notice how much weaker she sounds compared to when I last spoke to her.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that." I laugh awkwardly. Someone over the other side of the apartment stirs and I realise how loudly I'm speaking.

"I won't need it anyway." She tells me, but there isn't the joking tone in her voice like there usually is.

"What's wrong? Something's wrong I can tell." I say seriously. She sighs heavily before replying.

"There is another reason why I called you. I went to the doctors yesterday because I had difficulty breathing, I thought it was just a chest infection and I'd be given some antibiotics or something. Well they put me through this machine, said it was more effective a-and it turns out I have cancer." She explains. I blink, trying to process everything she's told me.

"W-what?" I stutter, feeling the emotions get clogged in my throat.

"I have a month to live." She tells me sadly. I feel my eyes widen. Sure we aren't that close, but my mum gave life to me and helped me when I was younger and even now.

"I'm coming to London." I inform her. She starts coughing violently.

"No, darling you don't have to do that, I don't want you to see me like this." She exclaims after her coughing fit.

"You can't stop me, I know we haven't spoke for a while, but I love you mum. Are you still staying at home?" I ask.

"I'm at the hospital, the one closest to my house?" She says quietly, even though I haven't been home for years I immediately know which one she was telling me about.

"I'll get the first flight mum, I promise, I love you." I tell her.

"I love you too, Court." She sighs, and I hang up.

"Courtney? What's up?" Natalie asks, I turn and see her walking towards me. Her hair is poking out at random angles, and usually I would laugh, but I don't feel in the mood to laugh now.

"I've got to go back to London. M-my mum...." I say, trailing off, Natalie nods in understanding and pulls me into a hug.

~~~

"Do you think this is right? You know, considering what happened last time you was in London?" Louise asks, we're at the airport, so I know that there is no turning back, regardless of what anyone says. Louise was the only one I told why I moved here to New York in the first place.

"I need to, and London is pretty big, I'm never going to see them again. I don't think the gang is even still operating." I reassure her but also myself. I hug each of my friends one last time.

"Call me, yeah?" Noah says when I hug him. I nod, blushing at his urge to protect me.

"I love you all, I'll text you all when I arrive." I wave for the last time and then go through customs.