When Life Finally Began

Chapter 12

Jenna was leaving today, and finally let me see her. Nothing had changed over the past few weeks. My Mom and I still weren't talking. I ignored my Dad anytime possible. I only talked to him when he told me I had to babysit Mia, her parents still weren't back.

"Your babysitting Mia tonight," my dad informed me. No one ever asked me questions anymore, it was you’re going to this or you’re grounded. 

"I'm going to the hospital, bye." I grab a bag, and go outside.

"Be home by 6:30, or else your grounded!"

I walk down my front steps, leaves were starting to fall to the ground. I was excited to see Jenna. 

The hospital was like a blast of winter, I was shivering the second I arrived. It seemed to stop when I saw Dustin, he was wearing a navy blue tee shirt that made his eyes stand out. His smile made butterflies flutter inside me, and I was filled with happy bizarre excitement. 

"Hey beautiful," he says casually.

"What's in your hands?" I notice a green book in his hands.

"Just a copy of Insurgent, I know you haven't read it yet.

"Thank you, you know some guys get girls flowers, and candy. Only a perfect boyfriend gets a girl a book."  I hug him tightly feeling happy to have him.

We walk down the hall hand in hand. 

I'm shocked when I see Jenna. Her once beautiful bouncy hair was gone, courtesy of the three rounds of chemo, her eyes seemed sad, they no longer had the sparkle that they used too. 

"I told you, you didn't want to see me." She hides herself behind a pillow.

"Why? Personally I don't see a change. You just got more beautiful." I sit next to her. Did I pain people when they saw me? Little kids suffering is a terrible thing.

"Can you drive me home? My mom is bringing home all my stuff."

"Yeah of course, I haven't seen you in ages. We need to hang out!" 

"Yay I'm so excited, maybe we could do something fun!" 

"Like what?" 

"Like, um well maybe can we go buy some hats, and stuff."

"Sure!" There was a store in the mall that had the best beanies, and scarfs. Her head would get cold, as weird as that would sound to someone who has never been bald.

"Yay, Dustin isn't allowed to come though." She glances sideways at her brother, who was checking his phone.

An hour later, we were singing at the top of our lungs in the car. I could tell she was exhausted. 

"Here we are." I pull into a parking lot next to The Hat Shack. It had a really horrible name; but was well known with cancer patients.

The owner tried to give the little store a beach theme, I personally thought the beanies, and winter type hats. I owned about 100 hats from this place. 

A bald girl sat with a boy on a bench. They were giggling, the girl was wearing a bright pink sun hat, and the boy was wearing a striped tee shirt, his hair hung half way past his eyes. 

Jenna stares at them as we walk past. I lead her to the winter section of the store where, they had beanies.

"Is this what you wear?" She pulls out a monkey hat.

"I don't have that hat, but you can get it if you'd like." 

"Yeah I want one!" She grabs the hat and walks ahead, slowly. I needed a new beanie as well.

"Can I get one like that one?" She points to the mint green hat in my hand.

"Sure!" Her Mom had given me thirty bucks for her hats.

 We had bought thirty hats. Two were matching. 

"Is that all you'd like Ella?" The checkout lady, Eve, hands me a bag of hats. Her long curly hair made Jenna envious. 

"Yeah that would be all!" I grab the bags, and we drive to her house. She was already asleep before we reached her house. 

"Hey," I nudge Jenna, she opens her eyes slowly.

Dustin sat loyally on the porch swing, when we reached the porch he lifted Jenna on to his shoulders. 

"Was it fun?" He laid her on the couch.

"Yeah, it was really fun, I got a monkey hat." She curls into a ball.

Once she was asleep we walked out onto the front porch. "How will my parents deal with this?" He whispers.

"Your Mom will find a way." I hug him tightly. 

"I hope your right."

It was 7:30 I was three blocks from home. My mom had already called twice to scream at me. I was simmering by the time I pulled into the driveway.

My Mom waited on the front porch, "You know I am so tired of you being late and thinking you can get away with it. The world isn't a wish granting factory! You come home when I tell you to come home. Your almost 18 you have to start acting like an adult!"

"I'm so sick of you acting like I'm going to die. Every single day! Maybe I'll live, maybe I won't, that doesn't mean you need to treat me like you need to get away from me." I scream at the top of my lungs. 

"Go to your room and think about what you've done. Sense you were late, your father, and I no longer are going out to eat!" 

"Great, rather be there than with you." I mutter under my breath. Sure I would regret my words later, but I wasn't a mat to walk on.