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17

After what felt like forever, I was finally picking my princess up from school, more than relieved.

I watched as she walked away from a few people under a pavilion, getting into my car with a smile.

"Hi" she spoke

She seemed happy, that was good.

"Hi beautiful" I spoke, driving forward as she buckled up.

"How was the first day?" I asked.

"Not bad at all actually" she laughed lightly.

"People are nice, no one was a total dick" she hummed.

"Some were partly dicks?" I asked.

"A few, a little click of people kept sending me looks and laughing when I walked past them, but I didn't really care" she spoke, making me smile.

"so you made friends?" I asked.

"Yes, a good few" she spoke.

"Give me some names"

"Drew, Seth, Jordan, Micka and Marcus" she told me.

"Only one girl?" I asked, squeezing the steering wheel.

"Yeah- guys are easier to talk to at first and Micka is bestfriends with Drew, so I was welcomed into the friend group." She told me and I managed to smile, nodding lightly.

"I told you it wouldn't be bad" I smiled.

"I think it was just like, first day anxiety" she shrugged, making me nod in agreement.

"Regardless, I am more than proud of you and I know the guys are too, I'm sure they can't wait to hear about your day" I spoke as I parked in the hospital parking lot.

"Let's go" she grinned.

She took my arm, letting me lead her inside and as soon as we walked through the front doors, we were greeted with Tracey- along with her mom and dad.

Aaliyah froze.

"Aaliyah" Tracey's voice spoke, a smile on her face, but it dropped as she glanced to the uniform on Aaliyah's body.

"You go to a private school?" Her mom was the first to speak.

"Yeah." I spoke for her.

"Problem?" I asked slowly.

"Not at all." Her mom spoke back, putting on her fake smile.

"I'm cancer free- I get to go home." Tracey spoke to Aaliyah- almost gleaming, I was happy for her.

"Congratulations, I'm so proud of you" Aaliyah spoke, letting go of my arm to hug her, and I watched Tracey's eyes close into the hug.

"You know you can come home with us- maybe to get your stuff, or just stay with us. Now that I'm not sick, everything will be fair-" "no." The mom cut Tracey off, making me slowly grab Aaliyah.

"Don't do this." I heard her dad say, but she did it

"Aaliyah left our family when we needed her, she's not welcome back now that we don't need her." She spat.

"Aaliyah, let's just go-" "that's okay" Aaliyah spoke over me, taking my arm again.

"I have a family that loves me and won't use me for body parts" she cleared her throat.

"But I truly wish you guys the best." I could tell the words hurt her as she said them.

She took my arm, letting me lead her away.

"I didn't want you to hear that-" "please don't say anything yet, let's get into an office." She spoke, making me look to her- seeing the tears pooling in her eyes, threatening to spill over, but she was fighting to hold them back.

So I got her into the first office I could get to- which was Michael's.

His head immediately popped up from the papers he was reading, a smile spreading across his face once he saw Aaliyah.

"How was the first day, bab-" her immediately starting to pace made him stop talking

She paces to distract herself from crying, because she didn't want to cry.

"Aaliyah" I spoke carefully, watching her stop and look to me, herself taking deep breaths to keep the tears away.

"Just cry, I know it hurts"

That's all she needed to hear.

She cried.

She walked to me, falling into my lap and crying into my shoulder.

Michael sat at his desk more than confused, glancing between me and her.

"How does she just move on and forget me?" She cried into my shoulder, making Michael immediately register what was happening.

He joined us sitting on the couch, comforting her in silence.

"I'm not crying because I miss them, I swear- I love you guys and I'm so thankful-" "princess, you do not have to explain yourself." Michael spoke firmly.

"We understand that they were your family and that they left you, we know it hurts no matter who you have beside you- you don't have to explain that to us."