Her Personal Diary

Meeting Georgia

It was late September when I met her. 

I was going to a school specifically for students who had some form of mental problem. I had just started going to this school because my mom " was worried about my well being." well, that's not completely true. She was only worried about her reputation and what would happen if our friends and family knew I was broken. Anyways, this school was actually pretty great. Everyone had a somewhat understanding of each other, so people never really hid behind a smile. We respected each others secrets and pasts, so I never felt pressured to share. 

There weren't many things in the school that everyone knew about. i can only think of two off the top of my head. 1 thing was that a kid in my homeroom, Will, was blind. Everyone knew that, but no one treated him different, other than the special accommodations that had to be made. the second thing was there was a girl named Georgia who used to go to the school. She was very popular among students, and even those who didn't personally know her knew of her. This was mainly because of the reason Georgia did not come to school. Georgia was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, or cancer of the bones. Georgia however was always strong and happy through everything. Everyone knew that with her attitude, She'd beat it. 

Georgia was scheduled to visit the school on September 22. All of her friends were thrilled, and the teachers were grateful she would be allowed. In case you didn't know, most cancer patients undergo chemotherapy. This is what Georgia's treatment was, and chemo completely rids the patient of their immune system. Her coming to visit in the school was a huge surprise to everyone, not only those who knew her. 

She came in, class by class, and greeted everyone she knew. she introduced herself to classes full of faces she had never seen. Her smile never seemed to dullen, not even for a moment. That day was a free day, meaning no one really assigned work. When lunch time came around, everyone went through both periods of lunch, which gave us an hour to eat. Georgia sat with her old friends. They were laughing, reminiscing, and just having an all around great time.

A friend of mine was Georgia's friend too. We told her to go sit with her, and that we didn't mind, but she seemed determined that Georgia would come by to chat. And to our surprise, she did. She actually talked to all of us. Hailey noticed that Georgia wasn't eating. "why aren't you eating?" said Hailey. Georgia pauses, then says " oh, there's certain food that I have to eat, not this. besides, I ate before I came". That seemed like a good reason. Legitimate. No one questioned it.

Well, except me.

My uncle had gone through cancer and I never remembered him having food restrictions. In fact, one of the nurses would buy him greasy disgusting pizza that he would always throw up. Maybe her case was different? Or maybe a stricter doctor? I didnt know if I should ask, considering I had just met her, so my anxiety got the best of me and I decided not to. 

We went back to class, and Georgia wasn't in my classes anymore. I was a bit disappointed, but I understood. I mean, she had alot of friends, so she wouldn't be able to stay in my class all day. I went to the restroom after a couple classes. While I was in the stall, I heard someone come in. I came out of the stall to see that it was Georgia, and she was holding her head in her hands, like one would if they were upset or had a migraine. " Are you okay Georgia?" I said. She perked up very quickly and said " Oh yea, i'm good. Just got a bit hot so I put some water on my forehead to cool me down. " Oh. Duh. She is wearing a hoodie, and the school does have a tendency to keep the ac off. 

I don't know what went through my head at this moment. Maybe it was the fact that we were alone, so I felt it was okay to ask. I said, " Hey, at lunch today you said you weren't allowed to eat the schools food. Your doctor must be strict". I didn't want her to think I was accusing  her or anything. she said " What do you mean?". I said " When my uncle went through chemo they only told him to stay away from spicy things. Mostly because when that comes back out, it hurts." 

Georgia went quiet, and then spoke, " Honestly, my doctor didn't tell me to stay away from it. I just didn't want to eat then throw up and make everyone worried ya know? ". I said " Yea, that's understandable. sorry if I offended you, I wasn't trying to pry." She says " Oh, you didn't. Actually i'm surprised you aren't trying to baby me. That's what everyone else does." I responded with, "I don't see a point really. I mean you have cancer, that sucks and its unfair. But treating you like you are the most fragile doll in the world won't make it better. I support, but I refuse to walk on eggshells around you. "

Georgia Smiled, but it was different then the one I had seen all day. She washed her hands, and walked away. Before leaving, she turned to me and said " We should talk more. I have a facebook, add me. "  

I was shocked. this was the first time someone wanted to be my friend to talk. As I washed my hands, I focused on the sound of the water. Then I realized, when I was in the stall, I never heard the water running. Georgia had lied about cooling down, and she had lied about eating, to make sure someone wasn't worried about her. 

I couldn't help but to ask myself, what else has she lied about?