Before You Go || √

Chapter 43

Ryder's POV:

I'm walking to the lunch hall when suddenly someone pulls me into a classroom by my collar.

"What the flippity fuck?" I ask, turning around to face the mysterious person.

"Livy?" I ask in surprise. Livy is the last person I expected to do that.

"Hi." She smiles sheepishly and gives me a small wave.

"What's going on? You pulled me into the classroom?" I ask taking a seat on one of the desks and placing my bag on the chair.

"I- I have to tell you something." She says stuttering.

Something is bothering her. She's playing with her fingers and biting her top lip. Something she does when she's stressed or anxious.

"Why are you so stressed Livy bear? Do you need a hug?"

"Thanks Ry, but I-," she continues, walking back and forth, "I just need to get this off my chest."

"Okay. I'm all ears."

I've never seen Livy this stressed. Not even when Lucy practically vandalized our lockers.

I guess something huge is really bothering her.

"Where do I even begin?"

"The beginning?" I joke, trying to lift the mood. I don't like seeing Livy like this. She's always happy and smiling.

"Ugh this is so frustrating!" She says, pulling her hair.

"Hey hey, calm down Livy. It's okay, take it easy." I say, taking her hands in mine.

"I wish it was easy Ry, I wish it was," she says, pulling her hands away and turning back.

"Take deep breaths Liv, you can do it." She mutters.

"Alright, you might wanna sit down." She says turning down after a while.

I comply and sit on the desk which I was previously sitting on.

"I-I was diagnosed with cancer about 8 months ago." She blurts out suddenly and shuts her eyes tightly.

What did she just say? Did I hear that right?

"What?" I ask, dumfounded.

She opens and her and looks at me, "I ha- have cancer."

She has cancer. Livy has cancer.

Fuck! Why? What? How?

I look towards her and see her looking down at her feet and swinging her hands back and forth.

"Oh Livy," I walk towards her and wrap her up in my arms.

"I wanted to tell you sooner Ry, but," her voice trembles as she says, "but I just couldn't."

"It's okay Livy, you're gonna be alright though right?" I ask.

It's silent for the while before she whispers, "I don't know."

She sounds broken. It makes my heart hurt seeing her like this.

Why do all the bad things happen to the good people? Why does nothing happen to the bad people?

"Oh Livy bear, everything will be fine. It has too." I say, wondering whether I'm trying to convince her or myself.

"I hope so Ry, I hope so." She replies.

"I'll be there with you at every step Livy, you're not alone."

"Thank you Ry. For everything." She says, pulling apart.

"Of course Livy. Anything for my little sister." I smile, making her chuckle.

"Do the others know?" I question.

Is this what Will's been keeping from me since the last few days? I knew he was hiding something.

"Yeah, Lexi and James know."

Wait she didn't say Will?

"What about Will? Does he know?"

"No." She replies looking down at her feet again.

"You have to tell him Livy."

"I know, I know, I just don't know how to. Telling you was hard enough. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I tell him." She saying walking back and forth again.

"Hey, it's okay. You can tell him any time." I assure her so she stops stressing herself even more.

"Okay."

"Now let's go have lunch. I heard they're serving grossly seasoned salad with chicken that tastes worse than plastic."

"Sounds delicious." She replies sarcastically.

^~^

"Hey Mom, I'm home." I say going into the kitchen.

"Hey honey, how was school?" She says giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Eh okay."

"Is something wrong dear?"

"Mom, why do good people always die?"

At first it was Emily.

My em.

And now..

Mom interrupts me before I can get all sorts of thoughts.

"When you're in a field full of flowers, which one would you pick?" She asks.

"The most beautiful ones?" I say, unsure of my answer.

"Yes Ryder. Good people are like beautiful flowers, they always get picked first. They have the most beautiful and purest hearts." She sighs.

"But- but that's," I begin to protest but no words come out of my mouth and I realize that she's right.

I can't watch someone I care about die. Not again.

A/N: Soooo, how was this chapter? I thought it'd be a nice change to do Ryder's POV.

What's your favourite book that you've ever read?

Peace!

~Sky