*A week later*

Surprise. It's me, Damien.

But you know me as Deceit.

I'd love to say that Aricka was doing fine and that she healed quickly and came home as though nothing was wrong. But, even as Deceit, I can't do that. Because Aricka is like my sister, and I can't lie about her.

The chemo made her sicker than most, and if she wasn't hovering over a toilet, she was sleeping the drugs off. This had the worst effect on Thomas, Roman, and Patton. Patton and Roman seemed to never leave her side, while Thomas was almost afraid to go near her, for fear of hurting her. Logan, armed with his knowledge of cancer, could talk to the doctors, and then tell us what was going on. Virgil hid in the corner of her room, keeping vigil over her.

And me?

I made sure the others ate, went home to shower, and basically became the "mom" to them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walk in, and Aricka's sitting up. She's smiling. "Dece!" (Day-C.) she says, and waves. "I feel better. Where's everyone else?"

"Logan, Roman, and Patton are eating in the cafeteria, and Thomas had a video to record," I reply.

"Where's Virgil?" she asks. Virgil looks up from his phone and smiles at her.

"I'm over here," he says. She looks over and holds her arms out. "If you ever pull something like this again I'll slap you," he jokes and hugs her. She hugs him back.

"I'll try not to; no promises though."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Aricka*

It's been a few weeks, and I'm back at school. My friends still don't know about my leukemia, but I was going to tell them today. I would tell Jack after school; since I didn't see him at all today. "Hey guys," I start, sitting in front of them. Mark, Dodie, Ethan, Troye, Dan, and Phil were sitting beside/around me. "I know I've been gone a while, and I need to tell you something-I have cancer. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia." I reach up and take off the beanie that'd been on my head. "The chemo causes me to lose my hair."

"What does that mean?" Dan asks.

"I'll have to go to the hospital every now and then and receive treatment. I'll bruise easier, and I might throw up sometimes. But I'm still me." I reply.

"Have you told Sean yet?" Dodie asks. I shake my head no.

"I'm telling him after school."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*After school*

I had my beanie back on, and Jack walked me home. "I see we're alone-any reason for that?" he asks. I nod.

"Jack-I have cancer. ALL." he stops and grabs my hand.

"Are you going to-?"

"Die? No, at least, I hope not. The chemo is going to try and help put me in remission." He just stands there for a few minutes. "Jack-babe?"

He finally looks at me. "When's your next appointment?"

"March 4, why?"

"I'm going with you. You're my girlfriend, I'm with you 100%."