Chapter 1: Fateful Day

Ellie's POV

"Come on sweetie." She beckoned as she pulled me off the bed, "I can walk mom, I'm sick, yeah but I'm not leg deprived." I snapped. She stared at me longingly, her gaze softening and there was no initial surprise on her face at me suddenly snapping at her.

I immediately began to feel guilty, knowing that she didn't deserve my snappy mood today. "I'm sorry I Just– I don't want to visit Doctor Lucia today," I mumbled softly, fiddling with my fingers nervously. Sweetie it's not a want, it's a must." She stated sharply as she intertwined our hands, leading me out of the room.

"Is it really that necessary?" I whined childishly as we stumbled into the kitchen. "Well, if you don't want to die. . .then yeah." She exclaimed softly, but the words were still loud in my ears.

"Will you let go of my hands now?" I snapped once again, narrowing my eyes at our interlocked hands. "Yeah, sorry." She chuckled halfheartedly, letting go of my hand in a quick and swift motion but careful enough not to hurt me.

I gritted my teeth in annoyance, sinking them down into my lips. I wasn't fragile. I hate when people acted like that towards me. It's not like if you hold me too long or hard I'll shatter into pieces, I'm human yeah, not a glass that you have to handle with care.

I brushed the feeling aside and took a seat on the stool in front of the island table, letting all the thoughts I had plaguing my mind drift away into the abyss I called my mind. "What do you want for breakfast, I know you're not too keen on the food they're serving at the hospital?" She asked, her back turned towards me as she dug her head into the fridge, retrieving a tray of eggs.

"Cereal."

"Are you sure? I can make chocolate chip pancakes for you if you'd like?" She smirked, letting the box of pancake mix wiggle in her hands as she motioned towards the packet of chocolate chips as well. "Sure, mom, why not?" I smiled halfheartedly.

"Morning darling!" My dad's cheerful voice chirped loudly as he stepped into the kitchen, adorned in his usual wear which consisted of a dress shirt and his overly sized jeans. "Morning Hun." Mom beamed brightly as he pulled her into his embrace, planting a kiss onto her temple.

"Morning, cupcake."He greeted me, pulling me into his embrace as well and placing a kiss onto my temple. "Morning, dad." I said softly, eyeing him suspiciously. He seemed kinda off today.

I don't know why or how but I feel like something was buzzing him off, I can practically read my parents like an open book since all I did on a daily basis was sit around the house and mope.

"Is she ready?" His voice was in a hushed whisper but they still resonated off of the walls of the small kitchen. It's funny how they think I couldn't hear them and it was also funny that they didn't think I could handle the news which was coming my way.

"Yeah I'm ready to know how long I have to live on the planet which oh so desperately wants to remove me," I muttered bitterly, a scoff escaping my lips as I scratched away at a red scab that began to take its course on my skin.

"Sweetie, we've talked about this, I'm sure you'll be fine." She smiled sweetly.

Sometimes I feel bad for snapping at them without a warning, all they've done is be supportive towards me for my entire life and all I do is take out the anger which was boiling up inside of me out on them, "said by fifteen doctors ago." I muttered dryly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes as I stabbed the fork into the pancake my mother placed down before me.

"Can you have a little. . . just this much faith." She said, pinching her thumb and index finger together to emphasize what she meant. "That's the most faith I can have." I deadpanned and a pained look flashed across her face before she masked it on with her brave go to face. I knew it was all a facade, to try and convince me that everything would be fine.

"Don't start with the attitude," my father interrupted as he pulled back a fuming mother of mine. "She always does this" she almost whimpered, the brave facade she picked up dropping right back down in the same second. Ha, I knew it wouldn't last. That's why I never try to put up a front.

They have to let me go and all they do is cling onto the mess that I am because when I'm gone it'll hurt harder than a punch to the nuts.

My stool screeched against the tiles as I pushed it back and hopped off, I walked towards my parents slowly who didn't realize my sudden movement. And hesitantly I wrapped my hands around them both catching both of them by surprise. "I don't want to die," I admitted as I wiggled my way through both of them.

She placed a kiss on my temple followed by my dad. "You won't die," she choked out, tears beginning to spring free from her eyes.

"What makes you say such an absurd thing?" I asked making a light chuckle come from my father's mouth." Because there's a man up there who makes everything on this earth better."

I nodded in response knowing exactly what he was talking about. "If that man up there makes things better why isn't he the one having and showing mercy for me?" I suddenly asked more to myself, pondering on the question.

It seemed my question didn't catch either of them by surprise in the least, I've been questioning my faith ever since it came back. "Do you speak to him?" My mother suddenly asked and I squirmed in discomfort.

"Occasionally... Yeah," I mumbled truthfully. "That's supposed to be an everyday thing, El. Every free second you get in the day take that time to pray and ask for cover." My father exclaimed and once again I nodded, pulling out of their embrace.

"Can we leave?" I asked eagerly, wanting to get this over and done with.

"You haven't even touched the pancakes." Mom mumbled as she gestured towards the plate which had three stacks of chocolate chip pancakes on it. I rushed towards the table and devoured them, trying my best to ignore their hushed whispers.

I could see my mother sneaking concerned glances my way every little second as my father mumbled something to her and I grinned my teeth in agitation. Trying to stir my mind away from them. Today was the day I'd find out if I get to live through this or die.

I know it's upfront and bold but I have to put it out there as it is, today the tests determines how long I have to live or die.

I'm so excited!

"Done." I chirped with fake enthusiasm as I stood up from the stool and placed my plate in the sink. "Great our appointment is in thirty minutes," dad smiled as he picked up his coat from the table and rushed out of the kitchen.

"Let's go sweetie don't want to be late." Mom smiled as she grabbed my hands, pulling me with her.

"Someone forgetting me?"

I spun on my heels, my eyes coming in contact with who I like to call the devil himself. His brown shaggy hair coveted his face, his uneven jaw line poked right at me, and his annoying smirk seemed to pierce through my skin. Despite being my twin he sure was ugly. "Come on Alec we're not going without you." I smiled, grabbing a hold of his hand as I pulled him forward.

"I'm not five, let go you beast." He shivered in faux disgust as he snatched his hands away from me. "Alec that's no way to talk to your sister." Mom scolded, followed by a loud smack and I held in the laughter that threatened to escape my lips as he squealed in pain. "Ouch!" he exclaimed loudly as he rubbed the back of his head, a scowl plastered on his face.

"Don't disrespect your sister," she growled, both playfulness and seriousness sipping into her voice. I let out a chuckle as we stepped out of the house, both of us making our way towards the Jeep as I poked fun at him.

"I'll be the one laughing when I'm done with you," he threatened as he hopped in after me, the scowl still plastered on his face. "Empty threats, Alec , empty threats." I tutted, and he reached forward, sticking out his finger to poke my nose.

"You are so annoying." he grumbled and he held my nose between his index and middle finger, twisting it. "Ouch!" I hissed loudly, I didn't feel any pain but it would be a little fun to see mom scold him once again. Oh how I love my brother.

"Alec!" She growled slowly, her voice dripping dangerously low. "What mom!? I hardly touched her!" He screeched and I let out another hiss as his finger hooked in my skin once again, pinching in secretly.

"I'm older than you so respect your elders." I said as I stuck my tongue out for him, grabbing a hold of his fingers and twisting it. I watched his face grimace in pain and he snatched his hands away from me, pouting. "Yeah two minutes, stop making it a big deal, Lie." He groaned.

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"Your name is Ellie so I don't see what the fuss is about," he shrugged nonchalantly with a light smirk on his face, and this is the moment where I truly wanted to die, "you're so annoying."

"I'm annoying? You're annoying." He scoffed.

"Okay, I've had enough of the constant nagging so if you two don't shut it I will surely blow a fuse." Dad snapped as his eyes flickered to us through the rear view mirror then back on the road.

Alec and I both stared at him incredulously before glancing at one another and bursting into a fit of cackles. "I love doing this," he mumbled to me.

"Annoying mom and dad. . . is pretty hilarious," I admitted. He smirked in response before turning his attention to his phone. I sighed softly as I laid my head back against the seat, thinking about the best case scenarios of today.

And possibly the worse.

•••

"Ellie Green." Mr Lucia announced loudly as he stepped out of the doctors office. "We're here." Mom chirped nervously, she tugged at my arm and pulled me into the room.

"Have a sit dear." Mr Lucia smiled softly as he motioned towards the hospital bed. "Alec are you coming?" I asked, he nodded his head no, his eyes glistening with what I've come to know as hurt.

I nodded my head in understanding and watched as my dad shut the door, leaving Alec outside to fend with his own emotions. "So we've gotten the results for Ellie's test today." Dr Lucia smiled nervously as he pulled out a clipboard from the table.

"Firstly I'll just like to say that Ellie's body has been fighting the leukaemia very well actually." He smiled halfheartedly.

But then a frown was placed onto his face as he turned towards My parents, "Ellie has been sick way to long and I'm sorry but her body hasn't been working well. . . enough." He sighed.

"What does that mean for me?" I asked so I could study the nervousness that seeped into his expression. Dr Lucia has been my doctor for as long as I could remember and I can tell when he's nervous or confident even when he tends to hide the latter.

"The treatment didn't work." Was all he said to break down all the walls I steadily kept up around me in order to pull me through the devastating life I was born into. "What?" I chuckled humourlessly.

He averted eye contact with me and kept his gaze locked on my parents who still hadn't said a word. "To put it this way. . . Ellie will not survive this."

"Don't bullshit talk me!" My mother exclaimed loudly, a screeching sound escaping her lips but I tend to always block out their cries since it would break me down even more.

"She doesn't have long to live."

I gazed at my parents, their faces all a blur to me now that tears has taken dominance in my eyes. I sucked in a harsh breath as their fear and heartbroken stricken faces glued to mine and I swallowed the bile that rose up in my throat "How long?" My father managed to choke out as he averted eyes contact.

"Three hundred and sixty five days."

"A year?" Mom's voice cracked through the silence that had managed to sip the moment the words escaped his mouth. I felt a sharp pain shoot across my chest at the words but I swallowed it, swallowed my fear and instead

I stood up from the bed and smiled through the pain. They both looked at me incredulously but I didn't care.

I have everything to smile about because I know how long I have to live and I know how long I have to experience everything I've never done than sit aside and die with no warning.

My mother began to shake her head furiously as she clung onto my fathers shirt, she looked more devastated than I did and that broke my heart even more than it was already broken and at the same time it made me feel selfish.

"I can't lose my baby." She sobbed, closing the distance between us and pulling me into her arms in a crushing hug. "I can't lose my only daughter."

I cupped her tear stained cheeks in my palms and smiled. Muttering the words I knew were both a lie and utterly the truth. "It's okay."

It's all going to be okay.