The hospital room was unbelievably quiet an unusual thing when the Ducks and their girl friends were near. No one said a word as they waited for Banks to wheeled in from the surgery they had to perform to reconstruct his ankle. It was a breath holding situation, because though it was a relatively routine operation, there was always a chance of tragedy. The lingering worry if their friend would ever skate again, or walk correctly for that matter was over shadowed by the concern on if he'd even make back to the room.

"I can't believe he didn't tell anyone." Scooter broke the silence.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Kenny spoke up.

Russ nodded.
"Yeah, but if the Cake-Eater had hid the first one, ya never woulda needed me on the team."

"Do you guys think he has a complex, first the Good Will Games, now this?" Luis queried.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mari Anne asked, lifting her head from Portman's shoulder.

"Banks broke his wrist at the Good Will Games and played for a few weeks with it like that before the coach found out. He didn't tell anybody." Connie explained.

Goldberg couldn't get it.
"I thought Bombay told him that if he kept that crap up, he was gonna wind up hurting himself permanently?"

"He did." Julie declared. "That's why it's so weird that he didn't mention anything to anybody."

Charlie agreed.
"I know. Is everyone absolutely sure he didn't say anything, Guy, Portman?"

"I just room with dude, we don't' talk much." Portman shook his head.

"He tells me as little as possible Charlie, besides you know if he said something to me, I would told you or coach Orion." Guy stated.

Kayla sat in the corner near Kat, chewing nervously on her hair. She was avoiding making eye contact with anyone, she wasn't even certain why she'd gone to the hospital that day. It was pretty obvious that she would be the last person Adam wanted to see when he came out the anesthesia.

"How about you Kayla?" Charlie narrowed his eyes at the girl.

"Now why would he tell Kay, Charlie?" Dwayne looked at his captain confused.

"You dunno Cowboy? I thought everyone knew, you're girlfriend had been spending her free time getting skating lessons from Banksie. But that's not the worst , see after Kat and Mari Anne's party the other night, she was making out with him."

"I don't believe you Charlie."

"It's true Dwayne." Kayla began meekly. "Adam had been teaching me how to skate and we did kiss the other night. Yes, I did know about his ankle, he wanted me to keep it secret so I did."

Dwayne felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. He could barely even breath, the entire he thought he had the girl of his dreams. Little had he known that Banks really had her.
"I learned to slow dance for you… if you didn't like me, why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not like that Dwayne, I do like you, it's just…" Her voice trailed off.

"I think you should go Kayla, before there's a problem." Nicci suggested softly.

"But-"

"Just go Kayla, we've got bigger things to worry about then you." Charlie snarled.

"Dwayne?" As the girl went toward the door she called to the cute Texan once more, this time he turned his back to her and she fled in tears.

Hours later Adam opened his eyes, the door to his hospital room was closed as was the curtains. There was no way for him to tell if it was night or day. His leg was in traction and he was still mildly groggy from the anesthesia. That's when he heard the sound. It sounded like someone clearing their throat and it startled Adam. What scared him more was when he looked around the room and saw no one.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, chalking it up to paranoia over his fear of hospitals. Though he was sort of disappointed, he hated being alone in the hospital and was wondering where his friends were. He'd been almost positive when he was going in for the surgery that as soon as he opened his eyes afterward one of the Ducks would be there. The fact that there wasn't seemed strange. Suddenly his nose was assaulted by the sweet scent of lilacs, an incredibly familiar smell. This time his eyes shut open and met with a pair of soft hazel eyes, ones he'd stared for hours. Eyes he knew better then his own.

"I didn't think you were ever going to wake up, you know patients isn't one of my virtues Adam." A soft yet firm female voice stated.

"St- Star?" Banks' jaw dropped and he shook his head quickly. "It can't be, you're, you're…"

"Dead." The girl finished for him. "I know."

"I'm dreaming, the medication, I'm delusional."

Star reached over and ran her fingers through the boy's soft golden hair. As her skin got closer to him the smell of the lilac got stronger.
"Can you feel that?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"I've missed how soft your hair is."

"You still smell like lilac."

"Yeah."

"How is this possible?"

The girl sighed and took his hand.
"I've been watching you Adam, but some things have happened lately that I thought maybe you'd need me to help with."

"I need you all the time Star, I miss you so much." Banksie sat up straighter.

"I know you do sweetie, I miss you too. That's part of the reason I'm here."

"They give you time off up there to visit loved ones?"

"Don't make jokes Adam. I'm here because I need you to let me go."

"I'm trying Star, I even tried to find another girl, things just didn't work out."

"No Adam, you didn't. You simply moved on to another girl."

"Are you trying to tell me I don't love Kayla?" Banks looked at her confused.

Star shrugged.
"If that's how you look at it. What I'm trying to say is, you don't even know how you feel. This cute girl, that has a crush on you that everyone knows about all of a sudden becomes a member of your circle of friends. You had people pushing her on you when you weren't really ready to start dating again. It makes perfect sense that you'd fall for her. But are you sure you didn't just fall for her because you wanted to prove to everyone you were alright?"

"Yes, Star, I loved you. You will always have a place in my heart, but Kayla's my future and I do love her."

"That's all I wanted to hear Adam. I knew if you could bring yourself to tell me how much you cared for this girl, then you really do have feelings for her. So now all I have to ask you is one last thing. Do you love her enough to let her go, the way you did me?"

"What do you mean, she's not going to…"

"No, no, she's fine. It's just, I don't know how to say this Adam... Kayla… is in love with Dwayne." The girl explained

"No she's not, they've gone out on a few dates but she likes me, she always has. We were suppose to talk about it after the game, but I got hurt so we didn't get the chance to. We'll work it all out though." He told her all in one breath.

"No. While you were unconscious Adam, Charlie told Dwayne about you two. Kayla was devastated, she left in tears. Some where along the line she realized the feelings she had for you, weren't the same feelings I had for you and the person she did feel that way about, was the soft spoken cowboy."

"I didn't notice, I didn't see it."

"You weren't meant to baby. But I've got to go now, think about it. I love you Adam Banks." As Star's lips brushed his abruptly Adam's eyes flew open.

He looked around the room, there was sign of Star, he thought for sure it had all been a dream, then he detected the linger smell of lilac. Then he knew it was real. The door to his room squeaked open and a doctor stuck their head in.

"Glad to see you awake." The doctor walked over to the machines and checked all of his patients vital signs. "Your friends are all in the waiting room, would you like me to have someone to come and see you?"

"Actually, yes, would you have the guy in the cowboy hat come in here, for me?"

"Sure."

When Dwayne walked into the dimly lit room, he had his head hung and his arms folded behind his back. The tall Texan looked like he was ashamed of something, but Dwayne had never done something to be ashamed of in his whole life.

"Hey Dwayne." Banks greeted him subtly.

"Hi Banks." Dwayne replied meekly. "You know, uh, Charlie's been waiting to check on you. Do you want me to go get him?"

"No, no, I need to talk to you Dwayne, about Kayla."

"Don't worry about hat Banks. I know she's the first girl that you've like since Star, so I think you should go out with her. Don't worry about me, she likes you anyway."

Banks shook his head.
"She doesn't, it's you she wants to be with Dwayne. So go, go find her. You two belong together. When you love someone you should spend as much time with them as possible, because you never know what might happen. I lost Star, I don't want to see you miss out on being with the girl of your dreams."

"Thank you Banks." Dwayne tipped his hat at Adam and ran out of the room.

Kayla was sitting on the same patch of grass she had been the day she fled Marianne and Kat's party. And just like that day she was shivering. A long shadow fell on the grass in front of her but she ignored it. She was destine to be alone romantically and at that point in time she just wanted to be left alone with her tears.

"Kay?" A warm southern drawl called from behind her.

Kayla sniffled her tears and wiped her face with her sleeve.
"I can't talk about it right now Dwayne. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I'm not here to fight with you Kayla. I just wanted to tell you, that if I didn't ruin everything today, I'd still like you to come to Austin this summer and see the ranch and meet my horses."

Kayla shot up from the grass and flew at him like she'd been launched from a slingshot. Dwayne caught the tiny redhead and picked her up. She nestled her damp face in the nook of his neck and kissed the top of her head. Banks may not have gotten his girl, but he'd helped the right couple get together.

THE END