Small Things, Big Differences

One

"Nina, come on!"

"We're going to be late, again!"

"Miss Walker will go bananas!"

"Nina! What's going on with you?"

"Sorry, Bex," the smaller girl sighed. "I'm just distracted, that's all."

"Distracted by what?" her blonde friend demanded.

"I don't know." Nina shook her head slightly. "I'm just a little tired."

Bex gave her a suspicious look, but left it. She knew there was no point arguing with Nina when she was in this mood.

Nina bit her lip. In her opinion, it was a good thing that they had got to their English class. One, because it meant she wouldn't have to talk too much. Two, because the bell had just gone. And three, because it meant Bex couldn't convince her into spilling her secret. The secret she'd put so much effort into keeping safe, ever since her diagnosis a year and a half ago.

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Leukaemia. Nina could barely spell the word, let alone bear to say it aloud. The doctors had a special name and abbreviation for the branch that affected her, but she didn't bother trying to find out what it was or what it meant. If she was truthful with herself, she knew what it meant.

Leukaemia meant cancer. And cancer meant she was different to everyone else.

And being different would eventually lead to her death.

She had been told straight off that almost 80% of children with leukaemia survived. That she had a good chance.

Then they discovered that her case was more severe than they imagined. It hadn't been diagnosed as early as most cases were, and this had allowed the cancer to spread.

Chemotherapy had been prescribed, and radiotherapy after that.

A year and a half later, the cancer cells were still attacking her now-weak body.

It looked like Nina wasn't going to be one of the 80%.

But still she held onto the hope that she could be. She never gave up.

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"Nina!" Bex took her friend's hand and pulled her into the classroom.