As the Hands Are Spinning, They're Waving Good-bye (Chp. 28)

OMG IT LIVES!!! when was the last time i posted a chapter for this? it feels like ages since i've written this fic... it's been going on for a while now and i think it's time to wind it down... well enjoy!! it's not very long.

We were all gathered in a circle behind the stage. I could hear the sounds of hundreds of voices chit-chatting as the crowd exited the park. Some people were roaming around, enjoying the crisp winter air that had fallen over Franklin. Josh and I huddled near the approximated head of the circle, his arms enveloping me in a warm embrace that warded off the cold. My mom and dad were sitting next to us, ready to tell everyone the results. I could feel anticipation wreaking havoc on my too-still form. Jeremy and Sarah were sitting across from us, Jeremy rubbing Sarah’s arms as she shivered lightly. The sun had set and the frigid weather was even more apparent now than before. Taylor was sitting next to them and Zac and Emily closed up the circle. Jim, Rick, Tom, and Zach were gathered behind them, their faces hidden in shadow. Everyone was silent, waiting.

   “Well,” my dad broke the silence. “You all know why we’re here. We counted and recounted the money many times…”

   “And?” my nervous voice asked. Everyone seemed to perk up, waiting for the verdict.

   “Well, Emily informed us that she raised a good $10,000 from the bake sale,” my dad informed us. I raised my eyebrows in shock, smiling appreciatively at Emily. She smiled back sheepishly. Wow. $10,000 off of cookies and brownies. Who would’ve thought?

   “A lot of people paid extra,” Emily mentioned.

   “That still leaves us with a good $140,000 to raise,” Josh reminded everyone. We all nodded, gulping as my dad opened his mouth to reveal how much we’d managed to get from the concert.

   “Well, donations that Taylor collected came out to be around $5,000… and the money made from concert tickets came out to….”

   We all subconsciously leaned forward, getting annoyed by the suspense.

   “$90,000 including the donations made during ticket purchase time,” he revealed. My face fell as I did the math in my head. We had $150,000 prior to the concert. Add to that the $10,000 from the bake sale, $5,000 in donations, and $90,000 in ticket sales… we only had $255,000. $45,000 under the amount we needed. I felt Josh give me a comforting squeeze as we all let out a collective sigh. After all that work, we hadn’t met our goal.

   “What now?” I asked no one in particular.

   “We keep working,” Josh said, fire in his voice. “We’ve come this far, we can raise more. We just need more time. Did we really expect to get all the money in one sitting?”

   “We don’t have time Josh!” I exclaimed. He opened his mouth to argue but I cut him off. “No, we really don’t! Dr. M pulled me aside while we were at the clinic before. She said that if I want to do this operation, it has to be within the month! My condition is deteriorating rapidly!”

   Josh looked at me with a stunned expression. I realized that everyone had grown quiet and shared looks of shock and horror similar to Josh’s, except for my dad. I’d told him already but not anyone else. A light blush crept into my cheeks as I realized I’d pretty much dropped the bomb on all of them, even my own mother.

   “What?” her voice was barely above a whisper but I could tell it would surely rise within moment. “What do you mean you only have a month? And when did you go to the clinic today?”

   Well shit.

   I groaned internally before answering her questions. “Don’t worry about why I was there, I’ll explain later. But Dr. M told me that my valves are getting worse. If we don’t do the operation before the end of the month, it’ll be too late and I won’t have any chance left. We’re screwed!” My mother’s face twisted into one of extreme pain and Josh’s face showed a brief spasm of pain. However, my dad looked utterly confused.

   “Now wait just a gosh darn minute,” he said, turning to my mom. “Did you all seriously think I wouldn’t be giving you money Chrissi?” I could see a faint blush in my mom’s cheeks after he used her old nickname but she quickly recovered.

   “Well, I mean, I didn’t-“

   “No excuses. I may not live in the same house as Hayley and you but that doesn’t change the fact that she is my daughter,” he argued. “And if you’d spoken to me before we started this whole fundraiser thing, I would have gladly helped you out. I don’t care if money’s tight right now, I can give you the $45,000.”

   “Joseph, don’t be ridiculous! You can’t afford th-“

   “Yes I can. This is my daughter. It’s not like I’m trying to blow my funds on a car I don’t need or a house that I could live without. Hayley is just as important to me as she is to you. Do you think I’d be able to live with myself if I let her die when I could help save her?” We all flinched. When he put it like that… we didn’t have much of an argument. My mother’s face fell and she suddenly looked much, much older.

   “You’re right,” she mumbled, defeated. “We need you.”

   “Damn straight! Wait what?” my dad looked even more confused now. He obviously hadn’t expected mom to give in so easily. I smiled a little at his puzzled expression. Even my mom giggled a little.

   “It’s settled then,” my mom said. “Joseph is providing the remaining money.”

   “So… we have enough,” I remarked, realizing I sounded like a ditzy fool by stating the obvious. But what else could I do? I felt as if I was going into shock.

   “We have enough!” Josh cheered, giving me a quick peck on the cheek as everyone else erupted into a victorious state. I could feel the grin on my face as Josh kissed me again. Somewhere in the back of my mind, nerves were starting to take over. But I ignored them as I enjoyed the moment. I savored the feel of Josh’s lips on my own as my mind cheered. I had a chance! I could stay here. With my parents and friends. With Josh. And it was that mere revelation that gave me the courage for this operation. The chance to be with everyone I loved. I was ready. I was going to live.