Finding The Truth

Chapter 18: Pageants & Perils

Melody's POV

As my mom filled out the paperwork for Miss Greater Cape Fear's Outstanding Teen, I sat there and watched Liz sleep! It had been a couple days since her prognosis of ten to twelve months, and I could tell she was worse; I just could, even if it was just by a little bit. "Melody, I need your platform and talent!" mom whispered. Before anyone asks, yes I've been in pageants ever since I've been singing. At age six I won my first Little Miss Princess of North Carolina title then I went for Little Miss Princess of America at age seven and won; from that moment on I was hooked. When that reign ended, I wanted a break; so I took a break, and went back to the same system again at age eleven for PreTeen Miss! I won both times then as well, but when I won PreTeen Miss Princess of America, my dad got the call that changed everything. I gave up that at age thirteen and decided that if my dad died I would do another pageant; I was going to spend every second i could get with him. The day he died, he made me promise that I would raise awareness for his cancer through pageants; I promised him I would. I made that promise without knowing Liz was going to get the same cancer; her getting it just gave me another reason to do it. "Singing in the Blood - Leukemia Awareness is my platform; vocal to 'I'm Gonna Love You Through It' is my talent" I whispered back. She smiled at me, knowing why I chose that song and that platform. "Don't tell her!" I whispered. "I want to surprise her!" I continued. She smiled and nodded her head then continued asking me questions about my platform; I had done all my research and everything a few hours before. I already knew some of it; with both Liz and my dad, how could I not? I answered the questions with poise, elegance, and pride; just as I was going to do on pageant day during interview and onstage question. The deadline for paperwork was that night so we had to hurry; we were done within the hour and my mom took it to the director. Now we had to gather wardrobe which wasn't gonna be hard because I knew what I wanted for each phase of competition. I had bought this orange cocktail a few weeks ago, not remembering what the color for leukemia was, so I decided that would be talent and the royal blue gown I used for the freshman ball last year that still fit would be evening gown; that left fitness and interview left for us to buy. Ever since Liz's prognosis was given, every time I thought about her or heard mom and Hope talking about it, I'd break down; not in front of them though.

An hour or so after mom and i had finished paperwork, I had to make a cafeteria run before starving to death; as I walked down I could see this fairly tall, blonde haired guy walking in front of me. I blinked a few times to see if he was actually real and the last time i blinked he had turned around; I stood there in total shock at the fact that my boyfriend, Max Mills, was standing before me. "Max?!" I mouthed, before I lost it. He knew what was going on, but he had no idea that her prognosis was a year. "Melody!" he said, running to me. I fell into his arms and he kissed my head. "She's only gonna live another year; it had to be her, why did it have to be her?" I cried into his chest. So the back story behind this is really amazing. Max and Liz have been best friends since they were little, but they were split apart; they haven't seen each other since the day Max's parents divorced and his mama got full custody, and they both were twelve. Liz told me about him; the story, the way he protected her from her dad, the way she was tortured after he left. I found him, planning to surprise her, then when he came i fell hard. I haven't told Liz yet, about him and I dating, but I'll get to it; right now, I wanted to get them together. "She wants to see you, I know she does!" I whispered, smiling. He nodded and we walked back to her room

"Liz, are you awake?" I whispered. She mumbled yes under her breath. "Can you open your eyes for me?" I whispered, motioning Max in. She opened her eyes, and had to blink a few times before she sat up and cried! "You are not here right now?!?!?!" she cried. He nodded, and she got up and ran to him! "Oh my god; oh my god!" she cried into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry I left you; if I hadn't have this wouldn't be happening to you!" he said to her, almost in tears himself. "I don't blame you; I never blamed you, not once!!" she cried. "I missed you!" he said. "I missed you too!" she cried, not wanting to let go! She looked at me and mouthed "thank you," and I nodded; wiping away my own tears, i took a picture of the sweetest moment I had ever seen. "Hey, I've gotta go to pageant practice, you guys can catch up while I'm gone!" I said to them. "Okay, have fun!" Liz said. I nodded and made the sign for "I love you" to her (yes we know some sign language) and she did it back. Off to practice I went, leaving Tara, the twins, Max, and Liz at the hospital.