Halloween came and went, leaving me with the most candy I had ever gotten from trick or treating, though I gave half of it to Max. A few weeks passed, same as ever besides the obvious. I'd see Max at school and every once in a while we'd actually meet up and walk through the halls between classes holding hands though it wasn't every class or every day. People talked about us a lot, their voices hushed as we walked by, some people even smiling slightly, the "aw-isn't-that-adorable-I-want-that" look on their faces.
Finally, a few days before Thanksgiving, the hospital called and wanted to me to come in. So I woke up the next morning and showered as Mom called the school to tell them I wouldn't be coming today. I went to grab my phone before we left but, sighing, I found it was dead.
As we sat there in the waiting room, I crossed my legs and bounced my foot anxiously, knowing Max would be worried.
"Honey, are you okay?" Mom asked after a while. I shrugged and then realized she had a cell phone also. I kicked myself mentally.
"Mom, can I borrow your phone?" I asked her, standing up and stretching. She nodded, not asking any questions, and handed it to me. I smiled gratefully and walked outside, dialing Max's number. I knew he'd be in class right now so I was prepared for when his voicemail came on. His voice, per usual, made my heart skip.
"Hey, Maxipad," I said into the phone as soon as it beeped. "Don't worry about me, my phone just died. Uh, the hospital just wanted to see me, do a checkup I guess, so that's where I'm at. I'll see you tomorrow, I love you." I hung up the phone and headed back inside, reaching the waiting room just as the doctor came out to get me.
"Well," he said two hours later, after running more tests and another catscan, and asking me a series of doctor questions. "I think your body is giving you some more time." He said it gently, his eyes watching my face and my mother's carefully.
"What do you mean?" Mom asked him hesitantly, putting an arm around me as I sat still in the chair in his office. She sounded relieved though her face looked pained when I glanced at her. I took a deep breath, willing the tears to stay away, at least for now.
"Well after the tests we just ran and the catscan, it looks as though the tumor shrunk a little bit, though not enough that it will go away. So," he continued his voice quiet and steady. "I'd say you have another few months. Possibly until the end of the school year. Make the most of it, Hayley, okay?" he told me. I nodded silently, and walked behind him and my mother as they led us out of the room towards the front entrance of the hospital, talking quietly.
Another few months, I thought. Maybe I could make it until my birthday at the end of May. Make it until my sixteenth birthday…that'd be a miracle.
Thanksgiving I spent with my family, going to Mom's parents' house for dinner and the excellent pies that Grandma Eleanor always made. She sent us home with three extras, two apples and a pumpkin. The next day I took an apple over to the Garriners and we sat in the family room around the fireplace where Mr. Garriner had started the first fire of the season, eating it and telling past Thanksgiving horror stories.
Afterwards, Max took me home, kissing me for a long time in the van before I went inside, whispering 'I love you' in his ear.
"Okay guys, drink too much hot chocolate and don't get frostbite!" Dr. Mays, our history teacher, called after us as the bell rang to signal the start of winter break. There were whoops and hollers as people ran through the hall to meet up with friends and boyfriends, anxious to start the holidays. I walked calmly through the chaos, searching for Max.
When I didn't see him I turned the corner and met Grace at her locker before we headed out to the parking lot. Snow was falling for the first time that winter, which was odd for Michigan, and everyone was rejoicing as they headed to their cars and buses. The skiers stood by the front doors, gazing lovingly at the white fluff as they could finally practice outdoors. Grace laughed when she saw them, putting her hand up to hide her smile so they wouldn't see. I just grinned and shook my head, nodding at the one friend I had on the ski team. Her eyes were glowing and she waved excitedly.
"Boo!" someone said in my ear, wrapping their arms around my waist from behind. I shrieked and broke away from Max's grasp, turning around to slap him. He caught my hand though, holding it as he kissed my forehead.
"Hey ugly," he said to Grace. She sneered.
"You talk to yourself too much," she retorted, smirking as I high-fived her. Max wrinkled his nose at her, popping her on the back of the head. She swung her arm around in response but he dodged out of the way, running past me to his side of the van and jumping in.
I got the gist and followed suit quickly, jumping in before he locked Grace out. She pounded angrily on the passenger side door until Max sighed, turned back to wink at me, and unlocked the door. She climbed in with a huff, letting her backpack drop to the floor.
"I hate you," she said. Max grinned and floored it out of the parking lot.
"You really shouldn't talk to Hayley that way," he replied. "She didn't do anything." Grace reached out and tweaked his ear but he caught her arm and twisted it.
"Alright kids," I said, leaving forward and pulling them apart as we waited at the red light. "Play nice now, it's break for Pete's sake." They both sighed and Grace glared out her window, shooting dirty looks at Max who ignored her and caught my eye in the rearview me. He smiled and my heart beat a little faster. Although that could have been because as we pulled away from the intersection he almost drove us off the road.
"I'm home!" I shouted, walking into the Garriners house ahead of Max and Grace.
"Ew, Max, I told you to stop bringing home strays," Susie said but she hugged me.
"What are we doing for the twins' birthday?" she whispered in my ear. We pulled apart and I shrugged before going over and plopping down on the couch. Grace joined me a few minutes later with a fresh bowl of popcorn while Max disappeared downstairs. Pretty soon I heard the faint noise of a drum set.
"So what do you want for your birthday?" I asked Grace as she surfed through the channels. The twins' sixteenth birthday was the following weekend.
Grace glanced over at me and shrugged.
"HEY HAYLEY!" someone shouted. I turned to find Melanie running towards me. As she squeezed me I looked over her shoulder to find the front door wide open, Mrs. Garriner trudging through the ankle-deep snow on the steps. She walked in, slamming the door shut and rubbing her hands together. Then she looked up.
"Hiya, Hayley! How are you?" I walked over and gave her a hug, smiling. "Oh you're so warm," she said, hanging on to me. I laughed and she pulled back, yanking off her boots and gloves before immediately heading to the kitchen to make hot chocolate. I sat on one of the barstools as she mixed together the chocolate powder and water before sticking it in the microwave.
"How's the head today?" she asked me quietly, going in the fridge to get the Reddi Whip. I glanced at the microwave where the mugs of hot chocolate were revolving slowly.
"Better," I said at last, looking up at her. She had been looking at me and when I answered her eyes had widened.
"Really?" she asked, trying to control the excitement. False hope, she knew, was not a good thing to have at the moment. I nodded, turning around to find Melanie and Grace. Grace was sitting with her back to me on the couch, watching the television. Melanie was sitting in the armchair next to the t.v., reading her monthly PeTA magazine. When I glanced over she looked up at me and smiled before going back to reading.
"Yea," I said, turning back around. There was a minute left on the hot chocolate and we were starting to smell it. "I went to the doctor again before Thanksgiving and they said it had shrunk a little and I'd probably…" I paused, searching Mrs. Garriner's eyes. "They said I had until possibly the end of the school year." She nodded and reached across the counter to squeeze my arm and ruffle my hair.
"Did you tell Max?" she asked. I pressed my lips together and nodded.
"Just last week. I wanted to wait until the holiday was over and then I just kept putting it off…It's hard. I don't like making him so sad." I frowned at the countertop. I heard Mrs. Garriner open her mouth to say something but then the microwave beeped and everyone came rushing in for hot chocolate.
"Here," she told me, after they had all left again with a steaming mug, handing me two of the mugs. "Take one down to Max." I smiled and she turned me around slowly so I wouldn't spill it.
Carefully, I made my way downstairs, following the noise of the drums though I would have known where to go in my sleep. The basement was dark, the only light coming from the daylight that streamed through the door-walls.
"Hey Maxipad, hot chocolate," I said loudly so he'd hear me. He stopped in the middle of a crazy solo and looked up at me. I smirked and he grinned, coming over to grab a cup. We sat down on the floor in front of the door-wall and watched the snow fall as we drank the hot chocolate.
"I always loved the snow," Max said, gripping the hot mug with both hands. I looked over at him, doing the same. "It makes everything look fresh and clean, and its so quiet outside. It's the one time I can actually stand the quiet."
I giggled and rest my head against his shoulder. He put a hand on my knee, turning his head to kiss my hair.
"You're so beautiful," he said. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the steady rhythm of our hearts as they beat in unison. He took my mug out of my hands and I heard him set it down on the carpet with his. And then his arms were around me and I was the warmest I had been in a long time.
Ah, I know, I took forever to get this chapter up, forgive me!!!!
Well?? What'd ya think? Is Mrs. Garriner handling it well? Will Hayley make it to her sixteen birthday? Predictions, predictions!
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I promise I'll try my hardest to get another chapter up before.....mmm....Saturday night. Hows that? Good.
REVIEEWWWW.
-Zoomie