The Time I Wish I Had

Family

 Hey guys! This is gonna be a short one, sorry:( Don't hate me! Finals are here and I'm trying like crazy to get everything done. THANK GOD FOR SUMMER!!!! I probably should be doing my world history project right now, but I'm a procrastinator :/ I didn't edit because I was in a hurry, so sorry! Please leave comments and vote if you like :D and if you don't like... don't hate on me!

 Seriously?

Honestly, seventeen year olds don't get cancer. I'm healthy. Or at least I was until I decided to go see the doctor. And yes, I know kids get cancer. But it's not like it's common! 

I pull into my driveway and put the car in park. My house is a two story white picket fenced home. The porch has a railing surrounding it, and a bench swings back and forth with the breeze. It's a complete american family cliche, but it's home. My mother is kneeling in the front yard, digging in the dirt. She loves to garden. A large straw hat flaps and frames her face. My mother is truly beautiful. Her brown curly hair cut at shoulder length and her shining green eyes. Barely thirty-four, she had me young. Most high school pregnancies don't end happily ever after, but my moms lucky. She got pregnant and married her high school sweetheart. My dad is a great man, and puts a smile on my face even on the worst days. And today was the worst of them all.

I heave out a sigh and and push open my piece of crap door. It creeks loudly and my mom looks up from her flowers. A grin spreads across her face so fast I almost have whiplash. 

"Hey honey!" She waves at me, her large gloves flying through the air. Her hat falls around her neck and she pushes herself up to walk towards me. She flings her arm around my shoulders and squeezes as we walk up the steps to the porch.

I smile weakly at her. 

She frowns. "Every all right sweetie? You look really pale."

My stomach starts to quiver and I feel light headed. I can't do this, I can't do this...

How hard can this be? My mom is my bestfriend. Telling her I was sick though... It would hurt her. She would probably cry and blame herself. My dad would try to keep calm and be as strong as he could. 

"Mom-" I begin my mouth opening and closing like a fish. The words just won't come. I have cancer. "Did you bake cookies?" I finish lamely.

The smile returns. "Is that a serious question? Of course!"

We walk into my yellow kitchen and I sit on the stool by the counter. My mom goes to the fridge and pours two glasses of milk. I reach for a chocolate fudge cookie sitting in front of me. I chomp down and smile at the taste. It reminds me of my grandma, going to her house on the weekends and baking cookies with her. She died from cancer. Wow, there's something to think about.

My mom sets the milk down in front of me and leans against the counter. "How was school?"

I cough. Grabbing the milk, I gulp trying to give myself some time. I hadn't gone to school because I had been at the clinic.

"Uhhh."

I savior I needed walked in right then. My dad sweeps my mom into a kiss. His short cut hair grays slightly at his temples, and his blue eyes are as striking as mine. He leans across the counter and kisses me on the cheek. "Where's Ryan?"

"Here!"

Ryan jogs through the back door. His gray t-shirt is sweaty and his dyed black hair flops against his forehead. A couple of streaks of red run through his bangs. He has a lip ring on the left corner of his mouth that gleams under the light. Typical punk. He's taller than me, and older than me by three minutes. And he would never let me forget it. He grins when he sees me.

"Look who decided to show up. Did you have an appointment today or something?" He smiles evilly.  He knows that our parents don't know that I wasn't at school.

My mom looks suspiciously at me even as she talks to my brother. "Why do you ask?"

"Why, Katie here wasn't at school." He raises an eyebrow. "I thought you knew."

My dads eyes turn angry. "We certainly didn't."

They both turn to me and I feel sick. The accusing looks on their faces did me in. It was now or never, and I knew that if I waited I would chicken out again.

I let out a shaky breath and look them all in the face.

"I need to tell you guys something."