Chapter 3
Scotty's Point of View
"That'll be momma and dad." I announced as I heard the garage door go up. I saw a momentary flash of worry cross her face as she started fidgeting with the ring on her ring finger. I was the one who had to worry though, I was sure to get lectured for letting a stranger into our house. I just couldn't help it though. I could tell that she was exhausted as she stood our front porch, and it didn't seem that she even recognized me, which was very rare. As I watched more nervousness start to fill her blue-grey eyes my mom and dad walked from the garage.
"Scott Cooke McCreery, how many times have I told you not to leave your baseballs out in the-" my mom stopped as she noticed the unfamiliar girl sitting at our kitchen bar, "And who is this?"
"This is Rhiannon Freed, she's a physical therapy assistant from over in Raleigh. She came to ask us a few questions." At this Rhiannon seemed to muster up some courage and jumped up from her bar stool and introduced herself to my bewildered parents. She started in with her speech about opening the rehab center here in Garner. As she talked my parents seemed to relax a little towards her.
I watched her as she asked them questions about our family's medical history, how many times a year we seek therapy and such. From the moment I opened the door and looked at her I knew she looked familiar. I see thousands of people all the time, at shows, meet and greets, all sorts of places. But, rarely do faces stick with me, but hers did. For the life of me though, I can't figure out where I know her from.
I don't even realized they are finished until I hear my dad ask her, "you seem awful young to be a therapy assistant. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" I had wondered the same thing but I couldn't figure out how to ask her without sounding weird.
"Oh, no, I don't mind. I'm 21 years old. I was able to get into the PTA program one year out of high school. I just graduated a few weeks ago." She said with obvious pride.
"And are you from North Carolina?" my mom asked her.
"No ma'am. I'm from a little town in southeast Missouri." She replied.
"Well how on earth did you get all the way out here?" I couldn't believe my parents were grilling her like this. But she didn't seem to mind.
"I have some family that lives out this way. They actually live near Asheville but it's still close enough that if I need anything I can call them up."
"Well," my dad said with astonishment on his face, "you seem like a very responsible young lady. I hope y'all open that facility over here so maybe we can see some more of you."
"I would like that too. Raleigh is a nice city, but I think I would prefer the small-ness of Garner." She said, "I should be going now though, I have to get all this information back to my boss."
My parents said that they understood and told her they hoped to see her again and I offered to walk her to the door. After she had said good-bye to them and started towards the hallway I saw my dad mouth something to me that looked like 'number'. I was way ahead of him.
"So did you walk all the way from Raleigh?" I joked with her.
"No," she said as she rolled her eyes, "my car is parked down the block." I hollered to mom and dad that I was going to walk her down the block to her car. I thought I heard her give out a little sigh. As we walked out the front door I tried to think of how to get her number from her and to find out where I know her from. I noticed that in the sunlight she had some red in her otherwise brown hair, pretty.
"So do you think you all will open the facility here?" I asked her.
She thought for a moment, "I bet so. Based on the number of athletes in the town, there are liable to be lots of injuries. So yeah, I see a need for one here."
I thought about that for a second and realized she was right. "Hey, I was wondering…" I started having no clue where I was heading with the question.
"Yes?"
"Never mind." I said realizing I was going to ask her if we had meet before, but suddenly having a feeling I shouldn't.
"Not never mind, what were you going to ask me?" she demanded. I tried to think of something to say.
"I was just wondering how I was going to find out if you end up working here in Garner." Nice, one Scotty, get her number from this line. She seemed to pick up on it though. By now we had reached her car. Without having answered me she unlocked the car and set her stuff inside. I watched her as she digged around the console until she produced a post-it note and a pen. I saw her scratch something on it.
"Well if I do get re-located here it won't be for months. But here's my number anyways. You know, if you ever have any pressing questions about physical therapy." She said handing me the paper with a sly smile.
"Could I ask you about stuff other than therapy?" I ask a little nervously.
"Sure you can do whatever you want with it, after all, you are an American Idol winner." She said as she got in her car to drive away.
So, she had recognized me, I thought as I walked back towards the house, but why can't I remember her?
