Chapter 9

Andy rolled over for the tenth time in the last hour. She had slept peacefully with Josh, but, since he had gone, she wasn't having as much luck. She slept on and off, although more off than on, after he left and, after three hours of tossing and turning, she finally gave in to the fact that she would not be getting any more shut eye that night.

She glanced over at the clock. It was just after six. She was still tired, but she had to admit that she felt better than she had in days, especially considering she had just undergone a round of chemo the day before.

Andy adjusted the pillows behind her head and reached for the TV remote. She began to surf through the channels, trying to find something to watch so early in the morning.

"Andy!"

Andy looked over at the door as her mothers walked in. Terry rushed to her side, immediately taking Andy's hand in hers and putting her hand on Andy's cheek.

"You look well," Terry said, leaning over and kissing Andy on the forehead. "How do you feel?"

"For goodness sake, Terry, give her some room," Trish commented, walking to the other side of the bed. She gave Andy a kiss on the cheek.

"I feel fine," Andy answered truthfully, wondering what her mothers were doing there so early in the morning.

"Are you sure? You look tired," Terry stated.

"You just said she looked well," Trish reminded her.

"She does, but she also looks tired."

"I don't think she looks tired," Trish defended her.

"She looks tired," Terry repeated.

"If I look tired, it's because it's six o'clock in the morning," Andy interjected.

"Or maybe it's because you spent the night with that boy," Terry remarked.

"What?" Andy responded.

"Terry, I thought we agreed to talk about this before we…" Trish began.

"How did…how did you know about that?" Andy asked.

"Nurse Linda keeps us well informed," Terry answered.

"So that's why you're hear before the sun's even up? Because an informant told you Josh slept here last night?"

"Now honey, I know you think you like this boy, but…" Terry started to say.

"Oh, mom."

"Just hear me out. You're still very young, Andy, and you need to concentrate on getting better, not on being with this boy."

"Terry…" Trish said.

"Mom, the boy has a name," Andy interrupted.

"Andy likes Josh, Terry. He's helping her to get better."

"How? By keeping her up all night?"

"No, mom, by being there for me. He stayed with me all day yesterday while I puked my guts out in a toilet. And he stayed with me last night because I asked him to."

"Terry, the boy is good for her," Trish commented.

"In your opinion. But, the truth of the matter is, she needs rest and…"

"I think we should let her decide what she needs."

"She's still a child! She doesn't know what she needs," Terry argued.

"Look at her, Terry, she's not a child!"

"I just don't think…"

"Stop!" Andy yelled. "Stop fighting! You two only ever fight about me and my cancer and I hate it! I hate being the reason why you fight!"

"Oh honey, you're not the reason we fight," Trish explained.

"We both just want what's best for you," Terry continued.

"Josh is what's best for me. It took me a long time to realize it, too, but he makes me happy, mom. Don't you want me to be happy?"

"Of course I do, honey," Terry assured her, "but I don't want you to get distracted from what's really important."

"Josh doesn't distract me from what's important. He distracts me from the pain. He distracts me so that I don't sit here and feel sorry for myself."

"I just don't want a little high school relationship to…"

"This isn't just a little high school relationship!" Andy exclaimed. "If this were a little high school relationship, Josh wouldn't be here every day. I mean, he could be playing video games all day or he could be out with his friends, but he's not! He's here with me every day making sure that I'm okay. He's here holding my hair back while I'm throwing up. He's here helping me to bed when I'm too weak to walk. He's here reminding me that there's a reason to live. And…and…I love him!"

Andy gasped at her own admission. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," a doctor said, walking in.

Andy looked away from her mothers and towards the doctor.

"Doctor Wales, to what do we owe the pleasure this early in the morning?" Trish asked.

"I'd like to take Andy in for some tests this morning."

Andy couldn't concentrate on anything that was being said. All she kept thinking was how she had just admitted that she loved him.

"What kind of tests?" Terry questioned.

"We've got to send Andy in for some X-rays," Doctor Wales answered.

"Wait…what?" Andy asked, hearing the doctor for the first time.

"We've got to take you for some X-rays, Andy," Doctor Wales repeated.

"Wait…X-rays?" Andy said. "But last time you took X-rays you…" she paused. "You think the cancer's spread, don't you?"

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"I see you didn't get grounded," Andy remarked as Josh walked into her room. As usual, he left his bag next to the door and walked over to her bed. This time, though, he greeted her with a short kiss.

"No, I didn't," he replied, trying to get his mind to focus on what she was saying and not on how her lips tasted.

"Come on, I don't want to sit here anymore. Let's go for a walk."

Andy threw the blanket that was covering her off her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Unlike the normal hospital gown she always had on, she was wearing a pair of brown shorts that reached her mid-thigh and a light pink tank-top.

He whistled.

"If I had known you looked like that under those skirts and T-Shirts…," Josh commented as he looked at her.

"You don't like my skirts and T-Shirts?" She asked flirtatiously.

She reached out for her IV pole and stood.

"No, I love them. I also like you out of them. I mean…"

She raised her eyebrow and smiled.

"Let's go."

With her hand pulling the IV pole beside her, she began to walk out of the room. They walked slowly down the hallway.

"You hungry? We could get something from the cafeteria."

"Sure," he answered, sensing that there was something wrong. Andy never suggested they go to the cafeteria. She hated the food there.

They made their way to the elevators.

"You told your parents about me, didn't you?" She asked as they entered the elevator. She pushed the button for the second floor and the elevator began to move down.

"Andy, it was the only way to…"

"No, it's okay." She reached for his hand. "I was sitting in bed all morning thinking about how I've been keeping this a secret and I don't even know why. But I don't want it to be a secret anymore. I mean, I don't want to go screaming it from the rooftops, but I'm proud of who I am. I'm proud of…surviving."

"You okay?" He asked, knowing that if he didn't ask her, she would probably never tell him. She liked to think she had to be strong for him, but he knew that, more importantly, she needed someone to talk to.

She looked down at the floor.

"Andy…" he prompted.

"They took me for X-rays this morning. They think it's spread," she whispered.

"What?"

"They think the cancer has spread."

"Oh, Andy," he said, not able to think of anything else to say.

"But they won't tell me anything. I've seen the doctors talking to my moms and I've seen them crying, but they won't tell me anything. And I…I'm so scared, Josh."

He took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin atop her head as she placed her head against his chest. He rubbed his arm up and down her back.

"Shh," he soothed, "it's going to be okay. I'm going to be here for you the whole way."

As the elevator doors opened, her knees gave way and he lowered her slowly to the floor, never letting her go.

Author's Note:

This chapter was a toughy because I didn't exactly know what I wanted to happen, but, I'm proud of it and I hope you liked it!