In Russian the meaning of the name Nadia is: Hope
Nadia snuck into the classroom while everyone else was reading. She went over and sat in the seat next to Josh.
"You alright?" He asked as Nadia got her textbook out.
"Fine" She replied shifting her side fringe behind her ear back with the rest of her messy hair.
"Nadia, late again" The teacher said "No snappy excuses this time?"
"No miss, had an appointment" She replied
Josh looked at her "For what?" He asked
"Nothing" She replied looking back at her book.
"So why were you late this morning?" Josh asked as he took his recess out of his bag
"Appointment" Nadia replied taking a bite out of her apple
"For what?" He asked
"Nothing, can we just forget about it please"
"Nadia if there's something wrong, you know you can tell me"
"Nothing's wrong Josh!" Nadia snapped as she walked off.
Josh watched as Nadia walked away into the distance
"What was that about?" Sophie asked Josh
"I don't know" He replied.
"How was this appointment this morning?" Sophie asked Nadia as she sat on the swing next to her
"Bloody Josh"
Sophie looked at her
"Are you going to tell me what actually happened this morning?"
"Slept in" She replied
"Is that all it was?"
"Yes mum, I just slept in"
"Well why didn't you just say that?"
"Because I knew someone would read too much into it" Nadia replied looking at her mum
"I'm just worried about you, that's all Nadia"
"You don't need to be, I'm not going to be here much longer anyway"
"Nadia don't say that"
"Why? It's the truth mum. I can't keep lying to myself"
"It's not lying Nadia"
"Well what is it then, keeping a secret from myself?"
"Nadia"
"What, I'm telling myself I'm not dying when I am"
Sophie looked at her
"I'm just sick of this mum, I want it to be over. Ten years is too long, why can't we just let it win" Nadia said walking off.
"Surprise" Josh said as he jumped out from behind Nadia's locker holding a flower
"And what's this for?" She asked
"It's our three month anniversary" He said handing her the flower
"Really?" She questioned, smiling
"Don't tell me you forgot" He asked
"You think I'd forget" She said handing him a card with an Aero bar taped to it.
"You remembered"
"What our anniversary or your love for Aero bars?" She questioned
"Both" Josh said beginning to eat the Aero bar.
Nadia laughed at him.
"I'm sorry about before" Nadia explained
"It's alright" Josh assured
"No it's not, I lost it at you for no reason"
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah" Said Nadia, "Can we just talk about something else, please"
"Sure, so what do you want to do?" Josh asked as he put his arm around Nadia.
"Finish school for today"
"You know, I was thinking more along the lines of wagging"
"And get me killed" She laughed "How about I write your class notes and you give me back what's left of that Aero bar"
"No chance" Josh replied eating the rest of the bar.
"There's only two periods left of school after lunch anyway"
Nadia looked at him
"What do you have next?"
"Double biology" Nadia replied "What about you?"
"Double social studies"
"So pretty much study"
"Yeah"
Nadia thought for a second
"Come on, how much could you miss in Bio"
"A lot"
"You'll pick it up quickly in one night"
"Ms. McPartland is very strict, it would be a different story if it was English"
"When do you have double English?"
"Tomorrow morning"
"Well maybe after this afternoon we could wag tomorrow morning too" Josh said leaning up to Nadia, pushing her against the locker
Nadia looked at him and laughed "I got here so late this morning that it's practically classed as wagging anyway"
"So is that a yes?" He asked leaning his forehead against hers
"To this afternoon it is" She giggled
"I love you" Josh said going into kiss Nadia
"Get a room you too" Mr. McGuire said as he walked past
Nadia laughed and Josh went red
"Come on" He said picking up his bag
"You had this planned didn't you?"
"Maybe" He replied
"You can't be serious that this is the first time you waged school" Josh asked
"Well my mums always been either my teacher or the principal"
"That sucks"
"Balls" Nadia replied
Josh laughed "What are you, 12?"
"15" Nadia replied
"I was being sarcastic"
"Hi Mr. Sarcastic"
Josh looked at her
"What?" Nadia questioned, eating a spoonful of her gelato
"You know I love you"
"Yeah" Nadia replied
Josh put his arm around Nadia and went in to kiss her.
"Is that the first time we've kissed in public without anyone saying anything?" Said Nadia
"Second" Josh replied
"When was the first?" She asked
"When we kissed before" He replied kissing her again.
"Oi Josh!" Someone yelled
"What?" Josh replied
"You good to work tonight?" He asked
"Yeah, sure Brax" Josh sighed
"Good then" He said walking the other way
"Almost" Josh said to Nadia
"Well he didn't say anything about us" Nadia said beginning to walk up the path from the beach
"Suppose so" He said walking with her
"What time do you have to work tonight?"
"Seven" Josh replied
"That's alright, we've still got six more hours to go" Nadia laughed
"Not like anyone's counting"
"Yeah" Nadia laughed before she began to cough
"You alright?" He asked
"I'm alright" Nadia replied short of breath
"Do you want to go home?"
"We're meant to be wagging school remember"
"Yeah but it's getting cold and I don't want our cough to get worse"
"OK then" Nadia said giving in
"Done" Josh said closing his English book
"Is that the first time you finished an assignment in a day?" Nadia asked
"I've actually had it for a week but it is the first time I finished an English assignment completely"
"Don't give mum a heart attack" Nadia laughed
"You feeling better?" Josh asked
"Yeah, I am now" Nadia said finishing off her Biology homework, "Jumper helps"
"You'd tell me if there was something wrong, right?" Josh asked
"Of course" Nadia replied sitting on Josh's lap
"You know I don't start work for another three hours" He said
"Yeah and mum should be home in a matter of minutes" Nadia replied
"Still" Josh said interrupted by Sophie walking through the door
"I'm home" Sophie called out
"In the kitchen" Nadia replied
"Hi Josh" Sophie said shocked
"Hi Miss Taylor" Josh replied standing up
Josh looked at Nadia "Didn't you tell her?" He whispered
"Sorry, forgot" Nadia replied
"Don't worry, Nadia's just pulling your leg, she messaged me before"
Josh looked at her and Nadia smiled
"It's alright, Josh has to go to work at seven"
"I hope you remembered to finish your assignment for tomorrow?"
"Oh don't worry, he did"
"Really" Sophie said surprised
"Yeah" Nadia laughed "Don't have a heart attack"
Sophie laughed "Dad should be home soon and dinner should be ready about 6"
"OK" Nadia said going into the lounge room with Josh
"Behave" Sophie yelled out
"What does she think we're gonna do?" Josh asked
"We're teenagers" Nadia replied.
Josh looked at the time on his watch, quarter to six. He looked at Nadia asleep on his lap
"Nad's" He said tapping her on the shoulder
"What" She moaned
"Dinner will be ready soon"
"Ok" Nadia said getting up, coughing.
This time the coughing didn't go away and she began to find it hard to breathe
"Nadia" Josh asked
With every cough Nadia began to find it harder and harder to breathe
"Sophie!" Josh yelled out
"What's wrong" She asked coming into the lounge room
"Something's wrong with Nadia" He said.
"Nadia" Sophie said running over to her
"I-I...can't...breathe" Nadia struggled to say
"It's OK, we're gonna take you to the hospital" Sophie said as Josh picked Nadia up and took her to the car
"Sophie?" Nate questioned as she walked in with Josh and Nadia
"She can't breathe"
"In here" He said rushing her into a room
Josh put Nadia in the be, unconscious and struggling to breathe
Nate quickly put an oxygen mask on her and tried to wake her up
"Nadia" He said squeezing her shoulders "Nadi"
Nadia moaned and opened her eyes
"What is going on with you chicken" He asked
Nadia smiled weakly and closed her eyes
"Is she gonna be OK?" Josh asked Sophie
"I don't know" Sophie replied
Nate walked into the waiting room with a somber look on his face
"It's not good Soph" He said
"What's happened?"
"Nadia's relapsed"
"The cancer's back?" Josh questioned
In American the meaning of the name Joshua is: A savior; a deliverer