Mackenzie

Chapter 6

"Hey Kenzi, it'd help if you'd at least tell us what's wrong. You don't seem yourself," Ryan said as I walked down the hallway with he and Bambi.

"Exactly. What is wrong?" Bambi asked, worry in her eyes.

I opened my mouth to talk, but I closed it. How would I say this without bursting into tears.

"C'mon, just tell us," Bambi said.

I bit my lip, then, looked around,"Can we go to the restroom?" I asked.

"Hey! So how do I get to know what's up?" Ryan asked.

"I'd tell you later," I assured him.

"Are you sure?" He looked at me as I nodded.

"Alright. Fine," he said as he squeezed my hand, then, released it.

I walked with Bambi to the restroom. Seeing that nobody aside both of us were inside, I flung my arms around Bambi as I cried," Oh, Bambi!"

She let me cry as she stroked my back. The tears just kept coming. Thinking about life without mom was terrible enough. I would have nothing. You're probably wondering about my dad, but, dad didn't really do as much as mom did for me. Dad didn't teach me about life. Dad didn't let me think about what people on the streets do to survive. Dad didn't sit me down and force me to tell him every f*****g thing going on in my life... Dad didn't love me as much as mom did...

My tears reduced to sobs and Bambi kept stroking my back.

"Would you tell me now?" She asked as I pulled away from her and nodded.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Mo-mom.. she.."

"What's wrong with mom?" She asked. She, Ryan and I called each others mom's 'mom', even if Ryan's mom slept around.

"Ca-cancer," I finally answered.

"What?" She looked at me, her eyes widened.

"Mom has cancer," I swallowed.

"What type? What stage?" Bambi asked.

"It's.. it's breast cancer.. she's in stage two," I answered.

"Stage two?!"

I nodded.

"How long, Kenzi?"

"Since late last year."

"That was a freaking long time ago!" She shrieked as I nodded.

"She's gonna d-die-" I started.

"No, don't say that!" Bambi scolded mildly, "It can be cured," she added quietly.

"Sure it can.. but where are we supposed to get 159,442 dollars from?"

"Fuck." Bambi breathed as she asked

" Well... Well, what about your dad?"

"Mom doesn't want his money."

"But.. but, that's absurd!"

"I know," I said, nodding,"I just feel terrible and-"

Just then, Lenore entered, pulling her hair into a bun. She smiled when she saw us, "Hey, girls," she waved and then looked at Bambi. "Is Mackenzie crying?"

"No, she isn't. She was," Bambi answered for me.

"Mackenzie, what's the problem?" Lenore looked at me.

I couldn't say anything. Couldn't trust my voice, so I just let Bambi answer for me again. "It's nothing really.. she just needed to cry."

What the f**k. Bambi was a terrible liar. "I mean.. she was only deep in thoughts and she started crying. She hasn't told me why yet.. and she's not gonna do so," she said, nodding.

"Oh," Lenore looked at me, "I'm sorry about whatever it is, Mackenzie."

"It's okay," I let out in a small voice as I tried to lighten up my face.

"Are you guys coming for the party this night?" Lenore asked.

"I am. Kenzi's not," Bambi said.

"Oh, right.. I'd see you there," she said then looked at me as she squeezed my arm then left.

"Look, Kenzi, I feel as terrible as you feel about mom, trust me.. but there's gotta be a way to raise some money for her, and we'd work a way around it.. just calm down.. she's not dying, okay? I assure you."

"Thank you, Bambi," I said as I hugged her.

"It's okay, girl."

................

"So are you gonna tell me now?" Ryan asked us as soon as we got out of the restroom.

"Were you at the door all along?" Bambi asked him.

"No.. I was just standing nearby," he said "Tell me now."

"Ryan.. you've gotta be patient! I will tell you," Bambi said.

It felt like Bambi could see exactly what I was thinking.

Just then, the bell rang.

"I gotta head for my class now," Bambi looked at me.

"Yeah. Run along, Wordsworth." Ryan said.

"Actually, I'd have preferred you called me Shakespeare, but then, Wordsworth's​ definition to Litera-" Bambi started.

"I can't believe you dropped Geometry for that!" Ryan said unbelievably.

"Trust me it's better than inscribing some sick circles in a triangle, I mean.. why not leave the triangle as it is?" Bambi said.

I burst out laughing and Ryan pretended to frown.

"I'll see you guys later," Bambi said then walked away.

"Let's go! We'd be late for Pre-calculus!" I said as I grabbed Ryan's hand.

"Wait," he stopped me.

"Are you gonna tell me now?" He asked, concerned.

"I will, but, not now.. Let's go. Mr Tim might be in class already." We ran-not like Usain Bolt ran, but we didn't walk- to class, only for us to see that he wasn't in.

"Why did we run?" Ryan asked, breathing hard.

"I have no idea," I replied, also catching my breath,"But let's go in."

"Yeah," Ryan said as he pulled me with him to his desk.

"Ryan!" I groaned.

"Look, I know Bambi isn't gonna tell me in ten years.. so just tell me now, c'mon," He said as he sat.

I sighed, "Alright... I will." I blinked back little tears, "It-it's mom.."

"What's with her?" He sat up in his seat.

"She has-"

"Good morning, class! Let's get to our seats, please." Mr Tim strolled in.

"f**k it," Ryan groaned.

"It's no problem. I'd tell you right after the class, Ryan."

.................

After school was over, I packed up my bag and prepared to leave for home.

Everyone​ was talking excitedly about the party that night.

I looked around for Ryan. After Geometry, I told him about mom. He'd been so shocked, he couldn't talk at first, but then he found his voice and told me how sorry he was. Just like Bambi, he said there had to be a way to get money for her treatment. I told him not to worry, actually.. Ryan also had his problems. His dad was a drunk and his mom was-

I stopped thinking when I saw Edward, Tanner and Jesse walking towards Tanner's locker. I swallowed. I didn't want them to come there and meet me. As they moved closer, I watched Lenore meet up with Edward and then, he put an arm around her waist. Jesse winked at some random girl and Tanner smiled at Lenore. I saw Lenore tell them something through the side of my eye. Whatever she told them, they all looked at me.

Would she have told them I was crying a in the restroom?

I was damned!! Now, Tanner would have something rude to say to me. In class today, I stared down at my note almost all through, thinking about mom. She had been pretty strong this morning as I left for school, but I really hoped nothing happened to her while I was in school.

That was why I had to go home now, to go see how she was doing. To be with her.

They were already few feets away from me. I immediately slung my bag with one hand and walked away.

.................

At 8pm, I looked up from my Pre-Calculus textbook and put it away as I sighed. I wanted to clear my head. I thought about the party going on right now. I thought​ about Ryan and Bambi. I thought about the girl Jesse was probably going to f**k this night.

I got up from my reading table and put on a skirt and a cute cardigan. I needed to take a walk. I had a place to go.. it was where I went to when mom told me about she and dad getting separated. It was where I went to when I didn't know Geometry but didn't want to go to Edward. It was where I went to, to think about my life. It just made me happy. I put on fancy slippers and walked out of my room.

"Mom?" I called.

"Yeah, honey," she smiled at me.

"I'd be back soon. I wanna take a walk."

"Please come home early and don't let me worry," she said.

"Yes mom," I nodded.

................

Tears had already started falling and I wiped them off. I had to be strong, no use having two weak people​ in a house. One had to be strong for the other,and I figured that would be me since the cancer cells had already spread to mom's nearby tissues. That was how stage two worked, right?

As I got to my spot, I noticed a nice, blue Hyundai Genesis parked. Who was here? I looked into the car through the window and saw nobody. I walked a little more and found my spot. There was a little light, coming from a nearby house.

My spot was a small rock, which I usually sat on. It had flowers by the sides, which I usually plucked and played with. As I walked to the rock, I noticed the sound of somebody taking a swig of.. water, probably?

I soon saw it was a guy holding a bottle of Scotch or something, his head was bowed and he was breathing slowly, as if he was trying to take his time. He took another full swig of his drink and I looked at him.

"If you came here to drink like me, then better get to it," the guy said as he looked at me.

Tanner?

"I-I thought you'd be at the party," I said.

"Well, I'm not," he said and I was very sure he was getting drunk.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Isn't that obvious?" He said.

I had my problems to think about. No need wasting time with someone who would make me feel worse.

I sighed as I turned to leave,"You are a jerk."

"What was wrong?" I heard him ask.

I stopped to look at him and before I could ask what he meant, he said,

"Today. What was wrong with you today?"

I was surprised he wanted to know, and then I remembered Lenore probably told them.

"Oh, Lenore-" I started

"I knew before that. I noticed in class you weren't yourself. What was wrong?"

If I didn't know better, Tanner was... Concerned? Well, I was confused.

"Nothing." I said as I turned to leave

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

"Are you always this insensitive?" He asked curtly.

"Well, are you always this insultive?" I shot back.

"Last time I checked, you are as insultive as I am."

"Well, I didn't go insulting somebody's parent," I said.

"That's what I'm sorry for." He said

"Well-"

"You gotta take it, cos I don't do this apologizing shit." He said as he took another swig of his drink.

"Then why are you? I didn't ask for it."

"Hell, I don't even know why I'm saying sorry to you," he ran a hand through his hair, chuckling.

I shook my head and turned to leave for the third time.

"It was beautiful... Your gown," he said.

"You're drunk already."

"Yeah.. I am."

I don't know why it made me feel sad all of a sudden when he admitted he was drunk. Definitely, he didn't mean he thought my gown was beautiful. No, I was probably crazy. Why did it matter anyway?

"Why didn't you go to the party?" Tanner asked as he laid down on the grass, his unsteady hands trying to keep his drink beside him. I took the time to look into his beautiful eyes.

"And why do you want to know? I should ask you the same," I replied.

"Hey, I got my drink," he said as he tried to lift it up.

"Why am I even here with you, anyway?" I muttered to myself.

"I like it," Hlhe said, his eyes closing.

He certainly didn't mean that. I turned to leave again.

"I want it... The lessons. I want it," he said.

"Mrs Martinez already told me.. what made you change your mind? Because I remember clearly, you asked why I had to be a b***h when I wanted to talk to you about it."

He shrugged,"I need the lessons.." His eyes were closed.

"You freak me out," I said.

"Oh, I do?" He answered with his eyes still closed.

"Yeah. Honestly.l," I turned to leave for real this time.

"I'm still sorry about what I said about your dad. Edward told me."

I stopped again. What the f**k. Why would Edward tell Tanner about my dad? What did he tell him?

"Of course he did," I huffed and walked away.

"Mackenzie," I heard Tanner call. It was weird how I liked the way my name sounded so good from his mouth, but I kept on walking. So much for coming to think about mom.

Yeah. I was going home.