Tutor | Ethan Dolan

Chapter 36: Mourning

   3 Weeks later

   I came home from school on a gloomy Thursday afternoon. I was so happy to come home to get changed into sweats and do homework and hopefully have time to binge watch shows on Netflix. But once I walked inside, I saw a devastated Dylan sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

   "Dyl, what's wrong?" I asked him with a worried look on his face.

   He looks up at me with tears going down on his cheeks. I can already tell that something bad happened and it's making me worried. He sniffles and wipes a tear before speaking up.

   "M-Mom's cancer spread a lot more and it's really serious".

   My face softens for a moment just hearing the heartbroken news. I dropped my backpack on the floor before getting down on both of my knees with tears in my eyes. How could something bad like this happen to me when she was feeling healthy and happy back then? I haven't felt this type of feeling since when my father passed away. 

   I felt Dylan's hand drawing circles on my back as a way to comfort me. I couldn't help it but stood up and ran up to my room slamming the door behind me. I pulled out my phone from the back pocket of my jeans and called Ethan.

   "C'mon c'mon" I whispered waiting for him to pick up.

   My hand ran through my hair as I waited for him to pick up the phone.

   "Hello?" I heard him say from the other line.

   "E-Ethan" I cried.

   "Oh my gosh, Anna is everything ok?" he asked.

   "Can you please come over? I'll explain everything" I told him.

   "Of course. I'm on my way right now" he said.

  "Thank you" I said before hanging up.
  
   I plopped onto my bed crying into my pillow. I didn't  care that I would get it wet from my tears or black stains from my mascara. What I care is that my mother is in a really serious condition right now.

   

   After for what seemed like five minutes, I heard knocking on my bedroom door.

    "Anna?" I heard Ethan's voice.

   I got up from laying in my bed walking towards the door and opensit to see him standing in front of me. My eyes began to water as I wrapped my arms around his neck while his arms snaked around my waist. 

   "Shh" he comforts me as I cried into his shoulder.

   This is all I ever want in life. To be in Ethan's arms instead of mourning with bad news. I eventually told him about my mom's cancer spreading and he showed so much sorrow on his face. The whole night was consisting of crying into Ethan's chest while he's comforting me. I was so depressed that I didn't even bother to eat anything that night.

Ethan's POV

   It was the next day at school. I felt so tired from last night. I didn't leave Anna's house until 11pm and didn't went to bed until 1am due to the amounts of homework I have. But it was worth it since I had to be there for her. She's going through a rough time with her mom's cancer spreading more and having her and her brothwr living by themselves for awhile.

   I was grabbing my AP Chemistry book from my locker until I was interrupted from someone calling my name.

   "Hey Ethan".

   I shut my locker door and turned to see Grace standing in front of me.

   "Have you seen Anna today? I didn't see her walk in with her brother this morning".

   I realized that when Grace asked me. Usually I see Anna and Dylan walked in here because they usually drive together. That's when it hits me that she was skipping school today which isn't like her to do that considering that she has a perfect attendance. I shrugged at Grace answering her question.

   "She probably stayed home today. She's really going through a rough time at the moment Grace".

   "I understand. I'll see her after school if that's where you're headed" she said.

   "Yeah sure. I'll give you a ride there" I told her.

   "Thanks E" she said before walking off.

  

     Grace and I got out of my car as we arrived at Anna's house. We walked up her front porch and I peeked through her window to see that there was barely any lights on inside.

   "I'm glad to see you two here".

   Grace and I turned around to see Dylan walking up to us with his car keys in his hand.

   "I've been trying to get her out of bed since his morning" he said opening the door to the house.

   We walked in with Dylan turning on the lights. Grace and I went upstairs to her bedroom door. I turned at Grace and she nodded signaling me to open it. My hand turned the door knob and I peeked through to see Anna laying in her bed with a bunch of tissues surrounding her. I stepped inside to get a closer look at her.

   "Anna, are you ok?" I asked her in a calm voice.

   She shifted and my eyes widen as I got closer to see her appearance. Her hair was messy, her skin looked really pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Grace then came in and her jaw dropped once she saw Anna's appearance.

   "Oh honey" she said sitting done in front of her.

   "Anna, no offense but you look like you've been ran over by a truck" she said.

   "Well thanks you bitch" she said as she digged her head  into her pillow.

  "Anna, you should get out of bed" I said while playing with her hair.

   "What's the point of that when all day I've been laying here in mourning and grief" she said into her pillow.

   I lay down next her while my hand was still playing with her hair. Just seeing Anna laying in bed with so much grief kinda makes me upset. She was such a happy and carefree person until this happened.

   "Have you heard about your mom recently?" Grace asked.

   "No, but Dylan and I are gonna make a visit tomorrow morning" she said.

   She finally sat up on her managing to fix her messy hair. Her eyes were looking down at her hands which were on her lap. My hand reached over to hold one of hers. She looked up at me with a sad look on her face.

   "Everything is gonna be ok. We're here for you" I said in a soft voice.

   Grace came over to us and places her hand onto Anna's thigh.

   "Stay strong for us, ok Anna?" She asked.

   She nodded and formed a smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around mine and Grace's shoulder while my head leaned against hers.

   "Thank you guys for coming " she said.

   "Anything for you beautiful" I said before kissing her temple.

    We were very lucky to go to her after school. If that wouldn't  happen, she would've been stuck in bed for awhile. She just need some people to help her get through her mourning. I wish for the best for her and her brother for this terrible nightmare they're going through.