*When Jeff and I arrived at the hospital we were sitting in the waiting room side-by-side*
As we waited for the doctor to call my name, we were silent. I had been given some aspirin by a nurse and, with the pain of my arm dulled, I felt awkward once again. We sat there in silence until Jeff decided enough was enough.
"You don't like me do you?" he asked quietly, sitting up in his chair and turning towards me.
I felt my stomach jump and a sick feeling in my chest. I could feel my face getting hotter, redder. I didn't know what to say, but there was no need to say anything because Jeff continued.
"I don't know what I've done, but you've been giving me the cold shoulder since I got here. You left the house that night when we first met, you always have something better to do when I try to talk to you. If you don't mind, I think I deserve to know why. After all, I am planning to ask your sister to marry me tonight at dinner," he said.
"M.......marry......Beth?" I asked, my throat so tight I could barely speak.
Jeff looked at me.
"Yeah, I guess so. She's pretty, she loves me...........why not?"
My heart was pounding against my ribs in panic. Marry Beth?! How could he.............she didn't love him....she loved his money and his body and his power, she had told me so.....but she didn't love Jeff!! From somewhere deep within me I summoned some kind of bravery that I had not been able to find for the past 2 weeks and I grabbed Jeff's bare arm.
"You can't marry Beth, Jeff!! She's all wrong for you......she's all wrong for anyone who thinks she loves them. Look, she's my sister and I know her better than anyone else, and I know that she........she..........."
I looked into Jeff's eyes. He looked so innocent and unaware of Beth's intentions. He really was her victim. Before it had been a joke, something to make fun of my sister who had totured me for all those years, but now I saw that there was no better way to describe their relationship. She was nothing more than a man-eater, and Jeff was next on the menu. But I wouldn't let that happen, only over my dead body would she marry him. I might not be able to have Jeff, but I would make damn sure that she didn't.
"She........she's using you Jeff," I said, completing my sentence. Now that I had started there was no stopping me, I continued, hardly remembering to take a breath. "She told me, she said that she has your money, she said you're wrapped around her little finger........."
Jeff pulled my one good hand off his arm and stood up.
"Do you really expect me to believe this crap?!" he said. He seemed more upset than angry. "If you don't want me to be part of your family then why can't you just say so, instead of making up these lies, these stories?! Do you know what, I'm just gonna go wait in the car. You can come get in when you've seen the doctor. I don't wanna sit here and listen to this."
With that, Jeff, still wearing only his sports pants, as his T-shirt was still working as my sling, left for his car and I sat alone on my seat as people stared at me. I just wanted to be swallowed by a hole in the ground. Luckily, I was saved when I heard the doctor's voice.
"Kim, would you like to come through please?"
As I walked towards the X-Ray room, all I could think of was Jeff.
~Did I upset him? Why doesn't he believe me? How can I make him believe me? This isn't about my crush anymore........its about justice. I've watched him for 2 weeks, I've listened to every word he's said...........he isn't the person I thought he was, he's better. He's sweet and generous and funny...........and he deserves better than Beth. I need to make him see that she isn't right for him.......but how? ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*My arm was broken. Two hours later, when it had been plastered up, I returned to the car, where Jeff was waiting. I climbed in, but he didn't start the car, instead he turned to me*
"Its broken then?" he asked.
I was surprised that he still had any concern for my welfare after the bitterness I had sensed earlier.
"Yeah," I said, not even able to look at him. "I have to wear the plaster for 6 weeks."
"Oh," Jeff said. He seemed to have cooled down a little. "Well, I have to go pick up a ring for Beth........how 'bout I treat you to some ice cream or something on the way home?"
"Sure if you want to," was my reply.
Jeff started the car and we set off down the motorway. A few minutes later, we stopped outside a small jewellers and Jeff left me in the car while he entered. He emerged soon after carrying a small cube-shaped box. He climbed into his seat and handed it to me.
"What do you think?" he said, smiling for the first time since our 'argument' in the hospital.
I slowly lifted the lid of the box, which was covered with red velvet. There, sitting in the case was a beautiful golden ring with tiny diamonds glittering all over it.
"Its........beautiful," I told him, still holding the case in my hand.
He looked happy and and took it from my hand.
"I'm glad you like it," he said, placing it in his pocket.
It occured to me at that moment that Jeff's nature was so warm that he couldn't stay mad at anyone, not even someone who he thought had tried to ruin his wedding plans. I sighed as I watched him start up the car and found myself wishing that the ring had been for me.
~If only things were different...........maybe if he wasn't with Beth, things would have been different. What would have happened if we'd met somewhere else........I wonder......? If only.........~
Before I had time to think about it any more, we were parked outside a little outdoor cafe, surrounded by oak benches and matching tables.
"This looks like a nice place," Jeff said, "let's check it out."
We got out of the car and walked over to an empty table. I sat down and picked up a menu. They had everything you could want on a hot summer day.......there were sandwiches, drinks, ice creams, ice lollies, cakes.........I was spoilt for choice.
"What're ya havin'?" Jeff asked cheerfully.
"Ummmmmmmmm.........a chocolate sundae sounds good, if that's ok," I said politely.
Jeff smiled.
"Chocolate Sundae it is then, I'll just go get them."
As I sat at the table waiting I couldn't help but smile. When I got home I would have to face reality once again. Beth would be there at Jeff's side and I would look on enviously. I would have to watch her set him up for a fall. But now, at this moment, it was just me and Jeff. For a while I would be the centre of his attention. I could imagine for a while that things were different, that I wasn't his girlfriend's sister.......just a girl
As we waited for the doctor to call my name, we were silent. I had been given some aspirin by a nurse and, with the pain of my arm dulled, I felt awkward once again. We sat there in silence until Jeff decided enough was enough.
"You don't like me do you?" he asked quietly, sitting up in his chair and turning towards me.
I felt my stomach jump and a sick feeling in my chest. I could feel my face getting hotter, redder. I didn't know what to say, but there was no need to say anything because Jeff continued.
"I don't know what I've done, but you've been giving me the cold shoulder since I got here. You left the house that night when we first met, you always have something better to do when I try to talk to you. If you don't mind, I think I deserve to know why. After all, I am planning to ask your sister to marry me tonight at dinner," he said.
"M.......marry......Beth?" I asked, my throat so tight I could barely speak.
Jeff looked at me.
"Yeah, I guess so. She's pretty, she loves me...........why not?"
My heart was pounding against my ribs in panic. Marry Beth?! How could he.............she didn't love him....she loved his money and his body and his power, she had told me so.....but she didn't love Jeff!! From somewhere deep within me I summoned some kind of bravery that I had not been able to find for the past 2 weeks and I grabbed Jeff's bare arm.
"You can't marry Beth, Jeff!! She's all wrong for you......she's all wrong for anyone who thinks she loves them. Look, she's my sister and I know her better than anyone else, and I know that she........she..........."
I looked into Jeff's eyes. He looked so innocent and unaware of Beth's intentions. He really was her victim. Before it had been a joke, something to make fun of my sister who had totured me for all those years, but now I saw that there was no better way to describe their relationship. She was nothing more than a man-eater, and Jeff was next on the menu. But I wouldn't let that happen, only over my dead body would she marry him. I might not be able to have Jeff, but I would make damn sure that she didn't.
"She........she's using you Jeff," I said, completing my sentence. Now that I had started there was no stopping me, I continued, hardly remembering to take a breath. "She told me, she said that she has your money, she said you're wrapped around her little finger........."
Jeff pulled my one good hand off his arm and stood up.
"Do you really expect me to believe this crap?!" he said. He seemed more upset than angry. "If you don't want me to be part of your family then why can't you just say so, instead of making up these lies, these stories?! Do you know what, I'm just gonna go wait in the car. You can come get in when you've seen the doctor. I don't wanna sit here and listen to this."
With that, Jeff, still wearing only his sports pants, as his T-shirt was still working as my sling, left for his car and I sat alone on my seat as people stared at me. I just wanted to be swallowed by a hole in the ground. Luckily, I was saved when I heard the doctor's voice.
"Kim, would you like to come through please?"
As I walked towards the X-Ray room, all I could think of was Jeff.
~Did I upset him? Why doesn't he believe me? How can I make him believe me? This isn't about my crush anymore........its about justice. I've watched him for 2 weeks, I've listened to every word he's said...........he isn't the person I thought he was, he's better. He's sweet and generous and funny...........and he deserves better than Beth. I need to make him see that she isn't right for him.......but how? ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*My arm was broken. Two hours later, when it had been plastered up, I returned to the car, where Jeff was waiting. I climbed in, but he didn't start the car, instead he turned to me*
"Its broken then?" he asked.
I was surprised that he still had any concern for my welfare after the bitterness I had sensed earlier.
"Yeah," I said, not even able to look at him. "I have to wear the plaster for 6 weeks."
"Oh," Jeff said. He seemed to have cooled down a little. "Well, I have to go pick up a ring for Beth........how 'bout I treat you to some ice cream or something on the way home?"
"Sure if you want to," was my reply.
Jeff started the car and we set off down the motorway. A few minutes later, we stopped outside a small jewellers and Jeff left me in the car while he entered. He emerged soon after carrying a small cube-shaped box. He climbed into his seat and handed it to me.
"What do you think?" he said, smiling for the first time since our 'argument' in the hospital.
I slowly lifted the lid of the box, which was covered with red velvet. There, sitting in the case was a beautiful golden ring with tiny diamonds glittering all over it.
"Its........beautiful," I told him, still holding the case in my hand.
He looked happy and and took it from my hand.
"I'm glad you like it," he said, placing it in his pocket.
It occured to me at that moment that Jeff's nature was so warm that he couldn't stay mad at anyone, not even someone who he thought had tried to ruin his wedding plans. I sighed as I watched him start up the car and found myself wishing that the ring had been for me.
~If only things were different...........maybe if he wasn't with Beth, things would have been different. What would have happened if we'd met somewhere else........I wonder......? If only.........~
Before I had time to think about it any more, we were parked outside a little outdoor cafe, surrounded by oak benches and matching tables.
"This looks like a nice place," Jeff said, "let's check it out."
We got out of the car and walked over to an empty table. I sat down and picked up a menu. They had everything you could want on a hot summer day.......there were sandwiches, drinks, ice creams, ice lollies, cakes.........I was spoilt for choice.
"What're ya havin'?" Jeff asked cheerfully.
"Ummmmmmmmm.........a chocolate sundae sounds good, if that's ok," I said politely.
Jeff smiled.
"Chocolate Sundae it is then, I'll just go get them."
As I sat at the table waiting I couldn't help but smile. When I got home I would have to face reality once again. Beth would be there at Jeff's side and I would look on enviously. I would have to watch her set him up for a fall. But now, at this moment, it was just me and Jeff. For a while I would be the centre of his attention. I could imagine for a while that things were different, that I wasn't his girlfriend's sister.......just a girl