𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞

A L E X A N D E R

"You look tired, man. When was the last time you slept? I haven't even seen you step foot in here except to grab books and clothes." Farris points out.

"You only have yourself to blame. How am I supposed to know which surfaces are safe to sit and eat on? I don't even trust my own bedroom," I say, covering up my lie with humor. I can't exactly tell him that I'm never around anymore because my girlfriend has fucking cancer and I don't particularly like leaving her side.

Farris rolls his eyes. "We're not fucking in the apartment. We're taking it slow. And it's not like we're all over each other all the time. It's just like it used to be. It's not us that changed. Not for the most part." He says without malice but I still feel his words pierce my chest.

He's right though. I have changed. In more ways than one. Charlotte came into my life, buried herself into my brain, and refuses to leave. Now that I have real feelings for her, they're all I think about. Everything else has taken a back seat and all of my priorities seem unimportant in the face of life and death.

I sigh. "I know, I'm sorry, we're just...it's been a little less honey-moony a little more 'for better or for worse'. We'll have a night in sometime soon? The three of us?"

"You don't have to third wheel either, it's not like I don't like Charlie, that was all you, man," Farris laughs and I can't help but join, chuckling about how not that long ago, Charlotte and I weren't even acquaintances despite having a close mutual friend.

A design of my own making. A choice that I wouldn't take back, even if I had known how it would turn out. But god, do I wish Charlotte had a simple cold. Something that would go away with minimal intervention.

My phone beeps with a notification at the same time that Farris' does, and we both check it. My screen lights up with a preview of the Red Ridge Reddit page, the headline in all caps and attention-catching.

SOPHOMORE SOCCER STAR CAPTAIN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AT 19. What is to happen to the varsity team now that she's stepped down? Here's what we know.

I look up to see Farris with a similar expression to my own, the two of us exchanging horrified glances between our phones and each other. We both seem to move at the same time, clicking on our phone screens to read more.

Judging by the contents of the short article, whoever is reporting is doing it anonymously and doesn't know anything other than the fact that Charlotte was in the cancer ward of the hospital, as seen in the photograph taken without her knowledge and from far away. You can see her doctor in the shot, but it must have been taken before I got there, before she'd even known.

Though not well informed, the writer of the article seems to have chosen a headline eye-catching enough to have twenty people commenting on the post, and more by the minute. I report the post for "sharing personal information" and "misinformation" but unfortunately, the post isn't removed even temporarily to await confirmation.

"Dude. Who the fuck would do that?" Farris asks and I shake my head.

"Not anyone we know, I'm sure."

"Is it true?" He asks, his voice far from comforting. I nod, knowing that Charlotte wouldn't want me to lie to him about this. "Shit." He swears under his breath. His eyes are unsure and I turn away from them.

My hands fly over my phone until it's ringing and while it does, I collect my keys and put on my shoes, waving to Farris on my way out of the dorm. The call connects and I hear a small "hey" come from the other side.

"Have you seen?" I ask, not wanting to prolong this so that we can find a solution somehow. Rip the bandaid off and whatnot.

"Seen what?" She asks and my shoulders slump. Bad news bearer it is.