Friday, September 20, 2013

Flash Fiction Friday





Second Chances
by Donna L Martin

Ricky absently reached for his hairbrush, fingers snatched back as if burned when it dawned on him how foolish it would have been to pick it up. His hands brushed against his scalp, feeling the stubble just beginning to grow back. It had been a long hard summer and now that school was starting up again, Ricky wasn't ready for the drama he was sure waited for him there. He was just getting his life back and didn't want to deal with the looks like he had gotten at the clinic. Besides, how could they possibly understand? With their carefree laughter and simple lives, how could they possible know what it felt like to be him?

It was supposed to rain today and Ricky knew what that meant. His mom would hover over him, asking a million times if he was okay and telling him to make sure he grabbed a jacket so he wouldn't catch a cold. How could he tell her he just wanted to feel normal again? He hated how his name and cancer always seemed to crowd the same sentences these days. Ricky was beginning to forget where he stopped and his illness began. Pulling a baseball cap low over his forehead, Ricky grabbed his backpack and rushed out the back door before his mom could realize he was gone.  

Hours later Ricky sat alone in one corner of the cafeteria. It was as bad as he thought it would be. First was the stares. Some of the guys he used to hang out with last year even started calling him skin head. But it was the constant whispers that bothered him the most. Why didn't they just come out and say it to his face? He was tired of fighting. Fighting the rage he felt when he first found out he was sick. Fighting to keep food down after the latest chemo treatment. Now he was fighting back tears as he stared at the cold tuna fish on his plate. Softly, almost as if she didn't want to disturb him, Ricky heard someone clearing their throat near him.  Glancing up, he noticed a girl from his Chemistry class standing in front of him. Ricky tried to think of her name. Becky. Betty. Something that started with a B he was pretty sure but he really didn't give it much thought cuz he really just wanted to be left alone.

"Do you mind if I sit down here?"

Ricky looked around the cafeteria at first to see if someone had set her up to talk to him before staring back at the girl. Last year he might have even flirted with her but now it just seemed to take too much energy to bother with trying. His sickness had almost broken him but maybe God was showing him he'd been given a second chance? Now the only question swirling around in his head was should he take it?


***Okay, it's your turn! Put your creative cap on and add a sentence or add a paragraph.  Continue my story or start one of your own.  Join the fun and see where this picture prompt takes us!***


7 comments:

  1. The girl realized what he was doing and said. "No, no one sent me. Please may I sit down?"
    Ricky nodded and kind of moved over a pit to show he was willing to have her sit.
    "Thanks," she said. "May I tell you my story?"
    Ricky really wasn't interested in someone elses story. He was going to say no but "Yes" came out. My name is Becky and my mother has been were you are. You are recovering from kemo aren't you?"
    "Whats it to you?" Ricky asked. "How can you know what I'm going through or what your mother went through. Besides she is a woman and and I really don't care."
    Becky looked at him with sad eyes. "You are still here. My mother isn't.
    "I'm sorry," Ricky said. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself. You are the only person since school started that has talked to me. Now it seems that you want to tell me a sad story but I don't want to hear sad stories right now."
    "No," Becky said. "I want to tell you a happy story with a wonderful ending."
    "What?" Ricky asked. "How can it be a happy story with a happy ending if your mother died?"
    "Well," Becky said. "Because my mother gave us her love and peace of mind before she went to be with our father."
    "Oh,I'm sorry." Ricky said. "Your father died too?"
    "No," Becky said. "I mean our Father who is in our hearts. My mother is with me always and I know she loves me and is looking after me. Why I wanted to sit with you is because I want to tell you you are never alone no matter how much you may think you are."
    "Becky," Ricky said. "You know I am glad you sat down with me. I needed someone to take me out of myself and let me see there is life after the Big C. Would you sit with me each day during school?"
    "Yes," Becky said. "I would like that very much."
    So the two of them became fast friends and Becky's mother became Ricky's guardian angle.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi Gladys! Nice addition to the story. I'm glad you decided to join the fun!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. Nice! :D I like the idea, and the friendship! :D

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    1. Hi Erik! My Flash Fiction Friday series will be ending with the new year but don't worry...I have something else in mind for 2014 that hopefully people will find even MORE interesting...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. Replies
    1. Thanks, Melissa and welcome to my blog! I checked out YOUR blog, saw your post about your FOLLOWFEST event this upcoming week and signed up! My post is ready to go for Tuesday and I'm going to drop hints in all my groups that people should check things out today...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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