Another High School Romance

nine

I spent the weekend at home, sitting around in my sweats, not feeling like doing much. Abigail stayed with me, consoling me about my Mom and Joe and Travis and everything that had happened. On Monday morning, I got up and forced myself through my routine, telling myself that I had no reason to feel any different. I'd go to work, teach my classes, and not think about the man I'd turned down. It was for the best.

"Oh please Miss Swift!" One of my year elevens begged me from where she sat at the closest row of tables on Friday. "It's last period, and so many other classes are going out!" She pointed out the window where they were setting up for the first football game of the year, the boys on the team practicing while a few classes and teachers congregated on the grass and bleachers, watching.

"Don't you want to go and see Coach Kelce Miss?" Someone else piped up, and the whole class covered their giggles behind their hands. The students were apparently still talking about what was going on between Travis and I for lack of better things to discuss. 

"Oh please Miss!"

"Oh, okay!" I sighed, giving in and putting down my marker. "Go, go." I waved my hand towards the door and the class crowed in victory. "Don't say I never listen to you guys." I told them as they gathered their things, glancing down at my phone as it lit up with a phone call where it sat on my desk. Panic flooded through me; it was Mom's nurse. We'd exchanged numbers when I'd helped Mom to move into assisted care and she'd promised to call if there was any urgent news. Waiting until all of my class had left, I grabbed my phone and quickly answered it. "Hello."

"Taylor, hi." Ruby sighed, and the tone of her voice didn't give me much hope. "Andrea had a proper scan a few days ago, she just got the results back."

"Yes?" I chewed on my lip, just knowing I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear. 

"She's at stage four. I'm really sorry."

No.

"I thought you should know."

"Okay, thank you."

I hung up, collapsing into my chair and putting my head in my hands. Stage four didn't necessarily mean terminal, but I knew I only had so much time left with my mother now. Maybe I still had a few years, but it was less than I had a minute ago. And she wasn't one to fight with all she had. If she accepted this, she'd allow herself to slip away. I couldn't let that happen.

Lifting my head, I started to gather my things. I threw everything into my purse, throwing it over my shoulder and quickly locking up the classroom. 

"You let your kids go too huh?"

"Yeah." I glanced up to see Chris just letting his kids out to the field as well. "Look, could you watch them for me?"

"Sure." He blinked. "Where are you going?"

"I just have to do something." I rushed through my words. "I'll owe you one okay!" I called out as I rushed off. Grabbing my phone as I quickly walked through the school, I called Abigail. She didn't answer, so I waited until I got put through to voicemail before rushing through a quick explanation as I walked outside towards the car park. "Abs, I gotta go home. Mom's nurse called me and it's really bad, so I'm going now. I'll be back on Sunday, I think. I don't know. I don't know what's happening, but I'll call you later okay?"

Glancing down at my phone, I hung up and then ran into someone. There was a crash and I stumbled back a step, glancing up to see Travis. He stared at me in surprise and I blushed, ducking down to pick up the helmet he'd been carrying.

"Sorry." I murmured as I pressed it into his hands, moving to step around him.

"Whoa, slow down a second." Travis touched my arm. "What's going on? You look..." He couldn't come up with something to describe what he was trying to say. "Don't you have a class right now?"