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Sitting in the cafeteria at Seattle Grace Hospital trying to study for school was about as effective as an umbrella in a hurricane.
My dyslexia was playing tricks again. The letters on the pages of my textbook danced before my eyes as if they had a mind of their own.
There was also the usual back pain-a constant reminder of my scoliosis-and the fact that I had barely slept all night.
Just as I was trying to decipher a particularly stubborn sentence, I suddenly felt a small tap on the back of my head.
Confused and slightly annoyed, I looked up to see Alex Karev standing in front of me, grinning, his hand still in motion from apparently flipping a salty peanut in my direction.
"Hey, Shepherd Junior, you look like you need some cheering you up," Alex said, his grin wide and self-satisfied.
"I could use a little less head fire," I replied dryly, rubbing the back of my head. "Thanks for the peanut, Karev, that was very helpful. Why don't you go bother someone else with your snacks?"
Alex laughed, sitting across from me and leaning back. "Because you're my favorite target."
"What's Dr. Evilspawn doing here among mortals?" I teased him, grateful for the distraction from the confusing lines of my textbooks.
Alex grinned again. "You know how I am. I live to impress."
"More like annoy," I said, but I couldn't help but smile. Alex somehow had the gift of being likable even in annoying moments.
"So, what is our genetic prodigy trying to study here? Maybe I can help."
He leaned forward, interested in the subject that had been tormenting me for hours.
"I doubt it," I replied dryly, trying to find the right page in my book.
"No, really," Alex insisted, pushing his chair closer to mine and trying to peek at my book. "What's the issue?"
"Real estate investment strategies and market analysis," I replied, almost enjoying how his expression changed at the mention of such a complex topic.
Alex frowned briefly, as if trying to process what I had just said, then conceded: "Okay, I'm out. No clue about this stuff. But how's the housing hunting going?"
Confused, I looked up. "What kind of house hunting?"
"Well, I heard your parents are looking for a new house here in Seattle."
"What?" I asked, my voice suddenly sharper.
A house? Here in Seattle? That was the first time I heard about it. A cold shiver ran down my spine. Why didn't I know about it? Why did I have to hear from Alex that my parents were planning to change our whole life?
Alex realized immediately that he might have said something he shouldn't have.
"Oh, sorry, I thought you knew..."
Without another word, I closed my book and stormed out of the cafeteria, determined to find my parents and confront them.
I was tired of being the one always left out, of having to beg for information about my own life.
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