Half-glass full and cynical Calista Dames can sketch out her life in a series of plans, predictions and preparations. She's the girl who knows what she's doing and where she's going, the girl with all the questions answered, the girl with a foundati...
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Chapter 10
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
"Are you sure you don't want me to come back for Spring Break instead?" I was asking on the phone as I paced around the kitchen while Astrid was packing the remainders of her stuff, "I honestly don't mind cancelling."
"What?" My father's breathy voice hacked onto the phone in a series of ungraceful coughs before he recovered to choke out a few more words, "Honest, Calista, don't worry about me-" Another series of painful coughs. My heart ached, hating this, hating hearing him this sick. It's the worst feeling in the world. People always moaned about how sick people had it bad. But what about the people who cared about them? It's the worst feeling in the world, standing by the sidelines, watching them suffer while you can't do anything but hope. "-you go have fun with your friends for Spring Break. Just don't end up in a hospital, okay?" He attempted a weak chuckle only to dissolve into another round of coughs.
I sighed, still not appeased but I knew that the only way to make him feel better was to agree, "Sure, Dad. Call me if you need anything, though."
"Of course," he said, "And besides, your mother will take care of me."
Despite my mother's raging behaviour, I had no doubts that she will. Mom was crazy but she was also passionately caring. "Okay, well I have to go. I'll call you when I get there?'
"Be safe, sweetheart," my father said, then proceeded to cough. I didn't feel any better as he hung up.
"Okay, all done!" Astrid clapped her hands as she rolled her luggage out of her room. She was all smiles and happiness until she saw my face and getting a sense of the mood as she knew I was talking to my Dad, she sobered up: "How is he?"
"Still sick as ever."
Just six months ago, a few months after I left, the cancer seemed to be at bay. Everything was good and sure, his lungs were detected to be cancerous but the doctor promised it was only at stage one, which meant it wasn't totally serious as it could be removed and everything was going to be okay. All my Dad had to do was come for check-ups, swallow his pills and undergo the surgery to remove cancer, which he all did, but then cancer came back, stronger than ever and infected his whole body. Now he was sicker than ever, bedridden and all his hair was gone. I wasn't even sure if he was going to make it but I tried to maintain positivity, regardless of the cynical voice inside my head.
"He's going to get better, Cal," promised Astrid, gripping my hand tight. Her silver nose septum piercing glinted in the sunlight. Memories of clenching Astrid's hand tight as the woman in the piercing shop approached her with the piercing gun flowed in my mind. Now she was helping me out. "You have to let yourself chill a little."
My shoulders drooped, "I suppose," I bit my lip and ran a hand through my hair, "We should probably get going, shouldn't we?"
"Miami waits for no one," Astrid laughed, winking and envelope an arm around my neck from behind. She smelled like kale and weed. She must've lit a joint before. Eight months through college and her hair had changed again- she decided to grow it out and dyed it grey, making her look super alternative. "Now let's go!"
