Finish Line

Chapter 7

Sydney 

I just told Stacy everything. She needed to know. I couldn’t keep lying to her, she’s my best friend. I can see in her eyes that she’s scared but she doesn’t show it.

I take my pills while Stacy runs to a nearby mini mart and brings home a bag of fruits. That was sweet of her. Two of my grades have been sent to me and I passed them. I’m now just waiting for the rest.

I’m done with my pills. Peter picked me up at noon so we could go to the hospital together. I was suited up in a hospital gown after checking in. they did scans and blood tests. They informed us that the results will arrive in a week’s time. Now all I had to do was to wait.

Jake 

I passed all my exams and I’m really happy with the results. The whole football team celebrated last night. All was left was graduation practices and a few other school requirements.

Sydney 

I woke up with a bad case of phlegm. I drank ginger tea and it did help for a while.

The gymnasium was set for our graduation practice since it was big enough to accommodate everyone. Stacy and I didn’t sit together because we were alphabetically arranged. When Jake went on stage I felt happy for him, I couldn’t help but smile.

It was our row’s turn to head to the stage. My cough started to get worse. The last thing I saw was blood on my handkerchief.

Jake 

I could see Sydney lining up for her turn to go on stage. She looked pale and tired. Was she sick again? I heard a loud gasp before I saw Sydney collapse. I raced through the crowd telling them to move out of my way. I reached her fast. She looked pale and her lips were covered in blood. I start to panic.

I pick her up and start to run out the gym to get to my car. I didn’t know anyone was following me until Stacy opened the passenger door. I laid Sydney carefully on the seat. Stacy hopped in the back and I ran to the driver’s seat and sped up to the hospital. I could hear Stacy in the distance talking to either Luke or dad. I kept on glancing on my side to check on Sydney. God, please let her be okay.

As soon as I stopped the car I ran and picked Sydney up and raced through the emergency room. I shouted for help and the nurses rushed to help Sydney. I see nurses putting tubes in her mouth and an oxygen mask being placed. That’s the last I saw of Sydney before they whisked her away to a room. My knees give out and I collapse on the hospital floor.

Please let her be okay. Save her.

I didn’t realize dad and Luke were there until they help me get up and moved me to the waiting room. Stacy was there too but neither talked. Everyone was just waiting. Dad left us and headed for the nurses’ station. When he came back he sat beside me.

“What’s happening? Will she be okay?” I ask

“They’re prepping her for surgery” dad says and my whole body tenses. I stop breathing.

“What surgery?” I yell.

Dad closes his eyes and exhales loudly. He looks at Stacy and she nods at him. Dad turns to Luke then to me.

“She didn’t want me to tell you kids but I think you should know” he says slowly

“The first time we were here the doctors found a mass in her brain. It was small. They gave her pills because they wanted to see if it would shrink or grow. She had to take the pills for five days then go back for another check up. I brought her here but the results were still due in four more days. I don’t know what all the blood she coughed up means because the nurses aren’t telling me anything. They just informed me that the doctors would have to perform surgery immediately”

That was a lot of information to take in. I couldn’t breathe. The room was getting stuffy all of the sudden. I ran out and vomited all over the bushes. I walked to my car and just sat there.

I drove to school and found my favorite bench. Sydney and I would always meet me here. I close my eyes and rest my head against the tree beside it. I breathe in the air. I hear the trees swaying with the wind.

“Why did you leave?” I open my eyes and Stacy is sitting at the far end of the bench facing straight ahead.

“I had to get away from the place. I couldn’t breathe. Dad and Luke are there. I just had to get away for a while”

“No, why did you leave her?” she clarifies. She’s talking about sophomore year. She wants to know why I avoided them, especially Sydney. I had no choice. It’s time to tell her the truth.

“Because I love her” I whisper

Stacy turns to me and frowns “explain please”

“She’s my best friend since we were ten. But that’s just it. She’ll always just see me as her best friend and nothing more, and that hurts. I miss her every day. I miss talking to her, eating with her, seeing her with my family. I don’t want rejection. I don’t want it coming from her. So I distanced myself. The more I spend time with her the more I fall deeper and I can’t feel that way if all she wants is friendship.” I tell her

“How would you know?” Stacy asks

“Know what?” I ask

“How would you know about her feelings? Did you ever ask her? Did you ever even tell her about your feelings? No you didn’t, all you thought about was yourself. You’re more afraid of getting hurt than risking a chance at happiness and love. You avoiding her were just you being a coward. I’m not telling you this to hurt you Jake but I think you need to know what your actions did to her. When you avoided her she thought you were just busy with football practice of classes so she didn’t mind at all. But when you wouldn’t take her calls or reply to any off her texts she thought something happened to you, she panicked. When Luke and peter told her you were alright she couldn’t sleep because she was thinking of you. You wouldn’t even look at her when you passed each other. That’s what hurt her. You cut all communications with her without a single explanation. She cried all the time. Never did it in public but I hear her at night crying. She didn’t have many friends Jake, it was just you and me. She thought you were mad at her or she did something to piss you off. You want to know the reason she came up with so she wouldn’t stop hurting? She said you wanted to be popular and have more friends. she’s a nerd who’s shy so you avoided her because you were embarrassed to be with her.” She shakes her head then sighs “I know it’s a lame and pathetic excuse but that’s what she kept telling herself so she would stop crying herself to sleep. I tried to reason with her but then I left her to believe it because I couldn’t do anything else to help her.”

We stay silent after that. My mind is spinning. How could Sydney think I’d choose popularity over her? That was just absurd. I’m such an ass. I left her and hurt her by doing so. I need to apologize to her and explain everything and hope to god she forgives me and gives me a second chance.

Stacy stands and turns to face me. “She misses you all the time, Jake. Trust me when I tell you that it’s better to take risks than to regret not doing anything.” she leaves me with my thoughts.