IN TIME (Camren)

Part 12

I missed the train by less than ten minutes, so I had to wait almost an hour for the next one. I couldn't stop thinking how sad Lauren had been all afternoon. Not that she shouldn't have been. I mean, if getting a diagnosis of leukemia doesn't give you the right to be sad, what does? But the crazy thing was, she almost hadn't seemed sad about having cancer. It was like couldn't be able to play softball had been the reason why.

How was she going to last through weeks of treatment. . . months of treatment! With nothing to look forward to besides Skyping her classes and receiving a daily inspirational message from the softball team? thinking about her squeezing her eyes shut to stop herself from crying made me furious.

And the worst part was, there was nothing I could do. Dr. Lovato telling me Lauren needed her friends suddenly felt like a bad joke. Why did she need her friends. . . . so we could bear witness to her misery?

---

When I got home, I dialed her number immediately.

"Hey," she said. She sounded really tired.

"I have an idea." my idea burst out of me, "I'll skype your game next week so you can be able to watch it. Or even teach or lead your team as you used to. Do you like that?" I said excitedly.

"What?" she asked. I realized from how fuzzy her voice was that I must have woken her up, so I repeated myself, enunciating each word carefully.

"I'll. Skype. Your. Game. Next Week! And you can lead or teach your team throughout the game!!" I said.

There was a long pause.

"You don't have to do this, Camz." Lauren finally said. "I know you don't want to do this. Watching ball games are not your kind of thing."

"Lauren, come on. It's so nothing." I assured her. "Plus, I will do everything for you, babe. Even when if I'm not used on doing it, I'll do it. . . for you."

I heard a voice in the background, and Lauren said, "I'm okay, Mom. Really."

"Do you have to go?" I asked her. "We can talk about this tomorrow."

"It could be a big job for you, Camz." said Lauren, ignoring my offer.

"I'm not taking no for an answer." I told her. There was a long pause. I stayed quiet.

"Camz, are you sure?" she asked.

"Oh my God! Will you stop already? I'm doing it and that's final." I said.

I heard her mom in the background, and this time Lauren said, "I gotta go."

"Of course," I said right away. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Camz." Lauren sounded slightly out of breath.

"I love you." I said. And then she answered, "I love you too." and we hung up.

It felt good. Really good to say that I make her happy for a while. But waiting is the worst. Waiting to visit Lauren. Waiting for her to get out of the hospital. To get better. To come back to school. But doing something like skyping her game beat the hell out of waiting.

---

Chris  had offered to give me a ride the day of the game, but it wasn't his car pulled into my driveway. It was Shawn's.

Even before I saw Shawn's car, I was already in a bad mood. There was a problem with the hot water heater so my shower was freezing.

I was running late and racing downstairs to grab something to eat before Chris picked me up and drove me to the venue, but it was Shawn.