"Someone come and,
Someone come and save my life."
I was walking up the stairs to my room when I heard the voices.
"Siobhan..."
When I realised it was Yuko and Siobhan, my eyes widened with shock and my heart spiked with curiosity. Thinking the better of it, I stood still and listened.
"Yuko, I need to know," Siobhan said softly, and I didn't miss the pleading in her tone.
"I don't know, Vaughn. I'm stuck," he answered.
"What don't you know, Yuko? Aren't you always the smarter one among the two of us?" she retorted. "Why can't you just answer me?"
"I don't know if I can trust you again."
My breath hitched in my throat at his hurtful words, and I could only imagine how Siobhan must've felt then.
"Is that it? Because of my sexuality?" she muttered quietly.
"You know that's not what I meant, Vaughn. Yes, that plays a part in this- us. I just can't sit back and watch you date other boys because you're polyamorous. Have you ever considered my feelings?" Yuko practically yelled.
"Of course I considered your feelings! But I just can't stop wanting you, Yuko! After I read the letter Alex sent me I, I realised how much you mean to me. How much I should've fought for you," she replied, her voice cracking. It was strange to hear so much emotion in her voice, because she always acted like a tough girl that didn't care about anything or anyone.
"But you didn't," Yuko whispered, so softly that even I had to strain my ears to hear in the dead silent house.
"But now I am," she said, determination creeping into the spaces between her words. "I'm going to fight for you."
"You shouldn't," he mumbled.
"Why not? Is it because...because of her?" Siobhan asked- no, demanded.
Yuko was quiet, and I swore at that moment my heart went into overdrive. My breath hitched in my throat when I heard his answer.
"No," he muttered. "It's not her."
I could practically feel my heart deflate into a sorry, pathetic mess. Of course it's not me. When is it ever?
"Don't lie to me, Yuko. You like her, don't you? That's why you invited her here."
"No, I don't. She...she's just a friend, okay?"
A friend that you so conveniently kissed last night, I thought bitterly.
"Why don't you like her?" Siobhan pressed.
"Do you want me to like her or not, Siobhan? Do you want me to tell you that I'm completely in love with her? Is that it?" Yuko exploded, and I jumped when I heard him hit the wall.
"I want to know where I stand!" Siobhan shouted back angrily.
"So if I tell you now that I like her, you'll just give up? Is that it? Is that what you call 'fighting for me'?" Yuko yelled, accusation and maliciousness coating every word.
"That's not what I meant!"
"Then why are you so curious to know? I gave you an answer and you don't want to believe me. What else do you want? You never ever trust me, Vaughn! How are we supposed to work out when we don't even have basic trust?"
"Yuko, no. Don't be like this," she cried. "I love you, you know I do!"
"So what if you do?" he whispered harshly. "All you do is confuse me and lead me on and hurt me. For the last five years, Siobhan! Don't you think it's time for me to have a break?"
"Don't be like this," she said. "I'm just jealous, okay? Jealous."
"At least now you know how I've felt every single time I see you with someone else," he hissed. I gasped, my eyes watering.
So he's just using me to get back at her, after all.
I didn't realise until too late that the both of them had heard my gasp, and Yuko and Siobhan appeared at the foot of the stairs. Both of them still looked angry and frustrated. Siobhan's eyes widened when she saw me, and for a moment I thought I saw her eyes flash with pity. She looked away before I could even make sure if I saw that emotion clearly.
"Marissa...," Yuko said, eyes wide. I shook my head frantically, and his mouth closed shut.
"Sorry for interrupting you both," I croaked out, my voice strained and weak. I could only force a half-hearted, apologetic smile before I turned on my heel and ran.
Furiously rubbing the tears away from my eyes, I didn't see the figure in front of me until it was too late. I ran into the hard human wall, but luckily hands caught me before I could fall on my behind and embarrass myself further.
"Logan!" I squeaked, jumping away from him. "Sorry!"
"It's alright, Marissa," he replied distractedly as he looked over my shoulder. His eyes clouded over with worry. "Have you seen Yuko anywhere?"
He was so distracted he didn't realise that I was crying, which I was thankful for. Calming myself down, I nodded.
"He's upstairs, I think," I answered.
"Ris!" I heard Yuko's familiar voice call out as he rounded the bend and appeared in the hallway. He looked frantic and desperate, and he opened his mouth to say something.
"Ris, please list-"
"Yuko," Logan interrupted hurriedly, completely ignoring the tension between the both of us. "Yuko, we need to go to the hospital."
Yuko's eyes shot up to look at Logan, and a dark shadow passed him. His facial expression became grim, and he silently conversed with his friend. There seemed to have been a mutual understanding between the both of them, that something important has happened and there was no time for delay.
"We have to go, now."
-
I felt completely empty when I stared at the hospital bed Robin was lying on. His chest rose and fell to the slow, steady beat of the heart monitor.
It was so strange to see someone that always acted so strong and powerful look absolutely pathetic.
"The stubborn mule went out to the garden and fainted before he could even say 'Hi'," Asher muttered, shaking his head grimly. Frustration flashed in his eyes, as well as something that struck a chord in me. Desperation.
At this point, I couldn't resist acting ignorant about Robin anymore. There was clearly something wrong with him, something his friends refuse to disclose to anyone else. If he was just down with a simple flu or cough, there was no way they'd be this worried.
No, I thought grimly. They're hiding something.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked vaguely, cautiously testing the waters. Asher barely casted me a glance, and replied monotonously, "Just a flu."
"Can people faint from the flu?" I asked, and even the nurse currently speaking to Logan in hushed voices across the large hospital suite could hear the accusation in my tone. Everyone in the room froze, looking at me warily.
Emily was the first to break the silence.
"Marissa, would you like some coffee?" she changed the subject softly, offering me a friendly smile. But no amount of sunshine in her could hide the frantic panic in her eyes.
"Not really, no," I replied, narrowing my eyes. She had only managed to add fuel to the fire.
"He's sick," Asher said. "That's all."
"How sick?" I asked, quietly but harshly. There was no room for fooling me at all. I think Logan and Yuko realised this, because the two of them exchanged wary glances before Logan sighed.
"Marissa, you have to promise not to tell anyone," Logan warned, his eyes glinting. Pursing my lips, I nodded. Logan eyed me for a second longer before he opened his mouth again.
"Robin's health is deteriorating," he began silently, looking at his feet. He looked utterly defeated, and he slumped as if he was just barely carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "He has a brain tumour."
I blinked, shocked but surprisingly calm. I looked at the boy on the bed, eyes closed and unconscious. He was dying.
"Cancer?" I asked quietly, although I already knew the answer. Logan nodded silently.
"He's been on treatment for awhile now," Asher muttered. "Nothing's worked so far."
Even though I didn't consider Robin a friend, my heart still skipped a beat when I thought of him dying. That can't be, right? He still has so much to live for, his business, his education, Alex. Alex.
"Does Alex know?" I asked, although I already knew the dreaded answer. There was no way she would leave him if she knew.
Logan stared at Robin's sleeping figure, and shook his head.
"So all of you lied to her?" I questioned, although it sounded more like an accusation. My words dripped with warning and maliciousness.
"We didn't lie to her," Emily whispered, eyes flashing with hurt. "We knew only after she left."
"And none of you thought, 'Hey, we should probably tell Alex'?" I spat sarcastically, anger evident now in my tone. I glared at all of them, even Siobhan and the nurse. Only Emily had the decency to look guilty.
"We couldn't have told her-," Yuko began, but I swiftly cut him off.
"All of you are bloody unreasonable and selfish!" I hissed. "Do you realise how serious this is? Are you all going to deprive her from the truth? Well?"
"You don't know anything about our situation. You don't know Robin," Asher sneered.
"But I knew Alex!" I shouted, my tone rising in anger. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, trying to calm myself down. My eyes snapped open again.
"I knew Alex. So did all of you," I spat. "If all of you think keeping her in the dark will make her feel any less pain, you are all dead wrong. And I won't sit around like a useless piece of shit and wait for him to die."
"You said you wouldn't tell," Emily cried, eyes watering. Asher placed an arm around her, rubbing her arm comfortingly.
"Are we really doing what's right?" Emily questioned, hiding her face in Asher's shoulder.
"It's for the best, Emmy. You know it is," he said quietly. But even then, he didn't sound convinced. A traitorous tear escaped her eye and she shook her head, "I don't know anymore. Are we really doing what's best?"
"Doing what's best and doing what's right are two very different things," I muttered, shaking my head. I took large strides towards the door, casting them a look of what I could only explain as disappointment. I couldn't believe they were thought keeping her in the dark was for the best.
"Where are you going?" Yuko spoke up weakly. I looked at him, the anger from earlier and the disappointment I felt now swirled in my eyes, making him flinch.
"I have to tell her."
-
If you were in their place, would you or would you not tell Alex? :( This chapter makes me really sad, because you can clearly see how distressed/worried everyone is for Robin and Alex.
ALSO, thank you all for the well wishes :') <3 I am feeling much much better now hehe :P
Character Polaroid: Asher Dane, played by Benjamin Jarvis.
Song of the Chapter: Sleeping Sickness, by City and Colour. One of my absolute favourite songs, although it's pretty sad.