READY FOR LOVE | JENLISA

Chapter 18

Lisa

The next week flies by. Between classes starting to pick up and football practice, I'm beyond exhausted. But aside from exhaustion, the week hasn't been so bad. Jennie and I see each other every day in class and walk together when we can. We haven't had another lunch date or dinner, and I haven't pushed her anymore about her feelings for me.

The only day that I didn't see Jennie was yesterday - Monday, because the game over the weekend kicked my ass. I ended up skipping English, wanting to save up my energy for the team's ninety degree weather practice in the afternoon. I felt bad for skipping, even more so for ditching her, not that she needs me in our English class. Regardless, I apologised to her for skipping in our anatomy lecture today, and of course she was nice about it. I even ended up scoring her number so I can text her to let her know if I'm going to be late to class or ask her any questions.

Like I said, the week was going pretty well. That is until Hoony took a particularly hard hit and fall at practice tonight.

"Fuck, dude. What if it's broken?" Hoony worries as he gingerly holds his wrist to his chest.

"It's not broken." I say, praying my words are true. Because if it is broken, he's fucked.

"But what if it is? Then I'm fucked for possibly the rest of the season." he says, seemingly reading my mind. He groans, his head falling back against the headrest in agony.

"It's not."

I make a left into the hospital's ER parking lot, dropping Hoony off at the door to check in while I try to find the nearest parking spot. I pull his truck into the first space I see and hop out.

As soon as Hoony took the hit and tumbled to the ground with a painful scream, we all knew something was wrong. Coach immediately had me drive him to the nearest hospital, Hoony not handing me the keys to his truck fast enough.

Meeting Hoony in the waiting room, we sit around for about twenty minutes before he's taken back for vitals and x-rays. Instead of sitting around, knowing that he's going to take a while, I take a walk, finding the cafeteria.

After looking around for five minutes at the limited, unappetising selection of food, I finally settle on two granola bars and a Gatorade. Walking into the dining area once I've finished paying, a flash of caramel catches my eye. I look to my left to find Jennie sitting at a table with an older woman that looks to be in her late forties. The woman has tanned skin, her dark hair twisted into a tight bun on top of her head. She's dressed in scrubs, letting me know that she's a hospital employee of some sorts.

There's a tray of food between them on top of the table. But they're not eating. The both of them sit with their chairs pulled close, their knees almost touching as they sit facing each other. They're both sitting up straight with their heads bowed a little, their eyes closed, looking sombre. The woman has her stethoscope out, listening to Jennie's heart, deeply focused as she listens.

I stand and watch for a few moments, confused. Why is Jennie at the hospital? Why is there a lady listening to her heart in the middle of the cafeteria? So many questions filter through my head, and then I remember something. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I glance at my home screen to see that it is in fact Tuesday evening. I remember Jennie mentioning that she has a commitment on Tuesday nights to meet up with a friend for dinner. Even Rosé confirmed how religious Jennie is about meeting up with said friend on Tuesday nights. This must be the friend she was talking about.

Unable to look away, curiosity getting the best of me, I quickly dart behind a large pillar to observe the pair a bit longer. After a few moments, the woman reluctantly pulls her stethoscope away with a shaky breath, giving an almost grim smile. Jennie lifts her head and mirrors the woman's actions, looking just as subdued.

The two women seem to collect themselves, then they ease into a seemingly natural, comfortable conversation. Suddenly, it feels inappropriate to watch them, and I slowly back away, sneaking out of the cafeteria, praying that Jennie doesn't spot me.

I return to the waiting room and take a seat. I peel open the wrapper of my granola bar, munching on the oats and honey flavoured bar while mulling over what I just saw in the cafeteria.

Thirty minutes later, while my mind is still wandering, I hear a pair of doors open and I look up to spot Hoony walking out of the ER wing. His injured wrist is wrapped, resting against his chest, while his other hand holds two pill bottles and some papers between his fingers.

He looks up at me and lifts his right hand, overflowing with what the hospital gave him, shaking the pills and flashing a tired smile. "Good news, it's not broken. Bad news, its sprained pretty bad, and I'll have to sit out for at least two weeks. Possibly four if it doesn't heal properly."

I let out a relieved sigh, standing up and dusting off some of the granola crumbs that fell onto my shirt. "Thank fuck." If it was broken, there's a good chance the season would be over for him, or at least a large chunk of it.

"Right." He lets out a breath of air. "Hey, you going to eat that?" he asks, nodding his head towards my other granola bar sitting on the chair next to mine. I roll my eyes, grabbing the granola bar, Gatorade, and his keys. I almost toss the granola bar at him, but think best of it since his good hand is already full.