The Cancer Chick's Best Friend

Chapter Sixteen

"Guys wake up, we're here!" Drew said, turning around to wake Olivia and Ashleigh who were huddled together in a blanket. They didn't move.

"Olivia looks so peaceful" Drew said softly, smiling. 

"I want to throw water on Ash" Jared said.

"No we can throw her in the water later" Drew said and grinned at Jared. They loved troubling Ash together.

Jared got out the car and opened the door at the back, carefully shaking Olivia awake.

"Mhhm" Olivia voiced, moving slowly.

"We're here"

"The beach?" Olivia asked, sleepily.

"Yeah" Jared smiled and then shook Ashleigh up too. 

Drew had already walked into the condo they had rented by the beach. Jared picked up the remaining bags and walked in, The girls stayed back, looking around and recording the sight.

"You're sure its happening tonight?" Drew asked Jared. 

"I'm positive. Don't worry."

"So what's the plan tonight?" Olivia asked, walking in and grabbing a bottle of water. 

"Well we freshen up, get into casual beach wear. There's going to be a bonfire party outside around eight."

"Guys what if we camp outside?" Ashleigh asked in a tone of distraction while looking at her phone. Jared's ear perked up.

"Camp outside when we've rented this condo to live in?" Drew asked, eyes widened.

"Just for the night, There's already a bonfire, and it is on her list right?" 

"That's actually not a bad idea, what do you think Liv?" Jared asked. He wanted to get everything he could on the list. 

"Sounds good to me" Olivia said, excitedly. She loved the idea of camping with the sound of the ocean all night. 

Drew pouted and then said," If I get bitten by mosquitoes I will sue you all" 

"With what money?" Jared said and the girls laughed. 

"I'm going to go freshen up" Olivia said and walked upstairs to find a bathroom. 

"Jared why are we rushing her list though? I thought we could go camping up the little hills near home when we go back" Drew asked in a confused tone. 

"We can but we've got the chance here too, plus you heard Liv, she likes the idea."

"I feel you're hiding something" Drew whispered to Jared while Ashleigh was kneeled on the floor, removing something from a bag. 

"If she likes the idea then why not Drew, you're just annoyed about mosquitoes!" Ashleigh giggled and walked upstairs. Drew and Jared smiled faintly at her till she was out of sight.

"Tell me what you're hiding"

"I'm not hiding anything man!"

"J she's not just yours. She's important to us too. Spill."

"They're going to save her. She's going to live. She's a minor. Her parents are going to put her into chemo when we get back. They're going to save her"

"But she doesn't want this Jared" Drew said, his voice slowing down at the realization of what Jared just said.

"She's going to live. Our Olivia is going to live. The girl you love will live!" Jared said, holding Drew's shoulders, voice sounding desperate. 

"The girl I loved made one simple request, and we are denying her that."

"That won't be her last wish, isn't that what matters more?"

"But she'll be unhappy Jared-"

"That's why the road trip. Its to keep her cheerful. Look time will fly, she will heal and be back to normal with her whole life ahead of her. Temporary sadness for that is better than losing her forever!" Jared said, his eyes welling up with tears. Drew placed his hands on Jared's shoulder and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Okay then, this will be a great week then"

"She can't know yet, she won't -"

"I know, don't worry. " Drew reassured. He then placed a finger on his lip, to signal that he could hear someone walking down the stairs and Jared nodded. 

"Aren't you guys changing?" Olivia asked, walking down in shorts and a sheer cover up over a bikini top. Drew went silent just watching her walk down. Jared smiled and said, "I'm kinda hungry and was just telling drew about this restaurant nearby we should check out before the bonfire, what do you think?"

"Yes please, I'm starving!" Olivia said and smiled and then looked at Drew who was still silently staring. 

"Drew?" Olivia called out.

Jared kicked Drew lightly from under the Island, making him jump. Olivia furrowed her eyebrows confused at what just happened. 

"Yeah lets do that, I'm super hungry. You need to take your medicine too right"

"Yeah" Olivia said. Ashleigh walked down in shorts and a crop top, hair tied up in a ponytail. Jared grabbed the car keys and said, "I'll be in the car, Drew make sure you lock up yeah?"

"Yeah" Drew said and took a sip of water from the bottle before grabbing his phone and the keys to the condo. 

Ashleigh and Olivia walked on silently. Ashleigh was too deep in thought to notice, while Olivia wondered why everyone was behaving rather weirdly. She was happy to be here,She was excited about their plans, but she felt something was off. It felt like something was being hidden from her, something odd and unpleasant. She felt the same feeling she felt the last time she wrote in her diary, a feeling of being a burden, like she was imposing.

She didn't know what to do to stop this feeling either.