Blake turned his head to the teacher, desperate to write down every word he said.  His hood was slipping. He reached up quickly to pull it up over his slowly balding head and continued writing. A chunk of jet black hair drifted down and landed on his paper. He snatched it up 
When the lecture was over, he laid back in his seat and went over what he needed to know for the upcoming test. Teachers were perfectly willing to cut him slack, but he just had even more time to do schoolwork, with sitting for hours getting chemo treatments,  so why would he slack off? What was the point?
He rolled his head lazily and tried to ignore the blatant stares from his classmates.
“God, you guys are looking at me like I’m going to keel over and die at any moment, chill.” He barked, highly annoyed and ready for the bell to ring. When it did, he bolted out of the classroom to join his friends.
“Hey Loughran,” Ryan said when he caught up, “Don’t you have cancer? I keep forgetting with you running around all the time.”

Blake broke out into a grin and punched Ryan on the arm,
“Hey Rollans,” He responded in like,  “Aren’t you perfectly healthy? I keep forgetting with you refusing to take the stairs, or run anywhere.”
“Oouf, that one hurt me bro, gonna do anything about it Rollans?” Their other friend, Will, joined in.
“Square up bro,” Ryan said with a smile, holding his fists up in jest.
Blake hooked his arm around Ryan’s neck, pulling him down and messing up his hair. The three laughed and smiled, making their way downstairs for lunch.
Blake had considered himself popular before he was diagnosed with cancer. But after the diagnosis, his friends drifted off, not wanting to be a part of his mess. He didn’t mind, some people couldn’t handle that kind of thing, but it did show him who his true friends were. They went and sat at their table.
Grabbing his bag of popcorn. He popped a few pieces into his mouth and said,
“Hey, Loughran, can you grab me a cook-” he visibly winced. He was choking. He put his hands around his neck to signal that, but Ryan just laughed.
“Funny bro, Yeah I’ll grab you a cookie.” He said and walked away, shaking his head.
Blake turned quickly to Will, a look of pure terror on his face, which was turning red.
“ Dude, the dying jokes are getting old.” Will stood up. “I’m going to go grab lunch.”
Blake shook and tried to give himself the Heimlich, nothing working. Moments later, he fell face forward onto the table. No longer breathing.
“Wow, still pulling this one, serious dedication bro.” Will said when he came back. “Stay like that for 5 more minutes and it might actually be funny.” He put his lunch on the table, and took out his phone, playing a game.
“Is he still playing this one?” Ryan asked Will when he came back.
“Yeah.”
“Dude, nice, he isn’t even breathing or anything, this is the most dedication I’ve seen from him since he was determined to get Janie to go out with him.”
“Yeah too bad she was a b****.”
“Yeah too bad he’s still a b****.” Ryan said, trying to get a reaction out of him.
Will laughed and went back to his game. Ryan did the same. Neither of them aware of the fact that their friend was dead.
20 minutes later, the bell rung, and Blake still hadn’t moved.
“Dude come on, give it up, it’s time for class.”
“Yeah man.” Will nudged him, and he slumped off the table, his skin purple, and his eyes wide open, the blue in his eyes icier than they had ever been before.
“S***, wait, No no no no no.” Ryan dropped his things, and tried to pick Blake up.
“Come on dude just get up, you’re okay. You’re fine.”
Blake’s body moved up after his arm like a doll’s would.
Will panicked and grabbed his other arm, trying to get Blake standing as well.
One of the girls nearby screamed, and the normally bustling sounds of the cafeteria fell silent. Nobody moving, except for Ryan and Will.
They were still trying to pull Blake along.
“He’s fine!” Ryan yelled. “Stop staring he’s fine!”
Tears still slipped down their cheeks, as they pulled him, step by step, as best they could down to the exit. Teachers pulled them off of him. Rushing to call 911. One teacher pumped on his chest mechanically, but they were all too late.