Michelle King
A Tale of Desperation and Deception
By Kennedy Shea Munter

Chapter 3

Editor�s note: Due to the length of books, Kids Can Publish will post one chapter per week. Chapter 1 was posted on April 17, 2008; scroll through the KCP winners to find it, along with other preceding chapters chapters. Check back next week for Chapter 4 of �Michelle King.�

Once my brother started Chemo, we decided to go to the church. Of course they knew he had had a seizure, but they didn�t know he had cancer. The doctor recommended we leave Anty�s side for a while, so we all took a trip to tell the priest in person rather than over the phone.

�We offer all the condolences our hearts can hold, and we have any date open to for Anty�s Giving. Any time.� The priest reminded us in his old, wavering voice.
�Thank you very much, but we think we will be postponing Anty�s Giving for a while, until the cancer has gone away.�
�Of course, whatever you will like.�

With that, we left.

When we got back, Anty was still sleeping, but Michelle wasn�t. Michelle wasn�t there at all. Anty�s nurse walked in with some new bags of white liquid to put into Anty.

�What happened to the little girl that was in this room�?� I asked.

�Oh, she left, I think they transferred her to a different hospital, but there is someone new moving in. She�ll be here tomorrow.�

The nurse left. Anty woke up a few minutes later.
�Michelle was moved to a new hospital, and a new girl is moving in. Mom and dad went home.�

�Mh mhh�ths nice�� He mumbled, falling back asleep.

I got up to go to the Caf� to find some food. I hadn�t eaten in days. As I walked, I looked through the windows and heard snippets of people�s conversations.

�I�m so sorry honey � I shouldn�t have left him alone��
�Will she be able to walk again?�

�I know it doesn�t hurt that bad, get up off your ass and walk!�

I felt sorry for that kid; because I knew it did hurt. I looked through the window and saw a boy, my age, in tears and his father, neck muscles bulging, red faced. I kept walking.

�NOO!!! THAT HURTS!!!!� a little kid whined in pain.
The last room I walked by was the worst.

�Its okay honey � I�ll make the funeral arrangements � but she was only 5 � only 5,� the muttered with a sad look.

I turned my head and walked away quickly.

By the time I got to the caf�, I wasn�t very hungry. I sat down at an empty table to clear my mind. My head was in my hands, and my elbows resting on the table.

�Hi Anty�s big brother!!�

�Huh?!� muttered as I looked up to see two huge eyes staring at me. �Michelle?�

�Uh huh!� she said, shaking her head up and down.

�I thought they transferred you to a different hospital!�
�They did, silly goose. But I am leaving in an hour. My leg feels better, so does my arm. How�s Anty?� she asked, practically bouncing up and down in the chair she had plopped down in.

�Well, I am happy that you feel better, Anty is doing fine,� I replied, still shocked by the sudden wave of Michelle and the excitement she brought with her everywhere she went.

�Well that is good. Can I sit with you?�

�Um�sure�� I said. �Where is your mom?�

�Oh�that,� she said, her smile fading as she looked down. �She had to go plan daddy�s funeral. But she wouldn�t tell me what a funeral was. What is it?�

�I don�t know if she wants me to tell you that��
�Please!�

�It�s a ceremony for people, when they�umm�die.�
Michelle looked up at me, with confused eyes.

�He�s dead?�

�Y�Yea.�

She had an expression on her face that looked halfway between confusion, depression and anger.

�He�s��

�Well. I wasn�t the one that was supposed to tell you, but your mom wouldn�t�I�m sorry.�

I scooted my chair back and patted my lap for the little girl to come sit on it.

She did start crying, but only for a little bit. Her mom walked in, carrying a sleeping Ellie, and looked around for her. Just to spare the questions, I lifted Michelle up and set her on the ground. I turned her around to face her mom, and whispered �Bye, I hope you feel better,� in her ear.

As soon as she saw her mommy, she looked back, waved to me, and ran to her.

The hospital was getting to me. I got up and went to say goodbye to Anty. I told him I had to go home, just stay there for one night, and then I would come back to stay with him tomorrow.

When I returned to the hospital the next day, the new girl had already moved in. I decided not to meet her yet, so I woke up Anty. I knew I wasn�t supposed to, but I did anyway.

�God, you sleep a lot!� I joked.

�Thanks, and I would sleep a lot longer if a certain annoying brother wouldn�t keep waking me up,� he mocked.

�Shut up, I need someone to talk to.�

�About what?� He asked.

�Michelle. I don�t know what to do. and I am afraid that if I don�t do something she will leave and then I won�t see her again and then�well��

�Don�t listen to dad, or the priest. That is just what they say to scare kids into doing their deeds. And if I were you, I wouldn�t want to kill Michelle either. I am still nervous for my Giving though! I am now the only boy who hasn�t done his Giving on his 12th birthday! What if my �energy doesn�t flow correctly now?�� Anty said, imitating his teacher from last year, who insisted on saying that if you hadn�t gotten your deed by your 12th birthday the priest would never be able to give you one, and you would go to hell.

�Don�t worry; you�ll still get a deed. I promise.�

�Ya�just like you promised me that I wouldn�t die?�

�Wow, it seams to me that you have been making a couple promises that you can�t keep,� said a voice. I turned around to see where the voice had come from.

Standing by the curtain was a tall, beautiful girl about 15. She was pale, but her hair was a dark chestnut color, and her eyes were such a dark brown, they looked black. Somehow, she looked familiar, but I didn�t know why.

�What are you here for?� Anty asked, rather rudely.

�My name is Nicole. My friends call me Nick; they think I am a Tomboy. I have Lymes disease. And why are you here?� she answered, mysteriously.

�My name is Anty. My friends call me Anty; they think I�m a boy. I have cancer,� Anty said, jokingly.

I turned to my brother, �Shut up you idiot.�
She laughed and turned to me, �And you?�

�My name is Connor. I�m Anty�s brother,� I replied.
�Mhhmm.� She nodded, surveying me.

�What�s Lymes Disease?� Anty asked, rather ruining the moment.

�I got bit by a tick and didn�t know it. Ever since I have been throwing up and getting chills and other stuff like that. It�s really nasty.�

�Uh huh�� Anty said.

�Well, I have to go back to bed, the nurse yells at me when I am not sleeping. See ya later,� Nick said, shrugging her shoulders.

�Bye,� Anty said.

�See ya.� I whispered.

�What was that?� Anty pressed.

I cleared my throat.

�See ya,� I said louder.

�Mhhmm,� Nick said again. She walked back to her side of the room just as Anty�s nurse walked in.

�You should be getting back to bed.� She told Anty.
�Okay, okay,� he said, waving his hand at her grumpily.

Remember to visit Kids Can Publish next week to read the next exciting chapter of �Michelle King!�

Copyright 2008 Kennedy Shea Munter