Irony, therapy and a little bit of Jeremy

chapter 2

"Please sky, Just try"

"Fine but if I can't come see you then you come see me, Ok" She asked. I couldn't bring myself to make a promise I couldn't keep so I shrugged my shoulders. Wipping her nose I think she realised that she needed to be strong. "Ok well I think you need something to cheer you up. Jezzer?"

"No sky we are not watching Jermery kyle again" I said smiling.

"Ok game of thrones?" She already new the answer and was up wheeling callum out of the living room.

"Marathon?" I asked. You see sky can normally only take so much, head chopping, child crippling and rape so we only watch one or two episodes. But I could watch them all.

"Yeah of course" Her smile was false and I shaked my head at her getting comfy.

Inevitably the little bubble I made myself and Chester, my golden retriever, finally popped after two weeks.Only in the form of my parents and sister. Like normal they would come home and give me a crappy gift and I wouldn't see them for hours while they got over their "jet lag" or in more discrete words they would all lie on my parents bed and watch a film they brought back like a happy functional family would, just without me. Like usual I wasn't invited on the holiday or the after math movie day. Some people's  parents get divorced, mine divorced me instead. After Lilly died and Elsa was born they just didn't seem to want me around. My phone buzzed and hope filled me. Maybe they wanted me to go join them! Looking at my phone I saw the text was of my mum. The invitation was a little late but rather late than never, right?

Opening the message I was shocked to see what it said. Really? Disbelief seized me and I felt myself getting angry. I'm not the sort of person to get angry over little things but when I get angry, trust me, it isn't pretty. The text read 'get me a glass of water thanks' Gritting my teeth I nearly Spat in it. Instead I settle with tipping a bit of Chesters water in. Dog slobber beat my slobber I think. Knocking on the door my dad shouted "enter, thanks hunnie, just put it there" Motioning at the small bed side table.

"What are you watching?" I asked curious and slightly hinting that I wanted to watch it too.

"It's a story about a man who lives in the jungle, we can borrow it you when we've watched it." my mum chimed putting a end to my plan of watching it with them.

"Oh it's-" Elsa interrupted me saying

"Shh you got the drink now go!" feeling like a puppy told to get in its bed I walked away with my tail between my legs. Vanishing the anger left me and in replacement loneliness crept in.

Looking at the writing on the train-shirt they got me it said "I <3 Rio" which I didn't. Maybe I would of if I had gone to Rio. But like every other souvenir I got from places I have never been I tried to create memories of that place. I looked down at the t-shirt and had the sudden motivation to burn it.  Instead I Made my way back to the living room, passing about a hundred family photos and I could count on one hand how many I was in. Bitterly I sat down with a tub of Ben and jerrys ice cream. They were of in a happy world of their own and here I was debating whether or not to open the appointment card for my meeting with the doctors. Time seemed to slow down as I stared at the card. Snapping back to reality I realized Chester was eating my ice cream. The normality almost brought a tear to my eye.  I'm sure if my family had the slightest idea what was going on inside my body they wouldn't be watching 'The kings speech' or something. But honestly I didn't want this evil thing inside me to be the thing that reopens the door to my family, I wanted it to be my family to do that. Is that too much to ask for? So while they sat completely unaware of my illness I sat on the other side of the bedroom door listening to them laugh and giggle. Eventually the TV went off and I walked, Chester in toe, to my room where I lay awake all night dispite having school the next day. The appointment card could wait another day. And school could wait another life time.

Eventually my parents would find out. Not about the cancer, that was my secret but about me skipping school. It was my second day I had skipped school and sooner or later someone would inform my parents. Like the day before I got Chester and we walked, and walked and walked. He had zero objections and as long as the weather held neither did I. mindlessly walking I thought about the appointment card under my pillow. neither of parents had been in my bedroom for years so I had no worries about it been found. A strangely familiar sound hummed in the back of my mind. Getting louder, and louder until I couldn't think anymore. Looking around and only just really seeing my surroundings I realised I was outside the hospital. The sound kept on not letting of for a second and I realized it was my phone. Looking at the caller ID I was almost going to cancel the call but I held up. The unknown number flashed on my screen and for a second I thought It might not be a sales person trying to sell me PPR. "Hello" I said breathlessly, the four mile walk from my house affected me more than my body cared to let on.

"Is this Miss Willow-Sage Melrose?"

"yes, who is this?" I asked looking up at the window I knew belonged to doctor Yashman.

"I'm so sorry to here about your condition. I'm Sydney. I help run a under 22s support group for people suffering with life threatening illnesses." Her voice sounded gentle and I pictured a nun standing at the other end of the line.

"right..." I said feeling slightly confused

"Doctor Yashman rang me and asked if I would invite you over. Support group is on a Monday at the local community center. I would very much like to see you there" she didn't ask If I would like to go, which I didn't, she told me I did. I had a feeling I new why Yashman asked this person to ring me. "And there's free food made by our local five star chef"

"ok I will try to be there" We both new she had me at free food. Slowly I began the walk back home. If only to see if I could get some sleep.