My Friend the Stranger

Part 8

"So how is your mystery friend?" Ashley teased. I had told her and David about Alex's miraculous recovery and how we were coming to be good friends. I could sense a little jealousy coming from David. I thought it was kind of cute, but I assured him he had nothing to worry about. He barely responded which sent Ashley and I into a fit of laughter. He turned an adorable red and hurried outside claiming he needed to use the bathroom. Now he sat on my bed near my pillow stroking my hair. Ash sat at the foot of my bed and my mom was outside talking on her phone. A couple of my other friends were there as well. Sitting and lounging and conversing with each other. I even had a teacher and a few other classmates that had always been nice to me, there as well. It was really crowded and I was almost positive that this many people were not allowed to visit at once. I was grinning, wondering when a nurse would come in and yell at them all to get out. 

There was a sudden knock on the door. The nurse was finally here. "Come in." I called. But it wasn't the nurse. It was Alex. He was wearing a casual business suit, blue shirt with a collar and black shoes, jacket, and pants. In his hands he had a boquet of freesia flowers. He looked amazingly handsome.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." He turned around and almost walked back out.

"Wait! Alex it's all right. You can come in." I beckoned to him encouragingly. He walked back to me nervously. I felt as if he was afraid of all the people who loved me, because they loved me. "Wow. Awesome suit. So now you're ready to play soccer?"

He cocked an eyebrow.

"You ready to play tennis?" It was a rhetorical question. "Anyway, I got jumped early. They told me I was too much of a hassle." I couldn't tell if he was joking. He stared at me for a second.

"Oh, right. Everybody this is Alex, Alex this is everybody." I pointed to everyone announcing their names.David shook his hand politely. Bonus points for him.

"Right then, I best be off." Alex concluded, his accent pronounced. "Gwen these are for you." He handed me the flowers and I sniffed them. "You guys take care of her. She's a dangerous one. Falling off horses and almost drowning in kiddy pools." Darn it. I shouldn't have told him that story. I glared at him and he cracked a grin. David laughed, finally easing up.

"Okay enough laughter at my expense." I growled. That made the both of them laugh harder. "Done?" I asked frowning. They both just smiled at me. "Where you headed off to?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Hopefully back home to England. Although, I might go to California to visit an old girlfriend."

"Ooo." I mocked him. He rolled his eyes. His phone vibrated and he frowned when he looked at it.

"I gotta go Gwen. Nice meeting you all." He waved and winced. I grinned for old time's sake. He walked out slowly.

"Stay in touch?" I asked daringly. He looked back.

"I wish. I really do." He tapped the doorframe with his hand, then turned and walked out before I could comment. My grin slid off my face. My mom walked in then.

"What was that all about?" She asked obliviously.

"Nothing mom. Nothing at all." I could here the disappointment in my voice. I wish I knew more about Alex.But he was just a gorgeous mystery fading as he walked away. The people in the room looked at me curiously, expecting me to explain, but I couldn't. Nor did I want to.

When Ash and David were alone with me later on Ashley commented, "You didn't tell me he was that hot."She was being accusatory. I rolled my eyes.

"I just wish I knew more about him. He was such a mystery." I frowned. David's hold on my hand got a little tighter. I doubt he even noticed. In response, I bent forward and kissed him lightly. Then with a smile, I gave him a reassuring squeeze of my own. He relaxed and smiled back. Ashley rolled her eyes. Just then, my gossipy old nurse came in to change my IV.

"You'll be discharged tomorrow hon." She told me while switching the empty bag with a plump one.Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

"Hey did you ever find out anything about that guy I'm always talking to, Alex Stone?"

"Like what?" She said in a boring tone. I got excited I could tell she was baiting me.

"Like how he got here, family, friends..." I raised an eyebrow at her. She got excited and sat down on a chair. I sat up straight. Even David and Ash perked up.

"Ok, so security got lax a couple days ago and.."

"And?" I asked impatiently.

"It's kind of sad really." I wished she would spit it out already, but I held my tongue. "Well, he is an orphan, parents died when he was barely a year old, and he has been living with his uncle who died recently. He was jumping from orphanage to orphanage until he turns eighteen." I pondered that for a moment.

"What about how he got here?" I asked nervously, remembering the night with the unthinkable amount of blood.

"Someone shot him!" The nurse almost bounded out of her seat. "Whoever it was came very close to killing him, almost put the bullet straight through his heart!" That would explain his pain whenever he waved. I felt like I barely knew him now. "Apparently, some very powerful people want him dead. After that, I don't know much, it's classified."

"Hmm..." I looked at the flowers he left for me and there was a small card in them. I took it out and read it aloud:

Its Better If You Didn't Know