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Aubrey's POV

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I groan as my eyes open slowly. The drapes in my bedroom are closed, blocking out all of the light. I don't want to get up. I want to stay in bed. School is great, and I have missed it so much, but I haven't missed the 'getting out of bed early' part.

I drag myself out of bed, quite literally, and to my closet. I open the closet doors and sink to the floor, overcome by the sense of tiredness. I stare up at the clothes hanging on my plastic hangers, and tug at the first shirt I see, a white-short sleeved one, with a picture of a couple of people on the front.

I pull a bra over my head, and the shirt follows. I slip on a pair of jeans and stumble down the stairs, eyes still half-closed.

Food. My stomach grumbles begging me to fill it up with cereal and milk. I reach to the cupboard and open it, my hands blindly searching for the packet of cereal. Once I find it, I stumble to the fridge to find the milk.

I turn around with my cereal in one hand and my milk in the other and shove them onto the dining table. Then I stumble back for a spoon and a bowl.

I clumsily sit down at the table and pour in too much cereal and not enough milk.

I spoon a bunch into my mouth and chew the crunchy goodness. And I start thinking about things. How two days ago Dr. Michelle took my side. And how, when we got home, my mom threw a bit of a tantrum saying that I should stay at home.

My thoughts are interupted when I glance up at the clock. 8:24 it reads. 8:24. 8:24!

I apbruptyly stand up, knocking over my bowl of cereal. 8:24. I had to be at school 24 minutes ago!

"Mom! Get down here! I overslept!" I shout at the top of my lungs. I run to the front door and grab my sneakers, pulling them on and not bothering to tie them.

I grab my backpack and shout again, "Mom!" I pull my jacket on from the coat rack and turn to see her leaning against the staircase holding a mug of coffee.

"Yes, honey?" She asks.

"I overslept, let's go, you have to drive me to school!" She smiles at me, her sad, peculiar smile, and shakes her head. I throw my backpack over my shoulders, and throw her a questioning look.

"Darling, you are already late, why don't you just stay home for the day?"

Wait, what? Aren't mothers supposed to yell and shout when you do something wrong? "Mom, what are you talking about? Let's go." I point to the door.

"For that matter," she says, entirely ignoring my previous statement, "why don't you just stay home for the rest of the year? We can get you home-schooling. Then you won't have to worry about over-sleeping."

The lightbulb in my head turns on. "Mother," I say slowly, "Dr. Michelle told you I was allowed to go to school."

She shrugs. "Then drive yourself, but not in my car."

I gape at her for a second before turning around and running out our front door. I run down the sidewalk leading up to our house. I run down the street and towards the direction of the school, hoping I won't be too late. My mother has something to do with this. She must have turned off my alarm. Why is she so intent on me not going to school?

I keep running until I reach the school. Bursting through the large Victorian doors, I startle the secretary lady that was rude to me the other day.

"Well, well, well," she says in her nasal voice, "look who's late. Ms, Impatient over here." I roll my eyes at her and run in the direction of Mr. Varner's class, not bothering to throw my backpack into my locker.

I slam the door to the english classroom open, and immediately regret it. All eyes turn to stare at me. "Oops." I say, and grit my teeth. I notice Justin's blue eyes glance at me, brimming with curiosity.

"Ms. Brownstone?" Mr. Varner turns to look at me. "Do you have an explanation for your rude disruption and late arrival?"

"My mother-" I start, then immediately stop. How stupid would it sound for me to say my mother set me up? Incredibly stupid, that's how. "No, I don't have an explanation." I sigh in defeat.

"Well then, Ms. Brownstone, I usually give students repercussions for disrupting my class," he says. Oh no. Here it comes. Detention. "But given your - situation - I will simply let you off with a warning."

What just happened? What does he mean, my situation? Students are staring at me, and I decide to do the stupidest thing I can possibly do right now. I raise my hand.

Mr. Varner glares at me and then reluctantly says, "Yes, Ms. Brownstone?"

"What do you mean by 'situation'? I question him.

He pinches the crook of his hooked nose and exhales deeply, as if annoyed by my question. "I mean the reason you were gone from this school for two years," he says. "I mean the cancer."

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. This is not good. This is the opposite of good. This is very very bad!

All eyes that were staring at me already, deepen with question. Some kids 'oh' in understanding. Other kids gasp and whisper. My glance turns to Justin, in the front of the classroom. His white T-shirt and basketball shorts are fairly simple, just like his gaze.

He stares at me, some sort of realization dancing in his eyes. He says nothing. He just looks at me. I can't decipher what his eyes are trying to make me understand.

And then, he turns back around to face the front of the classroom. He turns away from me.

Me eyes bore into the back of his head, lingering on the spot where his beautiful eyes met mine.

And then my attention turns back to the students in the class, whispering about me. About my past. About cancer.

Mr. Varner shushes everyone and resumes the lesson, but I don't pay attention to it. And neither does anyone else. Everyone is too distracted talking about me.

I glance around the classroom to find no one, absolutely no one, is paying attention. That is, except for Justin.

Justin is clearly listening to the lecture, and taking notes.

As much as I hate all these people talking about me, it hurts to see that Justin doesn't seem to care in the least.

The class goes by, and all I can hear is the faint whispers of 'cancer girl' being repeated over and over, like a bee humming its tune. Over and over.

And suddenly the humming of the bees and their repeated symphony of 'cancer girl' is interrupted by the ringing of the bell. Like a loud savior, momentarily drowning out the whispers.

I stand up abruptly and grab my stuff. Ignoring the staring eyes, as I rush out of the classroom. But the whispers follow me into the halls.

By the time my next class arrives people everywhere are giving me their pity stares.

The entire math class, all I hear are the whispers being passed on. 'Cancer girl' rings in my head until I am deaf to anything else.

Then the ringing of 'cancer girl' is interrupted by the ringing bell.

I walk into the hall, ducking my head, trying to avoid the impending stares. But the rumor has spread like wildfire, and once it has spread it is impossible to extinguish. Then a turn to a tap on my shoulder. A red-headed buy with brown eyes stares down at me. "Aren't you cancer girl?" He asks.

I turn away from him, and practically run to the only place I know I won't find students.

The library.

I rush through the doors and to the corner of the huge room filled to the brim with books.

I bury myself in embarrassment. And a random book off the shelf. I open it up and stare blankly at the pages, occasionally flipping one, pretending to read. But my mind is elsewhere.

"Hey," a familiar voice says. I don't look up. Hoping it's someone else. Anyone else.

But instead of going away, Justin slides down next to me. I look up into his bright, ocean blue eyes. "Hey," I respond meekly.

"Are you alright?" He asks, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I lie, hoping it sounds truthful. "I'm going to go." I stand up and brush myself off. Then turn to walk out the library doors. Hopefully the halls are empty by now.

But a strong arm grips me, stopping me from taking another step. "No you aren't, " Justin says, turning me around and looking into my eyes, "and you don't have to pretend you are anymore."

****

HEY! I HAVE DECIDED TO START DOING AUTHOR'S NOTES! i HOP YA'LL ENJOY THEM!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER?

WHY DO YOU THINK JUSTIN WAS AVOIDING AUBREY'S GAZE?

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT?

ON A SEPERATE NOTE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T SEEN THE TRAILER YET, THE AMAZING VisualGraphics MADE ME THE FOLLOWING TRAILER FOR THIS BOOK? iSN'T IT GORGEOUS? YOU CAN FIND THE TRAILER IN THE FIRST CHAPTER, THIS VHAPTER, AND THE COVER ART AND CHARACTER AESTHETICS CHAPTER.

AND THE BANNERS AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER WERE MADE BY THE AMAZING kayjaytailor so go check her out!

I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR 1K READS! WE GOT IT! AND IT IS ALL THANKS TO YOU GUYS! I WILL UPDATE TOMMOROW TOO AS A GIFT FOR HELPING ME GET TO 1K READS! THANK YALL SO MUCH! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO WITHOUT YOU!