So I'm starting chemo. The guys keep coming by since they'll be leaving for tour soon. They help me when the chemo makes me sick and stuff like that. My parents barely ever come by. When the guys left for tour, Leslie was the only one who came every day. Some of my other friends came by a couple times.
In August, the guys came back from the European leg of the tour and were home for about a month. I was still in the hospital all and of my hair had fallen out. My parents said that it was for my own good that I was still at the hospital and just in cause anything went wrong. But I knew the truth was that they didn't want me at home.
The day the guys left for tour, they all came to visit. Brian even snuck in Lil' Tyle, cause 'I wouldn't see him for awhile,' as he put it. I almost laughed, knowing that Leigh Anne would bring him by at least once a week like she had been doing for the last two months. AJ was the last one there. We were saying good bye when a familiar voice rang from the door.
"Hey, Drew," Amanda said as she swung in the room. She smiled at me and then froze when she saw AJ. I saw AJ freeze also. She nodded curtly. "AJ."
"Amanda," he said stiffly. I sighed but neither of them noticed. These two were driving me crazy.
Only a few months before, if they would have seen each other, they would have run to each other. They would embrace and look at each other, a smile playing at their lips as they remembered something. Then they would kiss. When they came apart, they would whisper 'I love you' to each other, and then come out of their world and back to the real one.
I had witnessed this countless times. One had been at a party at Nick's to celebrate when they had finished recording Millennium. I had been sitting with Leslie and Kevin.
"You see that?" Kevin had asked. We had both nodded. "That's true love. If you ever have that, you have to try as hard as possible to hold onto it," he told us, a sad smile on his face as he remembered a time when he had had that.
But Amanda and AJ were no longer like that. They had barely spoken to each other since the break up. I was the only thing keeping them seeing each other. I swear, if I have to stay in the hospital for the rest of my life to get them back together, I'll do it. I sorta felt like a kid who's parents had gotten a divorce. But there was still something there. I could see that. I only wished they could.
"I'm just leaving," AJ said. He turned back to me. "Bye Drew. Get better, kay?" I smiled and nodded and he gave me a soft hug. Then, but not before taking one last look at Amanda, he left the room.
Amanda watched him walk down the hall silently, and then turned back to me.
"Hey," she said, walking over to the bed. "How you doing?"
"I'd be better if you and AJ got back together."
Amanda smiled a little and rubbed the top of my head.
"It's not that easy," she said. "I wish it was."
"He's smoking again," I told her. AJ smoked only when something was wrong or bugging him.
"How would you know?" she asked. "He doesn't smoke around you." That was true.
"Howie told me."
"It probably has nothing to do with me," she said.
I scoffed.
"Did you see him looking at you before he left? It has everything to do with you."
"I wish Drew."
"So what are you doing here?" I asked her.
"I was thinking we could go shopping."
"But I don't have money."
"My treat," she said, smiling. "I really need it now." She was missing AJ. There was a far away look in her eyes and then she shook it away. "I brought you clothes."
"Thanks."
So I changed and Amanda and I went shopping.
Over the course of the tour, Amanda visited me a lot. Leslie came by after school every day. The day the guys got back, they came and visited me.
How you doing?" Kevin asked me right away.
"Okay. I guess."
"Have your parents been here recently?
"They came this morning on their way to the airport."
"They airport?"
"They're in Europe right now." Kevin's eyes widdened. "But guess what! Lauryn came by today. Her tour's in the area."
"Cool," was all he said.
Then a nurse came in.
"I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. Drew, your friends are going to have to come back tomorrow.
"Ok. Sorry guys."
"It's okay," said Brian. "We'll come back tomorrow."
The guys all hugged me good bye and left. I turned on the TV.
Chapter 10
Table of Contents
Home
