That Summer

Changes

Sitting against the wall like that, I could almost pretend it wasn't my mom in there. It was horrifying to know that it WAS her, and that it didn't look so good in the room. Izzy was just as stunned as I was, sitting next to me, holding my hand. It felt like forever before I heard the door open. But, as soon as it opened, I was on my feet, trying to see what was happening. Unfortunately, my view was blocked by Mom's main doctor. He gently took me by the arm and walked me aside.

"Samantha, I have really bad news."

"No. No. You HAVE to tell me she's gonna be okay!"

"I'm sorry, dear, but I just can't lie to you like that."

"Well, can she be saved?"

"Samantha. She's gone. There wasn't anything we could do."

I was so choked up, I couldn't speak. I dropped to my knees right there, sobbing. She was dead. She left. I didn't know what I was going to do.

Izzy sat next to me, hugging me tightly.

"Sam, its gonna be okay."

I wanted to tell her that, no, it wasn't. My mom just died. It wasn't going to be okay for a while. But, the words wouldn't come. The only noise that I emitted was the sobbing.

Izzy stood me up and walked me outside to get a little air. I sat on a bench, my head in my hands, sobbing.

"Listen to me, Sam. My mom will let you stay with us. You don't even need to do anything."

"I.. Thanks."

For a while, we didn't speak. I just cried. Once the tears stopped flowing, I stood to go collect my things from my mom's room. As I walked past the nurse's station, I heard my name being called. I turned to see one of the nurses waving me over.

"Here, dear, I got your stuff for you. Didn't think you wanted to go back in there." I nodded and muttered a thank you.

"Also, your father will be at your house to get you in about three hours. I suggest you go pack."

I stopped dead in my tracks. My father?! This couldn't be happening.

"I'm sorry, but my father walked out on us when I was eight. He has no right to come get me." I said, angry.

"I'm sorry, dear. But he's your family. Since you're underage, you legally have to go live with him."

"Well I'm not." I wouldn't.

As the nurse started to open her mouth to talk again, Izzy ushered me out of the hopital. She walked me to my car, taking my keys. She drove me back to my house, silently. Once there, I ran straight to my bedroom, curling up in my bed. I don't know how long I sat there, but it felt like forever. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Sighing, Izzy went to go get it. Moments later, I heard two people coming up the stairs.

"Samantha?" It was him. My father actually had the nerve to show up. I ignored his entire prescence, not moving an inch.

"Samantha, come on. You have to pack. We need to go." I shut my eyes and pulled the covers over my head.

"Don't do this. You have got to come with me, babygirl." Now I was enraged. I flew out of bed and was in his face before he could blink.

"Don't you DARE call me babygirl. You have no right to be here, to waltz in here and whisk me away. This is my home, this is my life. Get it? You don't deserve to take me anywhere, seeing as for the past eight years, you've been nothing but a ghost in my life."

The shock on his face grew as my words hit home. I sat back on my bed, grabbing the picture on my bedside table. It was from my fifteenth birthday, me and my mom. She had her arm around my shoulders, and we were both genuinely happy. I stared at it.