Truth be told 🤫 (discontinued💀)

Ch. 2

✈︎~Recap~✈︎
He'd only gotten a pained expression from her and that didn't make him feel any better. "M..mom..?"

Without hesitation, his mother nodded. He needed to know now. She'd been hiding it for the past few weeks, trying to think of a way to tell him without breaking the boy's spirit, but he needed to know. Especially now.

"Yes, baby.." she mumbled, not wanting to tell him. She wanted to protect her baby, not break his heart, but hiding it from him would only serve to do him worse. He needed to know.

"My breast cancer.. it's— it's at stage four now.."

"Terminal."

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There was silence for a moment while Franklin digested the information, but his mother instantly began to explain.

"A few weeks ago-"

"Weeks?"

"Franklin. Hush and just listen."

Immediately, Franklin's mouth snapped shut.

His mother gave him an apologetic look, but if she hadn't quieted him now she'd never be able to speak. "The chemotherapy was rendered useless after a few weeks ago. The cancer cells kept spreading and spreading. Now they're spreading towards my lymph nodes and lungs and the doctors say there's nothing they can do about it.." she said, a frown marring her face as she watched for her son's reaction.

Franklin took a moment to digest the information. Long story short, his mom was dying, and there was nothing anybody could do about it. She was just dying—that was it.

He looked at her after a moment, his face neutral and his eyes dilated. "So you're just gonna die?" His voice was a bit shaky as he spoke her fate.

The look in his mother's eyes as she nodded was one Franklin would never forget. Even as he left the hospital and outright ignored the receptionist. Even as he walked to his empty home and plopped down on his couch. He wouldn't forget. The image was forged into his brain.

It was like she had just.. given up.

Like she accepted her fate, but he wouldn't let her go. He knew his mother. She didn't give up that easily. She would fight it and everything would be ok again. She would come home and cook Franklin dinner while Franklin worked harder to try and be a better son to her.

He took her kindness for granted, and now he might not ever get to see it again. No— no, she would make it through this. She would come home and

And when she did, Franklin wouldn't take that second chance for granted.

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"The system doesn't believe in second chances. That's why there are more than 5 times the rate of African Americans who are incarcerated than their Eurocentric counterparts in America."

"So is that why most black people don't make bail and stuff like that?"

"Yes. That is exactly why, Nicole." Mr. P had answered. APUSH (A.P. U.S. History) was always a fun class. Mr. P was one who not only talked about what he was required to in the agenda, but he also talked about things that were relevant today. Especially the injustices having to with African Americans.

Although Mr. P had been of Hispanic decent, he was a big advocate for Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, Immigrants rights movement, the MeToo movement, and so many more that the students weren't even able to count anymore. All-in-all, Mr. P was, hands-down, an awesome man.