Finding Claire

Chapter 31

Two weeks. It was going to be two weeks for me to be able to take the brace off and play comfortably. I would still be in pain according to what my dad said, but it would feel as if I was pushing on a bruise, not pushing on a broken bone.

When Mr. Zee heard that, he squealed in delight and I walked away, pursing my lips. Man was he weird. The recital was going to take place a little over a week before school ended, but a couple of days before every final for Seniors started. That gave me enough time to re-learn the song and since my singer was in his seventh period class, I could just stay and practice with her.

As each day passed, I noticed something different with Nathan. He never tried to approach me, -which I appreciated- but I did see his eyes looking at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention. He always had a small smile on his face, and ever so often, he would blank out only to come back with a small scowl.

If I was to be honest, I would actually say I missed him. I missed our friendship and all the talks we used to have. He actually understood me -well from what I thought- and he didn't want to change me. He never objected over my change, and he never made me do things I didn't want to do without my permission first. That was one of the things I actually liked about him until I found out he was just playing with me and he wasn't being honest. So I didn't really know him. He was just a stranger to me when I thought I actually knew him.

My inner rantings always kept me occupied when I wasn't paying attention in class and the ability to not used my hand like before was beginning to irritate me. Ms. Hoff began to give us practice essays so we could be ready to write one under two hours, but I always gave up after half an hour. My arm burned and ached if I even dared to continue and I was not one of those lucky persons who could also write with their left hands. Lucky ambidextrous people..... So I almost always ended up turning in my essay with one or two paragraphs missing. She would just sigh, shake her head and waved me away.

How rude!!

Before I knew it, the two week mark came by and I was sitting down in my dads office as he poked and prodded my wrist.

"Does this hurt?" he asked as he placed pressure on a certain spot.

"Not really."

"How about here?"

"No."

"Here?"

"Nope." he moved his cold hands to a couple more spots and my answers were the same. I smiled as he finished and then I moved my fingers, wincing lightly as the pain from the movement quickly faded away.

"So can I play? It's part of my final."

He nodded quickly and then smiled. "Don't over use your hand though. It might be healed, but you can sprain it all over again if you don't watch what you're doing. When is the recital again?"

I rolled my eyes and zipped my lips closed. He glared at me playfully and I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his chest as much as I could without my glasses breaking. "Ask mom. She knows."

He kissed my head and after another squeeze, he released me and murmured, "Alright. Go home. Be safe and no more sitting out in the cold rain. I don't want to see you in this hospital as a patient ever again, okay?"

"Yes sir!" I giggled and saluted him like a soldier. He laughed, messed with my hair and I walked away, skipping here and there as my happiness flowed throughout me.