My instinct is to put up a status on Facebook. Not to get sympathy but to let all our family know what's going on. But I'm too afraid of it looking attention seeking. I call Jeremy up for some advice. After one ring he answers.
“It's Jem,”he answers.
“Hey it's Stan,”I try to act as normal as possible but it's hard, I feel like I should be spending this time with my mum, but she seems pretty, well not happy but – I think she wants to be alone.
“Hey! What's going on?” He seems genuinely happy to hear my voice. It's funny how different conversations can be. Like whether they're face to face, on Facebook, texting or calling, they're all different. Like with this telephone call, if it was face to face, Jeremy wouldn't be greeting me with that cheery voice because he'd see my sad, confused expression on my face; On Facebook or texting it would probably be easier to spit out but with a telephone call it's all balanced out. They can't see you, you can't see them but you can hear them, and sometimes that's just enough to make you feel better.
“Um, well my mum? Yeah, she kind of has breast cancer.”Better to rip the band aid off in the beginning before either of us says something which makes what I was about to say awkward. There's silence on the other line. Yeah, this is one of those things which make the conversation awkward anyway.
“Dude! Wow, how're her odds?”Translation: 'Is she going to die?'
“Nah, he doctor said she should be fine. It's a rarity though, two out of a hundred women get it a year bro.”It's weird because I can hear the tension on the line drop like a thousand coins. There's phone calls for you.
“Well that's good isn't it? You're all going to be fine.”My words exactly. Sometimes I think Jeremy and I are like long lost brothers or something. We are constantly on the same wave length.
“That's what I said to her, you know after I read her the letter? She seemed pretty in shock though, I mean I don't blame her she just found out she has freaking breast cancer for crying out loud but,” I lower my voice, “dude, she went all walking dead on the walk to her bedroom and then she was crying.”He doesn't say anything, silence is the voice to tell the world to carry on. “I just don't know what to do. Do I go for a Facebook status to tell my family what's going on or would that be too attention seeking, like I had probably fifty friend requests just from today at school. Is it too attention seeking?”Over the phone line I can hear both of our brains tick and turn and I know, telepathically that we are thinking the same thing.
“You know what I'm thinking bro?” He asks me. We are officially have a telepathic friendship.
“I think I do, but that seems so wrong! Using my mum to get friends?”We both know that this isn't about gaining 'Just Friends'
“C'mon, how can Catalina be rude to you if your mum has cancer?”He has a very valid point. Plus if we were going to be ditched tomorrow by Kirk, this would give us an extra week. Meaning we'd probably spend Aussie Day with them. Meaning we'd officially be 'in' and get the girls. Well girl.
“But what about you? How will you get Kirsty?”
“We're stepbrothers remember? Your mum is my mum, my dad is your dad now.”This is working out pretty legendary I have to admit although I can't shake off the feeling that I'm using my mum to get our popularity and likes.
