Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Emma grabbed an ice cube from her glass of water and threw it at Chris. He caught it in the air, threw it in his mouth, and began to crunch it with his teeth.
“Pig,” Emma said, and earned a teasing grin from Chris.
This was already better, I realized. Being here with friends was already better than being in my room. I loved my parents more than life itself, but they didn’t understand what it was like feeling this exhausted, this sick. They didn’t understand the fight and what it took just to exist with death a half step behind you.
“Penny for your thoughts, Junebug,” Jesse whispered as he leaned in close. Emma and Chris were squabbling about something else beside us. I rolled my head to the left, inching closer to where he was. He had dark circles under his eyes and the skin on his cheeks were slightly cracked, yet he still looked so unbelievably handsome.
I tightened my grip on his hand. “I’m just thankful we have each other.” But as I retained eye contact, shivers running in relays went up and down my spine. “I’m…” I swallowed my nerves and said, “I’m real glad I’m here…with you.”
Dimples popped in Jesse’s cheeks as he brought our hands up to his mouth and grazed the back of mine with his lips. I was breathless, words and feelings rushing through me in a torrent. “Ditto.”
“You ever wonder if that’s what it’s like?” Emma said softly, pulling our attention to her. On the big screen, the main character was walking through fields of wheat, fingertips running over the tops as he made his way back to his family in the afterlife.
“I hope so,” Jesse said from beside me. “Or something like it.” We all fell silent then, watching a serene depiction of heaven before us, the beautiful soundtrack making my skin break out into goose bumps. There was one thing for certain: when you were diagnosed terminal, what happened after death became a constant wonder.
Jesse lifted my hand again, and butterflies swooped in my stomach as he pressed our joined hands against his cheek. I wasn’t sure what heaven was or what it would look like, but while I was here, fighting to live, I thought the ranch may not be so bad if I had this boy beside me, making me feel things I’d only ever read about in my favorite books.
“This is what we have to do,” Chris said, pulling us away from the beauty of the scene. He circled a finger in the air, encompassing all of us. “We do this when we have treatment.”
Just then, Bailey arrived with jugs of water, the dreaded orange drink, and buckets. Then, Dr. Duncan popped in to monitor our levels before leaving us alone again.
When they’d left, Chris continued. “We come here, together, and fight through this as one—while watching movies, naturally.”
“Naturally,” Emma echoed sarcastically.
“Like The Breakfast Club but for sick kids,” Jesse said, that humorous tone in his voice back. I’d missed his jokes so much. He snapped his fingers. “Ah-ha! I have it.” He paused dramatically. “Chemo Club, where, just like the John Hughes film, we get up to our own shenanigans.”
“And by shenanigans, do you mean puking and cold sweats?” Chris said.
Jesse winked at Chris. “You’ve got it, bro.” Jesse looked to me and said, “Does that sound good, Junebug?” There was almost a nervousness in his timbre, like he was worried I might say no. That I might not want to be part of Chemo Club and retreat to my own room again.
He didn’t want to be alone. I was again seeing more of his hidden vulnerability. “It sounds perfect,” I said and was given the beautiful gift of a wide Jesse Taylor smile that I knew would send many girls’ hearts skipping.
Just at that second, Chris grabbed a bucket and retched into it. Bailey must have stayed close by, as he was there in seconds, helping him through.
Jesse leaned over and held out the fist of his hand that wasn’t holding mine. “You still group two for the win, Junebug?”
“Always,” I said, and bumped his fist.
When Chris finished throwing up, he said, “We best keep the volume high on these movies, or we’re not gonna stand a chance of hearing them when we all start upchucking.” We laughed, only for me to suddenly need my bucket too.
Jesse kindly rubbed my back as I wretched.
Together, Neenee had said. We would get through this better if we stuck together, so that’s what I intended to do.
The ticking of the clock on my bedroom wall was going to make me scream. Sleep evaded me, an effect of the steroids we’d been given. It was the same every time I had been on them throughout the past year. I looked up at the time and saw that it was just before five in the morning.