𝐀𝐕𝐀

XVIII. The Secret's Out

       Chapter 18, The Secret's Out
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      " I wouldn't stress about it too much, I'm still here you know. "

~ Harper's POV ~

   By the next morning, I felt more ill than the last time and I felt like I couldn't function right, I had lost all faith in humanity when I was told that I waited too long to even start any chemotherapy.
   I didn't want to have any high hopes that I would get any better, but my mom did and if she did then I'm not going to be a buzz kill and ruin the moment for her.

    "Harp, are you feeling okay?"

   My mom asked me as she walked over to me and kissed my forehead, I smiled at her and nodded my head before getting up from the bed walking to the bathroom, the struggle was real when I had to walk with my IV.
   I hated having to hold onto it as I finally got into the bathroom, I didn't have enough energy or strength to stay standing for too long, so I rushed with brushing my teeth and using the bathroom before hurrying out the bathroom.

    Everything was starting to aggravate me, I felt like I was spinning in circles and there was no stopping it, I just laid down on the bed and closed my eyes to take a deep breath.
   I looked exhausted even though I slept through the night, I opened my eyes and looked over at my mom who was on her phone doing God knows what.

   "Do you want to tell your friends about what you have right now? Or do you want to wait for a little bit, I know how cranky you get whenever you don't get a sufficient amount of sleep."

   My mother spoke to me, I looked at her and nodded my head before telling her that now would be a good time to speak to them.
  She was right about me feeling cranky when I haven't had any sleep at all, but this time I slept well but still felt like I didn't have energy at all.

     "Harper, take a nap before they arrive so that you don't have an attitude when they come, I'll let you know when they're coming to the room."

    I didn't want to take a nap, I didn't feel like I was exhausted to do that but I did as told knowing that waiting for my friends would be more excruciating than forcing myself to go to sleep.
  

  "Harper, time to get up sweetie."

   My mom shook me lightly, I opened my eyes slowly as I squinted to readjust to the lighting, I looked around and smiled as I was surrounded by my friends who looked at me with a worried look.
   Lori-Anne wasted no time in walking over to me and hugging me tightly, I smiled at her and hugged back before she let go and walked back to where she went back to her spot.

    "Harper, what is going on with you?"

  Sophie asked me, I looked at her and then looked at my mom, I didn't know how to bring up so I just stared at my mom.

    "Okay, so just two days ago, I found out I had Oropharyngeal cancer, which is the cancer that practically happens in my throat."

    I spat it out, the look on everyone's face dropped and Sophie turned around, I knew that she was going to start crying and that I would start crying as well.
   Dylan looked at me as her eyes got all glossy, she walked over to me and hugged me tightly, it took a moment before everyone rushed over and made it into a group hug.

    It went a little silent before Charlie looked at me and sat on the edge of my bed.

    "What's going to happen now? Did you catch it in time?"

    Dylan asked me as she walked around the hospital room, I looked at her and shook my head slowly, Sophie's sobs were muffled with my mother's shirt as my mom held her tightly.
   Lori-Anne was just in shock, she didn't know how to feel, I know the one thing on her mind was the fear that I had.

    "I waited for way too long to come to the hospital, which makes it incurable now."

    I informed them as Sophie slowed her crying down and looked at me, I opened my arms and told her to come over here.
   As she held onto me tightly, I stroked her hair and rubbed her back before continuing the conversation with my friends and informing them everything that has been happening so far.

    "What's gonna happen now?"

   Charlie asked me, I looked at her and shrugged my shoulders as everyone began to freak out.

  " I wouldn't stress about it too much, I'm still here you know. "

   I joked to lighten the mood, Soph chuckled as she wiped her tears way with the sleeves of her shirt and walked next to Dylan, Dylan wrapped her arms around Soph to comfort her.
   Now the difficult part was, it was all downhill or uphill from here now, I just needed to remember that if I have faith in myself then I'll probably be able to overcome this cancer.

   I just needed to believe in myself, so that's what I'm going to start to do, I have to remember that there could always be a miracle.
 
    I needed a miracle.