I was annoyed and irritated but it was the increasing worry that I still hadn't heard from Lacey that dominated my thoughts despite the countless time I had rang her. Eventually I had called her home, and spoken to her mom.

"She is fine," Mrs Harper told me, but I could feel the underlying stress in her voice. It did nothing to dampen my own worry for my best friend. Something was up and no one was telling me anything.

"Where was she last night?" I asked prodding to see if I could get more information.

"She was up on the roof and she lost track of time," her mother explained. She wasn't telling me everything. I'd known Mrs Harper for most of my life. Her voice always pitched higher when she wasn't telling their truth. It added weight to my suspicion that there was definitely something going on.

"Please tell her I called." I couldn't completely brush off the growing anxiousness I was feeling until I spoke to Lacey and figured out what was going on. I wondered if it had something to do with Adonis.

"Sure," her mother said before I ended the call.

If I didn't have college I would have gone over to her house and waited to see her. I chewed my lip. I trudged to my next class knowing my attention wouldn't be fully on the lecturer.

Even while I tried to concentrate I was thinking of all the reasons why Lacey would be acting the way she should. The main one was the reappearance of Adonis. He had been playing the push and pull game with her. It irritated me that he didn't just own up to his feelings.

I didn't know why he didn't make it clear to her how he felt about her. In my mind I was going around in circles trying to figure out why Adonis didn't admit he cared more for Lacey and why my best friend was acting so strange lately.

By the time I finished college I was beyond annoyed Lacey still hadn't returned any of my calls. I checked my phone. Still nothing, not even a text message.

There was only one other person who might know what was going on. I wanted to call Aiden but I didn't have his number. Max would have it.

I waited until I got home before I called Max. He didn't answer and it went to his voicemail. He was probably still on his way home from college.

I would call him later. Trying to focus was difficult but I got some of my assignments done.

"Reece," my mom called from downstairs when dinner was ready.

I couldn't eat much. I chased most of my food around my plate trying to ignore the thought that something was very wrong with Lacey.

"What's wrong Princess?" My father asked with concern at my lack of appetite.

My parents were older than most of the parents of my friends. I was their late miracle. From the day I arrived with a healthy scream in the delivery room I was their Princess.

I didn't know if it was because they were older they were very understanding and I had a deep connection with both of them. There wasn't a subject that was off limits to them. They treated me like an individual with a right to choose how I lived my life. They were there to support me through my decisions. And if I needed, they steered me in the right direction.

My father's hair was already going very grey. I told him it made him more distinguished. My mother was still staving off the grey with regular visits to the hairdresser to cover it up. Her hair was dark so she had to do it quite often.

"Talk to us sweetie," my mother prompted putting her knife and fork down.

"It's nothing really," I assured them. "There's something up with Lacey and I don't know what it is."

"I'm sure it's nothing too serious," my father assured me. He reached out and touched my arm.

"May I be excused?" I set my utensils down and wipe my mouth with a napkin.

"Sure Princess."

I hurried to the kitchen so I could scrap the untouched food off my plate and into the trash. I put it the sink before I pulled my phone out if my packet of my jeans.

This time I called Max he answered on the fourth ring.

"Hi babe," he greeted and I allowed the warmth of his voice to blanket me.

"Hi," I greeted, as I began to pace.

"Everything okay?" he asked. I believed I was able to mask the worry but clearly I hadn't.

"Please could you give me Aiden's number," I asked, getting straight to the point.

"Sure. I'll text it to you," he answered. "What's going on?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "I still haven't heard anything from Lacey."

"Why don't you go around to her house if you're so worried?"

How did I explain to Mrs Harper that I didn't believe that everything was fine? Or was it down to the fear of what I would discover?

"It's late." It was a feeble excuse.

"Everything is probably fine. I'll message you Aiden's number."

He ended the call and a few seconds later I received a message with Aiden's number.

While Aiden and Lacey had hit it off Aiden was still very much a stranger to me. I didn't spend a lot of time around him so when I dialled his number I felt a moment of nervousness.

I walked upstairs back to my room while it rang.

"Hello?" Aiden answered the call. He didn't have any idea who it was.

"Hi. It's me Reece," I told him.

"Hey," he said. "What's up?"

"Have you spoke to Lacey in the last couple of days?" I paced the room as I spoke to him.

There was a pause.

"No. Why?"

"I got a call from her mother last night asking if I knew where was. I called her but I haven't heard back from her. When I called her house her mom says she had been on the roof and had just lost track of time. That's not like her."

"I haven't spoken to her at all. Maybe she's just really busy."

I frowned. "Yeah. You're probably right."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure she'll be in touch soon."

The nagging feeling stayed with me that night and the next morning when I dragged my tired ass out of bed.

I didn't have to go into college until later so I contemplated swinging past Lacey's house. I needed to assure myself that she was fine and had just been too busy to call.

While I got dressed my phone rang. I answered it quickly.

"Hi," Lacey greeted. So she finally called me back.

"Hello stranger," I said trying to keep my anger and annoyance from being apparent.

"Yeah, I'm sorry but things have been a little hectic," she explained.

"Too busy to call me?" I asked, feeling hurt.

"I need to see you this morning," she told me. I didn't like the sound of her tone. 

"Sure," I said. Finally I would find out what was going on.

"Okay, I'll see you in about half an hour."

"Sure, see you then."

She ended the call and I sat staring down at my phone. I couldn't still the thought that there was still something very wrong. Why didn't she just explain over the phone? Why did she have to do it in person?

I was pacing nervously in front of the door so when I heard the car I was ready to open the door. She knocked once and I opened the door. I also noticed Adonis' car parked in front. Maybe all this had to do with him.

"Why is Gray dropping you off here?" I asked, I smiled masking the nervous energy I felt.

"It's a long story." She shrugged.

"Doesn't he want to come in?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you alone."

And there was confirmation that this was something that went beyond liking boys and stuff like that. This was serious.

We went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. She looked nervous and I frowned. This was so not like her. None of her behaviour for the last couple of days fit in with the best friend I knew and loved.

"You're starting to freak me out. Just spit it out." I clasped my hand together, hating how they trembled.

When she began to tell me about her symptoms and the doctor visits I felt the dread grow. And then she said it. "I have a brain tumour."