Odd.

2.1 Two Things

His mom would have to go to the clinic every day for a week to take her chemo, and would then have two weeks rest before surgery. She wasn't allowed to work due to the side effects of the chemo so she spent her free time renting TV shows from the library and binge-watching them in the living room while flipping through HGTV magazines and sticky-noting ideas to redecorate the kitchen. She made dinner every night, since his dad was either at the restaurant or didn't feel like cooking, but ate smaller and smaller portions each day.

            It broke his heart, seeing how exhausted she was from the treatment, so he tried to be a little more helpful around the house and ran to the library after school to rent the next season of Gossip Girl or Lost. At school he acted like everything was fine, like seeing his mother, the caring nurse who would help anybody and everybody, sick didn't leave him with the urge to punch the wall at how unfair it all was. He'd gotten good at hiding his emotions, even to Dax and Pete, his best friends.

            Or at least he thought he was until Minx spotted him at Sweet Haven one night with his barely-touched food piled in front of him. His eyes were heavy with worry as he poked at his eggs and blared his music at the highest setting.

            She slid into the bench across from him and tapped his hand to get his attention. He jumped, surprised at the interruption before tugging out his ear buds and hitting pause on his iPod.

            "Hey," she said, giving him a tentative smile as she took in the deep circles under his eyes, messier-than-normal hair and rumpled clothes. Her dirty-blonde hair was tugged into a braid and she wore a pale yellow sweatshirt with paint splatters in various spots. That army green bag was at her side, covered in various buttons that clinked together when she shifted around awkwardly. "You okay?"

            He nodded and speared a sausage. "Yeah," he said. "Just tired."

            She narrowed her eyes at him as Rachel stopped by the table and asked her if she needed anything. After ordering an ice-less raspberry sweet tea and strawberry crepe she turned back to him.

            "You've been 'just tired' for three days Copeland," she said and leaned across the table, making him look at her. "I see you acting like everything is fine, but when you're walking alone in the hall, I see it in your eyes. You're anything but fine."

            He blinked a few times, staring at her as if he was just now recognizing who she was. He sighed and set down his fork.

            "My mom has breast cancer. She can't work and has to go to chemotherapy every day while my dad is stuck working at the restaurant because we're short on staff. I just-I don't know how to handle it, okay? I don't like seeing her sick like this. She always looks so drained when she gets home but still puts on a smile for me and cooks dinner and asks about how my day went. She says she's fine and it's nothing to worry about, but I can't help but worry." Despite his best effort tears pricked his eyes and he clenched his hands into fists. It was nice to get it all out in the open, but he knew it wouldn't really do anything to help cure his mom. Nothing he did would help her, and he couldn't stand feeling so useless.

            "I'm sorry," he said as she leaned back into the booth and cocked her head at him. "I didn't mean to throw all of that onto you."

            Rachel stopped by their table and plopped down Minx's meal. The sight of barbecue sauce pooled next to her crepe made him smile a little. She had such strange eating habits it was almost comforting.

            When Rachel left, Minx cut off a piece of her crepe with her fork and dipped it into the barbecue sauce. "You didn't throw anything on me," she said and put the bite into her mouth. "I'm glad you told me what's going on." She cut out another piece of the crepe and smothered it in sauce. She looked up at him.

            "Two things," she said and held up the appropriate amount of fingers. "First, you need to eat your food. You've barely touched it and I bet that's how you've been with all of your meals lately. You need to make sure you eat." She put down a finger. "Secondly, I want you to meet me after school tomorrow, okay? At the great oak outside the main doors."

            "Why?"

            She stuck the bit of crepe in her mouth and chewed. She took a sip of her tea and then smiled at him. "You'll see."