"Having a secret is hard. Having a major secret? Almost impossible. I had to have an excuse for everything, whether it be chemotherapy or doctor appointments. So far only Riley, her parents, and my parents knew about my cancer. I knew people were starting to get suspicious, but I didn't plan on telling anyone. And then Riley told everyone.
We had an assembly in September, three weeks after school had started. It had been four weeks since my diagnosis."
-
"Good morning, Westwood Middle School!" Our principal, Mr. Gunner, spoke into the microphone. A few good morning's were heard in the gym. "Very enthusiastic, I see. Keep up the silence and then we can get this over with. I'd like to welcome Doctor Joseph Barnum, our speaker for the morning." We applauded as he walked up to the podium.
"Good morning, everyone. I've been traveling around for the month of September for a single reason. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Before we start, how many people here know someone with cancer? Please stand up if you do." I bit my lip, tugging my hat further down on my head. I watched as a few people stood up. Riley stood up and I pushed her leg.
"What are you doing?" I whispered and stood up, my nerves building up. Not today. I can't have them know yet.
"I'm answering his question." She answered simply.
"Riley, I'm not-" I stop talking when Doctor Barnum walks over.
"Would you introduce yourself?" Doctor Barnum hands the microphone to Riley. Riley stretches out her pale arm and takes the microphone.
"Hi, my name is Riley King. My dad is Mr. King, the middle school science teacher." I slowly sit down as Riley talks.
"And who in your life is affected by cancer?" Doctor Barnum asks.
"My best friend has cancer. Her name is Kingsley Barnes." Gasps are heard throughout the room. Riley grabs my arm and pulls me up. "Kingsley here was diagnosed with leukemia four weeks ago."
"Kingsley? Would you mind telling us about your cancer?" Doctor Barnum looks at me. I nod and take the microphone with shaky hands from Riley.
"Hi, everyone. In case you didn't hear, I was diagnosed four weeks ago with cancer. I have stage four acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also called ALL. I had been sick all summer and when I fainted, I was taken to the hospital. They did tests and they found the cancer. I've been having chemotherapy since the first day of school." I play with the hem of my shorts, not sure what else to say. "Any questions?"
I answered a lot of questions. It seems like the entire school wanted to know all about cancer now that someone actually had it.
"Does it hurt?"
"What's chemotherapy?"
"What does it look like?"
"Is it contagious?"
"Are you going to lose your hair?" I pulled my hat off to answer their question.
"My hair started falling out two weeks ago. It didn't fall out all at once, but I just wanted to get it over with and shave my head. I would still probably have some hair left, but it would look weird having random bald patches." I rub my hand over my head before putting my hat back on.
"The cancer doesn't hurt, but the chemotherapy does take a toll on you. Chemo is a treatment where they mix a bunch of medicines together that they believe will kill your cancer cells. Cancer looks like a large lump. When you get an X-ray or an MRI, there's a lump that shouldn't be there. But no, cancer is not contagious. Anyone can get it, but you won't catch it like you do a cold."
"Thank you, Kingsley." I sit down and Doctor Barnum goes back up to the stage to continue his presentation.
"I'm sorry for telling everyone." Riley looked at me.
"It's okay. People would've found out sooner or later." I lay my head on her shoulder, listening to the presentation.
-
"Now that people knew my secret, it was much easier to do well in school. I didn't have to worry about excuses on why I acted the way I did. During gym, I went to all of my teachers to discuss how I'd continue my academics when I was in the hospital. We set up an email account so my teachers could send me everything I missed and so I could video chat with the teachers and actually participate in class when I felt up to it. I felt normal again."
-
"I'll see you guys, Monday. Bye!" I end the video call, waving to my math class.
"That's a great thing your teachers decided to do." Nurse Logan smiled, taking my arm.
"It's nice. It's much easier than having to learn everything on my own." I look out the window as she puts the needle in my arm. "It's kind of weird though. I didn't think I'd be this comfortable showing everyone the truth."
"But you look much happier than you did before. Not as stressed for sure." I looked back at my ginger nurse, smiling up at her. "We've got to keep you here for the rest of the week, but it's already Wednesday."
"Is Nevaeh here? I haven't seen her today." Nevaeh is my fifteen year old friend. She's from New York, all the way across the country.
"She's here, she's in surgery right now. They had to amputate her leg today. Tomorrow I'll bring you to her room. I'm sure she could use a friend." Logan rubbed my beanie-clad head. "Anything special you want for lunch?"
"I'm really not hungry right now. I'll let you know when I get hungry. Did Mom tell you when she'd come check on me?"
"She didn't. I'm sure she'll be here soon, she always comes over at lunch. Maybe you should go down to the lounge room. Go talk to someone new." I watched as she walked out of the room. I saw my camera and got an idea. I turned it on and started recording.
"So I decided to record a weekly video to keep an update of my life. This will probably never be seen by anyone, but if it ever gets seen, it can be a memory for those who care. It's been six weeks since my diagnosis, two weeks since I told the middle school about my cancer." I talk until my arm gets too tired to hold up the camera. I wave goodbye with my free hand and end the recording.
-
"That basically was how my life went. For the next four years, I rotate between hospital visits and school. I continued making my update videos and I even started sharing them with my friends at the hospital."
-
"Kingsley!" Nevaeh runs over to me.
"Hey!" I hug her tight, her frizzy brown hair tickling my head. "So, is it good news?"
"I'm officially cancer free!" We squeal, hugging each other.
"I'm so happy for you!" I sit on the couch, patting the cushion next to me.
"So, how are you feeling? Looking forward to school?" Nevaeh asks.
"I feel nervous about school. It's my senior year. This is my final year of high school. I'm glad high school is over with, but I'm nervous to what's going to happen next. I just want to go to prom, pull a senior prank, and graduate. That's all I hope for." I admit, pulling my knees to my chest.
"Isn't school next week?" Nevaeh asks, taking my hat off and putting it on.
"Next Monday. Exactly a week away." I rub my hand over my head, a nervous habit of mine. "I hope something different happens. I haven't had any change in my life for a while. I want something new."
"Have you done anything on your bucket list yet?" Nevaeh asks, seeing the paper in the pocket of my jeans. I pull the list out of my pocket and hand it to her. "Nothing?"
"I don't want to do everything on my own. I want someone to do this with me."
"What about Riley? I'm sure she'd do it with you." Nevaeh offers.
"She'd feel obligated to do it. You know I don't plan anything. I just want someone to randomly take me out and complete the things on my list."
"You've got this pretty planned out for someone who claims to hate when things are planned."
"Not that I hate planning things, I just like spontaneous decisions. I want something awesome. Someone to sweep me off my feet." Nurse Logan walks into the room.
"King? You have visitors." Logan smiles.
"Hi, Mom." I call out.
"Not Mom, but me." Riley walks over, waving at me and Nevaeh. "Your mom said she'd be here in an hour so I decided to bless you with my presence." I hug Riley when she sits next to me.
"Hey, Riles. Our dear Nevaeh just got her results back." I toss my arm over Nevaeh's shoulder.
"Cancer free!" Nevaeh grins.
"That's fantastic! We should celebrate." Riley stands up.
"I'm free now." Nevaeh stands up, taking my hat off her head, putting it back on mine. "King, are you free?" I look up at my nurse, and she shakes her head.
"I'm not. But you two should go. Just bring me back something."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to be left out." Riley looks at me unsure.
"I promise. Now go." I wave, plastering on a smile as they leave. They didn't come back.
-
"Come on, King. It's the first day of school. You can do it." I chant to myself, shimmying into my jeans. I grab my floral snapback, picking up my backpack as I walk out the door.
I ride with my mom to school, still not having my driver's license.
"Are you nervous?" Mom asks.
"Terrified." I admit. "We have the assembly again and I'm the only speaker this year, besides the principal."
"Just tell them your story, that's all there is you can do. You have the flash drive, right?" Mom looks over at me when we reach a red light.
"Right here." I pat my pocket, reassuring her and myself. I turn the radio on and lean back, trying to relax before we get to school.
The ride to school seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, I was walking into the gymnasium, preparing everything for my presentation. I sat in a chair as everyone fills up the gym. I wave and smile at anyone who acknowledges me, my leg bouncing from nerves.
"Good morning, Westwood High!" My principal all but yells, applause following. "As you know, today is the day that we have our annual assembly for childhood cancer awareness month. Speaking today is Kingsley Barnes, a high school senior who has been fighting cancer for four years. Let's give our undivided attention to Kingsley as she tells us her story." Principal Gunner walks to the side. I stand up and walk to the podium.
"Hi, everyone. In case you weren't paying attention, my name is Kingsley Barnes." I turn on the laptop, showing a picture of me from the summer before my diagnosis. "This is me at thirteen years old, two months before my diagnosis. I started having symptoms the day after this picture." I click to the next picture.
"Here's when they diagnosed me. I had stage four acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They started treatment two days later." I clicked to the next picture, getting my head shaved. "I shaved my head two weeks after the diagnosis. My hair was falling out and I was done with it." I take my hat off. "Plus, I look fabulous bald." I flip invisible hair, smiling when people laugh.
"Back to being serious." I coughed, clicking to the next photo. "Chemotherapy was physically and emotionally draining. It made me sick, nauseous, and I lost a lot of weight. It was really difficult but it's working, which in the end is all that matters." I turn the computer off, feeling dizzy. "Okay, I'm done boring you with my story. Let's give our attention to Principal Gunner!" I rush off the stage, walking over to where Riley is sitting.
"Feeling bad?" Riley asks. I nod, laying my head on her shoulder.
-
"After the assembly, we went our separate ways to our first period classes. I walked into Mr. King's room, noticing someone new in the back of the class. I take the bold move of sitting next to him. He looked at me in what appeared to be shock before looking back down at the desk."
-
"I'm Jameson." He speaks up after a minute.
"Hi, Jameson. I'm Kingsley. Welcome to the island of psychos. I'm your personal guide."
"I think I'll fit in nicely." Jameson gives me a small smile.
"Only the fittest will survive." I turn my hat backwards.
"Let's see who last longer. Me or you?"
Game on, Jameson. Game on.
2163 words.
YOU ARE READING
The Bucket List {On Hold/Rewriting/Editing}
Teen Fiction"I always try to live in the moment. After all, my moments left to live are limited." Seventeen year old Kingsley Barnes has always lived in the moment. She was diagnosed with stage four leukemia when she was thirteen, so every day became a blessing...
