Girl In Red (R.HALE)

7

"Wow," Bella breathed, brow wrinkled in thought. "Okay." 

Both girls sat on Bella's bed, Leigh cross-legged and chewing on her bottom lip, Bella staring at the swirling pattern on the purple bedsheet beneath them. The brunette reached over and took Leigh's hand, surprising them both. 

"I'm so sorry," she said, meeting Leigh's eyes for the first time in days. 

Leigh managed a half-smile. "Thanks." 

It had been easier than she'd expected to tell Bella. Once she'd started, the words started to tumble from her lips, pouring out of her and melting the tension from her shoulders. She'd only been with the girl for ten minutes or so, but she already felt a thousand times better. There was something calming about Bella. 

"What would radiotherapy include?" 

Leigh tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling for a moment, before rubbing her eyes. "I'll have to go to the hospital every day after school, I think. I'll probably lose my hair." 

Bella squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Is there no alternative?" 

"I don't know," Leigh sniffed. "We need to actually talk to the doctor. I have a CT scan tomorrow." 

There was a pause. 

"Would you like me to come with you?" 

Leigh blinked at the brunette in surprise. No one had ever offered that before, other than her family. She was oddly touched by the gesture. 

"Thank you," she said. "But don't worry. My mother and little brother will be there. I won't be by myself." 

Bella nodded. "Okay." 

Leigh clung to Bella's hand as if her life depended on it. 

"Does this change things for you at school?" Bella asked. "Like, what symptoms will you get?" 

Leigh blew out her cheeks, shrugging. "I assume it will be like last time. Bone and joint pain, if I cut myself I'll bleed, like, a lot more than people normally do." 

Bella winced. "I'm bad with blood." 

Leigh took herself by surprise by chuckling. "I'll make sure not to bleed near you, don't worry." 

Bella smiled. 

"I'll probably lose weight, that happened last time," Leigh continued. "Oh, I got a shit tonne of nose bleeds last time, as well. That was fun." 

Bella looked down at their entwined hands, shaking her head. "That sucks." 

"Yeah," Leigh hummed. "I don't know what will happen if it's spread to my nervous system, though." Her stomach churned. "That's new territory." 

The brunette grimaced. "I understand why you don't do gym, now." 

Leigh snorted in a quiet laugh. "Yeah. Today was probably the last time I'll surf for a while." 

She tried not to let the sinking feeling in her stomach show on her face, but she knew that Bella noticed. 

"If there's anything I can do," Bella said softly. "Tell me. I'll drive you to appointments, or to and from school, I'll give you my notes if you have to miss classes-

"Bella," Leigh cut her off, a new fondness in her smile. "Thank you. I appreciate it." 

The girls held eye contact for a few moments, before Leigh suddenly tensed. 

"Please don't tell anyone else about this," she whispered. 

Bella's brow wrinkled and she shook her head. "I would never."