AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mom grabs a yogurt and a banana and hands them to me without even asking if I’m hungry. I don’t argue and start peeling the banana. I learned early on after my diagnosis that making sure I eat is one way Mom can feel like she’s doing something to help me. It’s her way of gaining back some control when she can’t control the fact her kid has cancer.
“Do you have any exciting plans today?” she asks, setting her phone down on the counter and leaning onto her elbows.
“Loads,” I say between bites of banana. “I thought I’d start with knocking off a liquor store and then see if I couldn’t steal a boat.”
“Emmett,” she chides, shaking her head.
“I think I’m gonna try to go for a run. Maybe stop by campus to talk to an advisor about changing my major.”
Mom’s eyes sparkle with the revelation I’ve given her. She never thought that going into communications was the right path for me. How do moms do that? They always know what’s best for their kids, even before they know themselves.
“I think that’s a great idea. Make sure you have your phone on you and don’t push yourself too hard on your run,” she says, patting my back as she leaves the kitchen to finish getting ready for the day.
I finish the banana and yogurt, dropping the peel into the composter and the empty yogurt cup in the trash.
I’m halfway to Main Street and I’m already gassed. A few months ago I could run all the way to the diner, no problem. My lungs are finally filling with air again after walking for the past few minutes. I can do this–push through.
My legs feel like lead with every stride. The once strong muscles that could carry me through hard work outs and long runs aren’t there anymore. They withered as I sat in bed, day after day, for months. Unable to eat some days and never able to work out. In the thick of chemo and radiation, I was so weak I could barely walk the few steps to the bathroom.
There was one scary week, when I caught what should have been a minor cold. When your body's natural defenses are depleted, there’s nothing minor about a cold. I couldn’t get out of bed. I had to be on oxygen and the doctors pumped antibiotics through my IV like it was water for my veins. Mom didn’t leave the hospital that week. She slept night after night on the pull out bed in my hospital room. Then one day, I woke up feeling great, and we all went back to just worrying about the cancer.Just worrying about cancer.What a funny thought.
I finally make it to Main Street and cut behind the bus stop to sit and rest on the picnic benches that are hidden away near the empty employee parking lot. I’m not sure why they thought they needed such a huge parking lot for a place that routinely only has one or two employees on shift. I look around for Ender’s truck and don’t see it. He usually parks back here even though he works across the street. It must be his day off.
I’ve nearly caught my breath and am about to get up to walk to campus–I don’t have enough energy left to jog there–when a conversation gets louder and closer.
“I think you and Shelby will get along fine,” one of the voices says.
“I hope so,” the other voice responds.
I recognize those voices. The first one was definitely Bea. The second one… it’s familiar, but I can’t quite place it. It’s soft and sweet, and I could barely make out what she was saying. I lean back, craning my neck to try to see around the bushes blocking my view.
Well, well, well—I don’t think I’ll be leaving for the college campus just yet.
Bea comes into my view past the shrubbery, pushing a yellow moped and, to my delight, Aubrey is with her. I settle back into my spot, leaning my back against the table, and crossing my ankles out in front of me. Trying to look casual, as if I wasn’t about to leave, but changed my mind when this opportunity was dropped in my lap.
Bea sees me and her face lights up.
Bea is a few years older than me and I’ve known her my whole life. She’s one of the few women my age in this town I haven’t slept with, but that’s probably because I wouldn’t even try. The one time I tried flirting with her, her scary-as-shit, billionaire-tech-God of a fiance almost broke my hand.
She’s an only child and her parents are both doctors. When Bea graduated, they moved out of the country to work with doctors without borders. Bea stayed behind and opened the bakery with her college fund instead of going to school. As far as I can see, it’s worked out for her.
Aubrey follows Beas gaze and when it lands on me, I wiggle my fingers at her. Her eyes narrow and her arms that were hanging loose as they walked cross in front of her chest.
“Emmett, how the hell are you?” Bea says as they get closer.
I stand and give her a hug.
“You look good,” she says, waving her hand at me and looking me up and down.
I tug a little at the baseball hat I’m wearing and my smile falters a little.
“I meant to visit, It’s only—”
“No worries,” I say, cutting her off.
I turn the attention away from me and give Aubrey, who's been standing there soundlessly, a wide, toothy grin.
“Hello, Aubrey,” I say.
