"Landry, finish your breakfast. You have an appointment at twelve forty-five. And you have to take a shower."
I shoveled the cinnamon cereal into my mouth as I mumble, "Okay Mom." But it sounded like "Momay hom."
I throw my bowl and spoon into the dishwasher and rush to the bathroom before my sister Jaeger can. I switch on the light and lock the door. I turn on the warm water and try to ignore my sisters constant whining and pounding on the door. Just to make her mad, I take a nice, long, hot shower. I make sure to use up all the hot water so she is stuck with a cold shower. After I am clean, I brush my teeth and run to the room that I share with my older brother, Branan. Cold air on water is not fun. I throw on a pale blue shirt and a pair of dark jeans and my white Converse. I try to dry most of the water in my hair, but the tight curls make that nearly impossible.
I look out the window in the living room, as I wait for Mom to tell me it's time for my appointment. The news said that it is supposed to snow today, but this is Oklahoma, so I'm not sure that's going to happen. But, it is really cold outside. We decide to eat lunch at Freddy's Steak House. My favorite restaurant. After we eat, we have to drop Jae off at the gym, because she has a gymnastics practice today. Branan is staying the night with his friend from school, so it will just be me and Mom at the hospital.
We had to wait longer than Mom wanted, my doctor was performing surgery on a little kid with a brain tumor. I tell Mom that I am going to see some of my old friends from when I lived at the hospital.
After about ten minutes of talking to a kid named Jackson, who is eight years old, I just started roaming the halls of the children's wing. I don't really like to hang out with other "cancer kids" but that's pretty much all Ada Memorial Hospital offers.
I walk past a room in the fourth floor where I can hear yelling. I tell myself to keep waking and to ignore it, but then a fuming doctor comes out and slams the door shut. As the door is closing, I see a girl, around my age, sitting on the bed.
I pretend to be completely oblivious to what I have just witnessed, until the doctor is out of range. I go and knock on the door. After a few minutes of silence I hear an answer.
"Come in." I open the door and step in. The girl's long dark hair is cascading over her face. Her pale blue jeans are mostly covered by her long red sweater. Her feet, encased in black sneakers, barely touch the ground.
I push my glasses up my nose, "Hi. My name is Landry. Landry Reuben."
