I pulled into the car park of the diner where I was supposed to meet Mitch, trying to find an open spot. Mitch and I had been here a couple times before heading into the studio, but this was the first time I'd gotten there first. I liked this place, mostly because it was close to the studio where I've been spending most of my time recently, and because no one ever seemed to pay any attention to me. Not that I hated being approached by fans, but it was nice to keep to myself and mind my own business, especially when I was having an off day.
It wasn't until I pushed my sunglasses onto the top of my head that I realized I had forgotten the brace I'd been wearing on my wrist for the last few weeks. Sighing, I trudged back to my car and pulled the roll of tape my doctor gave me on my first visit. He had given it to me as a second option, but I never saw any reason to use it when I had the brace, so it had been sitting in my car since that first appointment three weeks ago.
When I finally made it inside, I sat down at the table Mitch and I usually sat at and waited for him to arrive, setting my phone and the roll of tape down in front of me. As I was waiting, one of the waitresses brought me a coffee, and I thanked her with a small smile and gave her Mitch's and my usual orders. I heard the bell above the door chime, a flash of red walking past in my peripheral vision. Before my curiosity got the better of me and I had a chance to see who had walked in, Mitch stepped in front of my line of sight, and all thoughts of strangers flew from my mind.
"Hey, how's it going, H?" Mitch asked him, sitting down in the seat across from me.
"Fine," I said, taking a sip from the mug the waitress brought me.
I could tell Mitch knew I was having one of my moods today, so he didn't ask any more questions, just talked about random stuff to fill the silence. I let him, knowing he was only trying to lift my spirits. I couldn't really say why I woke up in a bad mood this morning, but now that I had, I couldn't seem to shake it.
"So then Sarah says I can't lick my elbow, which, I know of course, but as I said, I was high. So I tell her she's dead wrong and- Hey, where's your brace?"
I had only been half-listening, but at his question, I perked up a little, only to remember my misstep this morning. "I forgot it at home this morning."
Mitch looked at him in disbelief. "How could you have left it at your house? You've literally been wearing it every day for the past three weeks."
"I know but I was in a rush to meet you, and I forgot it! Now could you please help me figure out how to wrap this around my wrist?" I asked my friend, holding up the roll of tape I brought with me into the diner. Mitch gave me one last look, but eventually motioned for me to hand it over.
We continued to bicker over how to apply the stupid roll of tape, neither of us really familiar with this sort of thing. "I say we just give it a go. Trial by error sort of thing," Mitch said finally after they'd passed the roll back and forth for a few minutes. I was about to tell him that was a ridiculous idea when a voice interrupted us.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt... I just... Can I help you with that?"
Mitch looked up and behind me, making me turn around in my seat. It was a young woman, about the same age as me. She looked nice enough, although her hair was a bit messy, and her sandaled feet were covered in sand. She must've just come from the beach, I thought. Lucky her. I tilted my head to the side, not really sure how to answer her.
"It's just, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and I would've felt bad if I didn't say anything knowing that I could help. I'm a physical therapist? Well, technically I'm still in school for physical therapy, but I'm almost done. But I can most certainly wrap a wrist. I also spent some time as an athletic trainer? You don't have to say yes, I just thought I would offer because it looks like you really need it?"
