Salient Secret

Chapter 8

I told Maya everything, from the doctor telling me we needed to do more tests, right up until my decision to do immunotherapy treatment, starting tomorrow. She stayed quiet the entire time, not reacting to a single thing I'd said. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at one spot on the ground.

I could see the thoughts racing through her. I could practically feel the air rumbling, we were on the brink of something. I was sure it was a fight. I knew her as well as she knew me, and I could tell that she was fuming.

"So you're never coming back to school ever again?" she asked flatly, she didn't even bother making eye contact with me, but I could see the colour had drained from her face. I could hear the strain in her question.

"No," I replied, shamefully.

She stayed quiet for what felt like hours, and then looked up at me dead in the eye, and all of a sudden, her face had a single expression all over it...hurt. She was hurt.

"You've known about this the whole damn week and you just kept it to yourself!" She was now standing right in front of my face with her hands by her side balled up into fists.

"Maya, I didn't want to make a big deal out-"

"It is a fucking big deal, Avery! You, my best friend is never coming back to school! And on top of that, you're dying!" she cried out the last part. "You're dying, for real this time, and you didn't say a word," she added, disgust lacing her hurt.

"I'm sorr-"

She cut me off with a slap across my face. I was so shocked. We've never laid hands on each other. Not like this. But then again, I've never kept something like this from her before. This was important.

"Are we not friends Avery?" she asked with utter betrayal. I held my hand to my cheek; it was stinging but seeing her like that hurt more. Knowing I did this to her...

"Get. Out," she ground, looking at me with a viciousness I'd never seen in her.

"Maya please-"

"GET OUTTTTT!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, tears pouring out of her eyes rapidly. It shattered my heart like never before. I didn't wait this time, I turned around and walked out. She needed time to process this.

I grabbed my jacket from the coat rack by the stairs and made my way out of the house as fast as possible. I had tears streaming down my own cheeks, I was in no shape to explain what happened to anyone. But they would have heard everything, the house wasn't big enough to swallow her scream. I could hear her sobbing from the bottom of the staircase.

I made it out without seeing anyone. I stumbled outside, steadying myself on one of the pillars on her porch. I needed to catch my breath. I slumped down on it, sliding against the would until I hit the floor. I sat there and sobbed.

There was an ache in my chest that felt like a burning hole.

Maya and I fought all the time, but not like this, never like this.

I wiped my tears and my nose with my jacket sleeve, which caused my lip gloss to roll out of my pocket, I watched it roll down the porch steps, with a thump every time it hit a new step. I sat there, watching it, even when it landed on the ground at the bottom of the steps.

I heard rustling behind me and that's when I realised Kai was sitting outside, a cigarette between his lips. He didn't say anything as he made his way down the steps and picked up the lip gloss, studied the label for a second and handed it to me. Wordlessly.

I took it from him and slipped it into my purse. I sniffed and wiped my face, suddenly conscious that my mascara is probably trailing down my face in black streaks.