twenty-two

                                    

                                          
*Marie's POV*
                          
I got dressed shortly afterward and Jack did the same. We walked downstairs and all the boys, including Hayes, were sitting there waiting on us.
                          
"I'll drive" Nash says, picking up his keys as we all walk out of the apartment and then out of the building. We get to his car and its a van. I give him a weird look.
                          
"Its kinda like the business van." He explains to me."Just thought it would be more comfortable if we drove in this." We all agree and then Nash speeds off.
                          
After we get Taco Bell, our journey to San Diego begins.
                          
Everything is perfect, Cameron and Nash are in the front, arguing about where to get off of the highway at. Matt and Hayes are stuffing their faces full of food, explaining to each other how food is a common necessity to life. Matt then starts singing, and its an awful noise that makes us all yell at him, telling him to stop, but that only makes the noises worse. Jack's arm is wrapped across my shoulders and I have one of his headphones in, he has the other. I can hear Amnesia playing softly in my ear, and I can hear Jack softly singing the music, pausing only to laugh at Matt who is singing "All About That Bass" and dancing along to it also. I can hear laughter and hapiness and for the first time in what seems like forever, life is normal. I'm a normal teenager. Acting like a teenager who doesnt have cancer and who doesnt think a lot about death. I'm a teenager who goes on mini one day road trips with her friends because she has nothing better to do. I'm the teenager who thinks about a future with my boyfriend, and as crazy as it sounds, actually start to believe that thats a real thing. A future with Jack seems so capable of happening, and I smile thinking of what we could become. We could become something together, and none of the cancer or the swing when we were little or the pain that we felt when we were apart or the bullying that Jack's friends used to put me through would matter because in this one moment, my life began to make sense. I was the girl who used not to have friends but now was sitting in a car feeling like i had the most and best friends in the world. I was the girl with cancer, and I could finally handle that. I was the girl who thought about Jack. I thought about him so much. I am who I am: nothing, and I mean nothing was going to change that.
                          
Except the throbbing pain I felt in the back of my head
                          
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I scream, because thats the only thing that I know to do. Nash slams on breaks and at first I think we're going to get hit, but that worry slowly goes away as I feel the pain once more.
                          
Jack looks me in the eyes and screams something at Nash that I cant hear. Cameron climbs over the two rows of seats seperating the front seat and mine and Jacks seat.
                          
Cameron comes and sits next to me, and Jack gets out of the still stopped car, telling Cam to take care of me, and then walking around to the front seat, pushing nash to the passenger seat. He then slams on the gas pedal and the car seems to take off almost like a rocket ship.
                          
I cry out again and lay my head in Cameron's lap. He grabs my hand and I squeeze his tightly.
                          
"Johnson you better hurry up." He calls out over the seats.
                          
"You think?" Johnson responds, getting off on the nearest exit. "There should be a hospital on this exit, we'll be there soon. Just hang on baby girl."
                          
Before I know it, we were at the hospital and Cameron is picking me up bridal style and rushing into the hospital. I hold my head in pain and see Jack running only a foot or so behind Cameron. He doesnt look happy but he can get over it.
                          
"Help Someone please Help!" Cameron screams once we get inside.
                          
A nurse sees me and runs up to him, Cameron sits me down in the wheelchair she provided and she asked him what was wrong.
                          
"Her head." Cameron says "She has cancer in her brain and shes complaining about her head." Cameron finishes.
                          
"Are any of you related to her?"
                          
"Im her boyfriend" Jack says, stepping in "and thats the closest realtion there is"
                          
"alright well your gonna have to go over there and do some paperwork."
                          
Jack nods and walks over to a lady at a different desk.
                          
"We've gotta go get your brain scanned okay?" I nod and hold my head.
                          
"Whats your name sweetie?" She asks as she rolls me away from the guys.
                          
"Marie" I whisper.
                          
"Well dont you worry about anything Marie, we're gonna fix you up nice, okay?"
                          
I nod and feel the sleep pulling me back down again,just as we arrive in the MRI room.