The Fight For Life And School

Chapter 5 She's already gone

I'm leading Mom back through the hallways. Tomorrow I won't be able to because I have to go back to school.

"Second day of your suport group." I say with no emotion. Mom looks at me and stops walking. She pulls at my arm and asks me to take her to the side of the hallway.

"You don't have to come because I remember the last time wasn't your favorite." She says looking me in the eyes.

"It's just an opinion that peole agreed with mom. It's not like it's true. Right?" I ask. She quickly looks down, but returns her gaze to me. 

"Right." She squeaks. She begins to walk on her own in her pink bunny slippers. I walk to catch up with her and lead her to the room. She sit's down in the chair she was in the last time. I stand at the door and watch her sit down to make sure she's okay. Someone bumps my shoulder with theirs. I turn to my right to see Callum looking back at me. 

"Hello." He says, looking straight ahead with his hands in his pockets.

"Hi." I whisper back. He looks at me through the corner of his eyes. 

"So this is why you're here," He says quietly, "Because you're sick." He finishes after pausing. I look at him startled. I grab his shoulder and turn him towards me. 

"No. I'm--I'm not. My mom is." I say pointing to her. He looks at me with concern, but also a look of relief. 

"Im glad you're okay and I'm sorry about your moms health. My mom's sick too." He says, pointing towards Monica. I look over in the direction he's pointing to and see her standing talking with a big smile on her face. Callum puts his hand back in his pocket. Monica looks our way with a big smile that only gets bigger when she see's Callum. But when she see's me her smile lessens. I look away and nod my head. I decide to change the subject. 

"How was your coffee?" I jokingly say. He smiles. 

"It probably tastes a lot better on you." He says. His eyes fill with fear. I laugh.

"Not like that it's just the coffee here is already so bad that spilling it on clothing probably made it better." He says quickly. 

"Hey. I like the coffee here!" I say. 

"Then Starbucks must be a jackpot." He says back with an adorable smile. I scoff and smile back. We lock eye's for a moment until Monica tells everyone to sit down. I now just look around and see that a lot of kids and teenagers are here as well. Are they all sick? They all look healthy. Monica claps her hands together.

"Hello everybody. Today we have brought it your children to see how they feel with all of this, and a way for you all to try and work out any tention. Please take a seat next to your parents." She says, unclasping her hands and motioning for all of us to do as she said, and sit. I give a tight smile to Callum and go sit next to my mom. She grabs my hand, not looking at me. She's nervous. 

Each parent and kid go around and talk, occasionaly crying, occasionaly laughing, or occasionaly not accknowledging each other at all. My mom begins to speak, but I barely listen because I'm thinking about school and homework, and how I'm going to have to make dad and Rosie dinner, and how I'm going to have to force Rosie to even get near her back pack. 

"And how are you during all of this Manon?" I look up and tuck away my bitten nails. 

"Besides the fact that my mom is dying, and my sister wont talk to her--let alone be in the same room as my mom, and my dad shutting everything out. Feeling, me, Roise, mom and her cancer? I'm fine." I say with a little to much force. Mom looks at me with tears. 

"You feel this way?" She asks. I look at her.

"Mom, you're gone! I'm making dinner, making Rosie do her homework, and making sure dad doesn't do anything...to hurt himself and the...and the family." I barely get the last part out. 

"I am not gone! I never will be! You need to talk to me about this!" She yells. She begins to cough. I go to rub her back but she swats my hand away.

"I'm not gone. I can stop coughing myself." She hisses. 

"Then why does it feel like you are gone?" I squeak. My eyes burn and my throat tightens as it burns. If I say one word I know I'll break down into tears. Monica speaks up.

"That's all our time." She whispers. I stand up, along with everyone else. Callum stops me before I leave.

"You okay?" He asks. I nod and make awkward hand gestures. 

"Yeah," I squeak, "I have to go." I rush out the last part before leading mom back to her room in an awkward silence.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Okay, next chapter will take place in hell, I mean school. Okey dokey. 

Bye my lovelies!

~Cora <3