Let's Pretend [Niall Horan]

Chapter 3

- Mrs. Gray POV -
••December 24, 2009••

"These are your options concerning Faith," the doctor, a fair-haired, professional young woman, explained. "We can continue chemo as present, which would keep her cancer under control for a while. However, she will pass within five years, since the tumor will gradually become resistant to the chemo and eventually take over her entire brain. Or, there is a second course of action available. Recently, researchers have discovered an experimental surgical procedure that, if successful, would completely get rid Faith of the tumor. If there are no complications, your daughter will be cancer free for the rest of her life. But, since the tumor is located in her cerebrum, all of her memory leading up to the procedure would be erased."

I sat down hard on the uncomfortable folding chair in Dr. Blank's office. I let out a long sigh, clicking my nails on the metal armrest.

"Is that all you can do for my daughter?" I asked in frustration, smoothing the wrinkles out of my khaki skirt. A few years ago, when Faith was first diagnosed with advanced brain cancer and prospects for her living a long life were slim, I would have given anything to give her a chance to be a normal child once again. But now she was going to have to lose her memory to get rid of the cancer? I just couldn't win.

I pressed my lips together and fixed Dr. Blank with my most piercing stare. The woman met my gaze steadily as she repeated, "At this point I'm afraid those two options are the only ones left."

I hardly hesitated; it was painfully obvious what must be done. Why was the woman even giving options? "Well then, I suppose that we must chose the second option, then? Anything to get rid of that cancer, hmm?"

"Mrs. Gray, are you sure?" Dr. Blank looked a little startled. "Don't you want to do some more research? This is your daughter's life we are speaking of. The experimental procedure has not been fully tested, and there is a chance that it could go horribly wrong. Even if there are no complications, Faith will still lose her memory completely and will have to start from scratch. Are you sure that this is the right course of action for your family?"

"Of course." I waved my hand as I rose from that wretched metal chair, picking up my purse as I went. Doctors overthink everything. I rolled my eyes as I strode out the door. Even if her memory would be erased, Faith would be absolutely cancer-free after the procedure. As I swished out of the doors to the hospital cancer wing, a thought suddenly struck me. Faith was a bright child, and I loved her, despite our differences. She was only seventeen; she would be able to recover in no time, and after the surgery she would be a blank slate. This was a chance for me to shape my daughter, and I won't let anything or anyone mess her up again. That Niall kid - by far her worst influence - expected Faith to die soon. And who was I to let him down?

I smiled as I climbed into my shiny BMW and started the ignition. This was actually turning out perfectly. I would do anything for my daughter's good, and this included getting rid of Niall. And this whole memory loss deal would be the perfect way to do just that.

- Faith's POV -
••September 2, 2010••

Shannon Chin was really starting to get on my nerves.

After my surgery nine months ago, Mother decided that Shannon would become my "best friend." In fact, Shannon was my only friend these past nine months, mostly due to the fact that Mother would not let me anywhere close to the other girls in my quiet Irish neighborhood. And let's not even mention boys. I wasn't even allowed to look at them before Mother would swoop out of nowhere and drag me back home. Shannon was the only person Mother approved of in the slightest.

I loved Shannon, I really did. But there was no denying the fact that she was an absolute bore.

The thing that pushed me over the boiling point was her hair.

Shannon had waist-length, stick-straight, black Asian-like hair. I mean, it practically glowed and this bothered me. I mean-this wouldn't have been so bad, actually, if she wasn't so darn proud of it. When Shannon wasn't putting me to sleep with our homework, she was always twirling it, braiding it, telling me all about her conditioner routine.

I had seen a few pictures of my hair right before the surgery; I don't remember how it looked or felt. But in the pictures, my hair was always thin and falling out, from the chemotherapy. Mother told me that for the surgery, the doctors had to shave my entire head. I've been growing my hair out for the past nine months, but it was now at an awkward stage-only a few inches long. I just wished I had my long black hair back. Shannon and I had been growing apart ever since I snapped at her while she was talking about her hair for the billionth time, last Thursday.

It's weird to lose your only best friend, though; I wonder if I had friends before the surgery. I wish I could remember. Where did they go after the surgery?

The doorbell rang as I snapped out of my train of thoughts. I quickly got up from the leather couch in our white living room and ran to the door.

"Faith!" The man at the door practically yelled. "It's me! Your uncle James!"

I squeaked open the front door cautiously. "Hi?"

"Do you remember me?" He asked with a huge smile. I squinted at him.

Suddenly mother appeared from behind me, "Of course she doesn't, dear brother."

"Right." My uncle, walked into the house, plopping himself on the couch where I'd sat just a moment before. He put his feet up on the frosted glass coffee table making mother wince.

"What brings you here, Uncle?" I asked, curiously.

"You know, I've never seen you without Niall. This is weird." He replied, not answering my question at all.

"James!" Mother gasped, suddenly.

Uncle James looked guilty all of a sudden as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "So, how's life here away from your old town?" He asked.

Mother looked at him in disbelief at the question he chose to ask. "It's great." She replied through her gritted teeth.

I had a feeling Uncle James must have said something I was not supposed to know. I leaned in casually hoping for more clues from my past life that my mother was hiding from me. I knew she was hiding many things from me. It was obvious even though I didn't know many things from my past. I barely knew anything about my mother who knew everything about me.

"The weather is nice," he stated, glaring intently out of the window at the rain.

"Idiot." My mother hissed as she rose from her seat, pointing at the front door. "Get out of my house, now."

"I see you haven't changed a bit, Elizabeth." Uncle James said coldly as he got up and retrieved his coat from where he had thrown it on the floor. "She's going to find out sooner or later, sister."

Mother had her mouth wide open with shock and anger and seemed unable to form any words.

"Good day." Uncle James stormed out of the door, lightly bumping into me, I felt something small drop into my right hand. I quickly stuffed my hand into my pocket before turning to mother who angrily made her way into the kitchen.

I ran up the stairs into my room, quickly locking the door behind me. I jumped onto my bed and reached into my pocket pulling out the gift my uncle had left me.

A key.

It was just a small silver key.

II didn't think it was anything important till I realized that it was the only thing that I needed to getting my old life back.

H e l l o :)  
So this is chapter three! My good friend Katie (@MyHeartsMistake) didn't have time to edit it for me so I just slapped it together myself. Please let me know how it was by commenting b e l o w & voting. Thank you all for all the reads so far! I have the plot all thought out and chapter four is practically all written so I will be uploading the next one very soon!  I love you all~♡ 

-tina