Chapter 10

It's been 2 weeks since I started homeschooling. That's 2 more sessions of chemo, 2 more support group meetings and 2 more weeks of taking steroids. My appearance has changed so much. The steroids have caused my face to swell, but chemo has taken the biggest toll. My hair is all but gone and I am so exhausted all the time. Often time I am short of breath and have headaches. It's also really hard to think some times. Everyone has tried to help as much as possible, but sometimes they just get in the way rather than help.

"Chase, you need to do your math." Tasha tells me. We are both sitting at the dinner table. Tasha has decided to take a break from work so she can talk care of me and home school me.

"But I don't want to." I whine.

"I know you are tired. I know it has been really hard on you this past couple weeks, but you need to do this." She persists.

"No you don't know. You don't know how hard this has been. How could you possibly know?" I snap. Oh, one other thing, chemotherapy can give you bad mood swings.

"I know a little more than you think." She says seriously. She looks close to tears.

"Do you?" I push.

"Yes, in fact I do." She stands up.

"How could you possibly know?" I stand up. Her lip quivers.

"My husband had cancer." She blurts out. She sits back down and starts to cry.

"What, are you saying Leo's dad had-?"

"Yes, I am. Leo's dad died of bone cancer when Leo was 3 years old."

"I'm sorry Tasha, I didn't know…"

"I know you didn't and I know you didn't mean to snap." She stops crying and wipes her eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.

"No, I have long since pushed those feelings away. All I want is for you to try and work hard at school. I understand this is hard on your body and that you feel awful, but you have to push through it." I nod and walk over to her and give her a hug. I do the math and then Tasha says I can go and take a nap. When I get down stairs Mr. Davenport is down there working on an invention.

"Hey Chase, do you want to work on an invention with me? I'm working on a new rocket for NASA." He asks.

"I really want to, but I am really tired." I yawn. I walk into my capsule sit on the ground and lean against my capsule. I can't stand and sleep anymore, it drains me too much. Soon I am asleep. I sleep through dinner into the next day.

The next morning I wake up and see Leo and Mr. Davenport busily working in the lab. There are all kinds of inventions scattered everywhere and Mr. Davenport and Leo are smiling and talking.

"Hey guys, what are you doing?" I ask them. I can already tell this is going to be one of those 'good cancer' days. None of them are every really 'good', but there are some better days.

"Oh umm, hi Chase." Mr. Davenport says awkwardly. "We are umm, getting ready for The Call." I think you could literally hear my heart break. They are getting ready for The Call without me? How could they do that? Mr. Davenport knows this is one of my favorite days of the year.

"When were you guys going to tell me?" I ask them.

"We didn't really think about it." Leo says.

"Leo!" Mr. Davenport scolds. "It's just that you have been so sick lately, so we didn't really think you could do it."

"Well I can." I snap.

"Alright, Chase do you want to help me get ready for The Call?" He asks.

"Yes." I start to set up for The Call. Organizing inventions, getting the cameras ready and thinking of ways to present different, unless inventions. I mean seriously who needs a pocket welder?

"Alright guys we have 5 minutes until we go live." Mr. Davenport says a couple hours later. "Leo and I will do the pretentions. Chase you… go get us lunch."

"Why can't I help present?" I ask.

"Well, umm…" Mr. Davenport stubbles.

"Chase, you aren't as photogenic as you used to be. If you know what I mean." My mouth practically hits the ground. Leo is referring to my hairlessness and swollen face. I get I don't look as good as I used to, but it still hurt to hear him say that.

"LEO DOOLEY!" Mr. Davenport yells.

"Fine, whatever, I'm going up stairs to hang out with Adam." I stomp away. Upstairs Adam is playing video games.

"Hey Adam, do you want to do something together?" I ask trying not to look upset.

"I really want to, but my friends from school and I are going to watch a football game, but maybe some other time." He says as he grabs his coat and heads out the front door. Alright, what about Bree maybe she has a boy she wants to vent about.

"Hey Bree!" I call. I wait for an answer.

"Yeah?" She calls back. I use my super hearing and locate her upstairs in Tasha's sewing room. I walk up the stairs and find her and Tasha sewing.

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"Tasha is helping me with a Home Ec. project." She answers.

"Cool, after that do you want to do something with me?" I ask.

"I was going to the mall to hang out with some friends, but maybe some other time." She says.

"Okay, what about you Tasha do you want to do something together?" I ask her.

"Sure sweetie, just give me a minute." She smiles. I go downstairs and take a nap on the couch. When I wake up Bree is leaving and Tasha is in the kitchen.

"Good you're up, what do you want to do?" She asks.

"I don't know, a board game maybe?" A couple minutes later we are spread out on the floor playing Monopoly.

"I'm sorry your sister couldn't do something with us." She apologizes.

"It's alright. She's probably having more fun with her friends anyway." I mumble.

"Hey Chase, you getting us lunch or what?" Leo calls from the elevator.

"No." I snap.

"Okay." He says defensively. Once he is out of the room Tasha turns to me.

"What was that about?"

"They didn't tell me about the call and then when I found out they wouldn't let me help present the inventions because of my appearance." I sigh.

"Oh my gosh, that's awful." She gasps. "I'll go down there right now and set them straight. How dare they say that!"

"No Tasha, it's okay. They have a point. I mean it hurt, but I don't really care anymore." I stop her.

"Are you sure, because I have no problem with yelling at the both of them." She assures me.

"No, I'm fine."

"Fine, but they are both going to hear it from me later." She huffs. I smile, Tasha is such an amazing person.

Sorry about not updating for a while, but I dropped my lap top and the thing is destroyed and I was just so depressed I couldn't write.