I miss how things used to be when I was younger. Everyone was happy, getting along and eating dinner together. Five years later my parents are constantly screaming at each other. I want to go to school to get away from everything but I have no friends. I hate everything about my life. I hate my family, I hate school, and I hate myself. On a Monday morning before my first day of sophomore year, I hear my parents screaming again and then someone slams the door. I look out the window and I see a taxi cab and my dad with three suitcases getting into the car. Why is this happening to me? What have I done wrong? Then depression starts to take over me. I have no energy any more, I am so sad, and I am tired all the time.
I am three months into sophomore year and nothing has gotten any better. I am even feeling weaker and my bones are getting achy. My mom cries herself to sleep at night and no one knows where my dad is. I’m starting to think it’s my fault why everything is going wrong. Should I take my life to help my family? I don’t know what I am going to do.
“Tina get down here its time for you to go to school!” screams my mom.
I go to school walking down the hallways by myself as usual. The first bell rings and its time for English. I walk into the classroom and sit in the seat I always sit in but there is something different. Everyone in the class surrounds the desk next to me. I take a quick glance and I see there is a boy there that I’ve never seen before. That means there is a new student in my class. I over hear some of the conversation that is going on.
“What’s your name dude?” asked a football player.
“Jason.” the new kid says.
“Do you play any sports?” says the captain of our schools football team.
“Yes, I play football, basketball, and I know how to surf.” Jason said with a strong Australian accent.
“Sweet dude we got a new kid to add to the football team.” the football captain says.
Then our teacher Mrs. Stein walks in telling us to all get back to our seats. Now that all the kids are gone I can get a good look at Jason. He has blonde wavy hair, he’s tan, and muscular. He looks my way and I see that he has these bright blue eyes. As the week goes on Jason is becoming the most popular guy in school. He already is captain of the varsity football team and he has a guaranteed spot on the varsity basketball team. All the time in English I hear Jason and the other football jocks getting all cocky and talking about how their going to win at there next game. They are getting so annoying and I may not have friends but I’m so glad I’m not friends with them.
I’m about to fall asleep in English when Mrs. Stein says something that sparks my interest.
“From now until after winter break you will be doing a new partner project. This is going to involve you and a partner getting together in and out of school but I think it’s a fun project. Plus since I will be picking your partners it will give you an opportunity to meet someone new. Since we are in The Romeo and Juliet unit you will pick a dialogue between two characters from the play and you will expand on it and make it modern. Then you will have to present it to the class. That means I want a background and actual costumes. The presentation will have to be no less then five minutes and memorized. I am giving you a month to do this so I expect it to be well done.”
After she starts talking she is reading off the partners name and then my name is called.
“Tina Sparato and Jason Valen”.
I am partners with an annoying cocky jock who will be talking about himself the whole time and will not be doing any work. This is going to be a long project.

After class Jason came up to me to talk about the project. We decided that we would meet in the library every Tuesday and Thursday after school to work on it. On Tuesday after the bell rang I went to the library and Jason was already there at a table. When he saw me he smiled and waved.
“Hey, how was your day today?” he said.
A little taken a back that he was trying to start a conversation with me I said “It was alright how about you?”
“It wasn’t very good actually.”
He started talking about his whole day and how he got in a car accident this morning that wasn’t his fault, he had a pop quiz in history that he was pretty sure he failed, and his phone got taken away because he was texting in class. He was talking to me like no one has ever talked to me before and I was talking back. We had a really good funny conversation. I wasn’t thinking about any of the problems that I was having at home or anything. I was just completely engaged in the conversation. The next thing I knew it was six o’clock. We were talking for three hours straight and didn’t even once talk about the project. Not only was he talking about himself but he was asking questions about me and my interests. When I was with him everything felt completely natural. He is not the person I thought he was. He is nice and funny and doesn’t only want to talk about sports and how great he is at them. I actually enjoyed talking to him.

He looked at his watch and said “Wow its six o’clock already that went by fast. You want to go and get a bite to eat”.
I was completely taken aback and didn’t know what to say so I just nodded. We went to McDonalds and stayed there until nine o’clock again just talking. He told me he had to get going because he had a night time basketball practice. He asked me for my number so he could have it just in case he wanted to add a project day or cancel it and then he drove me home. When I got in the house I went to my bedroom and laid in bed thinking about our whole conversation. For the first time in a long time I was actually happy.

The next two weeks went exactly the same. We talked instead of worked and then went out to eat. I was actually starting to feel like I had a friend and I started feeling like I could trust him. I was thinking about telling him everything that I’m going through but I feel like he would think differently of me. Besides, he probably only thinks of me as a partner for an English project not as a friend. After this project is over I bet he is going to stop talking to me and go back to how things used to be.

I then knew that he thought of me as more than just a partner when he texted me to hang out on Saturday. We went ice skating and then went to get some ice cream.
“I noticed that this whole time we have been talking you haven’t mentioned anything about your family why is that?” he said.
“Oh I don’t know I guess I just didn’t think you would be interested in my whole life story.” I said.
“Of course I’m interested; I mean I told you mine I want to hear about yours.”
Then all of a sudden I started to tell him everything. I told him about my family and how my dad left. I even told him about my depression and how I’ve considered committing suicide. I didn’t stop talking. The words just poured out of my mouth since this is the first time I’ve ever told anyone this. I talked about how I don’t have any friends and the whole time he keeps eye contact with me and just listens. I must’ve rambled for about an hour because when I was finished I had to catch my breath. I just looked at him wondering what he was going to say but he didn’t say anything. He just looked at me and smiled and then kissed me. I felt butterflies in my stomach and electricity was running through my whole body. When he pulled away we just looked at each other and started smiling.
“You are the most incredible person I have ever met.” He said.
I just started crying and hugged him.
“Thank you.” I whispered in his ear.
The following Monday at school I was by my locker and Jason came by me and kissed me. He grabbed my hand and walked me to class. For the first time I wasn’t alone in the hallways. We didn’t care if people stared at us or were talking about us behind our backs we were just happy to be together. We went to English and he sat at the desk next me. The bell rang and Mrs. Stein started talking.
“Just a reminder your projects are due next Monday”.
Oh no I completely forgot about the project. I looked at Jason and I knew he was thinking the same thing.

After school we got right to work; we made posters, bought our costumes, and even wrote the dialogue we would have to present. It took us a long time but we managed to memorize it. The morning of the presentation when I woke up I didn’t feel right and I had a headache. I started to get ready and noticed I had some bruising on my body which is odd because I don’t remember getting hurt at all but I bet it is nothing. I just took some advil and went to school hoping I would feel better.
At school I saw Jason and he said I didn’t look so good. I just told him I wasn’t feeling the greatest and that I was going to go to the nurse after the presentation. The bell rang and it was time for us to go to English. Mrs. Stein started the presentations right away. Jason and I were the third pair to go. Everything was going fine but half way into it I started getting really dizzy. The room was spinning and couldn’t hear or see anything.

When I was able to see again I opened my eyes and was in a hospital bed. I saw my mom talking to a doctor crying and Jason was sitting down with his hands on his face crying also.
“Mom? What’s going on?” I said
My mom just ran to me balling her eyes out. I got so scared and I didn’t know what was going on.
My mom let go of me and all she could say was, “Dr. Benson you can tell her.
“Well, Tina I’m just going to explain everything that is going on. You fainted in class and didn’t wake up so an ambulance picked you up from school and took you to the hospital. When you came in I noticed you had a fever and some bruising on your body. I drew some blood and took many tests. I am very sorry to say but you have been diagnosed with leukemia.”


I didn’t know what to do or say. I was in so much shock so I just looked at Dr. Benson with a blank expression on my face. Then my mom started to cry again.
“I promise I’m going to do everything I can and take good care of you. Mrs. Sparato if you’ll please follow me there is some things I would like to discuss with you.”
“Ok, I’ll be right back Tina.” My mom kissed me on the forehead and left with the doctor still crying.
After I was able wrap my head around what was going on I remembered Jason was in the room. When I looked at him he was already walking towards me with tears in his eyes.
“I can’t believe I have cancer. I’m so sorry you have to be involved with all my problems if you don’t want to stay with me anymore I would understand.” was all I was able to say before tears really started coming down my face.
“I am never going to leave. I have never been this happy since I met you. I love you Tina.” said Jason as he softly touched my face.
“I love you too.” I said with a smile
Jason grabbed my hand and started to smile. Right then and there I knew that we were going to fight this battle together.