DISCONTINUED The Secret Life of an American Homeschooler Fallon's World

[7]

I got home from co op and skyped Thalia immediately. Skype took about a minute and a half to load and finally Thalia answered.

"Fallon, you lucky bitch, I just got back from school." I ignored her words and just told her what I had to say.

"Thalia, you need to come home." She looked at me and scrunched up her eyebrows.

"Sure, in a few weeks when my school year is over. Why do you look like you're about to puke?"

"Macey's in the hospital."

"Oh my gosh." Thalia's face fell. "What happened? If it was that damned motorcycle-" Thalia started, but I cut her off.

"It's her appendix. Peyton just texted and said she's having surgery right now."

"Oh my gosh. ALEX!" Thalia screamed, a tear trickling down her face. "ALEX!" She called again.

"What? What is it? What happened?" Alex rushed to the scene to comfort the now sobbing Thalia. "Fallon, right?"

I nodded.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Alex asked me as Thalia cried into his shirt.

"Macey's in the hospital." I choke back my tears.

"Oh fu-" Alex started, but Thalia slapped him. "We don't use that word around Fallon's house." Alex nodded.

"I'm so sorry." Alex said solemnly.

"Will you bring her here on Friday? We're going to see her and I want Thalia to be there." I tell him, trying to unravel the lump in my throat.

"Yeah, what time?" Alex asked. He seemed like a good guy, seeing as he cared about Thalia this much.

"Whenever, I'll text Thalia if we have a set time." He nodded. I heard the front door of my house open and close. "Hey, I have to go, someone's here."

Alex nodded and the three of us said our goodbyes. I leaned back in my chair and sighed. Mac looked at me from his place on the floor curiously, as if to say, "Where's Macey? She always makes you happy when you're sad."

"Fallon? Daniel? Rachel?" I heard the person who come into my house screamed. My dad.....

"Dad?!" I yelled back, flying up from my room and down the stairs with Mac close at my heels.

"Fallon!" My dad said happily when he saw me run down the stairs. I hugged him with all my might and he hugged me back.

"I'm so sorry about Macey, I wish I had known!" My dad whispered into my hair. I heard Mac whimper and claw at his leg. My dad, Jason Archer, was the sheriff of our town. He had a giant responsibility and wasn't really home very often.

"Me too, daddy." I cried softly.

"Does Noah know?" Noah is Carter's cousin and he and Macey sort of had a thingy- I guess -a few years back.

"No, but I think Carter's telling him." I reply.

"What about Luka?" Just like Thalia is basically my older sister, Luka is basically my older brother. He's younger than Thalia by about a year and is a freshman in college. He and Thalia dated a few years back, but things really didn't work out. We're not allowed to mention the other to them.

He's basically Macey's brother too.

"No... I've been scared to call him." I tell dad. He grimaces, but not in a bad way. More like, I understand how you feel but wish you would just grow woman balls and call him.

"I get that." Dad said. "Where's mom and Danny?"

"At the allergist." Dad looked shocked.

"I missed that?" I nodded for him.