Chapter 4
September 28, 2002
�You need to tell Jesse! He deserves to know!� Molly said as Zoe put on some red lip stick in the mirror. �Mol, I don�t want to! I, I will tell him later!� Zoe said. �You better!� Molly said growling. �You are so, so, erg!� Zoe said rolling her eyes and leaving.
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�Hey Jesse!� Zoe smiled stepping into his house as he opened the door. �Hey� he said, not as enthusiastic as she. �Are you still bumming about Danielle?� Zoe asked nudging him a little. �I guess� he shrugged. �Come on, I brought American Pie!� she giggled, he smiled lightly and the preceded to the Family Room.
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�Jesse shut up!� Zoe said elbowing him in the stomach, he was mocking the first time they saw American Pie, when she didn�t understand half the jokes. �It�s not funny!� she shouted at him, but he continued to laugh, but at least he was smiling.
�Jesse! I have to talk to you!� Zoe stated becoming serious. �What you need another sex talk?� Jesse laughed taking a gulp of Coke. �Jesse I�m serious!� Zoe said.
�Okay, ok what?� he asked turning on the couch to face her. �I, um� she started biting her bottom lip. �What is it Zoe?� he asked, beginning to become concerned. �I have leukemia!� she stated looking down at the floor.
Jesse�s smile immediately faded. �No, you can�t! You mean like cancer?� he asked shocked. �Yes Acute lymphocytic leukemia� she said pulling the blanket from the other end of the couch and pulling it around her.
�Zoe, no! There has to be a mistake or something!� Jesse said as he shot up from his seat. �Jesse, there�s no mistake!� Zoe said. �How long have you known?� he asked. �For about 3 months, they expected me to die a month ago!� Zoe said.
�Then there is hope! You, you�ll make it!� Jesse said. �Jesse no! I can feel it getting worse! Don�t make this harder then it already is!� Zoe said. �Wait a second, you�ve known about this for 4 months and you haven�t told me?� Jesse asked. �I was to scared to tell you!� Zoe said. �Zoe, I gave up Danielle, the best girlfriend I have ever known for you, my best friend, and the girl that I, that I...� he trailed off anger filling his world.
�You what Jesse?� Zoe asked. �I love you Zoe! You can�t die on me!� Jesse said, tears of anger, for letting someone as great as Zoe die, and tears of hurt, because she didn�t deserve, and tears of sadness, because he could lose the woman he loved, roamed down his soft flush cheeks.
�Jesse no, I, you can�t love me!� Zoe said. �But I do, can�t you see that?!� Jesse said. �Jesse, I�m not going to be around forever, you need someone that can love you back the same way, and that can grow old with you! Someone you can start a family with!� Zoe said.
�But Zoe! I don�t want anyone else!� Jesse said. �You need someone else!� Zoe said. She then grabbed her sweatshirt and got up, running up the stairs and out of his house. He would understand, sooner or later he would.
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She opened the door to her dorm slowly peeking inside, making sure Molly wasn�t in there with her boyfriend. Molly hated it when Zoe would disturb them. �It�s not fair! Jesse, he!� Zoe bawled falling down onto her bed.
�Jesse what?� Molly asked coming out from the bathroom. �He is upset! I told him, he was so mad, so upset! I�ve never seen him like that before!� Zoe cried. �Aww baby, it�s ok!� Molly said sadly.
�It�s not ok!� Zoe snapped digging her face into the her blue pillow. �Molly!� a girl shouted form outside their door. �Z, I told Kaci that I was going to go to the mall with her!� Molly sighed. �Go, I don�t care!� Zoe said.
�Are you sure?� Molly asked. �Go!� Zoe shouted.
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�Oh Jesse, we are so sorry! Zoe Pierson was such a sweet girl!� Mrs. McCartney said as they sat at the dinner table. �If you want son, we could invite her to come to Hawaii with us, for that first weekend in October!� Mr. McCartney said.
�That�s a great idea, you two always wanted to go to Hawaii together!� Mrs. McCartney said. �I will see if she can!� Jesse sighed. �Well ok you do that! We will pay for everything!� Mr. McCartney said. �I like Zoe! She�s a good babysitter!� Timmy said playing with his mash potato�s.
�Yes she is, and Timmy, don�t play with your food!� Mrs. McCartney said. And so the chaos of Jesse McCartney�s life continued as if nothing had happened. Jesse could already feel it, she was slipping away.