Lost

5

I arrive at school to see Alex leaning on the front doors of the school. I walk passed with my head down.

"Hey stranger?" Alex says.

"Hey" I smile tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Hey, where are your friends?" I ask.

"Jax and Nixon go to Sherwood and Sam isn't in school"

"How come?" I ask.

"She dropped out, she works at her mom's bakery, and I think you mean our friends"

We continue to walk side by side and I feel his right hand connect with my left hand. He stops walking and lifts my head up with his other hand kissing me softly. I hear whistling and I look over to see Ian and Max standing there. I pull away and I clear my breath.

"That's my cue" I smile.

"See you later" He walks off.

"Are you two a thing?" Max asks.

"I don't know, I'm still kinda new at this" I say.

The bell rings.

"Gotta go" Ian kisses Max as he walks off.

"Let's go" Max's arm hooks with my left and we walk to first period.

In second period, Alex sits at the table with us, helping me study for English while Max sits and listens smirking.

"Ok so what-" He cuts himself off feeling his chest.

"I'll be right back" He stands up and walks out of the library.

"You guys are so cute" Max smiles.

"This again, I'm gonna go check on him" I stand up and I sneak into the nearest boy bathroom peeking around the corner. I see Alex shirtless feeling his chest. He was extremely skinny, like unhealthy skinny. I see that his left peck was like red, and, had a huge lump underneath his skin. I've seen images of it online for it.. But it was for articles on men's breast cancer?

"Alex" I step into the bathroom not really caring anymore.

"Rose!" He quickly puts his shirt on.

"Alex, what, what's your condition called?" I ask.

"I forget" He sighs.

"Cancer? Do you have breast cancer?" I ask.

"I, I didn't want you to know about it yet" He sighs.

"How could you keep that from me? I'm your friend aren't I?"

"You are, and I'm sorry. Usually when I say anything people freak and give me pity. I just wanna live the rest of my life without the constant reminder"

"Cancer makes you skinny?" I ask.

"I also have type two diabetes" He sighs. I put one hand over my mouth in shock.

"But I'm fine, Rose I'm fine, please don't let it get in the way of us, becoming more than friends" He holds both of my hands.

"I like you Rose"

"I like you too" I smile.

"I really was hoping i'd get to get to know you better, I hope I still can" Alex smiles. I nod at him smiling.

"Is your cancer, bad?"

"Well all cancer is bad of course" Alex sighs.

"All I know is, my tumor is spreading and I could die at any moment" Alex grabs his bag off of the sink.

"But, I try not to think about it and pretty please don't tell anyone"

"Can I at least tell Max and Ian? They have been so nice to me"

"Fine, them and only them, I mean it Rose"

"Ok" I smile.

The bell rings.

"Lets go" Alex puts his arm around my shoulders and we leave the bathroom. I get a couple looks for coming out of the boys bathroom, but I don't care.

During Eighth period I tell Ian and Max everything Alex told me.

"That makes way more sense than some freak condition he said he had" Max sighs.

"That's so sad" Ian sighs.

"He can still be a survivor, so I'm not worried" I sigh.

"I guess" Ian says.

"Ian" Max slaps him in his chest.

"What? It's the truth. I know it, you know it, Alex even knows it" Ian says.

"You don't say that, Rose cares for him" Max whispers.

"It's okay guys" I sigh.

The bell rings.

"I'm now gonna go home and cry" I say sarcastically while I pack up my things.

"Want me to come? We can cry together?" Max asks.

"Sure" I sigh standing.

"Wow guys" Ian says.

"You can come too, as long as we don't mention the word cancer or diabetes"

"Why diabetes?" Max asks.

"Because he has that too" I whine.

"Whoa, you failed to mention that" Max says.

"You must really care for him don't you?" Ian says. I hold back my tears taking a deep breath in.

"I do, and I really wanna get to know him because I don't know how much time he has"

"Well go hang out with him instead of us"

"I still wanna make time for you guys" I sigh.

"No, it's Friday, we are hanging out, let's go" I lead them over to my bike.

"Do you guys have cars?"

"Yea, I do" Ian says.

"Can I ride with you?" Max asks excitedly.

"Sure, hop on"

We drive back to my house with Ian's car following me the whole way.

"That was so cool!" Max says getting off the bike.

"Your gonna have to take me sometime" Ian steps out of his car.

I open my front door to see my dad sitting at the kitchen table on his laptop.

"Hey dad, these are my friends Ian and Max"

"Hi" Max waves.

"Nice too met you" Ian smiles.

"Oh hello" Dad smiles.

"We're just gonna hang out, in my room" I lead them too my room and I open my laptop to see that I had three missed calls from Kim.

"Ugh" I sigh.

"What?" Max asks leaning over my shoulder.

"Kim, my old friend called me"

"Hell does she want?" Ian asks looking around my room with his hands in his pockets.

"Probably wants to be my friend again, but I'm not taking her back" I call her back and she almost immediately answers.

"Rosemary I am so sorry" Kim immediately says.

"Save it ok, the only reason I call you is to tell you you need to delete my contacts, I told you we aren't friends"

"Rose come on, wait, who's he?" Kim asks.

"My friend Max" I smile.

"Hi" Max waves to the camera with a smile.

"Bye now" I end the call.

"She's really cute" Max says.

"Eh" I say.

I spent the rest if the day with Ian and Max. They went home around midnight. I still couldn't get the fact that Alex had cancer, out of my head, it made me feel, Lost...