***Seamus’s POV***

“PARTY TIL YOU PASS OUT DRINK TIL YOU’RE DEAD DANCE ALL NIGHT TIL YOU CAN’T FEEL YOUR LEGS!”

My iPod screamed the song at me as I sat moodily on my bed. Lizzy was downstairs trying to figure out what to do with me. She was worried that once she was married, mom would start to neglect me even more. On top of everything, now I felt sick.

My cell phone buzzed and I answered it. “Hello?” It was quiet for a moment. “S-Shame?” It was Gabby. She was crying. “What?” I asked in annoyance. Why was she calling me with her prep drama? I didn’t care.

“I’m pregnant.”

Oh.

In that case…

Yea, I guess she could call me.

“How do you know it’s mine?” I demanded shakily. “Because you’re the only one I’ve had sex with!” she sobbed. Seriously? That whore? “Liar,” I hissed. “I’m not!” she cried.

I guess she was telling the truth. Actually, I remember her once admitting that to me. Oh shit. This was not good. This was so not good.

Great. I was dating Adalyn, in love with Alex, and had knocked up Gabby. Why did my love life suck so bad? “Alright, well what are you going to do?” I asked. She sniffed.

“I can’t get an abortion Seamus! I just can’t do that!” I cursed in my head. I was in some deep shit right now. I sighed. “Look, I’m busy right now and I don’t want my sister to overhear,” I lied.

“O-Okay,” she whimpered. I hung up and laid down. My ears were ringing. The world swirled a little and I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. I threw up and coughed a little.

“Seamus?!” Josh was standing in the bathroom doorway. He ran over to me as I coughed more. “LIZZY!” he screamed. “LIZZY!” He turned his attention back on me. He pulled my hair back from my face as I threw up a bit more.

I heard Lizzy running up the stairs and then she gasped. “Seamus? What’s wrong?” she cried and dropped next to me. I was shaking violently.

Lizzy rubbed my back gently as I coughed more. Why was this happening to me? Why was Gabby pregnant? And now of all times? When PacMan was struggling just to stay alive and when Alex and I were finally having something going for us?

Josh and Lizzy made sure I wasn’t going to puke more before carefully helping me into my bedroom. They laid me down and put a bucket next to my bed. Lizzy sat next to me and brushed my hair away from my sweating forehead.

She placed her hand against it. “He‘s burning up,” she said. I wasn’t paying attention. I was drifting off into my own thoughts. What was I going to do?
“Seamus I’ll be right back,” Lizzy said gently and got up. Josh sat next to me nervously. “Hey kid, I’m sorry,” he said. “I was just frustrated. You stress her out so much. Are you alright?” I was still shaking but managed to nod. “Yea,” I whispered. “Yea, I’m alright. Just a little sick. Must be a stomach bug,” I said quietly.

***Alex’s POV***

I waited nervously until Lizzy opened the front door to their house. “Oh, hello Alex,” she said and offered me a smile. “I’m sorry. Now’s not a very good time. We think he has the stomach bug. He just vomited and his forehead feels very warm.”

Ohmigosh! Seamus?! “LIZZY!” I heard some guy’s voice yelling. “Lizzy’s he’s being sick again!”

She shot me a nervous look. “I’ll be right be back,” she said before hurrying back inside. I waited by the door and tried to listen. I could hardly hear anything except a few running noises from upstairs.

Lizzy came back downstairs a few minutes later. “Sorry Alex. I just took his temperature. He definitely has a stomach bug.” I sighed sadly. “It’s alright,” I said. “Just…tell him I said to get well soon.” She smiled at me. “Sure. Thank you for being so nice to my brother.” I nodded before waving and walking off. Great, now I didn’t have anything to do for the rest of the day.

Damn Seamus! Why did he have to puke his guts out when I wanted to hang out with him? Ugh. Stupid emo boy.

I walked home and daddy smiled at me. “Mind helping me bring a few more things to Dr. Holst’s house darling?” I shrugged. “Sure.”

Daddy and I loaded some things into the car before driving to Dr. Holst’s house. We knocked on the door and Dr. Holst answered. He gave us a sad smile. “Light! Cliff!” he called. The two appeared in the doorway. “Help us bring these things inside,” he said.

“Light? Oh my how have you been? You’ve grown so tall!” daddy said. He smiled politely. “Hello Mr. Arnold. I haven’t seen you in awhile. I’m on break from college right now. Hello. Alex, right?” I nodded and shook his hand.

I chanced a glance at Clifton. He had an emotionless face but I could detect the broken look in his eyes. We began to carry things into the house.

“How is he?” I asked softly. He glared. “Why do you care bitch?” he growled. “Because he seems like a good kid.” The broken look shown through a little more. “He is,” he whispered. “And he’s dying. They say his chances of living are very slim.”

He sat on a box and dropped his face into his hands and shook. I had never imagined Clifton to show this much emotion. “Cliff? Let’s go upstairs,” Light said gently to him.

He carefully led Clifton out of the room. “He was best friends with Paxton Jaggers,” Dr. Holst said sadly. “How horrible,” daddy whispered. My cell phone buzzed and I pulled it out and check the message. It was from Gabby.

I need 2 tell u sumthin