From The Start (1st Draft)

Chapter 25

We drove to the beach and sat down on the sand down by the water, not really speaking to each other, but I could tell it was just because there wasn't much to say. I held his hand to make sure he was alright. It wasn't long before we had to head back to school. For the rest of the day, I stayed really quiet, and stood off to myself. I didn't have it in me to talk to anyone, only Alexander.

He drove me home after school ended and I babysat Jimmy while my mom went grocery shopping. Jake was downstairs in his room, staying far away from everyone who cared about him. I spoke to Alex on the phone for a while, but he eventually got tired, so I told him I would see him tomorrow. A few days passed by, and not much happened. I watched Alex's behavior, heath wise, and not a lot seemed to change like Dr. Carter said it would. It was a cloudy Thursday morning, and I could already tell something scary was going to happen. I walked to school with my brother and tried to keep positive about everything that was going on, when in reality I knew I was scared to death.

My classes went by very slow, and I actually got an A+ history quiz back. I was proud of myself for staying on top of my school work even with everything that was going on. Lunch soon came, and I sat down at our lunch table, watching as everyone walked past me, sitting with their friends at their usual spots. I saw how all of the girls looked normal, probably with great big houses and fancy furniture, and so much more that i couldn't even think of. I knew for sure that me, on the other hand, was not living a normal teenage life. My boyfriend had cancer, and watching him going through the chemotherapy process was horrible in so many different ways. I never knew what to expect or when to expect it.

I looked around again, making sure I could find Stephanie or even Darlene, but all I saw were the other students who I never spoke to before. I looked at this one girl in particular, while she smiled and laughed with a boy who seemed to be her boyfriend. I noticed the way he kissed her. Alexander had a completely different look in his eyes, a look that defined real true love.

I knew even though my boyfriend was fighting for his life, with a life threatening disease, he loved me. I wouldn't trade that for anything, not ever.

Finally I saw Darlene, who was standing in the lunch line, most likely getting her food and then coming to sit at our table. Stephanie was still nowhere to be found.

I turned around so i could see the door overlooking out at the courtyard, and that's when i saw Alex. He didn't look too good. He was standing against the wall and he was holding his stomach, staring at the ground in what looked like pain.

He looked up at this second, and once his eyes caught mine i knew he could see the horrified expression on my face. He slightly smiled, and then slowly walked over to me. He sat down only inches away and kept his eyes on my face, trying to read my thoughts. I could tell he felt sick.

"Hey," he said, still tightly holding his stomach, almost as if he was keeping himself together.

"Hi," I smiled, him taking my hand and looking away quickly. "How are you feeling?"

"Um," he groaned, covering his mouth for a few seconds and then letting out a deep breath.

"Nauseous?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah," he told me. "Very."

"I'm sorry, maybe you should go to the nurse and ask for some saltine crackers."