I Dare You

Chapter 36

MARCEL'S POV

The table was draped with an atmosphere that held an eery quiet as we ate. In silence. I sighed dramatically, trying to get a spark to rise from the table. In the end, it only hurt me. It was hurting to breathe deeply and laugh, but the medication took away the pain for a while. The sound of our forks clinking against the plates broke the silence. "So today went well. I think my science exam will be an A." I was trying to make a supported conversation since my family was being uncomfortably silent. I already know that I crushed the test.

"Good job hun," my mother sipped at her glass of water. Gemma looked her with judgement glazing her eyes.

"God I hated science, still do," she chuckled at herself. Maybe recalling all the bad memories of a tough science class. "At least you understand it. You probably crushed that test." I smiled at her comment.

"I already did Gem. I actually impressed my professor with a joke. Want to hear it?" She rolled her eyes but continued smiling. "Why not?" I looked at my mother and Robin to see if they were the slightest bit interested. Robin was watching me and my mother was not radiating any attention to me. "A neutron walks into a bar and asks, 'How much for a drink?' The bartender replies, 'For you, no charge.'" I laughed at my joke as Gemma laughed quietly and Robin smiled. Even though I thought my mother wasn't listening, I could see a smile crawling across her face.

"Another one," Gemma demanded.

"Why did hydrogen marry carbon" i paused hoping to increase their anticipation for the answer. "Because they bonded so well." I earned laughs all around the table, but they died down quickly. The only sound was the clinking again and Gem's loud chewing which bothered me extremely.

"How was your day Robin?" I asked innocently and sweetly, hoping to get a few words out of him. "It was alright." Those three words were the only sounds that were produced by his mouth.

"Why are you all so quiet?" Gemma looked up at me from across the table, then directed her eyes to my mother. Something was up and I was smart enough to know it. Even with all these medical problems, including finances and getting medication, this silence was most likely something that was because of me. If that was the case, I think I have a right to know.

"Gemma, tell me. Please." I begged her desperately. Being the source of a negative silence irritated me.

"I think mum or Robin should tell you," she concluded.

"Will someone please tell me," I said, trying to keep calm. The way that my parents looked at each other with a look in their eyes. As if pleading for the other one to say it.

"Marcel, I got another call today from Dr. Martins and he's worried about you." She kept eye contact with me, being brave so she would not worry me.

"And?" I egged on.

"He wants to schedule the surgery for next week because the cancer is spreading quicker than he thought. He took another look at the CT scan and the other X-rays and he's really worried about you. He wants to get the cancer out as soon as possible." She informed me. I tried to embrace every detail, but I just couldn't. It's only been two days and I already have to go back, not for a medical exam but surgery.

"What day?" We all stopped eating. I lost my appetite hearing about the fresh news.

"Wednesday or Thursday. One of those days. You'll be missing some school." Her voice was small and timid, as if she could hurt me more by telling me details about the surgery.

"Okay." I sucked a breath in. Ow. I quickly released it as I felt it hurting my lungs. Maybe Dr. Martins was right.

"Why don't you get some medicine Harry." Robin set his hand on my shoulder. He must have seen my face rippled with pain. I walked over to the cabinet to retrieve my medication. My mother, Gemma, and Robin cleaned up the table.