Dumb title: Chapter 10

To anyone still reading this, this chapter is the last one I have typed so if you want more let me know. If not, maybe I'll stop blogging. Yes, that is a threat. Act on it!

Chapter 10~ Alex
Kelly and Alex sat on Alex’s bed and held each other for a long time. Sometimes, Alex could feel Kelly’s tears on his face. Likewise, her cheeks were sometimes freshly watered with tears from his eyes. Alex was grateful for the human contact. He was so scared. He just needed to be loved, and made to feel secure.
When thirty minutes had passed, Alex heard a knock on his door. “Alex? It’s me, Mom. Can I come in?” Alex looked at Kelly. She smiled, and reached up to wipe the tears from his cheeks. “I’ll give you two some time together,” she whispered. “Don’t leave!” Alex didn’t know if he could handle this alone. “I’ll be downstairs,” she said, smiling gently. “I need to call my parents anyway.” “Okay,” he said hesitantly. “You’ll be fine,” she said. He kissed her one more time, and then she opened the door. As light spilled over her face, Alex could see the surprise written on his mother’s face. Kelly walked uncertainly around her and slipped out of the room.
Mrs. Kereta stood in the doorway and regarded her son. She felt that in the three days since Alex had been diagnosed, an ocean had grown between them. She had pushed back her own grief in order to help him, but he had shoved her out. Mrs. Kereta had stood outside his door pounding, talking, and yelling. She’d slid notes under the door, anything to let him know he wasn’t alone. He hadn’t responded.
Now he sat looking at her. His eyes, for all they were red, were amazingly clear. Mrs. Kereta wished she could have been the one to break through to Alex, but at the same time, she was extraordinarily grateful to Kelly.
Alex watched his mother move closer to him, hesitantly, as though unsure what his response would be. He stood up and met her in the center of the room. They hugged fiercely. Pretty soon, both were crying. “Mom,” Alex sobbed, “what are we gonna do? I’m so scared.” “I know you are love. I know. We can fight this. I’ve talked to the doctor and she’s optimistic. You’re so young and strong. Oh baby, you’re gonna be just fine.” Mrs. Kereta stopped talking and held tight to her baby. Alex’s tears gradually quieted.
“Mom?” he asked tentatively. “Yes honey?” “I, uh,” Alex paused, “Kelly came in with a bobby pin, I mean, she just…” “I understand Alex. I’m just so glad she could bring you back to me.” She smiled, “Speaking of Kelly, why don’t we go downstairs so she’s not all alone down there?” Alex smiled. “Alright.”
Kelly was sitting at the kitchen table. Her eyes were red, and her gaze might have burned a hole in the dark wood of the table. When Alex entered the kitchen behind his mother, her eyes jumped to his. Alex saw fear and sadness written on her face. He put his arms around her shoulders. “It’s okay Kelly, we’re going to be okay,” he whispered. She smiled faintly. “I know, I just wish…” “Me too,” Alex finished looking sadly at her, “but it’s us isn’t it? For some reason this got dumped on us. Everyone has something, we’ve got this.” Kelly’s eyes became teary again. Alex hugged her tighter. “We’ll be okay Kellabell.” She pulled away from him, grinning. “You’ll be okay if you never call me that again!” “Aww, but it’s so cute! How about just Bell?” he asked. Kelly considered for a minute. “Fine, if you must.” “I really must…Bell.” Kelly rolled her eyes and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Thanks,” she said softly. Alex’s dark eyes became serious. “No Bell, thank you.” She half-smiled at him. He sat down in the chair next to her.
Mrs. Kereta set a plate of sliced apples on the table, and then sat down across from the two teens. “Guys, we need to have a serious conversation. First though, Kelly? Can you come into the living room with me for a second?” Kelly nodded and stood up to follow her. Alex got up as well, but Mrs. Kereta stopped him. She said she wanted a private talk with Kelly; it would only take a moment. Kelly looked puzzled, but followed Mrs. Kereta obediently.
When they reached the living room, they found it in semi-darkness. Mrs. Kereta surveyed Kelly through the long shadows that cloaked everything. Kelly’s young face was unreadable. Mrs. Kereta’s face was fierce. What she was about to say was of dire importance. “Kelly, I’m going to ask you a very important question. I need you to tell me the truth. Even if you think I want to hear a lie, give me the truth. Are we clear?” Kelly nodded, apprehension and fear peeking through her masked face. “Good, now listen to me. Alex told me you said you’d stay with him in this time of need. He believes you. He loves you. I need to know Kelly, if you meant what you said. Are you just toying with my son? Are you going to bolt at the first sign of trouble? He can’t deal with that right now Kelly, he’s got enough going on at the moment. So if you want out, go now before you get in to deep. I won’t let you break his heart,” Mrs. Kereta looked Kelly directly in the eyes, “It’s your choice.”
Kelly looked down at the carpeted floor. When she slowly raised her eyes, they were tear-filled again. Her hands were shaking slightly. She balled them into fists and ever so slowly looked into Mrs. Kereta’s face. When she first spoke, her voice trembled a little, but she slowly got it under control. “Mrs. Kereta, I have known Alex since I was six years old. I meant what I said to him upstairs. Even if Alex doesn’t need a girlfriend right now, I’m here for him as a friend. But I hope I can be his girlfriend, because I really do love him.” Mrs. Kereta studied Kelly carefully. “Well, I guess you’d better call me Kathy,” she said after what felt like an eternity. “I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on.” Kelly nodded. “Let’s go back into the kitchen,” Mrs. Kereta said quietly.

Not Another Lame Title

I actually like this chapter. I really didn't change the original text much.

Chapter 9~ Kelly
Why hadn’t he called? It had been three days since the last time Kelly and Alex had spoken. After hearing from him every evening, this sudden loss of any contact whatsoever was very odd. When Alex hadn’t called Wednesday night, Kelly had called him and gotten the answering machine. Thursday she’d left two messages. Friday she hadn’t called. Here it was Saturday and still no word from Alex.
Kelly was sad, hurt, and confused. Why didn’t Alex return her calls? Was something wrong? Did he not like her anymore? Wouldn’t he have the decency to call her if the latter was true?
Kelly hurled her pillow across the bedroom floor in frustration and flopped across her bed. Someone knocked on the door. “What?” she snapped. “Honey, can I come in?” It was her mom. “Whatever,” Kelly muttered.
Mrs. Hunter pushed the door open, walked over to Kelly’s bed, and sat down beside her daughter. “Baby, you’ve been hiding up here all day. What’s wrong?” Kelly sat up and leaned against the headboard of her bed. It was ice cold and the ridges dug into her back, but she didn’t care. She drew her knees up against her chest. “Alex still hasn’t called. I’m kind of worried about him,” a pause, then, “I’m also worried he might not like me any more. It happens, I know. I just didn’t think he’d leave me hanging.” “Sweet heart, do you honestly think Alex doesn’t like you any more?” Kelly sighed. “I don’t know. No I guess. I just don’t know why he hasn’t called me in three days. Or returned my calls. Something’s up, I just wish I knew what.”
At that moment, the phone rang. Mrs. Hunter raised her eyebrows. Kelly reached for her bedroom phone. “Hello?” she said, her voice full of anticipation. “Hey Kel, it’s Kevin.” “Oh,” she said, dejectedly. “Hey.” “Um, what’s up?” he asked, uncertainly. “Nothing, Alex just hasn’t called me in awhile.” “Oh, that’s actually why I called. I was wondering if you’d heard from him. He hasn’t called me or Lily in like, three days.” Kelly frowned. “That’s about the same amount of time he hasn’t called me,” she said. “I’m getting kind of freaked out,” said Kevin. “Me too. Call me if you hear anything okay?” “Will do Kel.” Kelly hung up the phone.
She lay back down on her bed and looked at her mom. “I think something’s wrong” she said after a minute. “If he hasn’t called Kevin or Lily, it’s probably serious. He tells Kevin everything.” “I think you’re probably right,” said Mrs. Hunter gently. She hugged Kelly and left the room.
Kelly rolled over and stared at her phone. Should she call him again? Why though? Wasn’t it his turn? Besides, she felt embarrassed leaving so many messages. His mom must think Kelly was desperate or something.
But what if something was really wrong? What if Alex needed a friend but was afraid to ask? If Alex needed her…Kelly groaned. She took a deep breath, sat up , and reached for her phone.
Kelly fully expected to get the machine again, and was surprised when she heard a voice say, “Hello?” “Um, Mrs. Kereta?” “Yes.” “This is Kelly. Can I talk to Alex?” “Hold on just a minute Kelly.” While Kelly was on hold, she wondered why Mrs. Kereta’s voice sounded so strange. Did she have a cold or something?
Mrs. Kereta came back on the line. “Kelly? He won’t come to the phone. Can I give him a message?” “Um, actually,” inspiration suddenly struck Kelly, “are you guys in the middle of something?” “No, not really. Why?” “Can I come over in a few minutes? Alex and I need to talk.” Kelly’s voice became steely on the last line.
Kelly heard Mrs. Kereta hesitate before saying, “Kelly, this isn’t really-oh what the heck. Sure Kelly, come on over.” “Okay, see you in a few minutes.”

It took Kelly exactly 15 minutes to find a ride and get to Alex’s house. As Brian stopped the car and waited for her to get out, he studied the look on his little sister’s face. Before she closed the car door, he grabbed her hand. “Good luck Kellabell. You gonna kick some butt?” “I, I don’t know,” said Kelly nervously. “I honestly don’t think this has anything to do with me or our relationship. I just have this weird feeling…” she trailed off. “Well, whatever you do, good luck.” Kelly gave a half smile as Brian drove off.
She took a deep breath and walked to the Kereta’s front door. She raised a shaking hand to the doorbell. Her heartbeat quickened as she listened to the bell’s echo and waited for the door to open. When Mrs. Kereta finally opened it, Kelly stared. Mrs. Kereta’s eyes were red-rimmed and her face was blotchy. It looked like she’d been crying for hours. “Are you okay?” asked Kelly concerned. “Not really Kelly, but thanks for asking. Come on in. Alex is up in his room. Why don’t you go up there?” “Okay,” said Kelly nervously. As she walked up the beige carpeted steps, questions filled Kelly’s head. Why was Mrs. Kereta so upset? Why was Alex hiding up in his room? Did one have to do with the other? What was going on here?
When she reached Alex’s bedroom door, Kelly knocked softly, then a bit louder. “Alex?” she called quietly. “Alex? It’s me, Kelly. Why haven’t you called me?” her voice got stronger. “Why won’t you talk to me? Alex? Alex? Are you listening to me? Alex?” Kelly tried the door. Locked. Then she got an idea. She reached up to her ponytail and removed a bobby pin, which she carefully inserted it into the lock of the door. After fiddling with it for a moment, Kelly heard it click. She put the pin in her pocket and twisted the doorknob. It opened, and Kelly stepped into total darkness. Alex’s blinds were closed and there were no lights on. “Alex?” Kelly asked. No answer. As her eyes adjusted, Kelly saw Alex curled tight in a fetal position on his bed. “Alex?” she said again. “Are you okay?” He rolled over and looked at her, squinting in the light from the hallway. “Kelly?” he asked in a raspy voice. “Yeah, it’s me. Why haven’t you called me? Why are you in here in the dark?” She was scared, what was going on?
Kelly sat down on the edge of the bed. He sat up and slowly moved to her side. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered urgently in his ear, “Tell me what’s wrong.” He looked directly into her face. Kelly saw a darkness in his eyes that went beyond the shadows of the room. Something was very wrong. “Alex,” she said, still in a whisper, “let me in.” He turned away from her and said in a just barely audible voice, “I have leukemia.”
“What?!” Kelly gasped. He turned to her again, now his eyes were brimming with pain and tears. Then the darkness returned and magnified. He was retreating back inside himself. Kelly could almost see him physically leaving her. She grabbed his hands and squeezed them. “Alex,” she said, her voice breaking. “Tell me it isn’t true. Tell me you’re playing a nasty joke on me. Not funny, by the way.” She searched his face and saw no light or hope. Kelly felt tears leaking from her own eyes and down her face. “Oh Alex, my Alex. Why you?” Then Alex pulled out of himself and back to her. He held her tightly in his arms. They leaned into each other and cried. Cried for each other, and cried for this cruel twist of fate thrust upon them.
When the only tears left between them were the ones quickly drying on their cheeks, Alex spoke in a flat, hollow voice, “Kelly, if you want to break up, I would completely understand. I love you too much to make you sit here and watch me die.” Kelly pulled out of his arms and looked at Alex as though he’d gone slightly insane. “Okay, first of all,” she began, “you are not going to die. People beat leukemia all the time! You are young strong, and stubborn as a mule! You’re not going anywhere! I don’t ever want to hear you say you’re dying again! Second of all, Alex whatever-your-middle-name-is-Kereta, I’m not going anywhere! What kind of girlfriend would I be? What kind of friend? I love you and I’m here for you! Understand?”
Alex was silent a moment. Then, “Matthew,” he whispered softly. “What?” Kelly asked, confused. “My middle name is Matthew,” he repeated. “Oh, okay then,” she said uncertainly. “Alex…Matthew Kereta, do you understand me?”
In answer, Alex pulled Kelly close to him. He kissed her lips. “Thanks Kelly,” he said quietly.
“For what?”
“For lighting up my dark.”

Chapter 8 (these titles are getting lame. Must come up with better.)

So, I'm thinking maybe my science is faulty in this chapter. I don't know. I've done tons of research, but I'm still foggy on some of the details.

Chapter 8~ Alex
Alex had been out of school for almost a week and a half. He had talked to Kelly on the phone every night. He loved her so much, and she was so worried about him. He tried to assure her that he was fine, but she could see right through him. In truth, his shoulder was worse than ever, and no one could seem to figure out what was wrong. The diagnoses ranged from pulled muscle to pinched nerve to plain old growing pains. No one seemed very confident in their results though, Alex had been referred to multiple specialists. They had all insisted on different tests that involved x-rays, needles, or worse. The latest idea had been to take a bone marrow sample, for what reason Alex had no clue. He didn’t much care. The sooner they found out what was wrong, the sooner they could make him better and the sooner he could get back to dancing. And back to Kelly.
“Alex!” his mom yelled, “come take one of these pain pills so you can sleep. We’ve got an early doctor’s appointment in the morning!” Alex groaned, he hadn’t liked doctors in the first place, now he was plain sick of them. What could this doctor say that the others hadn’t? Nevertheless, he slid off his bed and walked slowly downstairs. Just the movement of walking was enough to light a fire in his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and breathed deeply, trying to will the pain away, no success.
“Mom, I think my shoulder’s getting worse,” he said when he finally reached the kitchen where she was waiting. Mrs. Kereta handed him the pill and a glass of water. “I’m sorry baby, I wish I could make you feel better.” Alex gave a half-smile and sank down in a chair. The pain exhausted him, but made sleep impossible. The pills helped him sleep, and for that Alex was immensely grateful.
After swallowing the pill, Alex leaned against the seat back and tried to work up the strength and desire to walk back upstairs. It was so hard. Finally he breathed in, then out, then stood up. He kissed his mom, then dragged himself up the steps and fell into bed in a dead sleep.

Alex was awakened at 4:30 by a painful announcement from his shoulder; the pain medication had worn off. Trying to sleep any longer was pointless. Alex reached for his CD player and headphones. He popped a disc into the player and settled the headphones on his ears.
He tried to let the music relax him, as it had been able to do in the past, but to no avail. This was hurt like he had never known before, and none of his old techniques for dealing worked. He stared in to the darkness of his room. He’d been up like this several nights in a row, and he hated every minute of it.
About two hours later, he heard a light tapping on his door. He turned off the music just as his mom walked into the room. “Hey, how long have you been up?” she inquired. “Awhile,” Alex responded grimacing. “Do you need anything?” When Alex shook his head she sighed. “At least you’re easy to please. You can rest for awhile longer, we don’t have to be at the hospital until eight. What do you want for breakfast?” “I’m actually not that…” he stopped short when he saw the look his mom was shooting at him. “Um, bowl of cereal?” he said meekly. “How about eggs, bacon, and toast?” “Mom really! I’m not that hungry!” “Alex you are getting way too thin, you’re a growing kid and you need to eat more!” They stared at each other for a minute before Mrs. Kereta finally relented. “Alright, I’ll bring you cereal, but it’s gonna be Fruit Loops! We need some meat on those bones!” Alex laughed, “Okay Mom, you win this time, Fruit Loops it is!” Mrs. Kereta laughed and walked out of the room. Alex grinned. He and his mother had gotten really close since his dad’s death. They’d had no choice really; it was just the two of them. Well, the two of them and Pudgy, Alex remembered as the tabby giant limbered into the room.
Pudgy lumbered over to Alex’s bed and hefted his considerable mass up onto it. “Hi there buddy,” said Alex running his fingers through the cat’s thick fur. Pudgy purred and snuggled up close just as Mrs. Kereta returned bearing a bowl of cereal on a tray. “Your Fruit Loops,” she said handing him the tray. Alex thanked her and she left the room to get dressed and make her own breakfast.
Alex stared down into the bowl. Just looking at the brightly colored cereal floating soggily in the milk made him nauseous. He made a face and looked at Pudgy. “Hey Pudge, you like Fruit Loops?” The cat twitched an ear in his direction and continued sleeping. Alex rolled his eyes. “You don’t need any “Fruit Loops anyway, there’s quite enough meat on your bones.” Pudgy paid him no mind. Alex slowly raised the spoon to his mouth, stared at it, and then tipped it down his throat. He chewed, swallowed, and then waited. He cautiously took a few more bites. When the bowl was empty, Alex felt sick. He put the tray on the floor and rolled over onto his stomach, waiting for the nausea to pass.
After a few minutes, Alex got up shakily and looked around his room for clean clothes. His room was a wreck. There were clothes all over the floor nearly concealing his navy blue carpet. Alex waded over to his dresser and got out jeans and a t-shirt. Once dressed, he walked downstairs. “Mom, I’m getting in the car.” “I’m right behind you.”
They didn’t talk much during the twenty-five minute ride to the hospital. When they arrived, Mrs. Kereta pulled into a parking place near the front. “Come on, your appointment starts in five minutes and we still have to find the place,” Mrs. Kereta said. Alex followed his mother through the hospital’s revolving doors and over to the elevator. Once they were inside it, Mrs. Kereta fished a small piece of paper from her purse. “We need the sixth floor, room 612 office of Dr. Lisa Jenette.” The elevator came to a stop and Alex and his mother stepped into the hallway. They walked a few feet before Mrs. Kereta stopped in front of a door bearing the title;
D.R. LISA JENETTE, M.D.
ONCOLOGY
Oncology? thought Alex, wasn’t that…? Before he could finish his thought, his mom had opened the door to reveal a young African-American woman, her hair back in a bun, sitting at a small wooden desk. She looked up as the door opened. “Hello,” she said, getting up. “You must be Alex and Kathleen Kereta,” she shook their hands warmly. “It’s nice to meet you both. My name is Dr. Jenette. Please have a seat.”
When they were all seated, Dr. Jenette flipped open a file folder and looked directly at Alex. Alex was unnerved; most of the previous doctors had talked solely to his mother, ignoring him completely. This was new, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. It made whatever she was about to say seem much more important.
“Alex, I have some very serious news for you.” “Did you finally figure out what’s wrong with my shoulder?” Alex asked scornfully. “I’m afraid so,” Dr. Jenette said, ignoring his tone. “The bone marrow sample taken a few days ago confirmed an already existing theory.” Dr. Jenette paused for a minute then continued, “Your blood sample showed an abnormally low red blood cell count. Someone got suspicious and ordered the marrow test. That test revealed a number of leukemic blast cells in your marrow. That’s my specialty, so your case was referred to me. The cells must have started growing in your shoulder, as that’s where the highest concentration of them is, which explains the pain you’ve been experiencing. However, the cells have metastasized and spread. Alex I’m sorry to tell you this, but after further analysis, I’ve concluded that you have acute lymphocytic leukemia.”
Alex felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach. All the air left his lungs. “No,” he finally said, “no, no that can’t be right. I mean, doctors make mistakes all the time right? I mean, you probably just read the test wrong or something right?” Dr. Jenette looked at him sadly. “It’s possible, but I triple check these things before I tell the patient.” “No, you don’t understand,” Alex felt his voice rising, he was verging on hysterics. “I can’t have leukemia! I, I dance, I have a girlfriend, I have a life! I’m only fifteen!” Dr. Jenette was still giving him that sad smile. “Alex, we can fight this, people fight and win all the time.” “NO!” Alex yelled. He stood up and ran from the room.
He ran down the hallway dodging nurses, doctors, patients, anything in his way. He had to keep running. If he stopped the truth would crush him. He jumped over obstacles, ignored orderlies yelling at him to stop. He kept running even when his chest and shoulder were on fire and his breath came in gasps. Finally, he could run no more. He collapsed in a corner as the horrible reality caught up with him. He had leukemia. He was going to die.

Chapter 7

Enjoy my loves.

Chapter 7~ Kelly
Kelly heard a crash behind her in the hallway and turned to see Alex sitting by the lockers, his books scattered on the floor. She rushed to him, dropping her own books in the process. Before she got there, the bell rang and the hallway emptied. She knelt down next to him. “Alex? Alex? Can you hear me? What happened?” Alex’s breath was coming in quick gasps. Tears rolled down his face. “Alex? Talk to me!” Kelly was almost shouting. She grabbed his arm and shook it. “Ow!” he cried. “Oh my god, oh my god. It hurts so bad.” His voice shook, his whole body shook. “What hurts? Is it your shoulder?” “Yes! Oh god, ow, ow” His breathing was so jagged she thought he might hyperventilate if he didn’t clam down.
Kelly scanned the hall for a teacher. Finding none, she turned back to Alex. “Don’t move, I’m going to get a teacher okay?” Alex nodded feebly. “Try to breathe okay love?” More nodding. “I’ll be right back.”
Kelly rushed down the hall, headed for the nearest classroom. However she was intercepted halfway there by the teacher on hall duty. “Where’s your pass young lady?” the teacher inquired. Kelly fought to keep her voice under control. “I don’t have one, my friend Alex is around the corner, and he’s on the floor by the lockers and in a lot of pain. Can you help him?” The teacher had already set off. Kelly followed briskly. “What happened to him?” the teacher asked. “I’m not sure, I didn’t see. I know his shoulder has been hurting for a few days, but it seems really bad now. Can we hurry? I told him I’d be right back.” The teacher (her badge said Mrs. Tameron) picked up her pace.
When they reached Alex, he had propped himself against the lockers. His breathing had regulated slightly, but he still looked tense and shaken. “How are you Alex?” Mrs. Tameron asked. Kelly saw Alex fight to keep his voice steady. “I’m…better. Not great,” he replied. “I think I’d like to call my mom.” “I think that would be best,” Mrs. Tameron agreed. “Do you need help getting up?” “No, I’m fine,” Alex said, and pulled himself to a standing position, using the lockers for support. Kelly noticed his body was still trembling. Wow, she thought, he must be in a lot of pain. His knees buckled suddenly, and Mrs. Tameron instinctively reached out to grab him by the shoulder. Kelly saw the look of agony on his face. “Stop it! You’re hurting him!” she cried, reaching out to catch Alex around the waist. “Sorry,” Mrs. Tameron said ashamedly. Alex nodded that it was okay. “Alex, why don’t you and Kelly stay here, I’ll go phone your mom and get Kelly a late slip so she can head to class.” The two nodded, and Mrs. Tameron walked off.
“Does it still hurt a lot?” “Yeah,” Alex grimaced. “I wish I knew why.” “Me too, then I could make you feel better,” Kelly said quietly. Alex smiled weakly. “Kelly, you already made it better. I was in so much pain it hurt to move, it hurt to breathe! It still does! It was scary as hell! But you were there, you never left me. I was more terrified than I have ever been in my entire life, and you were right there by my side. Thank you.” “I wouldn’t have it any other way Alex, I love you.” “I love you too Kel.”
At that moment, Mrs. Tameron came back around the corner. “Alex? Your mom will be in the office in ten minutes. Come with me. Kelly? Here’s your late slip, you can go to class now, I’ll take it from here.” Kelly squeezed Alex’s hand gently. “Call me later if you’re up to it.” “Will do Kel, see ya later.”
Kelly headed toward the stairs; her next class was a floor up. She didn’t notice until halfway up the steps that her heart was pounding furiously and her hands were quivering. She had been probably as scared as Alex. She bit her lip and leaned against the wall, trying to compose herself before heading to English class. Alex will be okay, she told herself firmly. It can’t be anything serious. Just a pulled muscle, happens to dancers all the time. That’s all it is, right?

Chapter 6 (Edition 1, well 2 technically but 1 for all intents and purposes.)

Okay, so there are two versions of this chapter. I don't know if I should show you the other one as well, or just this "new and improved" version. I kind of like this one, but I kind of like the other one. Then again, I kind of don't have the old version typed...I guess if it was requested I could type it, but this one isn't too bad. Lemme know.

Chapter 6~ Alex
Alex smiled to himself as he stretched his legs out. As usual, he’d changed faster than Kelly. He’d had an awesome time with her, and now he’d get to dance!
When Alex’s legs were sufficiently stretched, he switched to his arms. As he began loosening his wrists, Kelly came leaping in, grinning ear to ear. Alex returned her glowing look, and then started rolling his shoulders, and finally raised them over his head and pulled them backwards. Without warning, he felt a stab of pain sear through his right shoulder. He immediately lowered his arms. The pain eased, but did not vanish entirely.
That same shoulder had been bothering him for a few days now, but he wasn’t overly concerned about it. That was one of the prices he had to pay for dancing every day. Muscle aches and pains were nothing new to senior dancers. Still, he thought, I should probably go easier on that arm for awhile.
“So,” Kelly began, interrupted his thoughts, “do you want to see that choreography I told you about?” “Yeah, where do you want me to be?” “How ‘bout you stand by the wall opposite the mirrors? That way you can see what I’m doing from all angles.” Alex nodded, and walked to the spot she’d indicated.
Kelly turned on the music and started to dance. As she did, she kept up a running commentary on what she was doing and what she thought he would be doing. Between being enchanted by the way she moved, and wondering if he should tell his mom about his shoulder (what if it was a pulled muscle, not just sore from being stretched too often?), he hardly heard her. She finished gracefully right in front of him, “Well? What do you think?” In Alex’s head, he said, I think I just missed half of it. Out loud though, he said, “It was great, you’re a dance genius.” She grinned, blushing. “Thanks, you want to try it?” “Uh, sure, I guess. You’ll have to help me through it.” “That’s okay, I don’t mind.” She positioned him correctly for the beginning of the dance, flicked the remote to start the music, and began moving. Alex followed sloppily, always a step behind her.
She paused about halfway through the dance. “I thought here we could do a lift…” Alex nodded, “Okay.” “Uh, do you want to try it?” she asked hesitantly. “Oh, um, alright.” Alex knew he shouldn’t over-exert his shoulder by lifting her, but how could he tell her that? So he just tensed his muscles and watched her come toward him, trying not to wince when she placed her hands on his shoulders. He grabbed her hips and lifted her high over his head. His right arm shook and threatened to give out. Alex gritted his teeth, he did so many pushups, and his arms were usually so strong. Why were they choosing now to be weak? He was in intense pain. Stretching the arm over his head was bad enough; having Kelly’s insubstantial weight pressing down on him was almost unbearable. He set her down quickly. Too quickly actually, she stumbled slightly at the harshness of the landing.
Kelly turned around and looked at him oddly. “Are you okay? If you’d put me down any faster, you’d have dropped me on my knees!” “I know, I’m sorry. My shoulder’s kind of sore. I think I might’ve pulled a muscle or something.” “Let me see it,” she said, sounding concerned, “maybe I can feel if anything’s out of place.” Alex allowed her to move his t-shirt sleeve out of the way and feel around. When she pressed down slightly on his shoulder bone, he jerked away. “That hurt? I was hardly pressing. I can’t feel anything weird though.” She moved her hand down the rest of his arm, pausing to trace her finger around a few bruises she found. He shivered under her touch. “Where’d you get the bruises?” she inquired. “I don’t know, I must’ve bumped them somewhere. It’s really no big deal.” “If you say so,” Kelly sounded unconvinced. Alex nodded and removed his arm from her hand.
“You want to do some of our other dances,” he asked, determined to change the subject. “Are you sure?” “Yes,” Alex responded firmly. Kelly still looked hesitant. Alex walked over to the CD player and selected a disk with one of their songs on it. Her reaction was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to reveal the pain in his shoulder to her. He knew she’d get all worried and try to mother him. While it was sweet, it was annoying. He could take care of himself. If it hurt too much, he’d take a break. Alex sighed and popped the disc in the player. Hopefully he could dance away everything bad.


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“Hey mom?” asked Alex. It was after dance class, and Alex had just recapped his date with Kelly to his mom. “Yeah Alex?” He hesitated. Should he tell her about his shoulder? Would her reaction be like Kelly’s? However, his shoulder was extra sore after the lift. He probably should get it checked. It felt like more than a stretched muscle. “Um, my right shoulder’s been hurting for a few days. I think I might’ve pulled a muscle or something.” His mom frowned. “Did you twist it at dance?” “I guess I must’ve,” he said, puzzled, “I don’t remember doing anything to it though.” “Hmm, I’ll have a look when we get home. Do you want me to make you an appointment to get it checked out?” “I guess,” Alex said dejectedly. He hated doctors. However, Lena had drilled into her dancers since the first year of junior dance team that if you feel sore anywhere and it lasts longer than a few days, get it checked! You could do yourself permanent damage by continuing to work on it.
Alex sighed. He was so tired. He sat the rest of the ride home in silence. When his mom pulled the car into the driveway, he grabbed his dance bag and stepped out into the crisp November chill. He shivered; he’d always been extra-sensitive to the cold. Walking quickly to the house, he tripped over an enormous tabby cat and nearly went sprawling. “Pudgy,” he murmured, bending down to stroke the cat, “You’ve got to learn to get out of the way.” Pudgy just purred and exposed his massive stomach. Alex rolled his eyes. “You have no pride,” he said, laughing at Pudgy’s affronted look. After a couple of rubs, Alex stood and went inside the house. His limbs were heavy with exhaustion.
He dragged himself and his bag upstairs to his bedroom. As he stripped off his dance clothes, he noticed more bruises coloring his legs and torso. They hardly registered. Once his sleep clothes were on, he fell into bed asleep almost immediately.

As Alex blearily walked to the bathroom the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the heightened pain in his shoulder. It had stiffened dramatically overnight. Stepping into the shower, he gasped in pain as hot streams of water pelted the bone.
“Are you okay honey?” his mom inquired when he came downstairs a few minutes later. “You look a little pale.” “My shoulder got worse, and I think I might be getting a cold or something. I don’t feel too great.” His mom offered to give him an Advil for the pain. He accepted gratefully, and washed it down with the dregs of his cereal. He then put his book-bag carefully onto his left shoulder, and headed out the door.
The biting cold of the morning seeped through his jacket and into his skin, sharpening his senses. The bus was just coming around the corner as he reached his stop. As soon as he was on and seated, it lurched into motion and Alex’s shoulder bumped against the window. He bit his lip and his eyes watered. Taking a few deep breaths, Alex tried to relax. He was glad his mom had scheduled the doctor’s appointment. This felt serious.

When the bus pulled up in front of Hancock High, Alex grabbed his book-bag and got off. The first thing he noticed upon pushing through the double doors and entering the building was Kelly. She was leaning against Lily’s locker, holding her books. She smiled when she caught sight of him. After exchanging greeting with her and Lily, Lily left, saying she had to get to class. “I should probably go too,” Kelly said, but she didn’t move. She took Alex’s hand. “How’s your shoulder?” she asked, after a minute. “Not great, but I’ll live,” he muttered. She smiled sweetly, “Good, I’ll see you at lunch.” He nodded and headed in the opposite direction.
As Alex walked away, someone accidentally ran in to him and sent him crashing into the wall of lockers. His right shoulder slammed into one of them, and the area exploded with pain. He dropped his books to the floor and then slid down beside them. The pain was unimaginable. It was throbbing, pulsing threatening to blind him. He had never known pain like this. How he managed to stay conscious was anybody’s guess.