Caleb The Cancer-Fighting Bear : Kayleigh Finds Hope

Chapter 1: The Five O'clock Phone Call

"I hate doctors! I don't know why my mom has to act like such a supermom," Kayleigh complained to Marcia on the phone. Over the years, the girls had a standing agreement, come rain or shine, to talk at five o'clock. 

"What's up? Do you have to go back to the doc again?" Marcia asked.

"Mom's getting on my nerves again, telling me the same thing over and over. Eat your vegetables, drink water, no soda, not too much red meat, and don't forget to exercise. She's insane!" 

"What happened? What's your mom freakin' out about now?" 

"Oh, I'll tell you some other time. I have to sneak home treats now and hide them. Mom wants to go through my backpack like I'm a first-grader. So, before I come inside, I hide them underneath a bush. Then when I want some chips or candy, I sneak out and get some."

"No way! Wow, that's sucks. You won't have to hide anything this weekend at my house. You know Mom is cool and we'll have all the treats you want for your birthday. So, what's up with docs? I mean no one likes to see them. Is it your period? Come on girl, you can trust me. What is it?"

Kayleigh tucked her cell phone under her ear as she sat on her bed. She fidgeted for an answer while pulling her Winnie the Pooh's red shirt over his inflated stomach. She placed him on her lap next to her Texas Rangers teddy bear. "Nah, uh nothing. I'll tell you one day, but you gottakeep it a secret, okay?"

"You know I will. Pinky swear! Your secrets are always safe with me. Hey, are you watching, Who's the Daddy on TV? This girl picked the wrong guy as her baby's daddy. Oh My God! She ran off stage and now she's crying and covering her face. It seems like she should know who thedad is. It's hilarious, but you know what? It's so sad too, and the baby is soooo cute!"

"Really? Let me change the channel." Kayleigh tossed bears off her bed until she found the remote. It was hidden underneath her tan engineer teddy with huge brown eyes and a red handkerchief tied around his neck. "Wow, you're right—cute baby! I hope that never happens tous."

"It seems like she should know who the dad is. Do you remember what they taught us in health class about sex?" Marcia lowered her voice when she said the word sex.

Kayleigh whispered into the phone, "Our parents would kill us. Oh My God, I could never mention the word, sex, around my parents!" Kayleigh heard her mom's voice calling her and she jumped. I know Mom didn't hear me say the word, sex. "Oh man—I gotta go. Mom's calling me for dinner. It's time to eat one of her healthy meals." They both giggled. "Catch you later, girl."

"Back at you."

Kayleigh hung up and adjusted her teddy bears to keep the remaining ones from falling on the floor. She used them as pillows but had trouble lining them up in a nice row because of their various sizes and shapes. Every birthday since her first, she had gotten a new one. Thisbirthday bear would have to be special. She frowned knowing this might be her last. Her mom had told her since she was now thirteen years old, she was getting too old to have so many of them and didn't need anymore. Her mom griped about them and called her room a sideshow with bears, books, and blankets everywhere. 
Heading down the steps, Kayleigh smelled melted cheese and licked her lips. She entered the kitchen and smiled at her mom stirring a pot on the stove. Not looking up, her mom said to her, "Dear set the table and make sure you use matching silverware."

"Hey, Mom, what's for dinner—mac' and cheese? What about

Dad, will he be home in time? Should I set a place for him?"

Her mom continued to look downward in the pot and sifted through each rapidly fired question. She finally answered, "No," with a slight sigh in her voice. "He called and said a patient relapsed and he has to go over some blood work. Sorry, I didn't make mac' and cheese."

"It's okay Mom, I'm not hungry." Kayleigh pouted when she heard no to all three questions. "I'm done, the table is ready."

Her mom served dinner and the two ate while classical music streamed from the family room. Kayleigh stared at her plate and frowned. As she picked through her food, separating the cheese, linguini, and marinara sauce from the eggplant and Brussel sprouts, her thoughts drifted back to last week when she walked in on her parents in the breakfast room. They were drinking tea and her mom was red-faced. As her mom wiped her eyes, Kayleigh heard her mom questioning her dad about some female doctor at work. Her parents quickly changed the subject and askedhow her day at school had been. She thought about asking her mom about it, but decided now was not a good time. I'll wait until she's in a good mood.

Like a surgeon, Kayleigh had skillfully moved the eggplant and Brussel sprouts to the side of her plate without eating either. Her mom looked at Kayleigh's plate and said, "Now that you're a teenager, you have to do a better job eating. You have to stop playing with your food and make sure you take your vitamins. It'll help your period."

Oh my God, here we go again, Mom's speech about fruits and vegetables. I want to tell her so badly. Please tell your nutrition patients. I've heard it all my life. "Okay Mom, but this is my birthday week. Remember, you said I could get a break—please?"

Her mom's light hazel eyes were downcast. She frowned and nodded her head as she pushed back her gray-streaked sandy blond hair from her eyes.

"I'm finished. Can we leave tomorrow at ten?" 

Her mom's eyes examined every morsel remaining on her daughter's plate and told her slowly and distinctly, "Yes, but I don't want you to stay up late this weekend at Marcia's. Remember, you need your sleep."

Kayleigh felt like saying very slowly and distinctly, what....eeev...errr! but chose instead to respond with, "Okay, Mom."

"And make sure your room is picked up before we leave."

"Okay Mom, I know, I know, OMG—you don't have to keep telling me! I'll show you I can be more responsible—I promise. You have to trust me!"

Upstairs in her bedroom, she resisted the urge to call Marcia again. Instead, she pulled out her diary from under her mattress and wrote. Dear diary, Mom is at it again. She is so irritating. She knows I can't stand Brussels sprouts. Why, why, does she do this to me? Maybe if I go on a hunger strike, she'll get it. I don't care about how many kids in Africa or India are starving. Jeez—send those green boogers to them. I don't want 'em!

She downloaded Girl on Fire on her cell while she washed up and put on her pajamas. In bed drifting off to sleep, she listened to the song, let out a big yawn and sighed. Someday I'll be able to do what I want to do when I want to do it!