Free Fearless by Chris O'Guinn Page B

online. I know when a photo is good.”
    He looked pleased by that. “When I was really sick, I spent a lot of time just watching the world go by, you know? It all seemed so amazing to me, all these people in their lives doing their things. This really cool nurse gave me her camera and asked me to show her the world that I see. So I started taking pictures. I guess I’ve gotten better at it over time.”
    Liam wasn’t given to self-pity, but there was no hiding the twinge of melancholy in those words. I couldn’t imagine growing up with a serious disease, wondering how long I was going to live, what I was going to miss out on. It made me sad.
    “Uh oh, Lou’s in the room.”
    It seemed unkind to make him talk about his illness. He probably spent a lot of time trying to not even think about it. But it also seemed like it might make me a bad friend if I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to seem like I didn’t care.
    Liam didn’t let me dangle, though. “At first, it seemed like I was going to be one of the lucky ones. I went into remission—that’s like, where the disease goes on vacation—a year after my diagnosis. But then it came back when I was eleven. It got pretty bad, then, to the point where my dad wanted to take me to Mexico for some crazy-ass treatment. But then I got a second remission.”
    “But now it’s back.”
    Liam nodded, looking annoyed. “It’s like I just can’t get Lou to leave me alone. Anyway, it’s not too bad yet. I’ve been doing the homeschooling thing for years, but I told my parents I wanted to go to high school like a regular kid.”
    “Christ, you want to go to school?”
    Liam laughed. “Trust me, when you’ve been cooped up in your house for years, even high school sounds good.”
    Sully pushed the door open and came in to check on us. He gave me a few friendly sniffs and then lay down at Liam’s feet.
    “Sully’s been my best friend for years,” Liam said, kneeling down and petting the dog. “They got him for me when I got sick. Before I found weed, let me tell you, the only thing that made chemo bearable was curling up with Sully.”
    I was numb. I didn’t see how Liam could be so Zen about everything. If I’d been handed such a shitty deal, I’d want to smash something.
    “So, yesterday at the hospital….”
    “We were hoping for some good news and we didn’t get it. So more chemo for me.”
    He again just looked annoyed, like this was just such a damn inconvenience and not a threat to his life. Was he just pretending to be brave? Did he maybe not want me to see how scared he was? I couldn’t even guess.
    “I….” I had no idea what to say. I was completely lost. My heart hurt for him.
    “Oh, don’t even start Argentina.”
    “Pardon?”
    “Argentina? As in, ‘Don’t cry for me, Argentina?’ Dude, if you’re gonna be gay you’re gonna have to know these things.”
    “I’ll study up.”
    “Good.” Sully rolled onto his back and Liam rubbed his belly. “The worst part is the way it’s fucking up my parents’ lives. My mom used to be the executive assistant for this corporate bigwig, but she had to take so much time off for me that her boss fired her. My dad owned his own business, but he had to sell it to pay the hospital bills. We used to have this big house and a yard for Sully, and now we’re here, thanks to Lou.”
    “I’m sure they don’t mind.” I didn’t know his parents that well, but from what I’d seen, they wouldn’t resent him for it.
    “Of course they don’t. They’re amazing. They’re always right there with me, fighting Lou every step of the way. I just wish they didn’t have to.”
    “Is…. Is there anything I can do? Like, I don’t know, go with you to chemo or something?”
    Liam’s expression was so full of unguarded gratitude that I had to look away. “Thanks, but you’d lose all respect for me if you saw what a whiny bitch I become after chemo.”
    I had trouble imagining Liam whining or ever showing