Chapter 4- Secret

"Rick?" Mira choked out, her eyes burning with rivers of tears. Her eyes were wide and full of an unnamable fear.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked gently, placing his hand over hers. She pulled it away.

"Go, please, I don't want to talk about it." Mira sobbed into the table. Rick felt hurt, stung, as if she had struck him. He recoiled instinctively.

"I only want to help." He tried, feeling sadness overwhelm him. He must have offended her. But anger followed. He was only trying to help. She didn't have to be so mean.

"This is something you can't help with." Mira snapped, burying her head in her hands.

"Can't I try?" Rick yelled, standing and towering over her. "Or is that all wrong?"

"I know you try, but no one can help me deal with this! You wouldn't understand!" Mira screamed in reply.

"Fine then," Rick responded nastily. "But don't say I didn't try to help!" He stormed off, fuming.

Mira watched him leave. Why had she just done that? Rick was bound to find out sooner or later, and the longer she kept it hidden, the more it would hurt him. A fresh wave of tears overcame her.

She had probably just ruined any chances she would ever have with anyone liking her. Her family always seemed to time things so perfectly, even if it was by accident. Mira's sister, Kit, had apparently died of her cancer the day before. It was a terrible loss, and Kit had only been sixteen. At least Mira was eighteen.

Why did this have to happen to her? What had she ever done to deserve this? Knowledge wasn't always power, and in Mira's case, it was what was tearing her apart. The idea that she may go to sleep fine one night and not wake up the next was outright terrifying. Maybe Kit had felt the same way.

It didn't matter now. Mira was at fault for yelling at Rick, and if she hurried, maybe he wouldn't hate her. She had ruined whatever relationship they had had, Mira was certain. But a friend was better than an enemy.

Standing up, Mira splashed water from the sink on her face, and set out to find Rick. Stopping at the Poultry Farm was the best idea, and Mira headed there, nervous.

Popuri answered the door, looking puzzled, before grinning. "If you've come for your boyfriend, he just left a bit ago to see you." So Rick hadn't come back home. Mira was so distracted she had forgotten to contradict and correct Popuri's mistake.

"Actually, I just saw him head over to the beach." Popuri added. "I hope you haven't gotten into a fight." Popuri teased, and Mira thanked her and left.

The beach? That was where they had first met, when Mira had almost fallen off the dock, since she couldn't swim. Rick had been helping, but that was the end of that, thanks to her stupidity.

Taking a deep breath, Mira composed herself and set foot on the golden sand of Mineral Beach. Rick was sitting on the dock, legs dangling off the side, facing the direction of the expansive ocean.

"Hey Rick?" Mira asked tentatively, suddenly unsure of herself. He glanced back for a moment, and when he saw her, turned back.

"Come to tell me what else I've done wrong?" Rick snapped.

"No. Actually, I wanted to apologize." Mira admitted, and Rick, not expecting that, looked over to her, still at her spot at the start of the pier.

"It wasn't right of me to pry. You didn't want to tell, and I should have respected that." Rick told her, standing up and walking over to her.

"You have every right to know." Mira replied firmly, but Rick shook his head. "Listen to me." Mira demanded. "I'm sorry, I really am."

"And I am too." Rick responded, putting his arm around her. "If you're still up for it, we can go to the Inn, or the mountains, or something." Mira stared at him.

"Don't you hate me? For being so rude?" She inquired, and Rick smiled.

"How could anyone hate you?" Rick asked in return, avoiding answering her question. Did that mean nothing had changed between them? Mira grinned. She had been lucky, but if Rick didn't know what was wrong, it might happen again. It may have an unchangeable result.

"Rick, I want to tell why I was so upset." Mira told him.

"You don't have to." Rick assured her, but Mira shook her head.

"My sister Kit died of cancer yesterday." She began, and when Rick began to comfort her, she silenced him. "I'm not done."

"You don't have to…"

"Yes I do!" Mira burst into tears.

"Oh, Rick, I have cancer too!"