Finding The Truth

Chapter 17: Affected

Melody's POV

Over the next couple days, everything was okay...no side effects, nothing happened! Although Hope said it wouldn't take full affect until later in the week, we were all still cautious. 

Then it hit her, hard!

"Melody, wake up honey!" I heard Hope saying. I opened my eyes only to find Liz holding something and balling her eyes out! "Liz, Liz...hey, what is it? Show me!" I said, jumping up and running over to her. By the time I got to her I could tell what it was. "Oh my god!" I mouthed to myself. "Liz, are you okay?" I asked, sitting down right next to her. She held her hair in her hands and I felt absolutely horrible. She laid her head on my shoulder and hugged me. "I'm here, right here; I promise!" I said. "Liz, honey this is normal...okay, completely normal! All cancer patients lose their hair; it is however harder for girls!" Hope told her as we hugged. "Get mom." I mouthed to her. She nodded and went to wake mom and the girls. Liz was still heartbroken; nothing like this had ever happened to her, so she had no idea how to handle it besides by crying her eyes out. As I rubbed her hair, it fell out and I started crying softly. "Why did this have to happen, why?" Liz said, crying. I burst into tears as soon as she said that. "I don't know Liz, I don't know! I wish I could've done something, anything, to prevent it." I cried. "I wish it were me, not you; I wish that more than anything!" I cried. Mom and the girls came running in only to find both of us crying. "Mels?" Tara said placing her hand on my shoulder. "I'm not okay!" I mouthed to her. My mom didn't see me; I honestly didn't want her to. "I know." she mouthed back. "Melody, Tara, I need to talk to mom and Liz alone." Hope said. I looked down at Liz, and she looked up at me. Without saying a word, she laid her head back on my shoulder and continued to cry; I knew what she was thinking, and I wasn't about to let her continue thinking that. "I'm not leaving her; she wants me to stay right here, and I'm not leaving her; I'm sorry but..." I whispered crying. "I don't want you to get even more upset when I tell her this; that's why I said that!" Hope said. "She's my sister; if you think I'm leaving her just so you can tell her something devastating, you are sadly mistaken." I cried. "Okay sweetie, I understand!" she said, smiling. "So, what's wrong?" Tara  asked. "Can everybody sit down first?" Hope asked. Everyone sat down. "Liz, the chemo is working but not as fast as it should; this means your cancer will progress to stage four quicker than we expected." Hope said. "So?" mom asked. "So, we're going to do everything we can; but as of now, she only has ten to twelve months to live! I'm so sorry!" she continued. "That's not possible, theres no way!" mom said. Hope motioned mom outside and explained it to her. Liz watched as she slid down the wall and cried. She heard the whole explanation all over again; reality set in and she started crying again; I pulled her close and started crying with her. "Don't leave me; don't let go, because..." she paused. "...because i don't know if i'll get to hug you again" she cried. Mom and Hope walked in when she said that; they were both in tears. "I'm not gonna let go okay? I've got you; I promise I've got you!" I whispered, feeling my heart breaking into millions of pieces and crying. "when you're weak, I'll be strong..." Tara sang as she walked towards us; I looked up at her with this face that said "what in the heck are you singing." She sang it again and then i figured it out and sang the next line: "...when you let go, i'll hold on." Liz looked up at me and slightly smiled at me through her tears. "When you need to cry, i swear that i'll be there to dry your eyes." I sang, wiping her tears. "When you feel lost and scared to death, like you can't take one more step..."  Tara and I alternated. "Just take my hand, together we can do it; I'm gonna love you through it!" I sang, crying!! "We're not gonna take that record deal" Tara said. "You need to be here with her, she needs you!" she continued. "Both of you need each other; now more than ever!" mom added. I nodded sniffling. "I'm scared." Liz said, looking at me, still crying. "Me too." I whispered, crying. We sat there and cried forever; I knew Liz wasn't okay, because I wasn't either. I knew there was something I could do, anything! I looked at my mom and mouthed: "it's pageant time!" and she nodded like she was just waiting for me to say it. This next year was going to be a huge rollercoaster ride, for Liz as well as all of us, but we were ready; we were scared, but we were ready.