The school was packed. It was full of people. At least two older grades. There were groups of cool kids and groups of un-popular kids. I wondered which one I’d be in.

I looked at Frank, he had the same expression. He squeezed my hand.

“It’s okay, we don’t need to be any group. We could be in our own.” He smiled.

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“Okay, I guess we need to find our classroom.”

He looked at the sea of kids. He pulled my arm forward. His smile made me follow.

Weeks past in school. Things were going great. We made new friends. But at health class I was failing. I was losing weight. A couple pounds a week. They made me go to a doctor, they said it was anxiety nothing serious.

It happens again and again. I’d wake up in a sweat and pass out during class. We went again and they said it was anxiety again and a lack of nourishment that I was passing out and losing weight.

It got worse I had fevers everyday. I was showing up late for class. My mother took me in again and they said I had leukemia. My mother screamed an ran out of the room.

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” The doctor said.

“You need to not do anything to taxing, okay? Just take it easy. No sports, no extra activities, but have fun just not too much that you pass out, okay?” He smiled.

I didn’t smile back. I was dying and all be did was smile. My mom came back into the room, her eyes red. The doctor repeated what he said to me to my mom.

I just sat on the chair and stared at the wall. My mom brought me back to our car and I returned to school a week later. I told my mom I didn’t want anyone to know about this so she told the principal not to say anything.

People asked where I was and I told them on a little vacation. They told me how lucky I was, but really if they knew they’d know they were the lucky ones.

Frank was the one who worried the most. He hugged me at first sight. He told me he was worried and that he was glad I was okay. I didn’t tell him, I wanted to have the last bit of my life to be happy and not sad. I loved Frank more than anyone else and I didn’t want to hurt him. So if not telling him was going to keep it that way, so be it.

To be continued….