Ocean Eyes

7

"No fair. You really know how to make me cry when you give those ocean eyes."

    It was Thursday.

    The time was 7:55 am.

    I sat in the parking lot, rubbing my face of the tiredness and taking a deep breath. Butterflies filled my stomach and a smile crept onto my lips without me knowing.

    I sat in the car, thinking of what we could be doing after breakfast. Or maybe what we would talk about during breakfast. I bit my bottom lip and frowned.

    Should I ask him what he's been doing?

    I shook my head, bad idea. I slumped in my seat and took a quick glance at the clock.

    8:03am

    SHIT! I quickly get out of the car, straightening myself out before quickly and calmly walking towards the front of the restaurant.

    Just then, I get a text saying where the table was located and I nodded before making my way towards the booth Colby was sat at.

    "Hey stranger!" I smiled as I sat in front of the boy with the bluest eyed and perfect smile.

    Colby looked up from the table and gave me a small smile. I almost gasped at how he looked... and not in a good way. He looked tired. His skin was pale and he had bags under his eyes. The piercing blue of his eyes were surrounded by red instead of white. He looked thin, his cheeks sunken in and jawline more prominent. "Hey." He croaked. He sounded horrible.

    "I don't mean to be rude but... are you okay? You look sick." I asked worried. He cleared his throat before looking away and around then back at me. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

    "No uh, it's okay. I'm..." he sighed. "I'm okay." He have a weak smile. I decided not to push on it and nodded as a response.

    The silence took over. It was unbearable.

    Colby cleared his throat. "So uh, how are you?" He asked.

    "I'm good, I'm good. It's been a stressful week but I'm making it. How about you?" I cringe, I've already asked that.

    "I'm okay." He already said that.

    We fell into another silence.

    The nerves turned into anxiety and my palms started to sweat.

    "I need to talk to you about something. It's um... I-..." Colby sighed in frustration. The beanie that was placed on his head was ripped off and there, underneath the material, laid patches of missing hair that didn't look to be growing back anytime soon.

    I was speechless. "You're balding?" I asked in disbelief. Why would he hide from me because of that?

    Colby threw his head back and laughed. I blushed in embarrassment but was still slightly confused. Why was he laughing? When Colby calmed down, his expression went from joyful to sad and teary eyed real quick. "Oh god, I wish that's what this was." He looked down before putting the beanie back on.

    My expression fell. No.

    "You—"

    "I have alopecia from chemotherapy that I took a few years back. I uh, had Leukemia. The radiation was harsh, was completely bald. When the cancer was killed, I started to develop alopecia and my hair fell out in clumps and just never grew back. After we had first met up, I started to feel sick and I had headaches, pain in my knees and shoulders, I started losing weight... So I went to the doctors and they tested me for any signs of returning cancer. I have stage two chronic leukemia which is a rare type for someone my age."

    I was speechless. My eyes found their way towards the window as I tried to hold back tears. "You have cancer.." was all that could get out.

    Colby bit his bottom lip. "Yes, but I'll be okay! It's still in its early stages so without a little bit of chemo, I'll be good and there will be no cancer."

    "Colby, What if it grows too quickly? You said you started feeling like shit a week ago and you're already in stage two? And you said it was rare for someone your age..."

    "C'mon Sam... don't be all down on me.."

    "I'm sorry I just..."

    "I understand. If you don't want to hang out after this, I understand that too. I just wanted to let you know so the next time we meet... Uh if we meet again, that you wouldn't be so surprised to see me bald."

    I managed to tear my eyes away from the window and look at Colby. With a deep shaky breath, I frowned. "I still want to hang out. No matter what. Cancer or not, I consider you a friend."

    Colby smiled. His teeth showed and they haven't changed a bit. White as ever. The corners of his eyes crinkled. I smiled back.

    "Well. Let's make this a day for the books then." Colby said, the smile still placed on his cracked lips.

    "Let's."

Hey. Sorry this took a while. I became unmotivated but now, it's almost finished. A couple chapters left.