30 Hours

Travelling Part 3

'Oh my god.' Was all I was able to say. I had just slapped my best friend in the face. The girls in the row had turned to see what had happened, and I could see from the corner of my eye Tania's hand raising to her mouth.

Luckily we had landed. I unfastened my seatbelt, took my bags and ran from the scene. The air hostess was shocked but I continued running until I had reached the outside of the airplane. I was in the small corridor, running to the airport with my luggage, hearing the sound of wheels being rolled around in the floor.

'Emily!' It was my mum. I couldn't stand to see her face. I felt like such a terrible person, and I didn't want her to see me like this. Like the terrible person I am. My vision was now blurry from the tears threatening to spill if I came across another thought of what I had just gone through.

I wanted to go back and apologise. But time was in the essence. It was 9PM right now, and I was standing in the middle of an airport in Bartly. What the hell do I do now?

I looked back, the girls rushing to me. I took a long look at them. Tania was rushing over, and so was Kendall. Maury stayed behind with Anabel and my parents, examining her face which had tears spilling down them.

Tania and Kendall finally reached me, throwing their small luggage bags on the white tiles. 'What happened?' Tania asked, huffing and puffing. I must've run far.

'Anabel. She's going out with...with Adam.' Tania and Kendall gave each other sympathetic looks.

'Em, Anabel and Adam have been going out for a really long time. More than six months.' The truth struck me hard. How could she think it was alright to go out with someone as terrible as him. He dumped me because he thought I was disgusting.

I repeated the same question to the girls. I saw Maury coming over to me. 'Em. I don't want you to be mad at Anabel-'

I interrupted her. It was too exhausting for me. 'Can we sit?'

'On the ground?' Kendall asked. I nodded, and sat on the tiles, onlookers staring curiously. The rest of the girls sat around me, forming a circle. 'Em, as I was saying, Anabel really likes Adam. And trust me. She scolded him for it. She scolded him for breaking up with you because she knew how upset you are.'

I took it in, and then glanced at Anabel. She was still crying, sitting on a red chair with my parents, who were comforting her. 'She did that for me?' I said quietly, not expecting a response to come out of Tania's lips.

'Yes Emily. After that happened, he shaved his hair, and raised more than five hundred dollars for the hospital you were in. It's not a lot, but it meant something to him. And her.' She pointed to Anabel.

'Guys, I really feel bad for what I did. I mean, I thought she got together to- I thought. I don't know what I thought. But whatever it was, it was sure stupid.' I looked at the other girls, who all forgave me. I decided to walk over to my parents. To apologise.

'Mum, dad, can I please speak to Anabel?' They both stood up and patted my back, leaving with their luggage and walking over to the other girls.

I sat down and sighed. 'Anabel, I am really really-'

'Don't. I can't take it. I don't want an apology. It means I was the weak one.' She didn't make any sense. 'I'll see you over there, Emily.' She was so cold. It felt like she pushed me with cold hands, making me land in a pool of ice.

I looked down at the floor as she was walking away. I stood up,pulling my black pants up, and then pushed my hair out of my face. I took in my surroundings, the windows revealing the darkness of outside. Few people sat on chairs, waiting for chairs, coffees and people. It wasn't cold, but it was slightly hot.

I shrugged at Tania, when she pulled me close. I pulled an arm around her, holding my bag with the other. The doors revealed hotness, and my parents escorted us to a hotel a few kilometres away with a cab. The driver kept playing reggae music, making the atmosphere totally relaxed but awkward at the same time...especially when he started singing.

When we arrived at the hotel, we ran up to two rooms, deciding my parents could take one and the group of us could take the other. Even though there were three beds, we would share.

Thankfully, Maury brought heaps of snacks, such as coloured popcorn, chips, and all the M&M's you could imagine. I love them.

We changed into our PJ's (all of us wearing pink, making us take a group selfie...well maybe a few). It was already 11PM, and after tiring rounds of Truth Or Dare, we decided to shut our eyes. I slept in a bed with Tania and Maury, whilst Anabel and Kendall shared another. It was rather uncomfortable, but it made us happy.

I stayed up for what seemed like an hour before I went to sleep, thinking. Overthinking. Overthinking about Anabel. Overthinking about Kendall. Overthinking about death. All at the same time. I hope tomorrow brought something better.

I sighed loudly, and then shut my eyes, Tania deciding to keep her head on my shoulder, whilst snoring.

'Em..Em...EM!' I thought it was a dream, but woke up when Kendall was shaking me. She was in a floral bathing suit, and her hair was straighter than usual.

'Kendall, what's going on?' My hair was so messy and I could tell my breath stink worse than a full trash can. I immediately covered my mouth.

Kendall laughed and then continued. 'We're going to the beach, silly!' I looked at the clock. It was 3AM.

'Kendall, are you crazy? It's three bloody am in the morning.' My vision was still blurry and the dream of Nick Jonas dancing to the chicken song whilst wearing a puffy red dress that I had in my closet. What the hell did I think of yesterday?

'Have you not done your research on this place? The sun rises at 2AM. I'll meet you at the beach in fifteen minutes. It's five minutes away.' She continued from the room, and I quickly slipped into my bathing suit and ran down to the lobby. I put my towel on as a young intern blushed and looked away.

Sure enough, it was day, and it was cloudy. Just how I liked it.

The beach finally awaited me, and I crashed into the waves, swimming to my friends. My parents were reading in the beach, greeting me with air kisses and waves. I waved back, being greeted by a wave to the face. The water was salty, but fresh.

'Hey girlies.' I greeted them all, surprised when Anabel smiled back at me. She didn't say anything but at least she smiled. We swam around the fresh water, the beach was huge, and there was about thirty people around. More started to pour in as an hour passed on by.

We made our way to a rock pool, big enough to swim in on the side of the beach. I sat on the rock, watching my skin dry, as someone tapped my back.

I turned. It was Anabel, greeting me with a smile. 'Em. I'm sorry for lashing out.'

'Anabel I should be the one saying it.' I said, laughing.

'Never mind, I'm sorry, and I accept your apology.'

I gave her a hug. 'I accept yours too.'

As we talked about the sand and the little shells with crabs inside them around us, I came to a thought.

I didn't need to worry so much about the cancer. I was strong enough on my own. And the cancer wasn't there to define me. It was there to make me stronger. Sure, I would die from it. But I wouldn't die with it. I would die with strength, and integrity. I smiled at the thought.

A/N: hey guys! Once again! I am updating mor frequently these past few days, and I hope it stays the same as it happens to be hard to write a full chapter without stopping 😂. What I have come to a conclusion is, at the end of every chapter, from now on, I will add some inspirational advice(well I do hope it becomes inspirational XD). The first one was in the last chapter, and the next one is down below.

Inspo for the day:

Something that happens to you, good or bad, shouldn't define you. It should know build a characteristic, but not define you as whole. Emily in the story does have cancer, a tragic and battling disease, but she doesn't let it define her. Her name isn't Emily Tribbiani with Cancer. It's Emily Tribbiani, caring, friendly, and strong.

Inspiring? Why/why not?