As Planned

My day started off good. I was coughing here and there but still no blood. I wasn`t too worried as this has happened before and if my body wanted to put off blood for a little while longer then fine by me. I could take just coughing for a couple more days. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. And it finally did while I was at school. I was talking to Twink while on my way to my second class when I started coughing violently and when I pulled my hand away from my mouth it was all but covered in blood. I bolted to the girls bathroom, ignoring Twinkie`s worried shouts.

I ended up sitting on the cold floor of a bathroom stall throwing up blood, something I haven`t done since I first found out I had cancer. And I admit it did worry me a bit. I began to wonder just how bad it had gotten this week as I detoxed from my medicine. Did this violent sickness decide to become tame for a short time only to come back twice as strong when the possibility of a new and better treatment was so close?

But I was torn from my thoughts when I felt someone rubbing my back. I sat up straight and wiped the back of my hand and looked to my left only to see Neela. But she wasn`t looking at me. She was looking at the blood filled toilet bowl. Well, I guess now`s the time to tell her.

I flushed the toilet and moved a little so I was facing her but she was already standing up and talking about how I needed to go to the hospital. At least I know she cares. "Neela, Neela. Honey, calm down," I soothed as I gently gripped her wrist and tugged her down to the floor.

"How can I be calm? You`re sick! You need to go to the hospital," She pressed, desperation leaking into her voice.

"I don`t need to go to the hospital because I know what`s wrong."

"You...you do?"

I nodded with a sigh, "I um...I don`t know how to tell you this. But...I have cancer. Iv`e had it since I was fourteen."

"Fourteen?" Neela breathed. "Why didn`t you say anything?"

Here goes nothing! "Do you remember when I told you guys about my boyfriend?" When she nodded I continued, "Well, that wasn`t a lie. When I found out I had cancer he couldn`t handle being around me and trying to help take care of me like my friends were. He confessed his feelings and broke up with me." I paused to shrug with a soft chuckle. "I understood, even at fourteen. I`m surprised he was the only one that left and honestly, I was afraid that you guys would too if I told you so Iv`e been putting it off as long as possible."

Neela nodded slowly and whispered, "I see." She bit her lip and eyed the toilet, "Why are you throwing up blood when you act like you have it all under control?"

"Not exactly," I replied with a wince. "The medicines I have been taking only works so long. None of them have been able to make it go away. They just work enough to keep me alive, walking and not coughing up blood. But this week I had to stop taking the treatment I was using for I first got here."

"That explains a lot," She said with a from. "Why did you have to stop taking it?"

"It`s actually the reason I`m here. Some doctor claims he has the medicine I need to make my cancer go away. I have to let my previous treatment drain from my body before I can get evaluated. And if that goes well then I can start my new treatment," I explained.

She opened her mouth to say something else but I had turned back to the toilet already to throw up more blood and once again she started rubbing my back. I threw up until my stomach hurt and my throat was sore. When I was finally done I wiped my mouth and flushed the toilet with a groan.

"I haven`t thrown up blood since I found out I had cancer," I confessed as Neela helped me up from the floor. I stumbled a little but she steadied me and helped me to the sink so I could was my hands and rinse out my mouth.

"I don`t know about the other`s, but I`m not leaving you," She whispered as she rubbed my back.

"Thank you," I whispered while looking at her through the mirror. "That really means a lot to me, Neela."

She nodded with a small smile. "Let`s get you out of here, okay? It probably isn`t a good idea for you to go to class."

"Probably," I chuckled. As I moved away from the sink a wave of dizziness hit me and I fell to my knees.

"Amelia!" Neela gasped as she fell down beside me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah. I just got dizzy all the sudden."

She nodded, "I`ll be right back."

I watched her run out of the bathroom only to return seconds later all but dragging a muttering Morimoto who didn`t look to happy to be in the girls bathroom. But when he saw me the annoyed look on his face vanished and worry replaced it as he rushed over.

"Can you carry her?" Neela asked. "I don`t want her walking like this."

"Neela!" I whined as Morimoto did just as she asked. I clutched him while he carried me out of the bathroom. And of course we caught the attention of more than a few students who seemed all too happy to stare. I buried my face in his neck with a groan. "Why do they have to stare?" I only got a chuckle in response.

"What the hell is going on?" Twinkie shrieked as he rushed over to us.

"I`ll explain in the car," Neela soothed as he followed Morimoto out of the school with Twinkie in tow. "We should take her home," She said when we reached her car.

"No. I`ll be fine," I dismissed while trying to suppress a groan.

"We need to take her to Takashi," Morimoto decided with a firm nod.

I winced at the thought while he placed me in the backseat of of Neela`s car. He quickly apologized when I winced but I waved my hand dismissively. I detest sitting in the back. I feel too confined and more uncomfortable than I normally do in a car. I shot Neela a look when she climbed into the drivers side and she apologized with weak smile. To my surprise Twinkie got into the passengers side before Morimoto could.

"What the hell you talking about? We`re taking her to Han`s. No way I`d take her to Takashi," Twinkie hissed before shutting the car door.

Neela apologized to Morimto before driving off. I kept my eyes shut the whole ride and had a death grip on the seat. God I hate being in cars! When we finally pulled to a stop I almost sighed in relief. Twinkie helped me out of the car and had me got on his back. I was surprised by where we were. When he said Han`s I thought he meant his apartment not a garage. Albit a very big garage but still.

"Han! Man we need some help!" Twinkie called into the empty looking garage.

"What did you do this time, Twink?"

I looked up to see Han leaning against the balcony railing above the garage. He raised an eyebrow at me and I attempted to smile at him but I think it came out as more of a wince than anything else.

"Amelia, right?" Han asked. I nodded and he sighed. "What did the kid get you into?"

"Nothing," I replied as a frown made it`s way across my features. "He...he wanted to help take care of me."

"Speaking of that," Twinkie grumbled as he carried me across the garage. "You need to explain what the hell is going on."

My mouth dropped open in shock before I quickly closed it. And it wasn`t until we were almost to the stairs that I finally regained my speech. "You had no idea what was going on but you insisted I go to Han instead of Takashi like Morimoto wanted?"

He chuckled. "Of course."

"I`m sorry. I should of explained on the way like I said I was going to..." Neela trailed off with a sigh. "I guess I was too distracted."

Twinkie carried me up the stairs, despite my whispered protests and assurances that I could walk by now, and into the loft like space where he sat me down on a couch pushed against the railing Han was leaning against. While Neela explained what was wrong with me I took my chance to glance around. From up here the garage looked huge, even with six cars in it.

In front of me sat a coffee table and another couch. On either side of the couch I`m sitting on was a lamp. A little ways away from where I sat was a huge cube like structure that appeared to house quite a few beds. Some had stuff in it while others did not. Perhaps people live in the bunks here?

I was jerked from my thoughts by Twinkie hugging me tightly. I quickly returned the hug only to frown when I felt something wet on my shoulder. He was crying. I hugged him as tightly as I could and began rubbing his back. I`m not sure how long we sat like that but when we pulled away Neela was sitting on the couch in front of us looking sorrowful. Han sat beside her with a blank expression on his face but his eyes told a different story. They looked sad like Neela`s but perhaps not as bad.

"You need a place to say?" Han asked after a few minutes of silence.

"No. I live with my mom and aunt," I declined. "Thank you though."

He nodded, "You got a bunk here whenever you need it." He stood up and stretched. "Twink, show her where the bathroom is. I don`t want blood on my couch."

I squeaked and sat up straight. But before I could retort he was already down the stairs and making his way over to a car. I do not understand that man at all! One minute he seems sweet and the next thing you know he`s a big jerk.

"That`s Han for you," Twinkie said with a laugh.

"Don`t let him fool you," Neela consoled. "He likes to pretend he doesn`t care so he doesn`t get hurt when he gets close to people."

"But when you need him, he`d do just about anything for you," Twinke added with a grin.

After that Twinkie decided to show me around while Neela laid down in one of the bunks. Apparently she has one here. The whole place was decent sized. He didn`t open the door to it but Han also owns the night club next door that connects to this place through a hallway. I was surprised to learn during our little tour that Han actually lives here. He has his own room of course instead of a bunk but he lives here. For some reason I thought he woluld have a nice big apartment somewhere. Not that this place isn`t nice for a garage but...I don`t know. I guess I`m not explaining this very well.

When we finished the tour I laid down on the couch and Twinkie went to work on a car with Han. I ended up sleeping until noon. After a long phone call with my mom I had lunch and ended up throwing it all up and then proceeded to throw up nothing but blood. And it hurt. My throat was still sore from this morning so my little puke session didn`t help at all. Though something surprised me. When I started throwing up blood Han came and sat down behind me and rubbed my back. When I was finally done and wiping away tears because of the pain in my throat he simply handed me a big cup of tea and told me to drink up, all the while continuing to rub my back. Thankfully the tea helped sooth my throat and stomach.

This man utterly confuses me.