Jeck

Chapter 12

Over the next few days I ventured out of my room, slowly at first but then more and more. As I braved the world that lay outside my bedroom I realized one very important thing: the only person I could depend on other than myself was Jeck, no one seemed to notice that I was trying to do better.

Have you ever been so blissfully unaware of everything around you, so happy with the little bubble that you reside in, that you don't notice when a bomb is about to be dropped on you? I can usually tell when a bomb is going to be dropped but today I was out of it, just sitting on the couch staring out the window when my mom blew up my little world that I had so carefully crafted, "You're going back to school."

I felt my stomach drop to the floor as I tore my eyes from the birds that were flitting around in the trees, "What?" I could feel the blood draining from my face, I was sure I was going to throw up.

"We're going in later today to get the homework you missed and you'll be back tomorrow." With that she walked away leaving me to panic. I hadn't thought about school, what was I supposed to tell people? There was no way people would just accept me again, I had been gone for too long. Then a thought hit me, 'at least I still have my friends'.

I had a pretty solid group of friends, we sat together at lunch and laughed in the hall. If no one else could accept me at least they would.

My mom and I walked into the school as everyone was packing up their stuff, some people turned to look at me others whispered as I passed. I wasn't so sure that I could do this, my stomach was lurching and my breath didn't seem to want to come at an even pace.

When we reached the first teachers classroom she stood and smiled at me kindly if not a little condescendingly, "Welcome back Mia, I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow." I smiled and nodded but I couldn't make any words appear.

I turned when I heard the door open to see Sophie standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, "Mia?" She walked toward me slowly like I was an animal that she didn't want to scare away. When she was close enough she crushed me in a hug, "I missed you."

"I missed you too." I smiled as she ran to catch her bus, maybe I was right and my friends would take me back.

By the time I got home I had a stack of papers so tall when I set them down they toppled off my desk, I spent most of the night skimming through the pages trying to catch up. No matter how hard I tried to focus fear of tomorrow creeped into my head and I couldn't push it away.

As the fear crept into my throat I heard my phone go off form where I had thrown it on my bed. I felt a wave of calm when I saw Jeck's name, "Hey there." I answered the phone with a dumb smile on my face that I was happy he couldn't see.

"How goes the recovery?" I chuckled as I flipped over to lay on my back.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that since you had cancer?"

I heard his soft chuckle crackle over the line, "Just answer the question." I heard his smile through the phone.

"I'm going back to school tomorrow." My voice was soft, I knew he could hear the fear but I couldn't hide it. Not from him.

"Why? I thought people were terrible to you." I heard him sit up so I knew he was serious.

I shrugged, "They are," I paused to sigh, "But I never told my parents."

"Mia," He dragged out my name like he was irritated, "You deserve so much better than that shitty place."

I shook my head, "It'll be fine, I only have a few years left then I can get out of here and never look back."

"Where are we going to start? Personally, I think somewhere warm." His matter-of-fact tone made me smile but then I registered that he had said 'we'.

"We?"

"Yes Mia, 'we' in case you hadn't noticed I am excessively in love with you," He paused and I could imagine him running a hand over his bald head, "I'll follow you anywhere." His voice was soft, almost desperate.

I had a sarcastic retort about him being a stalker on the tip of my tounge but I held it back, "So where do you suggest we start?"

I felt him smile, "Bora Bora, it's warm, it's pretty and I've always wanted to see it."

"Bora Bora it is." I felt my heart glowing through my chest as we talked for another hour before he told me to go to bed. I had never felt like this about someone before, some part of my brain thought it was all kind of fast but the rest of me just knew that it was right.

I tossed and turned for the rest of the night until my alarm went off at six, I rolled out of bed and forced myself to eat some cereal. When I had gotten dressed I hadn't even thought about what I had put on, when I caught sight of myself in the mirror I was disgusted. I had put on my oldest pair of jeans, a baggy t-shirt and ratty shoes.

I changed into a cuter (less comfortable) pair of jeans and a shirt that made me look almost skinny. I couldn't make myself speak as my mom drove me to school, it was all I could do not to cry.

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

-Kelsee<3