Milky Coffee (1D)

Chapter Three

The date was July 4th, 2013. It's been one week since Lav's results came in, and one week since I'd been worried sick. She had begun radiation right after the doctors determined that surgery was not an option, unfortunately. I was helpless and her large, desolate, and extended family had come to visit her. With a plethora of people going to her room every day, the hospital had ruled out any non-family members visiting for a while. I was fine with this, but I was not fine with what job Lavandar had assigned me to. On the fourth of July, as I was moping about at home, she had told me to tell her closest friends the news, as they were already packed or gone for their destinations that would change the future. Lily and Eva lived ridiculously close by to my house, and even closer to themselves, seeing that they were across-the-street neighbors. The no-need-for-R.S.V.P invitation to the block party of the two girls who had come home from their destinies was just lying on my kitchen counter.

I plucked up my courage and decided to go, knowing Beth would be there as well. Hopefully, I could skype Sammie and tell her as I told them. I walked out my front door and sent my mom a quick text telling her where I was going. I kept my head down as I looked at my IPhone that was covered by a pink-and-gray case as I texted Sammie, asking her if she was going to be able to Skype. The rushing noise of cars made me look up as I realised the road was quite busy. Me dying wasn't going to help anyone. With a quick glance to the left and the right. I ran across the now-deserted street. Funny how that works out. The quick jog to the block party only a block away was uneventful except for Sammie saying how she could Skype, but only for twenty minutes. Now I had to hurry.

Quickly, I spotted Beth and Lily and raced towards them. The two blondes waved at me when they saw me, then giggled as I tripped. They walked in my direction and Beth took my hand, helping me up.

"Thanks," I yelled over the pounding music. Beth just moved her hand in a 'whatever' kind of motion, as Lily started talking.

"Molly! I haven't seen you in so long! How's it been? Are you excited for your gap year? Gonna visit me in Tennessee?" She spoke animately and happily, and I could barely believe that soon this happy girl who had come home from training in Tennessee was going to be so sad. Beth and Lily were really some of Lav's best friends.

"I'm fine, good, great! You guys? But, um, there's a problem. Actually, two. Bad news or worse news first?" I asked, hoping that they'd shrug off my rudeness once they knew what was happening. They looked at each other before Beth firmly said, "Bad news." and I nodded my head. I surveyed the area and found Eva, who I waved over.

"Sit," I commanded and sat the three girls in three beach chairs. "The bad, or at least, better than the worst news is-"

"Is your brother okay?!" Eva yelled frantically. She knew how easily Martin, my brother, could get hurt playing tennis.

"Martin's fine. My college scholarship fell through," I said in a robotic tone. It was not the time for a pity party based on me. The three girls immediately stood up and were saying reassuring things until I pushed them down again.

"That's not all," I mumbled. More loudly, I stated, "We need to go somewhere else."

Five minutes later we were inside Lily's old bedroom and on Skype with Sammie.

"Okay, we're all here. Guys, I have something really important to tell you all. Sammie, you still with us?"

The small ginger nodded her head on the screen as I tried to find the words to say what I needed to.

"Lav- Lav has Stage IV Lung Cancer," I whispered to the girls. "Don't be mad at her. She just didn't want any of you to not follow your dreams and stay at home." Beth, Lily and Sammie all burst into tears, and Eva had large water droplets forming as she tried to remain strong. Suddenly, it all hit me. Lav could die. Really, really soon. Like, scarily soon. Silent tears streamed down my face as I shakily stood up.

Clearly, some of the others were thinking the same.

"We gotta be strong for Lav. You know how she is; stubborn and strong as a donkey. She'll try and be the rock, when she really needs to let her feelings through," Beth proclaimed.

We all nodded and a silent pact was made to stay firm and strong. We all need time apart, however, and I soon left. I ran back outside and walked past the throngs of people having a great Independence Day. The road separating my side and theirs was empty as I stood ten feet away from the stop sign. It was okay to run. The tears hazed my vision and I rushed across the seemingly empty road. Suddenly, a pain shot through my arm. A car had hit it. I stumbled to the curb in pain, otherwise fine. I twisted and bent the hurt limb, at least it wasn't broken. In fact, by the time the driver of the car pulled over to the side of the road, the pain was almost leaving.

"I am so SO sorry!" A young, accented voice called out. I looked up and saw a young guy with curly brown hair and green eyes running towards me. His tight white t-shirt and black skinny jeans made it hard for him to move quickly, but I didn't really care.

"Are you okay?" He asked, deeply worried about me.

"I'm fine, it's okay. My arm is barely hurt. Maybe it'll be bruised for a couple of days," The swiftness and fluidness of how I spoke this shocked me. This guy was a regulation hottie even if he wasn't my type, and I had spoken so easily. Oh, right, I had just hurt my arm, I was probably going delusional. He didn't need to know that, though.

"Are you sure you don't need a hospital? Or me to drive you somewhere, or anything else you'd like?"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, and I looked up from the ground at him again. Suprisingly, close up I realised his feet were pigeon-toed and he didn't have on a plain white t-shirt, far from it. At the hem of the shirt, in black letters it said, "You're a wizard, Harry!" over and over. He was a dork. A completely adorable dork who would be perfect for Lav.

"No, I don't need a hospital, or anything else from you," I stood up. "Thank you for caring so much, though." I smiled at him and hoped that I didn't say anything awkward by mistake.

He gave me an potentially-award-winning smile. "Fine, if you don't need a hospital visit, or me to pay for anything, at least let me give you concert tickets to my band. If you don't want it, it's fine, I mean. ."

He's perfect for her. And she's sick in a hospital, doing nothing. Aha!

"Actually, I will go! Thank you!" I told him and he perked up by tenfold. "But there's one thing, I need two tickets. My friend who's actually in the hospital would probably love your band." And as the soon-to-be-known-as Harry Styles handed me those tickets, he inadvertently changed four lives, most of them for the better.