The Outsiders: Randy's Little Sister

Chapter 7: Goodbye

There was a second knock at the door.

Me, Pone and Johnny exchanged confused looks. Pony looked sneakily out the window. "It's the cops." He whispered to us.

My back had got better in the time that we walked back and the time that I was on the sofa, so I sat up. There was a sharp pain but I ignored it and started to stand up. "I'll answer it." I said quietly.

There was a third knock.

"Ya sure, honey, that she's here?" A woman spoke up from outside of the door. Her voice was soft and calming.

"Yeah." I knew that deep voice that had talked to me nearly everyday of my life. Randy's voice was shaking, though, and it cracked like he was upset.

"Randy." I whispered confused. I opened the door.

"Oh." The lady looked shocked like she didn't expect the door to open.

Johnny stood up and walked over to stand next to me and Pony did the same.

"Zola." Randy shouted and ran forwards. "Finally." He hugged me and a wet tear landed on my shoulder.

"Randy. What are ya doing here?" I asked. I felt dizzy and I knew something had gone wrong.

Johnny and Pony stepped back.

Wrapping my arms around Randy, we hugged and after, he looked behind me to Pony and Johnny. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

"We are going to have to leave now. Ya mother." The woman started.

"What?"

"Zola." Randy paused and looked back at the woman who nodded. "Mum has...... she has........has......." Randy couldn't finish.

"Terminal cancer." The woman spoke up.

"What?"

"She has an incurable cancer."

"No." I put my back against the wall and slid down it so I was sitting. "No," I shouted, feeling more dizzy than before. The world was spinning and I couldn't stop it. "Ya wrong." I started to cry. "Ya wrong. YA WRONG."

"Honey. It is ok." The woman stepped forward and tapped me on the shoulder.

I started to sob. I didn't know what came over me. She never was a real mum. She never really cared. Or maybe she did and just didn't show it but it never felt that way. I felt bad. I felt guilty. I felt small and like I wanted to disappear. Into the ground. Into the wall. Anywhere I couldn't be seen and not have all these faces seeing how I would react and say it was ok, which would make it worse. I knew I was an ugly sight. They're not real tears if your face doesn't turn red and splotchy. They wouldn't stop; the tears and they just came streaming down rapidly.

"I didn't say anything." I screamed. "It's all my fault." I shook my head, fast so my neck ached.

I saw a slow tear come out Randy's eye. "No. Zola. No. No one knows when cancer can..... when cancer can strike. Zoe, Oh Zoe. It's not your fault." He bent down. "C'mon let's go and see her."

"No. I don't want to." I said bluntly.

"Ya'll regret it." The woman said. "People always do." She had black hair in a plait that had been spun into a tight, neat bun. The lipstick she was wearing was a darkish red and it complemented her black hair. She looked about late twenties and had two neat curls at the sides of her face that completed the look. She looked at me kindly and sympathetically but it didn't help anything. Through my blurry vision, I saw that she smiled at me, with white teeth that were perfect.