"Ray can I talk to you for a minute?" Lily asked.
Ray looked up at her. He was sitting with a bunch of people she didn't know. He had made new friends extremely fast. "Ok, well make it quick. We're busy." He looked down again.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I really really need to talk to you in private." Lily's tone was urgent.
"Whatever you need to say to me you can also say to my friends. We keep no secrets." Ray was purposely acting like a jerk.
"Ray! Please just do me this one last favor, and I promise I won't bother you again. You can go on and hate me, and hate Robbie forever, but please just come with me right now."
Ray looked annoyed, but he got up, and went with her. "Ok Make it quick."
"Ray, I thought that you should hear this from me before the word spreads and you find out from some stranger. I know that you hate me, but I still need to tell you." Lily was almost starting to cry.
"Well if you're going to tell me then tell me. I said make it quick." Ray crossed his arms. Lily couldn't believe that Ray was acting like this. She knew he felt hurt, but he was acting like a complete jerk.
"Ok Ray. Here goes. Ray, I have cancer. I just thought you should know." Lily turned to walk away. Ray couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to forgive her just because of this, but he felt like he couldn't just say nothing. She just rounded the corner when he caught up with her.
"W-what do you mean cancer?"
"Cancer Ray. Like the disease. I found out three days ago."
"But, you- you can't have cancer."
"Well I do, and as if this couldn't get any worse, they don't expect that I will make it through grade 11." Lily couldn't look directly at him.
"Ok. Thank you for telling me." "That's all you can say? I know you hate me but god. We've been best friends since forever, and I know I completely ripped your heart out, but I just told you that I have cancer. Cancer. Does that mean anything to you? I don't expect you to forgive me, but at least say something comforting, or not comforting, but at least something nice. Show some form of compassion. I guess you really were serious when you said that I was dead to you. Well now that can be completely real because there is an 85 chance that I will." Lily shook her head at him, and just walked away. She couldn't be bothered to yell at him anymore. It obviously wouldn't do any good.
Ray just stood there. He immediately felt bad for being such a jerk. He realized that it didn't matter anymore how mad at her he was. She needed friends right now more than ever. He needed to be there for her. He guessed that Robbie was being there for her, but he decided that he should be too. He would eventually forgive her completely. He ran after her. "Lily!" She stopped walking. She turned around to see Ray running up to her. "Lily! I don't care how weird it is, or how uncomfortable it will be. I can't not be your friend. Please let me be your friend again. I'll find some way to deal with you and Robbie being together." Ray looked at her. He still didn't really feel a connection, but he would just have to find a new one.
"Ray. Robbie and I aren't together. I ended it."
"What? Why?"
"It's really complicated, and I don't really want to talk about it."
"Does he know?"
"About the cancer? Yeah I told him. He is still mad at me, but he's there to support me. But don't worry, he and I won't be hanging out any time soon." Lily gave a fake smile.
"Oh." That's all he could say.
"Yeah... So what's new with you?"...
When Lily got home there was a message waiting for her on her computer.
Lily-
I miss you so much. I
can't believe it's been four months since I've seen you. I hope
this isn't a bad time, but I think that I really need to say this
to you. Lily I love you. I always have, and I don't know how I'm
going to be able to move on. I hope this didn't come at a bad time,
and I don't expect you to respond to that. I just couldn't hold
it in anymore.
-Travis
Lily didn't know what to think. She couldn't believe what she had just read. She had thought that Travis was over her, but he wasn't, obviously. She started to write a response.
-Dear Travis,
Don't worry about it. I'm glad you told me.
I do miss you too.
Lily stopped. She didn't know how to tell him
that she had cancer. She felt as if she needed to tell him about
Robbie, but decided against it, for now.
Travis, I think that I need to tell you
something... That sucks. She thought to herself.
Travis I need to tell you something. I really
think that you need to know. I have cancer. I just thought you should
know.
She decided not to rewrite it because she didn't feel like dwelling on the topic of cancer. The finished product was:
Dear Travis,
Don't worry about it. I'm glad you told me.
I do miss you to. Travis, I need to tell you something. I really
think that you need to know. I have cancer. I just thought you should
know.
-Lily
What a crap way to tell someone you have cancer. She thought to herself. She clicked send, and it was gone.
At school the next day Ray came and sat down next to her. It felt weird to both of them, but they made due. It felt good to be hanging out together again. Robbie walked by. He looked at them, and then just walked off. Lily started to cry. Ray didn't knwo wat to do. He felt as if he couldn't comfort her about what was going on with Robbie that it would just be too weird.
Lily had another message on her computer waiting for her when she got home.
Lily-
I don't know what to say. I actually couldn't speak when I
read that message. I guess there won't be any better time to tell
you this. My dad is being transferred back to Roscoe next month, so
I'll be back in a month. Now I can be there for you. Any way I
should go. I'm sure everything will work out ok.
-Travis
"Shit." That's all Lily could say.
