Caroline's Cries

Chapter 15

Caroline's POV

My once peaceful-filled morning was now chaotic. I woke up every morning at 3AM because Polly was in her room crying about something. Zach woke up at 12PM, and I avoided him as much as I could. Jerry would always be so calm and happy with everyone else, but with me he was a whole different person. 

My stomach started hurting, it felt like knives were piercing through it. I was too afraid to tell my mom. I dealt with the pain by myself. 

My days were the same; school, hang out with Amanda, homework, more school, dinner. Where did the adventure go? When I was with Jake, we would always make a bland day exciting. He would always find the coolest things out of anything people would see as "boring". 

I was eating my dinner and finishing up some English homework when it started raining outside. And I don't just mean sprinkling, it was pouring outside. 

I love the rain. The air always reminded me of fresh worms you would put on the ends of a fishing pole, the clouds were beautifully dark, and the ground was always so fresh. 

I decided that I was going to go on a walk in the rain, which by the way are the BEST walks you can go on. 

"Mom, I'll be back later..." I shouted out. There was no response though, all I heard was my mom's faint voice disciplining Polly. I shrugged and grabbed my yellow raincoat, hat, and boots. 

Running outside while the wind and the rain seemed to fly around me, I decided I would go to my stream. The special stream I would occasionally sneak off to after school. The stream that used to be shared with Jake. 

I kept running and laughing as my rainboots hit the freshly muddy ground. The rain poured down so hard that it made my hair soaking wet and stuck to my face. I could feel my mascara running down my eyes as my makeup I spent so long on was ruined by the rain. But makeup can be done again, I wouldn't get another rainy day like this anytime soon. 

I finally made it to my special stream. I ran up, attempting to jump on a rock that was located above the stream's water, when I felt the worst stomach pain I've ever felt in my life. 

I tripped on a branch that had fallen, and held my stomach, in pain, while gasping. I felt the cold, muddy water splash up onto my face. It was getting hard to breathe;  the pain was too much. 

"Help me! Someone help me please," I shouted out as the lightning crashed around me. I curled up in a fetus position, crying while the pain only began to worsen. 

I continued screaming out for help but secretly I knew no one would hear me. No one was around this stream, and even if they managed to bike over to it they couldn't hear me over the storm. 

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," I cried as my pain worsened. 

I heard footsteps run over to me and was embraced in someone's strong arms. I managed to tilt my head up and saw Jake desperately trying to hold me in his arms. 

"Jake, it hurts so much," I sobbed. 

"Shh, I know, I know," He whispered while pulling his jacket over my body. He tried picking me up but I screamed out in pain again. 

"It hurts!" I wailed. 

He frantically tried to grab out his phone and then threw it to the muddy ground, "Dead battery." 

I pressed my head against his warm chest and clenched my stomach tighter. 

"I love you Caroline," He whispered. 

"I love you too Jake," I managed to squeak out. 

"There's been a huge misunderstanding with Sasha, I swear I didn't love her. I don't love her at all. I only love you." 

"I love you too Jake," I repeated. 

He kissed the top of my head and pulled me closer as the lightning only got louder around us. 

"It hurts so bad," I cried. 

"You're strong Caroline, you got this."

I clenched tighter as I realized that this might be the end of Caroline Bagshaw's journey. Jake was right all along. I should have taken that chemo. 

"Jake," I let out a small, weak laugh, "You were right." 

"What do you mean?" 

"About the chemo. I was just too stubborn to realize it." 

"You aren't going to die Caroline," He said as he hugged tighter, "You aren't going to die like this. Okay?" 

"Okay." 

We sat there together, me in his arms clenching tightly to my painful stomach and him pressing his chin against my head, enveloping me in the warmth of his jacket and hug.

Eventually my pain went away. We were probably out there for an hour. It was one of the worst hours of my entire life and I thought I was going to die.

Jake had to carry me home on his back because I was too weak to continue my walk. 

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Eventually when we arrived to my house, I hopped off and squeezed his hand as a thank you. 

"Did your mom know you were going out?" He asked. 

"No, she's too busy with her new children." 

"Did Jerry?"

"No."

He grabbed my hand and marched up to my front door, allowing me to unlock it with my house key before he dragged me inside. He walked right up to my mom and Jerry who were sitting in the dining room chairs. 

"Your daughter almost died." He said bluntly. 

My mom looked over at me and ran over, embracing me in a hug. 

"She fell over due to pain in her pancreas. Thank God I found her." He continued. 

"I had no idea," my mom replied. 

"Yeah because you're too busy with Jerry, Zach, and Polly." I added. 

"What did I tell you about giving us that attitude?" Jerry demanded as he walked over to me with a stern look on his face. 

"What are you going to do to her?" Jake asked while stepping next to me. 

Jerry's stern face melted as he smiled and gave me a hug, "I'm so glad you are okay."

Polly and Zach came out of their rooms, confused as to who the new visitor was. 

"Next time," Jake added while standing at eye-level to Jerry, "Be a better parent and know where your daughter is going." 

Everyone stood there in shock, almost like they couldn't believe that Jake had dared to back-talk creepy Jerry. A huge smile came across my face.

"Come on Caroline," Jake grinned while holding my hand, "Let's go play a rematch game of chess."