"Hello, can I have a happy meal, '' I said, staring at the intercom. It was very worn down, with bits of the metal looking like it was just about to tear apart and fall off. It was dark and col- actually it wasn't cold. It was pretty warm, but still dark. There was a pause for a few seconds before a voice came out of the other end. "Aren't you a bit young to be in a drive through?"

"No, I'm 8 and a half, and I have money."

"Ok, one happy meal, anything else", the other person said, taking a sigh before speaking.

"Can you make sure the toy is in there please?" I loved collecting toys, and I heard about some new toys Mcdonald's made and I knew I had to come get some, even if my parents didn't want me to. They thought I should save my birthday money and allowance, but I am old and mature now. I knew what I wanted, the new Spider-Man toy. He was my favorite hero and most of my toys are Spider-Man. When I get older I'm gonna be just like him. 

"Yeah, I'll make sure they give you the toy in the happy meal." He sounded very sad, or very bored. I couldn't tell.  

"That'll be $4.57, please pull up to the drive through."

"Ok, I'm on my way."

I started pedaling on my spiderman bike to the drive through and could see through the window. I saw workers wearing hats all walking around. They all looked like robots, walking like drones that were coded to make food and serve. I saw someone walking up to the window holding my happy meal and my eyes instantly lit up. I hurriedly got off my bike and stood by the window. When the girl opened the window she just stared at me for a second. Did I do something wrong?

"James what the hell, why is there a little kid out here and why did you let him order?"

"I don't get paid enough to deal with this, just give the kid his happy meal."

"James no, he's just a little kid, what if he's lost?"

"I'm not lost, I just want a happy meal please. Look, I have money." I took out a crumpled 5 dollar bill out of my pocket and held it up to show her. 

" I'm sorry kid, but we can't give this to you, how about you go home and ask mommy to take you. If you come back with her I'll give you 2 happy meals."

"WHAT? Are you lying? Because if you are, my mom said people that lie are bad people, and bad people aren't good."

She started smiling.

"Sweetie, why would I lie to you, I'm a good person. Now go home and get your mom quickly before I change my mind."
I hopped on my bicycle and rushed home as fast as I could. I had to hurry before someone else took my toys. I almost fell off my bike as soon as I got to the door and rushed in.

"Mom, Mom! Hurry, we have to go back to Mcdonald's, she said she'll give me 2 happy meals. We have to hurry before someone takes them!"

She turned around and it seemed as if she was trying to zoom in on me.

"YOU WHAT!?" You went to Mcdonald's in the middle of the night!"
I realized it was probably a mistake telling my mom I snuck out to go to Mcdonald's. But hey, I'm  just a kid. How would I know she would freak out about this?

"Sh-, she said she would give me two toys if I brought you."
"GO TO YOUR ROOM RIGHT NOW AND YOU BETTER NOT COME OUT UNTIL I SAY SO!"

I put my head down and began walking upstairs to my room. It was filled with posters of Spider-Man, Flash, Batman, really any superhero I found interesting. I changed into my pajamas and got into bed, thinking about the lady who promised she would give me an extra toy if my mom came. I can't believe my mom wouldn't listen, now she's so mad she probably won't even take me tomorrow. Eventually as I cooled down in bed I fell asleep. My sleep was abruptly interrupted by my mom when she came into the room and started banging a pan with a wooden spoon. 

"Early bird gets the worm Leo, you should know this by now. You don't wanna grow up and be a slouch because you slept in when you were little do you?"

"5 more minutes, I'm so tired please." I could barely get the words out of my mouth. It felt so dry. I put my blanket over my head and tried to go back to sleep, but my mom wasn't one to give up just like that. I could feel her sit on the bed, setting the pan and spoon down as she peeked over my blanket to look at me. She wrapped her arms around me.
"C'mon, don't you wanna spend some time with your mom? School's about to start in a few weeks and we won't have much time to do anything at all."

"I wanted to go to Mcdonald's yesterday and get toys but you didn't want to go." I shifted myself to the other side of the bed, but my mom still wouldn't let me go. She was like one of those bugs that you get on your arm, no matter how many times you try swatting them they come back.   

"Ok you know what, let's say it was both our faults. You shouldn't have snuck out and I shouldn't have yelled at you. But you're just a kid, I have to worry about you Leo. You can't just leave this house whenever you want." My mother was nothing if not persuasive. I guess she was right, but I couldn't just back down this easily.

"But I could've gotten more toys. And I'm not a kid anymore mom. I'm 8 and a half now, you have to stop treating me like that."

"Ohh, look at you, so cute thinking you're all grown. Tell you what, you get your room cleaned up and help me with some chores and for lunch we might go to Mcdonald's."

I immediately got up with a look of shock. She started smiling and I knew she won, but who cares. I still can get a toy. 

"Really, you're not lying right?"

"Leo, why would I ever lie to you?"

She put her arm around me. I hated when she did that, it made me feel like a little kid. 

"Besides, I told you lying makes you a bad person right? I promise for lunch we can go get Mcdonald's, but only if you clean your room and do some chores."

"Fine, I'll clean my room."
"And do your chores, don't forget that."

"I know, I know."

The thought of doing chores and cleaning my room sounded like really hard work, but being able to get a new Spider-man toy would make it worth it. I got to work right away. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. The long and painful process of cleaning and making my room started. I started to pick up my toys off the ground, but got bored immediately and started playing with them. My mom came in while I was making spider-man attack hulk and she didn't look surprised at all. 

"Really Leo? I guess you're not going to Mcdonald's t-" She started coughing and looked away.

"Come on mom, I just took a break. I was cleaning for a long time and my arms were hurting." She still wasn't done coughing though. 

"Mom, are you okay?" I stood up and walked over to her and she finally stopped coughing. She started to touch and play with my hair. She still kept on treating me like a kid, and I don't know why. I was the most mature 8 and a half year old I knew. 

"You don't have to worry about me sweetie, I'm fine. You should probably worry about finishing your chores or else we won't go to Mcdonald's." 

"Okay, okay, I'll start cleaning." I really didn't wanna do chores, but I really wanted another toy. When my mom left she closed the door and I thought I heard coughing again, but it sounded a bit muffled. Maybe she was just stomping really loudly. I started to pick up my toys but then I suddenly heard a car outside. 

"Uncle Cody!" He saw me from the window and started waving and smiling. I darted downstairs, waiting for him to come in. He was my favorite uncle, and he was my mom's sister. My mom was sitting at the dinner table, and she just had a blank expression on her face. That's weird. My mom was really close with Uncle Cody, they were siblings after all. Whenever he came over we usually always would go out to eat and it would be the best time. I opened the door immediately and Uncle Cody was standing there smiling. His black curly hair was getting thrown around in the wind, and his brown eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Hey big guy, how have you been?"

"Really good. School starts in a couple of weeks. I'm starting 5th grade, so I'm almost in middle school. I'm getting really old."

He started to laugh as he hugged me.

"Yeah you are! You're getting taller and taller everyday, in a few weeks you'll be as big as me and your mom!" 

"Leo, that's enough talking with your uncle, go to your room, we need to talk about grown-up stuff."

"But mom, I am a g-"

"Now Leo."

"Ok." 

She got serious really quickly, I'm not sure what even happened. As I was walking upstairs, Uncle Cody got serious too. While walking upstairs I think I saw him get a little teary eyed. What was going on? I needed to know. But if my mom found out I went out of my room, I would be in serious trouble. She might not even take me to get a happy meal, which would mean no Spider-man toy. But I had to know what they were saying. I decided to slowly open up my door. There was a small creaking noise, and I winced a little. I jumped backwards, thinking my mom would come up and yell at me. I don't think they heard me. I opened the door a little more, slowly and slowly until I could fit through. I got on my knees and started crawling so she couldn't see me. They were sitting in the living room, and I think I heard someone crying. I crawled near the stairs, and could just barely hear them. 

"I don't know what to do, Leo's gonna be all alone."

It was my mom, she was crying. Why was she crying? What was going on?

"Melinda listen to me, you know I'm here for you right? Nothing's gonna happen to you."

"You don't know that Cody."

What were they talking about?

"I think we need to tell him, Melinda."

"No! I don't want him to know. He's only 8 years old. How do you think he's gonna feel knowing next month his mother might not be here anymore?"

I could barely make out what they were saying since my mom was crying so much, but as soon as I heard that I felt a sharp pain in my chest. It felt like someone took a dagger and just put it right where my heart was. 

"Mom, what are you and Uncle Cody talking about?" 

As soon as they saw me they both stood up and my mom started wiping her tears away.

"Nothing honey, we were just talking about when your school starts next week."

"Melinda, just stop. He has to know. He deserves to know. Leo, come here."

I came up to him and started to shake a bit. It suddenly got really cold. He got down on one knee to talk to me. It didn't seem like I was gonna grow to his size any time soon.

"Leo, your mom's sick."

"Ok, are we going to the hospital to get her medicine?"

"No, she's not that kind of sick. She has a tumor."

I looked at my mom, who started to cry even more. I didn't know what a tumor was, but I knew she needed my help. I immediately hugged her.

"Don't worry mom, I'll help you fight the tumor."

She started to laugh, but it didn't last long until she started crying again. 

"Oh honey, this isn't something you can fight."

"Yeah we can, doctors can help us right?"

"No, not for this."

I looked at Uncle Cody, and he had tears dripping down his eyes too. I started to feel a sense of weakness like something had just taken over. I started wiping my tears away, starting to realize that I might not be able to get annoyed by my mom every time she played with my hair. I wish I could go back in time so everything was okay. I ran up to my room and hid under my covers. I didn't know what to do. I always wanted to be a superhero, but now, I just wanted my mom to stay. I would give up all my toys and never get another one if it meant she could stay. Tears started to drip off my face and onto my bed, but I didn't move. Not once. I stayed still, wanting the pain to end, but it didn't.