A Poppy In The Stars

Chapter 20

I woke up to my phone buzzing on the bedside table. I rolled sleepily and took it into my hands, and turned it on.
For somewhat reason, seeing three missed calls and about hundred text messages from both Eva and Jacob sent goosebumps all over me. I sat up on the bed and immediately took a call to Eva. She answered very quickly.

"What's up?" I asked.

She gasped for air. "Hope?" She sounded scared. "Hope? Where are you?"

"I'm home, of course. What's the matter?" My heart beat fastened.

"Hope, you need to come to Jacob's place, like right now!" She said, her voice shaky.

"You know I can't do that, unless it's an emer_"

"It is an emergency!" She screamed. "It's a goddamn emergency, Hope! Come quickly! I can't tell you on the phone, but pls come!!" The line went off.

What's going on?
I quickly washed and dressed and asked Mom to drop me off. Shockingly, she didn't hesitate, but I found it strange to see her face slightly pale and her lips dry. Something's definitely wrong.

She dropped me off silently at the Jacob's, and I knocked on the door. Eva opened the it and hugged me, and I was taken aback.

"What's wrong, Eva?" I asked as she broke the embrace. Her face was teary and her eyes were puffy.

"Come on and have a seat, yeah?"

I followed her and sat on one of the couches. I was not surprised to see Jacob scrolling through his phone. He smiled faintly as he saw me, and went back to his work.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" I asked, feeling annoyed now.

Eva took a deep breath and sat beside me. "I know this will sound crazy, but you have to believe, okay? Promise me that you'll be able to take it?"

"How can I promise you something when I even don't know what it is?!"

"Okay, okay. Here, did you know that um....Jasper had um....a bone cancer?"

My heart almost stopped, but I gulped down a mouthful of air and blinked. "What?"

"You didn't? Oh gods!" Eva exchanged a look with Jacob, but turned to me quickly. "Well, while he was on his way home back yesterday night, something happened. His parents immediately took him to see the doctor and found out that he has come to the worst stage of bone cancer, which he has since he was twelve."

"Which means...?" I asked, dreading the answer.

Eva gulped. "It means...it means, well, the doctors said that it's not curable, so..." She stopped herself to catch some air before continuing. "I'm so sorry, Hope."

I felt my mouth going dry and my hands felt numb on my lap. My head started spinning, but this is no time for a fit. I took a deep breath to focus, but tears streamed into my eyes, blurring my vision. My heart felt as though it's getting ripped into thousands of pieces.
Jasper! No, he is not going to leave me! He promised! He promised. I love him and he loves me, and I'm sure that he's going to be fine. Maybe he doesn't have that stupid cancer! I stood up, wiping my eyes.

"Hope?" Jacob and Eva both stood up after me.

"I want to see him right now!" I demanded.

"Sure, okay!" Jacob said and went out of the house. Eva tried to take my hand into hers, but I shrugged away.

"Don't try to calm me or sympathize me. I'm sure this is all some kind of a big fat lie! He doesn't have a stupid cancer and he is going to be fine! Don't you dare tell me that he's dying, cause he promised not to leave me. Ever. And he never breaks his promises, and I'm sure he won't this time as well!" A tear left my right eye as I finished, annoying me more. I wiped it hastily. Why am I even crying?

A sob escaped from Eva, but she nodded anyway. "Okay then. Let's go to the car. We believe you."
Then we all got into Jacob's car, and he drove straight towards the hospital.
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I listened to the doctor's words with tears running down my cheeks. I covered my mouth, scared that I'll scream in the middle of the hallway.

"I'm so sorry, but he doesn't have much time. It's grown, the tumor. Please make sure that you make him comforting, no matter what. I'm really sorry, but there's nothing we can do."
He said and walked away.

I collapsed on to one of the chairs in the hall, sobbing into my hands. Tears raced down my cheeks, but I didn't wipe them.
Am I dreaming? Is this some kind of a terrible dream? Or is this a prank? Jasper dying?! It didn't sound right. He never mentioned anything about a cancer in his left leg! Why didn't he? Was that the secret that Ace was talking about?!?! What a horrible secret! I don't want him to go away. I don't want him to leave me alone in this world. He promised never to leave my side!! I sobbed and sobbed, until I felt that I've drained every bit of tears in me. I didn't care. All I wanted was him to be alive.

"Hope?" Someone called and I looked up to see the teary, yet smiling face of Mrs Alby. She sat beside me. I turned back to look down at my feet. "He didn't tell you, did he? I'm sorry, but we knew, actually he knew, that he won't last long. That's why he didn't apply for college. As for the doctor, he only has a week or so, and I want you to stay by his side until....he is no longer with us." She forced herself to say the last bit.

I turned to her with teary eyes, my heart exploding with sadness. "Of course I will." I said. She ran a hand over my shoulder, and I started crying on to her.
The way we met, our first kiss, last night dinner....this all went through my head as though a movie itself is playing in me, playing with my memories. I cherish every bit I spent with him. I will love him until my time is over, and I will let him know.

I turned to face Mrs Alby, and she looked down at me. "Can I see him?" I asked heavily.

She nodded. "Okay."