A Heart From Another

Chapter 2: Smashed Phones and Difficult Goodbyes

Chapter 2: Smashed Phones and Difficult Goodbyes 

"Nineteen unanswered messages," a robotic voice chirped from my cell phone. "Twenty unanswered messages. Twenty-one unanswered messages. Twenty-two un-"

I flung the phone across the room, where it cracked sharply against the wall before dropping into an opened box marked "Cass’ clothes." The stupid thing wouldn't shut up. Since last Monday at the doctor's office, I had stopped answering my friends' texts and calls. I had deactivated my Facebook so they couldn't message me. I had taken every extreme to erase myself from their lives and my mind. It was better that way, I told myself. They would forget about me and go on with their lives. They wouldn’t have to be burdened with my... disease. They wouldn’t have to worry about my tendency to pass out after gym anymore, about my dizziness attacks, about how my chest always hurt. They wouldn’t have to find out about how the walls of my heart were thick and stiff, so blood couldn't always flow in and out efficiently.  How I could have a heart failure any minute, like my dad.

My mother poked her head through the doorway. “Cassidy, honey? Are you done packing?” She surveyed my bedroom while biting her lip, taking in the empty brown cardboard boxes that littered the floor, and the piles of my stuff that I was sifting through. She sighed. “We leave for Colby tomorrow, Cass. You should be finished by now.”

I gave her a weak half-smile. “I know, mom. I’m just tired.”

She was by my side in a blink of an eye. She put her hand on my chest, trying to feel for an irregular heartbeat. “Where does it hurt? Are you going to faint? Can you breathe all right? Cassidy? Cassidy!”

I shoved her hand away. “Mother! I’m not going to die. I just didn’t get much sleep last night. Stop being so overprotective!”

A hurt look flashed on her face. “I... I just don’t want you to... Hurry up with your packing, Cassidy Rose.” She quickly stood and walked out.

Before I could feel too bad about it, my phone chirped again. “Twenty-nine unanswered messages.”

“DARN IT!”

----  

After three painful hours of tedious labor, also known as packing all of your belongings into various boxes, I decided to head downstairs to eat my late night snack.

I rummaged through the nearly empty cupboards and finally found my little treat; two extra-large white chocolate Hershey bars with mini chocolate chips. I heard a muffled shuffle from behind me so I turned around to see what caused the noise. My mother was heading towards the fridge purposely avoiding eye contact with me. I really messed up this time, I thought with a pang of guilt.

"Look, mom, I'm sorry I overreacted, it's ju-"

"You don't have to apologize, it was completely my fault," my mom cut me off curtly, still not looking at me.

"No, I know you're mad at me, but listen," I paused, making sure I had her attention. She turned around and looked at me straight in the eye, void of any emotions.

"You have to understand why I acted like that. It's not that you're overprotective; I was just tired of everyone being worried about me. I'm sick of this stupid disease controlling me, not even letting me casually say that I'm tired! I was so frustrated about all the consequences of the stupid thing that I took it on you. I'm sorry, I really am. Do you forgive me?" I exhaled, hoping that she accepted my apology. My mother might be all playful and fun most of the time, but when she's angry at you, it's the worst feeling in the world.

She looked at me for a little while longer, her emotions seeping back into her emerald eyes.

"Honey, yes, of course I forgive you. I just... I was so worried because I know that I could lose you so easily and I didn't want something to happen to you because I didn't care enough," She told me, her voice wavering slightly.