Intersecting Lines

Chapter 7

                What is happening? I can't feel my right shoulder. It's feeling numb but I don't even know the reason why. I move to adjust my body but something is holding me in place. I finally open my eyes which I assume are really small as of the moment and I know that my face is bloated because of eating at midnight and sleeping at a warm place. Why do I always have to face Alex looking my worst? But the bigger question is; why am I starting to care whether he sees me on my worst or not? I don't get myself sometimes.

                I reached for my right shoulder which has gone numb and I lightly massage it. I look over and I see the sole reason why my body feels the way it does right now. We never removed the pinky promise. Alex and I slept with our fingers intertwined up until now, I look over to Alex and it's such a pleasure to watch him fast asleep. It's so much of a view to see him so quiet and peaceful like a child, with his face so sincere. I don't know but a smile emerges on my face and just like Alex did last night when I told him I was hungry, I smiled stupidly. I lift my gaze to my bedside table and I saw a note similar to what Alex gave me the next morning when I finally talked to my mom. I reach for it without breaking our intertwined pinky fingers. I open it with one hand and I saw his handwriting that says:

"I love our little get away tonight. :) I'll keep it a secret. Good morning –KIM" I smile at the thought of last night's mini get away at 2 in the morning. I never thought I'd do that ever in my life. But just like my theory about crossing lines, I crossed one of my lines last night.

"Good morning, Sophie." My mom chimed in as she placed food on the table. I immediately snatched my hand from Alex, breaking our intertwined pinky finger. It may have sent shocks to him because I saw him jolt on his bed. I look at mom with pleasing eyes. Hoping she didn't see the intertwined pinkies.

"Hi mom, what time were you here?" I ask her expecting that she just came. But who am I trying to convince? This is real life. And in real life, things don't go the way you want them to.

Mom gave me a teasing smile, "I came here at 9." She said then winked at me. Now were really talking. This is how mom and I used to converse before my silent rebellion as Alex would call it. We used to joke around a lot.

"I saw it, honey. And it's alright." She reassured me and nodded at Alex's direction. She's probably talking about the intertwined finger, "Is something going on or..." she trails off and she smiles at me. I smile back at her because I can't help it.

"Mom, Alex and I are just friends." I tell her and she nods but I know what she's thinking. I shook my head to myself and look over to Alex who began scratching his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked at me like it was a routine for him to check out if I'm sleeping or not.

"I'm awake." I mouthed to him and he chuckled and swept his fingers through his tousled hair. I'm starting to see Alex as an attractive guy, which is true. He is an attractive guy. Everyone's aware of it. I shrug the thought off and he gestures a massage on his left arm.

"Does your arm feel numb?" He asked me as if the only person in this ward is the two of us. I beckon to my mom and he covers his lips with his hand like a kid who said something he shouldn't have. I silently laugh at his actions.

"Good morning." He formally greets me and I greet him back. He adjusts himself on his bed so he could sit. He reached for his crutches and steadied himself to stand up when mom spoke to him.

"Alex, is that right?" Mom was directly talking to him and I stay quiet looking at how Alex would react.

"Yes, Mrs. Park. Good morning." He greeted my mom with a deep bow—the kind of bow Koreans do when they meet someone who's superior to them. I saw my mom smile at Alex's gesture and he gave her an awkward smile, definitely not the kind of smile he gives me when it's just the two of us.