She said it would help with what was wrong with me, but there was one thing; there is NOTHING wrong with me. I had been diagnosed with some sort of cancer in my arm when I was 10, later having it removed so all that was left was a stump. A fugging stump!
I looked at my lap where my single hand laid on what I had been writing. The cancer had taken my left arm, so I could still write; I just couldn't stop the paper from moving away from me! And that is what annoyed me.
It was my favorite thing to do, but hell I couldn't control my damn writing utensils. My mom sat in the driver's seat (Which I will sadly never get to sit in) and my baby brother Ricky sat in the back, trying to throw things at my head.
"Why do I have to do this?" I asked as I glanced at my mother, looking at her blurry figure from the side of my glasses. My mother was tall with long raven colored hair, pale but pretty green eyes and wore A LOT of lipstick.
"Because Kitty, you need something to help. You do nothing but sit at your desk and write stories, read books and sleep. You need to get out more so the cancer won't come back." She said.
"Mom I'm seventeen and a half, I got the arm off when I was eleven, I don't think it could come back." I said as I nearly dropped the dark blue pen from my hand.
"Yes, but what if it does? You'll want friends with you. Now get your butt in there and make some friends." She said. I mumbled a goodbye and shook Ricky's little hand before getting out and throwing my purse over my good arm and shoving my items into it.
Half way to the stupid Church, I heard a shout from behind me.
"Have a goodtime sweetie!" My mother called. I cringed. I turned around, but she was pulling away. I rolled my eyes and began to walk to the door once again. When I entered, I first saw an elevator. Then the set of stairs. I figured if I took the stairs I would be late, and they would ask me to leave and come back next time. So I took my chances and began to walk down the stairs.
When I entered the small room, about 12 people sat in a circle of plastic chairs with Lemonade and crappy looking (Probably store bought) cookies. Everyone turned to me as one of the kids was speaking.
"I'm sorry, am I late?" I asked innocently. Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.
"Yes," He said. Score 1 for Katrina Jennings! "But we've just started and you're welcome to join us." Shit. I nodded slightly before walking to the only open chair next to a rather cute kid with sunglasses over his eyes.
The kid talking finished his sentence and man who had spoken to me before, turned to look at me.
"Would you like to share with the group?" He asked me. Share?
"Share what?" I asked simply.
"Well, your name, what cancer you have or had and how you're feeling." He said. I nodded slowly.
"My name is Katrina Jennings. I had a bone cancer in my arm, which you could sortta tell and well I'm feeling just fine." I said and nearly sank into the small plastic char that was starting to bruise my butt.
The man looked to the boy sitting next to me. "Would you like to share?" He asked. The boy didn't know who he was talking to so I nudged him with my foot. He then straightened up.
"My name is Isaac." He said. He then names his cancer and said he was okay. This went on till we got to the man. But instead of saying his name, cancer and how he's feeling we did a stupid little prayer thing and read from a list of name ending in 'Augustus Waters.'
I thought I could see Isaac tense up and he unfortunately was on the side where my stump was so I couldn't tell. After the entire thing was over, we all stood and began to make our way out.
"That was pointless." I mumbled, and it seemed to catch the ear of Isaac who still sat in his chair, and I still sat in mine.
"It helps." He said. I looked at him. His blond hair nearly covered his sunglasses where the holes in his head would be. When he had mentioned what sort of cancer he had, he also mentioned that he had lost both his eyes.
He wasn't facing me. His cheek was to me and his hands fiddled with a white cane. I felt bad for him. He seemed to be so… alone. I couldn't help my curiousness and I felt kind bad for asking.
"Did you know Augustus Waters?" I asked so quietly I would have thought I said nothing if he didn't cringe at the name. He slowly nodded.
"Yes. Yes I did. He was my best friend. Died four months back." He said. I would have nodded, but I remembered– He's blind.
"I'm sorry." I said quietly. I knew about loss. My father died when I was 8 from a brain tumor. My mother later married, but divorced the crazy man after having Ricky last year.
He nodded lightly before trying to push himself up.
"Do you need help?" I asked.
"Yeah. Thanks." He said. I stood and turned so my arm was to him. He got a grip on my wrist tightly, leaning on his cane as well. As we got up the stairs, most of the kids had left, but few stayed behind to use the restroom. We got outside and people were either driving off or had someone driving for them. I spotted my mom in her cherry black car with Ricky in her lap, messing with her hair.
"You wouldn't happen to see a dark blue car with a brunette woman sitting in it would you?" Isaac asked. My eyes searched the parking lot.
"No. Sorry." I said. Isaac sighed.
"She fell asleep." He mumbled. I felt so bad for him.
"Would you like a ride?" I asked. He turned to face me. Or at least he tried to.
"How do I know you're not a creepy stalker who's going to rape me?" He asked making me chuckle. I took his hand and guided it to touch my stump. His touch was soft and sent shivers through me.
"I'm pretty sure that even if I wanted to, you could defend yourself from a girl with only one arm." I said. He seemed uncertain at first, then he nodded. I slowly got him to step off the sidewalk and we slowly made our way to my mom's car.
"Mom." I said. She looked up from making funny faces at Ricky to me and Isaac, her eyes lighting up.
"Kitty who's your friend?" She asked.
"Yeaw who's yorw fwend?" Ricky asked.
"Mom, Pig, this is Isaac. He needs a ride home." I said, then mouthing 'he's blind' to my mother who nodded. I helped Isaac over and got him up into the passenger's seat as best I could with one arm. Once he was in, I got in the back and mom strapped Ricky into his car seat.
"Kwitty?" Ricky asked. I looked over and got those big blue curious eyes. I always did.
"Yes Ricky?" I asked. His chubby hands were wrapped around a blue crayon and his face had lipstick marks on it.
"Who is he?" He asked. I smiled slightly.
"His name is Isaac." I repeated.
"So Isaac, where do you live?" Mom asked, glancing at me with a smile. I rolled my eyes and took my writing out. After Isaac told mom the address, we began the drive. The road was bumpy and a bit too long. Ricky tried to talk to Isaac about SpongeBob, but soon became board and fell asleep.
So my mom tried to get us to talk.
"So Isaac. How long have you been in the support group?" She asked. I felt my tongue fall to my stomach. Shut up mom, please shut up. Isaac shifted a bit in his seat.
"Two year's next Thursday." He said.
"Do you enjoy it?" I ran my hand through my pixie cut hair. Damn this was going to be a long ride.
Isaac shrugged "It's helps a bit." I saw my mom smirk into her rearview mirror at me. It helps him. That doesn't mean it'll help me. I wish my mother could understand the difference. Him, not me. Isaac, not me.
No she thought it was Isaac and I. And hell, I just met the dude! By the time we reached Isaacs house I knew his favorite food, pass time, video game, and a few other things. When we parked on the streets, I got out and told mom to stay put.
I helped Isaac out of the car, and he got balanced on his cane. We slowly began to walk the way to his house.
"Your mom, no offence, is very talkative." He said. I nodded but remembered once again, he can't see.
"Yeah. She just likes to talk as much as I like to write." I said. We paused for a moment.
"You write?" He asked.
"Yeah. Not very good at it though." I said.
"Well if I could see, I could read it and prove you wrong." He said. I knocked at the door.
"I'll tell you what. I see you at support group again and I'll come over and read some of it to you." She said. He gave a fake thinking face. I chuckled.
"Yeah. I'd like that." He said. There was no answer from my knock so I rang the doorbell. I heard some talking inside.
"Sorry, I'm sorry." Said the voice. She opened up the door and there stood the woman Isaac had described at the church.
"Oh my god. Isaac I'm so sorry, I was cleaning a bit and I fell asleep…" Isaac cut her off.
"Mom it's okay. Katrina here brought me home." He said as he nodded in my general direction. The woman smiled at me.
"Thank you." She said. I nodded and she took Isaac's hand.
"I'll see you later Isaac." I said.
"Bye Katrina." He said. I slowly walked back to my car where my mom was smirking.
"Shut up." I said as I got in the passenger's seat.
"I said nothing."