Finding Love In The Unseen

Chapter 4: A Taste of Hope, A Dash of Cruelty

       Song:"The Night We Met" by Lord Huron

    I walked down the stairs of my school, knowing I had survived another horrible day. I sighed. My parents promised to pick me up as soon as school ended. I just wanted them to be on time for once. Finding a place to sit, I thought to myself, They probably won’t make it on time anyway.

  To my surprise, I spotted my father’s car pulling up. For the first time in months, my whole family was there—my older sister, my older brother, and even my baby brother. We were all together, something that only happened on Sundays. My siblings were smiling, and my parents looked like they were getting along. Everyone was in a good mood, and I couldn’t help but feel a little happy, too.

     "Can we get ice cream?" my little brother shouted, tugging at my father’s arm.

     "Stop that!" my mom scolded.

    "No, it’s okay," my dad said, smiling. "Which flavor do you want?"

     "I want vanilla!" my brother cheered, while everyone else chimed in with their favorite flavors. My dad turned towards an ice cream shop and parked. He turned to me.

    "Sophie, do you want some ice cream?" he asked. "You used to like chocolate."

         I stared at him in shock. My dad was usually strict about my diet since my illness. He always said I couldn’t afford to relapse because of the costs of treatment. But this time, I really wanted it.

     "Yes," I said, smiling. "I want chocolate."

    For the first time in ages, I felt like a normal kid. The ice cream tasted like happiness. Maybe things could get better, I thought.

    After my check-up, the doctor smiled at me. "Good news, Sophie. You’re getting better!" he said. I couldn’t believe it. Even though I didn’t feel any different, the doctor’s words gave me hope.

     The next morning, something miraculous happened. I woke up, and for the first time in years, my nose wasn’t blocked. I could breathe freely! It was painful at first, but I didn’t care. I felt energized. I cleaned my shoes, ironed my uniform, straightened my hair, and put on my lip gloss and perfume like I used to before I got sick.

        "Things are getting better. Everything will go back to normal," I told myself.

     When I got to school, people stared at me, not with the usual pity, but with surprise. Maybe they noticed how well I looked today, I thought. During English class, I handed in my assignment, and my teacher actually smiled. "Sophie, you really did your homework this time!" she said. It felt like I was finally getting my life back.

    For the first time in two years, my classmates invited me to lunch. I was so happy, just like old times. Maybe deep down they still cared about me, or at least that’s what I wanted to believe.A month passed, and I was getting better. I could breathe through my nose more often. But life wasn’t done testing me. My friend Anne invited me to her birthday party. I hadn’t been to one since I was 11. Who would invite the sick kid to a party anyway? But Anne did, and I was thrilled.

     When I got home, I rushed to my parents. "Mom, Dad, I got an invitation!" My sister was excited for me too, knowing how much I missed my friends.

       The day of the party came, and everything seemed perfect. Until it wasn’t. My nose started itching, and I felt dizzy. The symptoms were creeping back. "No, not now," I whispered to myself. I tried to act normal, but I overheard Jayden’s voice.

    "Hey, freak! Must you go around ruining everything?" he said, laughing. I clenched my fists, trying not to let him get to me.

   When it was time to sing the birthday song, I felt even worse. I wanted to call my parents to pick me up, but it was too late. Everything went black, and I collapsed.

    When I woke up a day later, the doctor said my condition had worsened. I couldn’t believe it. "I thought I was getting better!" I cried. "I did everything you asked!

    "My father turned to my mother, furious. "This is your fault! You shouldn’t have let her have ice cream!"

       My mother glared back. "Oh, so now it’s my fault? You’re the one who suggested it!" They started arguing again, but I didn’t care. I had ruined Anne’s birthday, and I knew my friends would never let me forget it.

    When I returned to school the following week, I didn’t have the energy to dress up anymore. My uniform looked wrinkled and old. As I walked in, I heard whispers.
    
    "There she is again. The freak," someone said. Of course. The last month was just pretend. A freak will always be a freak, no matter how hard she tries to be a princess.
     Anne avoided me, and the girls who used to be my friends barely looked my way. It was as if I had faded back into the shadows.

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