Another story from me! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prelude I laughed at my brother as he slowed down behind me. He was so slow. And I was slow as it was. I turned to see him coughing uncomfortably. "Lyle?" I asked. He didn't respond, still coughing. "Lyle!" I yelled and ran towards him. "Lyle, are you alright?" He shook his head no and stopped coughing to pass out. "Mom! Dad! Someone call the ambulance!" I yelled, not leaving my brother's side. "Are you alright?" my father called, walking out of the house, cigar in hand. "No! Call 911!" I yelled, holding onto my brother. Soon I was in the ambulance with my brother, him still passed out. I was trying to keep calm, but it was hard, seeing my twin brother lifeless. I was helped by a paramedic to keep calm. "Just take deep breaths," he said, watching me. I did as he said, feeling panicky and ready to pass out myself. Once we got to the hospital, he told me to wait outside as he helped other paramedics take him to the ER. I paced as I waited, so anxious. My parents arrived soon after, my father outside the hospital, finishing his cigar. Hours later a doctor came over to us, my father still outside. "Miss, uh, Ross, could you please go fetch your father?" the doctor asked me. I nodded and went outside, getting my father. He put out his cigar and walked inside with me. We stared at the doctor, waiting for the news. I was sure that it was bad. I had that feeling in my gut. "Lyle has cancer," he said. My heart hit rock bottom. My brother had cancer? "What kind?" my mother asked frantically. "Lung cancer. From second hand smoking." I looked up at my father. He was the smoker in the house. Ever since we were born, my mother tried to get him to quit. But he still smokes. "Will he live?" my mother asked. "For now. But do you have the money to give him the therapy he needs?" he asked. "Of course. Anything to let him live," my father said. I smiled at their decision. But that is what I thought then. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope you like it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 1 ~One year later~ I walk on the sidewalk, waiting for my friends to join me. I hear nothing but the chirping of birds and cars zipping past me. No footsteps, no voices, nothing else to tell me if they are walking with me. "Heya, best friend," I hear as Erin jumps out in front of me. "Dammit, Erin. Don't do that!" I squeak. "Sorry. Aaron, come out!" she calls as her twin brother walks out behind the bushes in front of me. "What the hell is wrong with you? Don't do that!" I whine. "No one likes a whiner, Hopey. Now, hurry! It's eight-fifteen!" Aaron says as Erin links her arm with mine. "Then let's run!" I smile and pull my arm from Erin's, running. "No fair! Cheater!" they yell and they start running. I laugh and keep running, keeping a fair distance away from them. I have improved over the year since my brother got cancer, raising money to pay for the therapy. So far we've only gotten a few thousand since I started. I touch the school door at eight-twenty-one, watching my friend catch up. They walk next to me, winded from all the running. I laugh and walk inside with them as they catch their breath. "So, how's Lyle?" Aaron asks, causing me to freeze in my tracks. "He's-" I start, stuttering and my voice immediately cracking. He nods and shakes his head, letting me know I no longer needed to say anything about it. I smile and push a book in my bag and start walking to the band room. Aaron follows and Erin departures from us to Chemistry. We walk silently to band, not wanting to break the tension between us. Finally Aaron stops and looks at me. "Hope, how bad?" he whispers. I close my eyes and look at the ground, not wanting to talk about it. "It's bad," I whisper, stuttering. "How much money do you have?" "Not much. Around three maybe four thousand." I shake my head and start walking towards band. He sighs and keep walking with me. We enter the band room as the bell rings. I grab my guitar and set down my bag, ready to get this day over with. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not much, but it's not meant to be much.
Alright, Ry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 3 After band, chorus, chemistry and lunch I go to history. I fall onto my seat, my depression hitting me at a bad time. Aaron and Erin weren't in my class. So I had no friends in that class. I look around at the kids around me, watching them talk to each other. I feel so alone. I sink down into my seat, trying to disappear. I just want to be home where Lyle and I could be fine and having fun like kids should. But it's not possible. Lyle's dying, which gives me depression. And that makes it hard to have fun. Minutes later, class starts. I try pay attention, but it's the depression that's keeping me from doing so. My mind drifts off to sad thoughts. All I can do is think about the worst. What happens if Lyle dies? More depression, less fun, more and more of the worse. After the assignment, which too me a while to complete, I walk to biology. Erin suddenly joins me, handing me a pill. My anti-depression pill. I pop in my mouth and she hands me a bottle of water. I take a sip and give a small smile. We walk to biology quietly, listening to to others in the hallway. "You better?" she asked as we enter the classroom. "A bit," I smile. She nudges me happily and walks to her seat. I sit next to her, now ready to learn now. We talk for the first few minutes until class starts. "So, what made you so depressed?" she asks me. "You don't want to know. Thanks for my pill. I needed it," I reply. "Yeah. Hey, have you seen Danny?" she asks, looking around. "No. He wasn't in chem." "Shit. I need to talk to him about our Spanish project." "Your still in Spanish? I'm in Latin and French. Spanish was easy." "That's what you think. And it's not just about Spanish. It's about you." "What?" I ask. Then Mrs. Mores starts class, keeping the answer away from me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What is Erin talking about?! Le gasp!