I'm officially the worst person in the world. Sorry about the lack of updates, and thank you to all the wonderful people who are still willing to read/review.

"Patricia. Can I talk to you?" I asked softly. I was standing in the doorway of her and Mara's room.

"Sure." She looked up from her laptop. Mara was already downstairs, eating, while Patricia was doing some last-minute homework.

She set the computer aside.

"So, what is it? Fabian being stupid, Joy being stupid, Amber being, well, Amber-"

"No," I said quickly, taking a seat next to her on her bed. "Brace yourself. This is kind of important. Patricia, I have... cancer."

"That's not funny."

I whirled around to look at her. She was staring at me, slightly irritated, as if this was some kind of dumb prank. I wish it was- I'd gladly take her wrath over the truth.

"It's not a joke! I swear!"

"Nina, you were cursed- or blessed, but I'll say cursed- with the Chosen One mess. You were almost killed like a million times. You're parents died. It's strategically impossible for someone's life to suck that much."

I stayed silent. She was right- my whole life was messed-up.

"I know. But I can't believe we survived everything, and I'm diagnosed with cancer."

"Nina. You can't be seriouse!" Cold, hard realization washed over her. Anger, saddness, and fear lit up in her gray eyes.

"Sibuna swear," I joked dryly, quoting our inside joke, the one we'd made up months ago, before everything was so complicated.

"Oh," She said simply.

Then she did something completely unexpected.

She hugged me.

Well, it was more of her pulling my head to her shoulder, but it was the most physical contact she ever gave anyone.

"Nina," Patricia said firmly, "You are going to survive. Because if you don't... I'm going to kill you!"

"That's the somewhat sweetes thing you've ever said to me!"

"Thanks," She scoffed sarcastically.

I was about to reply, when the door opened, revealing Alfie.

He opened his mouth to speak, before he caught sight of us in this awkward position.

"Don't you knock, perv?" Patricia spat.

"Oh, um, sorry!" He yelled, and then closed the door quickly.

"Jerome! I told you Nina and Patricia were one bottle of wine away from being together! You're giving me my five dollars!" Alfie screamed, running through the house.

We collapsed in giggles, laughing until we were out of breath, tears brimming my eyes.

"See?" She said, "This is why you'll never die. You're too awesome. We all need you in some kind of way, even if it's-" Her smile widened- "Some weird, impossible bet."

I laughed again. "Yeah, we should probably go straighten everything out."

5 reviews before the next update.

Ha. Alfie, you lovely idiot. No, there will not be any "Patina" or whatever. I just wanted to get something funny in before the next chapter, where Nina makes a startling discovery about... Well, I'm not telling!

~RosePedal51