From The Start (1st Draft)

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

 

We drove back to Manchester, and it was already getting dark outside. I quickly got out of the car, in a daze, entirely in a state of shock. I handed Stephanie the car keys and hugged her goodbye. She was still crying as she walked up the stairs to her front door. I walked into the woods, heading on the trail, so angry at everything. But most of all, I was angry with my boyfriend. I wanted to slap him the minute I saw him. I wanted to fall to the ground in tears. The boy I loved with all of my heart, stopped the only thing that was keeping him in remission from leukemia. I loved him so much, and all I asked for was his honesty, and his love. But even though he loved me, obviously that wasn't enough. He was selfish.

As I was walking through the woods, not letting myself shed any more tears, I wondered where he was. He wasn't at my house, and he wasn't at his. He wasn't at the hospital where he had said he would be either, so where else could have he been?

I got half way down the path to my house, when I noticed a dim light shining in the distance. Then I realized it was coming from the tree house, so I picked up my speed and ran as fast as I could to the ladder. Once I cautiously opened the door, I held my breath.

And there he was.

"Alex?" I said, noticing him sitting on the couch with his head against the pillow.

He didn't look like he cared when he realized I had entered the room. "Oh, hey baby," he said.

"What's going on here?" I asked him carefully, not understanding why he wasn't acting like he had been caught.

"Nothing," he stated. "I'm just relaxing."

I closed the door behind me and stood with my back against the wall. "I found out everything," I told him, balling my hands into tight fists.

He looked fine. "Okay."

"Okay?" I echoed.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Okay."

"What's going on?" I demanded, more angry then anything else.

"Nothing..."

"Don't 'nothing' me!"

"Wait, I'm confused. What do you mean you know everything?"

"You are supposed to be at the hospital, aren't you?"

He sat up alarmed and dropped his mouth wide open. "Shit," he said.

"Shit?" I repeated, feeling my face go beat red.

"I forgot," he shrugged, trying to look normal. But in reality, everything was far from normal.

"I went there looking for you. Stephanie came with me," I told him seriously.

"What?" he frowned. "Why would you do that?"

"Because, we just know that you've been acting different around everyone lately, so we figured we'd go to the hospital to see if you were there."

"To see if I was there? What do you mean? Of course I'd be there. I accidentally forgot about this appointment today, that's all."

"Alex," I said, slowly shaking my head. "Stop," I begged him.

"What?" he asked me, closing his eyes and not looking at me anymore.

"You stopped the chemo," I whispered, making him look at me in horror.