The Story Of Alex

Chapter 7:

Yesterday was January 25th. I was excited for the short hour and a half play practice and getting to see Alex again. I basically rushed my mom out of my aunts house so I could get there a little early. And I happened to be fifteen minutes early.

One of the triplets that are in the play and I know from school came over to talk to be about math homework. A few minutes later I was interrupted by Sara storming in and crying. She was having another random nervous breakdown. Her parents were mad at her for something and I couldn't help her this time.

Four minutes later Alex showed up. He set his stuff down in the section of seats next to mine. That's weird, he's not sitting by me like normal. Yeah I was a little disappointed but maybe he's having an off day too. He is around a lot of emotional girls in the school day after all. Maybe he was catching on to it.

Just kidding.

I was getting my dance shoes on in my seat with my backpack behind me when he finally walked over. He talked to the other Sara for a few, making sure she was okay since she was bawling her eyes out now. "Did you bring any entertainment today?" He asked me once I sat up.

"A whole bag full of it right behind me" I replied. "Book, writing book, sketch book, extra paper. All of it just in case." Before I could ask him if he needed anything, he was going through my bag. Not that I really minded since I had nothing to hide and he was someone I could trust.

"What's this?" He asked, pulling out my sketch book.

"My sketch book. It says it all over the cover. See the big bold words that say SKETCHES? Haha just teasing but it's really written all over the cover." By now he was flipping through the pages and reacting to them all. Until he got to the Zodiac signs I drew with my family members names above their sign.

"Who's this?" He asked, pointing to my brother Andrews name. I simply explained it was my brother and not him. Alex walked away with an odd smile on his face. "Ooh I just came up with a joke. But- wait no, never mind. It's mean."

Now that he mentioned it, I wanted to know. His jokes were almost always funny. "Tell me!" I teased.

"No. It's mean."

"Pleeease?" I poured. "Just tell me. It's not like I'm going to get mad."

"You promise?" Alex asked.

"No, but I'll try unless it's super offensive."

Then Sara walked over to us. "What is?" I told her that Alex had a joke but he wouldn't tell me because it was 'mean'. "Okay. Then tell me, I'll let you know if she will approve or disapprove."

And so Alex whispered it in her ear. Her reaction was a small laugh before she kicked him for it and whispered something back. I wasn't going to ask yet, obviously it wasn't good.

Alex went on looking through my sketches and grabbed my long lost diary from my bag. I didn't even know it was in there. I thought I'd lost it. "What's this?"

I turned to see him reading through the first page. "No! Alex give me that back!" I said, chasing him around. He wasn't going to give up so I layer in the isle between sections of seats and pretended to pout again. Please tell me I forgot to write about him in there. If I did and he saw it, I would be dead. He would finally find out my secret.

"You've got some problems, girl" he said while returning by diary back to me. Girl? Since when did he call me that? But hey, that's better than him knowing my secret.

At last, I put my diary in a hidden spot where he wouldn't find it again while he was looking away. I was cozy in my seat my the time he came back until he reached for my bag again and pulled out my sign language guide book. "Oh! I remember this!"

While he was reading, Sara was sitting next to me quietly. "You want to know what Alex said? The joke?" Did I want to know the joke if she kicked him?

"Yeah sure." I said back.

"When he was looking through the sketches, he said you belong in cancer." I paused. No longer was I smiling. The boy I liked, or used to like, had made that a joke? That was not funny. He knew out of all people how that makes me feel. Although I don't have cancer exactly, I do have a brain tumor that I'm lucky didn't make it to the cancer stage.

I gave him a death glare. "What? Oh, the joke. I was just kidding." My eyes were already tearing up. "I'm sorr-" he started to walk over to me.

"No! Get away from me! Just leave me alone." But he continued walking through the row to my seat. With quick reactions, I jumped out of my seat and ran to another seat in a different isle and section. My friend Cassie followed me like a guard so she could calm me and make sure I was okay.

"GO SIT DOWN IN YOUR SEAT RIGHT NOW! AND STAY THERE! YOU WILL NOT MOVING AROUND!" One of the play moms yelled at me. I was so tempted to yell back HOW ABOUT YOU SIT DOWN IN ONE SPOT WHILE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU JOKE ABOUT CANCER WHEN YOU'RE AFFECTED BY IT! But I didn't.

I cried. I was being forced to stay in my seat while the people around me were having fun with their friends. There, I sat, feeling like I no longer had true friends. Or at least not many. And the worst part was, Alex was mad at me, or I thought so, because he stormed out that night without saying goodbye.