Chapter 5
The Group
Part Two
…where we left off
'Great. Just great.' Drake thought to himself because of his argument with the snotty
Emme Watson and being caught by the support group moderator meant that Drake
had to attend this meeting and he wasn't pleased about it. Especially when Clipboard
Ted slapped a 'hi my name is' sticker on his shirt. Right over the Zero Gravity band
logo.
The 'e' at the end of 'Drake' looked like an 'o', He was almost tempted to grab a
Sharpie off the long table and fix Ted's hasty scribbles.
"You're in the way again!"
"Would it kill you to say 'excuse me'?"
"No, the cancer's doing that just fine."
"Will you guys stop arguing?"
"She started it." Drake told Clipboard Ted and felt like he was in second grade and in
the playground of Gage elementary when Louise Kinney kicked him in the shins for no
reason.
"Hello." A smaller boy said to Drake, he almost didn't notice him standing there.
"Hi."
"I'm Herbie Hancock. My parents thought that was a cute thing to do. It's more
embarrassing than the cancer and dwarfism."
Wow. That was an unkind double whammy. Triple if you count the moniker nod to a
new wave video pioneering musician.
"Drake Parker." He shook the kid's hand.
He was one of those eager kids that wanted to be involved in all extracurricular
recovery activities.
"So, what are you?" Herbie asked Drake proud of his name badge.
"Excuse me?" Drake walked with him to their seats. It was better having a
conversation with this friendly kid than the insufferable Emme.
"What's your cancer?"
He couldn't believe he was having this discussion, but he didn't want to hurt Herbie's
feelings.
"Localized osteosarcoma—there's no staging system."
"I know. I read up on all the cancers. I have stage II Neuroblastoma."
Drake felt he had no right to complain. Not only did this guy have cancer, but his
dwarfism probably made it harder for his body to fight it.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Drake. It's the cards I've been dealt. My doctor's didn't think I could make it,
but I'm still here. My Grandmother calls me her 'little fighter'. I'm not going to give up, I
hope you don't, either."
Wow. What a little ball of inspiration.
Drake couldn't help but wonder what was going in the restroom when he saw Emme
walk in with another girl.
I don't care about HER, I DON'T.
It's the drugs.
"What kind of place has a cancer support group meeting in a place with only ONE
bathroom stall?" Emme asked out loud, she certainly wasn't talking to the girl in the
California Angels baseball cap.
"My name is Amy Sigler. You can go first. I'll wait in the hall if you are umcomfortable."
"No, thank you!" Emme replied in a huff. She wanted to hide and there were no secret
places to blend in. Damn it all to Hell.
She hated ALL of them.
"…you have Fender Strat?" Herbie asked with wide eyes.
"Yeah. I won one. But my brother Josh kind of set it on fire, but he replaced it for me
with his own life savings and got Devon Malone from Zero Gravity to autograph it."
Drake didn't mean to tell a condensced version of that story. He quite liked telling that
tale, but he was tired and his mouth was dry.
"Will you show me your guitar someday?"
"Sure."
Clipboard Ted sat in his chair as everyone who wasn't already sitting took their places
except for Emme Jessica Watson who stayed standing by the greeting table where
she was hoping to blend in and wouldn't have to participate.
"Let's see if I missed anyone," Ted took the pencil from behind his ear again, "Miss
Watson, there's a seat available."
Don't look over.
What did I tell you?
It's a reflex
…A force of habit.
"Don't you know she's too special to get involved?" Drake couldn't help it.
The words just flew out of his mouth.
"I hope you are this talkative, Mr. Parker, during our introductions."
"I'd rather stand. And weren't you going to take role, Mr. Smithers?"
Yesterday was so much better with the waterworks turned on (although, it wasn't all a
put-on) and she got her mother to take her to Neiman Marcus instead.
Who wouldn't want to get a new Burberry novacheck totebag?
"I have presents." Herbie announced.
The air was starting to get very thick thanks to the negativity Emme was brewing in her
own little corner.
He gave everyone including Miss Snotty Emme a pack of Biotene gum who couldn't
even utter a proper "thank you" she just shoved the packet harshly in her purse.
Was Drake ever grateful for this, at this point it was the best gift ever.
"Thanks, man." Drake said popping two pieces into his mouth.
How did his Mom miss this product?
"That was nice of you, Herbie." Clipboard Ted said.
There were always the extra nice kids like Herbie in the groups, the negativity
monsters like Emme, and the kids in the middle who just wanted answers.
"Why don't we go around and introduce ourselves."
"Herbie Hancock, I'm fourteen years old, have stage II neuroblastoma, and I live with
my parents and Nana."
"Do you have any hobbies?" asked Clipboard Ted
"Yeah. I like to make models and I hope to start playing the guitar."
Drake was dreading this. Give him a guitar and a microphone and he was at home,
but this all-eyes-upon-you group session was going to give him another rash, but
everybody had to do this and that included Miss Priss who was still standing in the
corner with her head down.
"I'm Drake Parker. I'm seventeen. I have localized osteosarcoma—and I'm sorry this
is bugging me—you over there with the superior attitude—Emme Jessica Watson, if
one person does this, we ALL have to. If you don't come over here me and, " Drake
scanned the name tags, "James are going to pick you up by your arms and make you
sit down."
"I don't have to take this!"
"Good, there's the door," Drake was wondering why Clipboard Ted wasn't stopping
this like he did the other few times, "And don't let it hit you on the way out."
Clipboard Ted might tell her mother about things and that was the only reason why she
allowed herself to be talked to in such a manner. Why did the only available seat have
to be next to this cretin?
"I'm sure she's just scared, Drake." Herbie added
"And the rest of us aren't? I really hate to break it to you, honey," with sarcastic
emphasis put on the 'honey', "we all have cancer, so stop acting like you are better
than all of us."
"Okay, okay. Why don't we take a time-out for a few minutes?"
"What are we five years old?" Drake was on a roll.
"You can continue with your introduction only." Clipboard Ted replied
watching Emme blink feverishly to prevent crying as she slouched in the chair.
"Where was I?"
"Localized osteosarcoma."
"I live with my parents, brother, and sister. I used to be in a band," That was the first
time Drake used the past tense to describe his musical career. "That's about it."
"Emme, do you want to tell your introduction now?"
"I'll do it. I wouldn't want to make Don Juanoma upset."
What did she mean by that?
Oma equals tumor
Josh will know the rest.
"I'm Emme Jessica Watson. I'm sixteen years old and I have ovarian cancer and had
to get a hysterectomy."
"Is there anything else that you'd like to add?"
"Yeah, I have a message for Don Juanoma and the rest of the group, I really hate to
break it to all you honey's, but we're all going to die."
Author's Note: To be continued…