Chasing Happiness.

The next day, a bright warm sunny Thursday, hit Drayden hard. Usually she had Kennedy by her side, helping her through it all, heck; helping each other threw it all. Aliandrea and Tulisa were basically big sisters to Kennedy to, well that was when they where here.

When Kennedy and Drayden where 8, while Aliandrea and Tulisa where 11, Tulisa was diagnosed with Waldenström's Disease, a disease which is caused by the overproduction of cells from the bone marrow which normally, these cells are in charge of producing of immune globulins, the immune proteins that the body uses to fight infections.

Because of the immune globulins that are produced during the disease it can cause thickening of blood which can lead to hyperviscosity syndrome. The cause of the illness is unknown, but they only figured out that Tulisa was a victim of it from the symptoms.

Drayden’s mother, Cali Smith, was growing more and more concerned with her twin daughters, while Aliandrea was healthy and outgoing, Tulisa was becoming weaker and withdrawn. Her clothes becoming bigger and baggier as she lost weight, getting fever’s and frequent infections.

Finally Cali had enough of it and took the family to the doctor’s only, after having spent nearly all the day there, just to be told that her daughter had a type of cancer and would need to be treated with chemotherapy immediately in hopes for her to go into remission. Also they where pushing for a bone marrow transplant in hopes that this would better Tulisa’s chance of remission.

However this isn’t the whole story, when Tulisa and Aliandrea was 14, Drayden only 11, the family went to the hospital to be updated on Tulisa’s progress to be told that thankfully Tulisa was in complete remission which means the disease disappears completely with the treatment.

As they left the hospital with the promise of ice-cream in celebration for the good news, Tulisa tripped up, stumbled and fell out onto the road, into the path of an oncoming car, which sadly didn’t have the time to slow down.

To say this was devastating would be an understatement, Cali instantly broke down, after being told that her oldest daughter was finally free of cancer she had to watch her die, a death that could be prevented if they made other plans, if that trip didn’t happen. Cali broke down, becoming obsessed with work, never turning down a job, making the two daughter’s she had left feel like they didn’t lose just a sister but a mother two.

Aliandrea become withdrawn, after losing her best friend, her sister, someone she had spent her entire life with, shared a womb with, having to watch her die, she didn’t know what to do. She always felt guilty having to watch her twin suffer, while she was healthy but they to have such great news to be torn down was something that she couldn’t take.

This was the reason that Aliandrea left home at 18, leaving her life behind her in hopes she could forget the sorrow that was left for her in Arizona. But she knew she could never leave Drayden permanently, they needed each other, Tulisa’s death forced there relationship to become stronger as they grieved, so she made sure to take trips every 2 month’s or so to Arizona to make sure her sister was doing fine since their parents derailed.

Drayden was apparently too young to understand what happened, but to her that was bullshit, she had just lost someone she grew up with, someone she had been with her entire life, she had seen through sickness, becoming weaker until she was a shell only to fight back stronger, becoming herself again and coming out of her shell. She was thankful she had Kennedy.

Ah, Kennedy, without Kennedy, Drayden wouldn’t be who she was today, Kennedy made sure to look after Drayden. He knew what she was going through, Aliandrea, Tulisa and Cali where practically his family to, so he was hurt just as bad when Drayden came running into her house, her face contorted in sadness and distress as she broke down into his arms retelling him the details of what happened.

Ever since that day, Kennedy and Drayden spent the day together, reminiscing about the memories they shared as they where growing up with Tulisa and Aliandrea. Before they both left their lives.

This was why it stung so much that they had fallen out, they’ve never before had this problem, it was like some hidden truce as they grew up that they spent the day together, grieved together as their friendship grew, bonding on a whole new level.

She nibbled her lip as she laid on her bed, starring at the picture on the bedside table, just taking in how happy Kennedy and her looked on the beach, the wind blowing through their hair, how they where laughing through each other. How carefree they both where before tour, before everything changed. She broke her gaze from the photo as the doorbell rang; walking downstairs glumly, thought’s still running through her head.

“Drayden, I want to apologise” Kennedy began, as soon as Drayden had opened the door, pushing past her to go and sit on her crouch. Not caring the fact that her parents might be in, because 99% of the time they where off somewhere.

“I’m sorry I started that with Nick, if he is what you want then I’m happy for you” he concluded, pulling Drayden into a hug, as she made the shape of a heart with her hand, the little gesture they had been doing since way before they could remember. The thing is she didn’t realise, unlike Kennedy, that she actually had his heart in her hands, and with being with Nick, she was breaking it piece by piece.

“Now that’s over, let’s grab a couple of beers and celebrate the life of Tulisa Anna and the forthcoming visit of Aliandrea Mae. What do you say, Drayden Grace?” Kennedy said, offering Drayden a small smile wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her to the kitchen.

“Okay Trotter, you’re on” She said giggling, happy to have her friend back.