Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading! I know I say that all the time, but your interest in my story really does mean a lot to me. And, as always, enjoy and review!
Reluctantly, I followed Barbara to the cafeteria. Without asking me what I wanted, she placed some food on an empty tray and found a table. The whole room was empty except for us.
When she realized that I had no intention of touching my food, Barbara sighed heavily.
"You need to eat," she said. "One of you in that relationship needs to be physically stable."
I started nibbling halfheartedly at a blueberry muffin.
"You love that boy?" She asked, after she'd made sure I was eating.
"Yep," I said, taking a small sip of Sprite.
It was such a no-brainer question, like telling someone your age.
"I figured, since you two are sticking together through this," Barbara said.
I paused, and then said, "Do you think it's silly? Us being teenagers in love and sticking together against everything frightening this world throws at us? I mean, if you think about it, we're like the characters in one of those corny novels about star-crossed lovers."
Barbara smiled, and then replied seriously, "No. I think almost everything else in this world is silly. I think it's silly that your boyfriend has cancer at sixteen. I think you two being together is one of the only things that's real."
She continued, "Besides, being teenagers has nothing to do with it. Never believe any of that 'too young to be in love' nonsense. I've seen couples so much older than you two let themselves break apart because of this. Now that's silly."
"I like you so much better than Dr. Ling," I said wistfully, not really guarding my speech anymore.
"That man is one odd little coconut," she said, making us both laugh.
"But he's both an exceptional man and an exceptional doctor," she said earnestly. "He'll come through."
"We'll see, I guess," I mumbled. I'm not sure if Barbara heard me or not.
"You know what's weird?" I said. "I haven't cried yet. Or had any sort of meltdown whatsoever about this."
"Oh, don't worry, honey. You will," Barbara said.
I snorted.
"Wow, thanks for your reassuring words," I said, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. "You just lay it all out there, don't you?"
"Pretty much," Barbara said plainly, and then cackled at her own words.
"Okay, well now that you've consumed a little birdy portion of your food, I guess we can go back," Barbara said, standing up.
We walked back to the oncology ward with Barbara's arm around me the whole way.
I know it's relatively short and Johnny wasn't in it, but I hope you still enjoyed.