Chapter 8 – Secrets Behind Closed Doors
The morning air was crisp, carrying a faint chill as JJ walked alone to the hospital. Her nose throbbed from the volleyball incident yesterday, but it wasn't just that—she had another reason for being here.
The building loomed tall and sterile, and she adjusted her bag strap, walking past the receptionist without a word. This wasn't a visit for anyone else. She didn't want her brothers, Keifer, or anyone from school seeing her vulnerable. She had never been "JJ the fragile girl." She would not start now.
The Consultation
Dr. Ria greeted her warmly, yet her professional eyes were sharp, always observing.
"Jasper Jean Mariano," she said, scanning her records, "I hear you had an accident on the volleyball court yesterday. How are you feeling?"
JJ tilted her head slightly, touching her nose gently. "It's fine. Just… sore."
Dr. Ria frowned slightly. "You might need more than a simple check-up. I'd like you to be hospitalized for observation and treatment. We can monitor your condition, do some preventive therapy…"
JJ's lips pressed into a thin line. "How long… do I have?"
Dr. Ria froze for a moment, her hands stopping mid-sentence. "I… you should—"
JJ cut her off, voice steady but calm. "How much time? Don't sugarcoat it. Just tell me the truth."
Dr. Ria swallowed, then said softly, "Approximately… ten months, if the disease progresses as we expect."
The words hit like a hammer. JJ blinked, her chest tightening, but she did not cry. She did not flinch. Vulnerability was not a currency she allowed others to see. She simply nodded, took her medicines, and said, "Thank you, doctor."
She walked out of the hospital like she had walked into it—alone, composed, unreadable. The fluorescent lights didn't matter. The stark white walls didn't matter. She was still JJ, the girl who didn't show cracks—even when the cracks were inside her.
Home, Letters, and Laughter
Back at her room, JJ sank onto her bed, the hum of the city below barely reaching her ears. On her desk lay two letters, brightly decorated with doodles and scribbles in the handwriting she knew so well.
She picked up the first: Care's letter.
Care's Letter:
JJ!
You won't believe what happened today! I almost cried in the lab because Cole… yes, that Cole, actually tried to convince me that my microscope was broken because "it wasn't focusing on my amazing talent," and then he dropped a test tube on his own foot. He literally yelped like a puppy.
I mean, really? I'm supposed to take him seriously. Anyway, he says I argue too much—can you imagine? Me arguing? As if I'd ever let him win! I swear, JJ, it's like we're in a constant battle royale. Sometimes I think he's doing it on purpose. I've already planned my revenge for tomorrow.
Also, tell me about this new school of yours. Your "President," Keifer, yes? Does he scare everyone, or is he just annoyingly… cute? You have to describe him. Please don't lie. I need the juicy details.
I miss you so much.
–Care
JJ smiled faintly, shaking her head. Cole's antics were clearly exaggerated, but she could picture Care arguing fiercely, probably gesturing wildly as she spoke.
She picked up Lyra's letter next.
Lyra's Letter:
JJ,
Oh my gosh, I don't know what is happening to my brain. Today, Alex showed up at our study group again, and I swear, I turned into a complete dork. He smiled at me, and my entire vocabulary disappeared. I mean, disappeared. I kept calling my notebook a "paper thingy" for FIVE WHOLE MINUTES. Can you believe it?
And then Care… she's exaggerating. Yes, she argues with Cole a lot. But honestly, it's hilarious. Like… romantic enemies-to-lovers material, I swear. You should see her face when she actually wants to hit him but pretends to scold him. Classic.
Anyway, enough about us. What about you? How's school? What's this "President" like? Don't sugarcoat it. I want every annoying, charming, ridiculous, jaw-clenching detail.
Seriously, I wish you were here. We could argue about Cole together.
–Lyra
JJ leaned back against her pillows, letting herself smile softly. Despite everything—the hospital visit, the pain in her nose, the disease lurking quietly in her system—she felt warmth from their letters. Their voices, even across countries, brought a lightness to her chest.
Care and Lyra had no idea how close they were to her heart. They didn't see the walls she had built, the careful distance she maintained with the world. And yet, their words broke through, if only for a moment.
JJ's Reply
She picked up a fresh sheet of paper, her pen hovering for a moment.
Dear Care and Lyra,
I laughed so hard at your letters, I think I almost snorted my tea. Care, you really have a way of making disasters sound like epic battles. And Lyra… calling your notebook a "paper thingy"? Classic. I can picture it perfectly.
School… well, about the President. Keifer. Honestly, he's annoyingly cute. I mean, really, the kind of cute that makes you want to punch him and smile at the same time. He thinks he's in control of everything, but I'm pretty sure he's terrified of being bored. Or maybe terrified of me. Who knows.
Anyway, I miss you both too. Promise me care you will stop arguing with cole for at least a day. And lyra u have to confess to yourself first that you are having a disease that is known as love and can only be treated by Alex.
Yours lovingly,
–JJ
JJ folded the letters and placed them neatly back on her desk. She took her medicine quietly, swallowing the bitter taste, staring out the window at the late afternoon sun. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine a life where the pain, the disease, and the secrets didn't matter—where laughter, letters, and teasing could fill the silence.
For now, that was enough.
JJ had faced a lot in her short life. She had endured isolation, trauma, and now a disease with no cure. But she refused to let anyone see her as fragile. Vulnerable, maybe, in the shadows of her own room—but never to the world.
She was JJ. Calm, collected, fierce, and fiercely independent.
And she would continue to be—no matter what the future held.