,Summar
y
Chapt
er1
Seventeen- year-oldHaz elisacancersurvi
vorwhoat tendsateen
cancers urvi
vors upportgr oup.Atthegroup,shemeet sAugustus,who
i
sinvitedbyI saac ,anot
hers upportgroupattendee.Augustusi
s
att
ractedt oHaz elandas kshertowatchVf orVendetta,hi
sfavorit
e
movie,bec auseHaz elr
emi ndshim ofanactres
sinthef i
lm.Hazelis
notiniti
all
yinteres t
ed,buts heisi
ntri
guedbyAugus t
us ’
sthi
nkingand
eventuallyagreest ogo.
Det
ail
edSummar
y
Mrs.Lancasteras
kss event
een-year
-oldHaz
eltoatt
endacancer
supportgroupbec auseshethi
nksHazeli
sexperi
enci
ngmental
heal
thissuesfrom deali
ngwithcancer
.
Hazelc
lar
if
iest
hatshei
sups
etbec
aus
eshet
hinkss
he’
sdyi
ng,not
bec
ausesheissic
k.
Hazelhasbeens
pendi
ngmos tofhert
imerepeat
edlyr
eadinga
novelcal
l
edAnImperi
alAf
fl
ic
tionandcont
emplati
ngdeath.
Thesupportgr
oupmeetsi
nthecross
-shapedbas
ementofan
Epi
scopalc
hurchever
yWednesday.
Thecancerpati
ent
smeeti
nthec
ent
eroft
hes
pac
e,wher
ethe
cros
sint
ersect
s.
Patr
ick,t
hegr oupleader,expl
ainst
hathef
eelsthatthei
rgroup
meetsinJ es
us’sheart,s
ot hegroupmemberssurel
ymus tbein
Jes
us'sfavor.
Thegr
oups
itsi
nwhatt
heyc
allt
he“
Cir
cleofTr
ust
,”andPat
ri
ck
, des
cri
beshi
sli
fes
tor
yandhowhei
sal
soac
anc
ers
urvi
vor
.
Hazelderi
sivel
yrecount
showc
anc
ert
ookPat
ri
ck’
stes
tic
les
,sohe
al
solosthiswife.
Sheaddsthathei
saddi
ctedt
ovi
deogames
,hasnofr
iends
,andi
s
wait
ingf
orthe“swor
dofDamocl
es”t
oendhisl
i
fe.
Af
terPat
ri
ck,eac
hmembert
ell
sthei
rname,age,anddi
agnos
is.
Then,ever
yoneisf
reet
oaddt
hei
rthought
s,opi
nions
,andf
eel
i
ngs
tothedisc
ussi
on.
Hazelenj
oysIs
aac'sint
roduc
tion.Hehasagl
asseyet
orepl
acet
he
onehelosttohisdis
ease.
I
saacandHazelc
onnectpl
atoni
cal
l
ybec
aus
etheys
har
eas
imi
l
ar
at
ti
tudetowar
dthegroup.
Theycommunicat
ethroughsi
ghsandmoc
kingl
ookswhi
l
ethe
other
stal
kaboutthemsel
ves
.
Af
teraf
ewweeks
,Haz
elr
esi
stsgoi
ngt
othenex
tmeet
ing.
OneWednesday,shedec
idesshewoul
drat
herstayhometowatc
h
bac
k-t
o-bac
kepi s
odesoftheTVshowAmeric
a’sNextTopModel
.
Haz
elandhermot
herar
gueaboutHaz
elwant
ingt
oski
pthegr
oup.
Mrs.
Lancast
erwant
sHaz
elt
oac
tli
keot
hert
eenager
sandmake
newfri
ends
.
Haz
elevent
ual
l
ygi
vesi
nbutonl
yforherpar
ent
s’s
ake.
Haz
elent
erst
hemeet
ingands
eesanewboyandnot
icest
hathei
s
wat
chi
ngher.
AsHazelgetsalemonade,shebec
omess el
f-cons
ciousabouther
oxygentank,c
lothi
ng,andpuff
ycheeksandlooksawayfrom t
he
, boy.
Hazels
itsnex
ttoI
saacandr
eal
i
zest
hats
hei
sat
trac
tedt
othenew
boy.
Pat
ri
cks
tar
tst
hemeet
ingwi
thas
ereni
typr
ayer
.
Hazelnot
icesthatt
henewboyi
sst
il
ll
ooki
ngather
,ands
hemakes
uphermindt ostar
eback.
Shedoes
n’tf
li
nch,andt
heboyl
ooksaway.
Haz
elf
eel
sli
kes
hebeathi
m athi
sowngame.
Thegroupat
tendeessi
tint
heirus
ual"Ci
rcl
eofTrus
t"t
oupdat
e
ever
yoneonwhat’sbeenhappeni
nginthei
rli
ves
.
I
saacreveal
sthathewi
l
lbegoi
ngi
nfors
urger
yandwi
l
llos
ehi
s
r
emainingeye.
Headdsthathi
sgir
lf
ri
endMonic
aandhi
sfr
iendAugus
tus(
Gus
)
havebeenther
etosuppor
thi
m.
Theot
hergr
oupat
tendeest
ellt
hei
rst
ori
esunt
ili
tisGus
’st
urn.
Hestat
est
hathisf
ullnameisAugus
tusWat
ers
,hei
s17,andhehas
a“t
ouchofost
eosarcoma.
”
Gusi
satt
hemeet
ingf
orI
saac
’ss
ake.
Hazelbar
elyt
olerat
esl
is
teni
ngast
heothergr
oupmember
s
des
c r
ibewhatthey’
vebeengoi
ngthr
ough.
Pat
ri
ckevent
ual
l
yas
ksAugus
tuswhats
car
eshi
m.
Augus
tuss
ayshei
saf
rai
dofobl
i
vion.
Hazel
,outofchar
ac t
er,gi
vesheropi
nionandsayst
hatever
yone
di
es.Shethenquotesfrom herf
avor
it
ebook.
