In the Hospital

Immediately after school I drove to the hospital to visit my brother. The news of his accident had been a shock for me, especially when I learned how close he had escaped death again. I parked my car and was about to get out, when a pink VW Beetle came parking next to me and a young girl with slim figure and long, straight honey-blonde hair got out. I guessed that she was about my age. She gave me a shy smile as she locked the door and then headed towards the entrance. I followed her straight behind. As it turned out, we had the same way, because in the elevator I met her again and was surprised when she pressed the button to the same floor I wanted to go. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed how she watched me curiously. When the elevator stopped and we both got out, suddenly a thought crossed my mind. Was she here for Davis? Was she one of his 'former' girlfriends? At least she looked like someone he would be interested in, I realized as we walked side by side down the hall. I looked at the box of chocolates she held in her hand and frowned. Somehow I felt compelled to say something. "Don't you know he has a nut allergy?" I said pointing to the chocolates. She stopped abruptly and stared at me in confusion.

"Excuse me?" She uttered.

"Nuts," I repeated again. "There are nuts in the chocolates. It's dangerous for him. He once had an anaphylactic shock and nearly died." She walked on, but I noticed her still looking at me with a frown. We had almost reached Davis's hospital room when I touched her arm slightly. "Um... I'm Jude, by the way," I introduced myself. "I'm Davis's twin brother." Somehow I expected her to introduce herself, but she just gave me that odd look again and kept going. Just before we had reached Davis's door, I grabbed her arm and forced her to stop. "Look, you're welcome to go in first," I said, smiling. "He's certainly more pleased to see you than me." She had beautiful light blue eyes, I noticed as she glared at me.

"Will you let go of me freely, or shall I call someone from the staff and tell them that you're stalking me?"

Shocked, I released her immediately and then looked dumbfounded after her when she just passed me and then opened the door two rooms after Davis's. She didn't want to go to my brother, I realized just now. She wanted to visit somebody else. Probably her boyfriend. I let out a soft groan and closed my eyes. I felt so stupid right now! I knocked on Davis's door and then entered.

"Hey Bro! How are you?" I greeted and walked towards him.

"Good. You know the saying that a cat has nine lives?"

"You scared us, you know that?" I looked at him with a serious face. "Justin told us everything. Well, I'm not in the swim team and still know how dangerous it is to dive in the sea because of the undercurrents. What were you thinking?"

"You sound like Dad," he said sulking. "I already got my moral lecture. So spare me!"

"Justin told us that you did it for Sawyer." I winked at him. "Is there something going on between the two of you?" I was surprised when he suddenly lowered his head and avoided my gaze.

"No, there's nothing going on with Sawyer and me," he said gruffly. "I just wanted to help her getting her necklace back. She told us it was a family heirloom."

"You and your helper's syndrome," I said reproachfully. "Look what you got!" I looked at his bedside table, where a box of chocolates lay, and was suddenly reminded of the stranger who was just two doors away visiting her boyfriend. I didn't have a chance to apologize, but I had to do it before she left and I would never see her again. "I'll be right back," I said to my brother, who looked at me confused. "I just have to do something first." I quickly left his room and went to the other one, two doors away. Before I knocked, I took another deep breath and hoped she was still there. When I entered, she sat in a chair next to her boyfriend's bed and looked at me with wide-open eyes. "Sorry," I said, smiling sheepishly. "I really don't mean to disturb you and I'll leave right away. But at least I wanted to apologize for my idiotic behavior. It was just a stupid misunderstanding." When I wanted to pull the door shut again and leave them alone, she suddenly jumped up and approached me

"Wait!"

I frowned in confusion. "Is there something else?" As she gave me a slight smile, I felt a tingling in my stomach.

"Your name is Jude, right?" She asked and then pointed to the boy in the hospital bed. "This is my brother Brandon and I'm Tracy."

Hesitantly, I took her slender hand. "Hi, Tracy!" I stammered.

"You thought I wanted to visit your brother, right?" She asked smirking.

I shrugged. "As I said, a stupid misunderstanding."

"Why is your brother here?" She asked curiously.

"He tried to play hero and almost drowned," I said, rolling my eyes.

She pointed to the bed. "Brandon tried to play soccer and tumbled. His foot is broken and he will probably have to stay here for a while."

"Would you stop talking about me as if I weren't here?!"

I looked over to the bed where her brother was lying, he had an angry glare on his face. He looked like 15 or 16, and had dark blond hair. "I really don't want to disturb you anymore," I said hastily and turned to go.

"Are you going to High School here?" Tracy asked.

I nodded. "I'm in 11th grade, and you?"

"Oh, I don't know. We just moved here from Texas recently. My parents haven't decided for a school for Brandon and me yet."

"There aren't that many schools here in Tree Hill," I said. "Or do you mean a private school?"

She nodded shyly. "In Texas, I was at a private school for music, art and classical dance. But there's no such institution here. "

"You're a dancer?" I asked, surprised.

"Since I was three," she confirmed. "First ballet, later ballroom dancing. And I play the piano and sing."

"Wow!"

She laughed. "Most people react the same way when I tell them what my hobbies are. But it's nothing that special."

Her blue eyes gleamed and I suddenly felt the desire to learn more about Tracy. "At the risk of being obtrusive," I said, grinning sheepishly, "would you give me your cell phone number?"

She went back to her brother's bed, took a pad and pencil from the table and scribbled down her address and phone number, which she then handed to me.

"Just call me. Maybe you would like to show me around Tree Hill. I don't know my way around here just yet."

I put the note in my pants pocket and nodded. "I'll call you," I promised, said goodbye and went back to Davis's hospital room.

"Where have you been?" He asked frowning. "I already wanted to send a search party for you."

I smiled. Usually we didn't have any secrets before each other, but I didn't want to tell him about Tracy. "Just taking a walk outside," I lied. "But enough of me. Tell me how are you!" When I left him after an hour, I still hadn't gotten the girl with the long blond hair out of my head. And I suddenly felt bad, because I was still with Lydia. Sighing, I got into my car and drove home.