End of the World

© KES

Prologue

It started like any other day.  I woke up, turned the water on in the tub, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and turned on the TV to watch the Saturday morning cartoons.  Usually, I was quite a morning person, but I’d been out late the night before and I knew I had to be at work by 8:00.

When I stepped into the bathroom, I was overwhelmed by the amount of steam that poured out.  I sighed happily.  There was nothing in the world more soothing than a bubble bath.

I quickly stripped out of my robe and got into the bathtub.  I knew I had a good hour before I needed to be at work, so I grabbed a magazine from the basket between the tub and the toilet and got engrossed in the first article I saw.

“Emily!”  My eighteen-year-old brother Brandon Blackwell pounded on the bathroom door, shaking me from a deep sleep I’d fell into.  “You’re going to be late—again!” 

“Shit,” I mumbled to myself as I dumped the shampoo and conditioner into my hands and hurriedly mixed it through my hair.  I jumped out after I’d ran a washcloth over my body.  I grabbed my robe, threw it on and ran to my room.  It took me all of a minute to finish getting ready.

“Thanks, Brandon,” I ruffled his hair.  He didn’t respond.  He was much too occupied by Pepper Ann to acknowledge me.  “I’ll be home around three!”

“Blackwell!”  My boss Dave Knowles shouted as soon as I entered the break room after four hours of work.

I turned to him and pouted, “What now?”

He continued to glare at me, but the icy look in his emerald eyes disappeared.  “This is the third time this month that you’ve been late.  One more time, I’m gonna have to figure out what to do with you…you know that, right?”

I sighed, turning away from him.  “I know…”

“But you are one of my best employees…” he went on, “and you know that as well.”

I smiled weakly, “Yeah, I do.”  I opened a can of Mountain Dew and gulped nearly half of it down in one sip.  “Speaking of your best employees, where’s Jamal?”

Dave turned away from me suddenly.  I didn’t like the feeling I was getting from his reaction. 

Jamal Washington was my best friend.  He had been since I moved to Wilmington three years ago.  He was one of those “I’m a thug” guys when his friends were around, but when it was just me and him, he was one of the sweetest guys I’d ever met.  He could always make me laugh, even when I thought one of my problems meant the end of the world.

“He’s still sick,” Dave informed me.  “His brother called in for him today.  I guess whatever’s he has is getting worse because this is the first time his brother has called in for him.”

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.  Jamal had been really sick lately.  He missed the last three weeks of his junior year, he’d been in and out of the hospital, and he’d been backing away from all his friends.  It was confusing for me because I didn’t know what to do about it.  I’d go see him every once in a while, but our conversations were uncomfortable.  It was like the three years of friendship we’d worked so hard for had completely vanished.  He wouldn’t talk to anyone.

I sighed, not knowing what to think.  I obviously didn’t feel very good.  My best friend was avoiding me…but I couldn’t help to think that he most likely had a really good reason for me which led me to wonder what I’d done wrong.

“Em?  Are you okay?”  Dave interrupted my thoughts.

“Yeah…just sorta worried, I guess.”  I glanced at the clock, “I should probably get back to work, huh?”

Dave looked at me for a second, “Nah, Em…you know what?  Take the rest of the day off.  I can manage.”

I looked at him, skeptical.  This was very un-Dave-like.  “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he said after a moment’s hesitation.  “I had two people come in for Jamal anyway.  Go spend some time with him.”

I was caught completely off guard.  Dave was usually really strict about work.  Something seemed different today though.  He seemed different.

I took advantage of the situation before he could change his mind.  I grabbed my purse and quickly punched out.

“You’re gonna get it if you’re late one more time, Blackwell,” he shouted after me.  I couldn’t help but smile as I unlocked my Malibu.  Dave really did have a sensitive side.  I couldn’t wait to tell Jamal.

When I pulled into his driveway, nervousness swept through my body.  It felt like I was going in front a large group of people, knowing I was going to fall on my face.  I felt like I already lost something. 

I shook the feeling away as I knocked quietly on his front door.  It took a while for it to be pulled open.

“Hi, Mrs. Washington…is Jamal here?”  I asked, trying very hard to ignore the erratic beating of my heart.

She wouldn’t meet my eyes.  Normally she was quite the talker.  She always wanted to know what was going on in my life and how I felt.  This time, however, it seemed like she didn’t even realize I was there.

“Yes, he is,” she breathed.  “I’m afraid he’s not doing so well today.”

The feeling in my stomach got worse.  “Would it be all right if I went to see him?  Just for a little while?”  I questioned quietly.

She seemed to be pondering her choices when Jamal’s older brother Sean appeared in the doorway.  “It’s okay, Ma.  He wants to see her.”

Now I was scared.  Sean was one of the most energetic people I’d ever met.  He was a lot like his mother, usually asking questions or cracking stupid jokes that would make me laugh until I cried.  But now…he was just like his mother yet again.  Sullen and quiet.  He wouldn’t meet my eyes either.

“Hi, Sean,” I whispered, gently touching his arm.  The motion caused his eyes to finally meet mine.  He looked absolutely terrified.  I tore my eyes from his gaze almost as soon as it started.  I was now petrified.

“He’s in his room,” he replied softly.  He followed his mother onto the porch without another word.

I took the route to his room slower than usual.  I was trying to contemplate what to expect when I entered.  Whatever it was, I knew it wasn’t good.

I was at his door sooner than expected.  It was partially open, but I couldn’t bear to look in.  I closed my eyes and breathed slowly for a little while, trying to calm myself down, but it wasn’t working.  I had never been more afraid in my entire life.  After one more round of deep breaths, I pushed the door open.

I must have gasped at what I saw because Jamal glanced up at me and then back to his wall.  He was attached to many cords and machines.  I’d been there only four days before and he didn’t look nearly this bad.  It seemed like he lost about fifteen pounds in those four days.

“What’s going on, J?”  I inquired before I knew what I was saying, “Why are you…how…what’s going on?”

I felt absolutely hysterical.  He looked like he was inches from death and I didn’t know what to do…what to say.  I wanted to throw my arms around him and hug him until I fell asleep.  I suddenly wanted him to comfort me…but I knew that it would soon be the other way around.

“Come here,” he said gently.  He didn’t even sound like Jamal.  He sounded so small, so far away…but he was right in front of me.

I practically ran to his side and he took my hand in his.  He pressed his lips softly to my fingertips before saying anything.

“I have cancer, Em...”

And my world finally was ending.

It took him a little while to finish what he started saying, “And it’s not looking very good.”