Charlie's POV:

The first round of chemo was worse than I could have ever expected. I wonder if the information in the pamphlet Doctor Williamson gave me actually helps to prepare anyone for the side-effects of the treatment, or whether I am just handling it worse than most.

Now back at the cottage, all I can do is collapse into bed and sleep. Even with a thick blanket over me I am freezing cold, and my stomach feels like it is doing summersaults. The urge to throw up hits me suddenly, and I jump out of bed to run to the bathroom. For a moment I feel as light as air, but then my legs fail me, and I collapse, nothing but dead weight, near the laundry. Luckily, there is an empty bucket nearby, but making use of it does little to relieve the debilitating nausea. As I lay on the floor, holding the bucket, I realise finally that I need help.

Once I have regained what little strength the treatment has left me with, I get up off the floor and reach for my phone, searching through the 'B' contacts. I linger over Brax's name, and I am tempted to call him, but I still don't feel like I am ready to tell him. Instead, I scroll back up and dial Bianca's number, hoping that she will answer me.

Bianca's POV:

I am at home with April and Ruby, when my phone rings. I answer it without checking the caller ID, assuming that it would be Irene or Liam calling from the city. I am shocked to hear who is on the other line.

"Bianca? It's Charlie," says my friend on the other end. She sounds breathless and exhausted, the exact opposite of how someone on a relaxing vacation should sound.

"Charlie?" I say into the phone, apparently a little too loudly, since both Ruby and April have turned their heads to stare at me with equally confused looks on their faces.

I step out of the room so that they can't hear my conversation. "Are you okay?" I say a little more softly.

"Bianca... I need your help," she begins to say to me, but then the phone goes silent.

"Charlie? Charlie, are you still there? Of course I'll help you; I just need to know what's going on!"

I hear Charlie sigh as she begins to speak again.

I am almost in tears as she finishes telling me about her cancer.

"Charlie, have you told Ruby? Have you told Brax?"

"I can't..."

"Charlie you need to tell them!" I try and make her see sense, but it is in vain.

"No Bianca!" she insists. "You have to keep this between you and me! Please, just... make up an excuse – don't tell them you're coming to see me. They can't know!" As she talks, her voice becomes weaker and weaker, and concern overcomes me. How can I ignore her wishes?

"Okay, okay, just calm down. I'll be there in about three hours okay! Just promise me you'll take care of yourself until I get there."

We say our goodbyes and hang up the phone. I walk back into the house to be bombarded with questions by April and, even more so, Ruby about whom I was talking to, whether it was Charlie and if it was what she wanted, if she was okay, etc. After just barely dodging their questions and uncomfortably denying it was Charlie, I make my way upstairs to pack my bag.

Pulling out my phone again, I dial Liam's number. After the fifth ring, he finally picks up. It's good to hear his voice, and I wish I was calling under more pleasant circumstances than to ask him to lie for me.

"Hey, Liam," I say.

"Bianca!" he sounds very pleased to hear from me, even though the last time we spoke was only a few hours ago.

"Liam, I just got a phone call from Charlie," I tell him, "and she's asked me to go and stay with her for a few days while she's in Beautone Bay."

"Why's she gone up there?" he asks me, and I realise he doesn't know anything about what's happened.

"Just because she needed to get away," I say. "But, I need you to tell anyone who asks that I've come to stay with you in the city."

"O – okay..." he sounds unsure. "Um...why?"

"Because..." I hate lying to him. "...Charlie thinks Ruby would be upset that she asked me to go and stay with her instead of her, so she just wants to keep it between us."

"I don't understand you girls, but alright."

I sigh, relieved. "Thank you. I'll call you tonight."

"Alright, love you babe." We hang up, and I go downstairs, my bag packed, preparing myself to lie again, this time to my sister, and the daughter of the girl who's undergoing treatment for a life-threatening illness.