This is not a cancer story

Don't get too chemotional

~FLASH BACK ~

14 year old Chloe POV

“Give it here! It’s mine! Oi! Come on, it’s the last one!” Riley feebly made a grab for the burning cigarette I held between my finger and thumb. Laughing, I jumped back, out of his reach for the time being. I placed it between my lips and took a long drag, puffing out the smoke in a “fashionable” manner. While I watched the cloud float then hang in the air, Riley made a swift snatch and lifted the disintegrating tobacco roll to his own mouth. It was only my second time smoking and the idea that my parents didn’t know made the zing feel even wilder.

Riley had found a packet half full under his mother’s bed and cigarette by cigarette, him, Jordan, Zoe, Luke and I had smoked them all. Only Elliot refused to have one. When I thought about it, he always left when Riley brought a ciggy out.

I was brought back to reality when Riley dropped the roll like it had burnt him, covering it with his left foot and fluttering his hand in the air like a lunatic. What….?

Suddenly the screen door to his house flew open and his father walked out, his expensive leather boots thudding on the wooden balcony.

“Riley, what in God’s name are you doing? Standing there, waving your arm around like a mad man!” Mr Greens frowned at his blushing son.

“Dad! Hey, I, uh, I was… I had…” his eyes darted around like he was looking for some excuse to pop up out of thin air. “I had pins and needles in my arm. But… they’re gone now…”

Mr Greens didn’t look at all convinced.
“And how are you sir?” I tried lightening the mood a bit, turning to my friend’s father.
“Chloe, how many times must I ask you to call me Matthew?!” he smiled at me, transforming his face.
“Pardon me Matthew. Riley, I’m sorry but I must get home, mum probably has jobs piling up for me to help out with,” waving to Mr Greens, whom I would never call Matthew. I chucked on my jumper slung over the railing and gave Riley a one-armed hug thingy that turned awkward very quickly. Mr Greens chuckled to himself, making Riley turn an even darker shade of red.

Just as I was about to let go, Riley whispered almost inaudibly in my ear. “Thank you.” He smiled as I scaled his back fence, throwing my legs up and over. We only lived 10 minutes apart, but the sun was already starting to set. I hoped Riley would remember to bin the burnt cigarette; they took centuries to break down.

Pulling out my phone, I was notified of three missed calls. One from mum, one from dad and one from Elliot. Strange, he preferred to text.

Dialing his number, I put the phone to my ear and listened to it ringing. He picked up on the third ring. Something was wrong…

~ Present day~

I sat on the spongy grass and remembered the day both Elliot and my mother told me they had cancer. But only one of them lived through the first year. My head rested against mum’s tombstone and my body laid over where she slept several feet below. I had been there for a few hours, but knowing my habit of losing track of time, it could have been longer.  I liked spending a day with mum. I didn’t get that much time usually.

It was great to have a gossip.

“Mum, did you hear what happened to Bryce? Yep you guessed it, he won school captain. No doubt about that huh? Oh and Grier got arrested… again.  This time it was public nuisance. She is certainly a pretty piece of work. Elliot’s doing great, the doctors are so impressed. He’s been at school five days in a row, which is brilliant. Jordan got caught snogging the coach of her soccer team, but it wasn’t that weird because he’s also seventeen. It kinda shocked us though. I didn’t even think she knew how to kiss! Addison, that’s the coach’s name, got kicked out, but now he and Jordan are dating!!! And you will never believe it but Zoe is jealous!!! Luke is acting unusual again. Remember how he dumped his girlfriend a week ago? Well, he almost won’t talk to any girl now! OH MY GOSH I FORGOT TO TELL YOU! I brought you a present!”

I smirked at the ground and pulled the rucksack from my feet, unzipping it and slipping a book into my palms.

“Mum, don’t have a heart attack, but in my hands lay the very last book of Percy Jackson!! I know right! Blood of Olympus is soooo good! Sorry but I just had to start it last night!” a giggle slipped through my lips as I pressed the heavy book to my chest.

“Viewers beware! What we are witnessing right now is the obscure behaviour of a teenage fangirl. Yes, she may look harmless, but even bend a page of her books and you are nothing but doomed!”

A figure pretend-hid behind a scrawny tree, its branches that looked like arms of poor beggars. Luke made fake binoculars with his hands, like he was Bear Grylls in some ridiculous situation that almost always led to drinking of piss.

“What the fuck are you doing Luke!? I thought you knew it was a girls’ day!” I nodded towards mum.

He blushed and turned to face her grave. “Mrs Rogers! Ma’am can I apologize for interrupting your special day with your darling daughter! And might I add that you’re looking absolutely wonderful this afternoon,” he blew my mother a kiss and I swear I could hear laughter from the blazing blue sky. Luke was amazing at making people feel better.

I shielded my eyes from the glare to look up to the guy towering over me. Expecting a loose grin plastered on his boisterous face, I was taken aback when I noticed the pain oozing out of my dear friend. And by the look of it, he was only just holding it together.

Without saying anything, I patted the soft dirt beside me and opened my arms. He sat and reluctantly leaned in on my embrace. Then suddenly he was clinging on for dear life, his gangly long arms now circling me, his head resting on my shoulder. A sob escaped from his mouth and he sucked in a quick breath.

Then, as abruptly as he had hugged me, he jumped back away from me. Running a finger under his eyes, he asked a very strange favour.

“Luke, what’s wrong? I beg you! Tell me!”

“Chloe, please?”

“Why Luke? Why do you want me to kiss you?”

“It’s just… I think it would… I’m not… ugh forget it,” he tried to smile, but it was far from his eyes.

I did wonder what was going on and I worried about him a lot. He hadn’t been very happy lately and if a simply kiss could change that, why not?

“Come ‘ere Lulu,” I softly smiled at him, and he took a depth breath of relief.

“I’m sorry Chloe. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have to. It doesn’t have to mean anything”, he ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair, spiking it in all sorts of directions.

I leaned forward a bit, delicately kissing the corner of his mouth, working my way over. It was tingly but in a sense alarming. I had known Luke for most of my life and now we were breaching the line of friendship

“It doesn’t mean anything!” I had to remind myself.

Swiftly, Luke pulled back, an even more pained look on his face. Oh no, what had I done?

“Chloe, I don’t know what to do,” tear slipped down his cheek. I was so confused! What was happening!?

“I… I tried… to make it stop… b-but I-I can’t. It’s j-just not working.”

“Luke. Stop. Explain.”

He gripped my arm and drew in a breath.

“Chloe… I’m gay.”