Gwendalynn: The Girl With Cancer

Gwendalynn | 20

When I didn't care...

JULY - 2011

Gwen and I were sat on a blanket together staring at the night sky. We'd been together non-stop ever since summer started. With no school, I'd grown to be around Gwen whenever I could. I'd started painting a lot more than spray painting illegally.

They'd be paintings of me and Gwen or just Gwen. Usually, they'd be of her. Some looking the way she looked before she went through chemo, and others the way she looked now. I know it must sound creepy that I'm a sixteen year old boy painting pictures of a girl he's completely smitten of, but I didn't care.

I never showed them to anyone. I never told anyone that I paint. On nights where I feel slightly lonely, or if I think of the bad things that might happen to her if remission doesn't work out, I go up to the attic and paint. Sometimes, they aren't even her, but they remind me of her.

So now, I have another idea for painting a picture. Maybe drawing it.

Many people were surrounded by us. We were in the city park, waiting for the fireworks to go off. It was a rather large park; families or couples or just singles sprawled out along the green fields atop blankets, waiting to celebrate the Fourth of July.

"I usually watch these from my hospital window." Gwen said, leaning into me.

At the moment, she was sat between my legs, her back to my front with my arms wrapped around her.

My heart clenched at her nonchalant statement. "This is so much better. I promise," I whispered into her ear.

I could literally feel the grin on her face as she wrapped the blanket around her tightly. To Gwen, it was still cold. I mean, here, it can get cold at night even though it's summer, but for Gwen, it's cold. She wore a beanie and a blue jumper along with skinny jeans, and still needed a blanket.

"Chilly?" I asked.

"A little."

I rubbed my hands up and down her arms, attempting to get the blanket warmer for her. She giggled. There was a quiet chatter around us as people waited for the fireworks to begin.

Then suddenly, we heard a loud group of laughter coming our way. I turned to see Connor and some other guys and maybe a few girls with him.

"Hold up, is that Hastings? With a guy?" Connor laughed.

My stomach dropped. I tensed as I got up. I guess Gwen didn't notice that this guy was talking to us because when I let her go, she questioned me. "Kyle, what are you doing?"

I marched straight up to Connor who was now standing just a few feet away from the blanket.

"What the hell did you just say?" my fists were clenched and my eyes were angry. I could feel the anger building up inside me.

"You know, I'm actually not surprised that you're gay. We all knew how much of a fuckin' fag you are anyway." Connor laughed.

I pushed him, earning a shriek from people near us.

"Woah, Kyle! What are you doing?" Gwen got up, clinging to the blanket. She stepped next to me. "Who is this guy?"

"Wow, that's a pretty high voice. You almost had me thinkin' you're a girl." Connor chuckled at Gwen.

That's when I lost it. I punched Connor so hard; he fell to the ground and lifted a hand to his nose. Once he saw the blood, he grit his teeth and got up. He charged for me but Connor's little pack held him back.