Bears Know Best

Chapter 14: Discoveries

THE NEXT TWO mornings Alyssa and I went on rides that seemed to be getting faster and longer each time. I really liked the new bike, and appreciated her reminder to put a new spare tube in my bike bag before we headed out on Monday. Thankfully I managed to make it both days without another flat. That was just a pain! Both days Alyssa and I then practiced horn together after I'd already done a couple hours. It seemed like the two of us had known each other for years by Tuesday night when she invited me to a sleepover scheduled for Friday night.

I was a little nervous at first about Breanna and Danielle maybe having a little too much opportunity to learn about me, but I figured we would be safe. As it was, I found myself trading text messages with the two of them pretty frequently each day. Each day I also took care of some loose ends in case I was going to stay this way. Deleting my social media profiles was one of those first steps. I then created new ones with only my three friends from here, dad, and mom on it. If anyone in Conneaut asked, I would say I just created one, and didn't want to have any ties back home. This way Taylor Landt's gender was female, liked males, and seemed pretty normal for a teenage girl going into high school.

Tuesday I also received some great news via a phone call from my horn teacher back in Atlanta. "Hi, Taylor?" he asked.

"Yes?" I'd answered, and was ecstatic to learn that he got me an audition with Cleveland's principal horn player so he could evaluate me for lessons. "So, Thursday?" I asked.

"That's what he said, here's his phone number," he told me. "I put in a good word for you with him, and I have no doubt that your playing will speak for itself. Remember just count and stay in control of your air," he told me in a fatherly voice.

"I'll remember that, thanks!"

"Good luck," he told me as we hung up on the phone call.

Unfortunately for Mom, that meant that she was going to have to make two trips into Cleveland now this week. Thankfully we were in a bit of a lull for her court wise, so she was able to miss the time from the office. I was so ecstatic when I told her I knew she probably would have made it happen no matter what. Tuesday night was a nervous night for me though. I'd been so worried about Wednesday that I made myself sick enough to throw up once.

Wednesday morning at nine, after a ride with Alyssa and a shower, Mom and I drove into Cleveland. I was nervous about wearing anything too girly, so I had stuck to one of my old band t-shirts and a pair of jeans that didn't scream girl jeans too loudly with my hair pulled back into as low of a ponytail as I could manage with my new style. Of course, I had a bra on, as I couldn't think of a reason not to wear one. 'They're just going to make you strip at the hospital anyway,' I thought to myself.

I was a pile of nerves as we pulled into the parking lot for The Clinic and walked into a reception area on the seventh floor. "Taylor has an appointment for this morning," Mom told them and got me checked in. We were pulled into a hallway and into a room where I was handed a dressing gown.

"Hi Taylor," a woman walked in a few moments later, "I'm Doctor Fitzgerald."

"Hi," I told her.

"Tell me about what's been going on with you Taylor, I know what your chart says, I know what Doctor Moore has told me, and I've seen your past records, but I'd like to hear everything from you." She told me.

I spent about ten minutes explaining everything, during which she took copious notes, nodding and asking questions as we went along.

"Okay Taylor, I'd like to look over you for a few minutes with a physical evaluation of my own. When we get finished with that, I think it'll be a good time to take a break for a couple hours, and I've scheduled a meeting for one o'clock with several of my colleagues to discuss your situation." She told me gently.