Take My Heart, Part Five

[[Part Five]]

           Jenn had looked up the address Spencer’s parents had given her up on the Internet to make sure where it was. They’d also given her a room number and what floor. They’d told her that they had informed the hospital and nurses about Jenn coming in, so she wouldn’t have any trouble.

She bought a big huge teddy bear, cuddle worthy, and a get well soon card for Spencer. She put them in a gift bag. She had to take it to school, she was going to the hospital straight after. The hospital wasn’t far from the school. About a ten minute walk.

When Jenn got up the day after Spencer’s parents had visited, cold, still silence greeted her. But she didn’t expect much anymore. Her dad hadn’t been home. She dressed in faded grey ripped jeans , with graffiti written all over ( courtesy of Jenn ), a black t-shirt, with a white long sleeved shirt underneath and swept up her black hair into a low, loose, side ponytail. She slung her bag over her back, held the gift bag in her hand and slipped her feet into her converse.

She walked to school, same as every other morning. She wondered about Spencer. He was way too mysterious for his own good. But she’d fix that. She found herself wanting to be drawn into him, and she was. But it wasn’t as if he’d pay any attention to her, the ‘emo s**t child.’

Jenn was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even remember reaching the school, or walking to her locker. But she did remember putting the gift bag safely on the hook in her locker, the one meant for a coat.

It was Wednesday, January 27th, still cold as it had been in December. She wondered how long Spencer would be away for.

With a sigh, Jenn closed her locker and her intervening thoughts. She’d need to concentrate to be able to take notes for Spencer.

She didn’t want him getting mad at her.

*=*=*=8=8=*=*=*=*

Spencer was bored. There was nothing on T.V and he didn’t feel like sleeping. The scenery outside the window was gorgeous, but it could only capture his attention for so long. He couldn’t stare at trees, birds and skies for three hours, how much time before the girl dropping off his homework came.

He flipped open his phone, bored already. It was a skinny Motorola Razor, black and red. He decided to text his friend back two moves ago, Marek. His name was awesome. He was an emo boy who loved black, and his friends. He wasn’t gay though. In Marek’s opinion he didn’t get why everyone assumed every emo boy was gay, or bi. What was the deal with that? Cause you could be emo without having to change your sexual preferences.

Oh wow. Now he was going on about Emos in his head. Well Marek’s opinion of them anyways.

He typed in his message.

‘ Hey Marek. Wat up?’ He hid send and flipped his phone shut. By now, the loud noise of the heart monitor was barely noticeable to him.

The phone vibrated in his hand. Spencer jumped, it had scared him. He read Marek’s reply.

‘ Hey dude. Long time no talk. N2m, in class. U?’

Spencer typed, `yeh I know. In hospital.’ And hit send.

There was a reply in thirty seconds flat.

‘That sux, again? Boring?’

Spencer typed, `yeah, lol.’

Marek said, ‘hope you get bettr *smily face*’

Spencer typed, `I mite, thnx.’

Marek replied, `np man. S**t teach. Ttul.’

Spencer typed, `sure.’ And flipped his phone shut.

With his eyes he painted designs on the ceiling. Yeah, he as that bored.

*=*=*=*=*=8=8*=8=*=*

As soon as the bell rang, Jenn had already left. Being careful not to crinkle the gift bag, Jenn ran to the hospital. She was breathless by the time she reached it.

She took the elevator up to floor six, the floor Spencer was on. Now to find room twenty nine.

“Excuse me,” Jenn said to a passing nurse, “do you know where room twenty nine is?”

“Down the hall, turn left and it’s on your right side.” She smiled.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Jenn followed the nurse’s directions and found the room. She knocked.

“ Come in,” she heard. It was Spencer’s voice. She turned the door handle and peered inside, then walked in, closing the door behind her, trying to regain her breath.

Spencer lay in his bed, looking completely bored. Although when he caught sight of her, his eyes went wide, and he sat up.

“Jenn?” he asked, incredelousity creeping in his voice.

“Yeah it’s Jenn, the emo s**t.” Jenn’s voice and expression was bitter. She set her backpack on the ground by the door.

“You’re not emo and a s**t. I meant, what are you doing here?”

“I came to drop off your homework.”

“You’re my homework girl?” He smiled.

“Yeah,” Jenn said slowly, wondering if he was making fun of her. “You want me to leave? Cause I can.”

“No, stay, please. Come sit on the bed, its comfy.” His smile was warm, his heart in his eyes.

The heart monitor beat fast but at a normal pace. Jenn dragged her backpack closer to the bed and left it by the bedside table. She climbed up on the bed, and sat across from him. He moved his legs out of the way so she could sit. His eyes moved from her face to the gift bag in her hand.

“What’s that?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, um.. here.” Looking the other way, Jenn thrust the bag towards him. She stared out the window as he looked inside.

Spencer read the card first, then took out the teddy bear. “ That’s cute Jenn. Thanks.”

“No problem. Do you want your homework?”

“No.”

“Then I’m leaving.” She started to get off the bed.

“I was kidding!” he said with a laugh. Jenn settled back on the bed hearing that.

“So what’s his name?” Spencer asked, running his hands through the teddy bear’s soft fur, lightly caressing it.

Jenn looked up. “Huh?” For a moment she didn’t know what he was talking about. But then she saw him brushing his hand on the bear’s soft fur. “Oh, uhm, he doesn’t have one.”

Spencer’s eyes twinkled as he glanced at Jenn. “We should give him one. Got any names?”

Jenn shook her head no.

“What about…”

“Spen.” Jenn interrupted.

“Huh?”

“Spen. You wanted a name.. so.. You know what, sorry. Never mind.”

“No it’s okay. Spen. A combination of..” he trailed off so Jenn could finish.

“Spencer and Jenn.” She diverted her gaze to the wall. “It’s stupid. Forget I ever said anything.”

“Stop trying to convince me it’s stupid. It’s cute.”

He grinned.

“Okay.. it’s your bear.”

There was a pause. Spencer broke it by saying, “ Do you still sit in snow?” His eyes as innocent as a little kid who’s been in the candy jar and are trying to cover it up. His dark brown hair fell in his eyes.

“You’re lucky you’re in the hospital, old man. Or else I’d shove you.” She narrowed her eyes. Spencer burst out laughing.

“Old man? I’m not that much older than you. When’s your birthday?”

“May 24th.”

“I’m only two months older. Mine’s march 25th.”

Jenn didn’t know what she was doing. She’d just come to drop Spencer’s homework off and now she was talking to him. She was feeling funny too. But she had no idea why.

“So is it working?”

“Is what working?”

“Talking. Getting you to talk. Is it working?”

`More than you know’, was the thought he desperately wanted to say. Instead he said, “Kinda, yeah.”

“I’m making it my personal business to get you to talk. Or do you not talk with other people around?”

“No I talk with other people around. I just go to a loner mode and see who comes to me on their own and talks to me.” He smiled lightly.

“Oh I get it. I’ll change that.”

“Hey, it’s not like you talk a lot either.”

“I don’t waste words on s***s.”

“So you’re calling me a s**t?” He faked crying.

“No, no. I meant Taylor and her friends. They’re idiots. Besides, I have no one to talk to.”

Spencer laughed. “You amuse me. I’ll figure you out, just you wait.”

“Oooh I’m so scared. Same goes for you, Spencer Cherish.”

They kept a straight face for about two minutes, then they burst out laughing. Silence followed as soon as it died down.

“Do you want your homework?”

“Yeah, that’d be great, although I have no idea what we did in class…so,” he trailed off once again.

“Do you want me to help you?”

“Sure.” He smiled lightly.

So Jenn gave him his homework and assignments and went over the notes with him.

“So how about this?” Spencer said as Jenn was about to leave. Jenn listened with interest.

“You drop off my homework, go over the stuff with me, then we’ll do our homework together so you can take it with you back to school. Does that sound okay?”

Jenn nodded. “Yeah, we’ll do that. Starting tomorrow, Thursday. So I’ll see you then.”

“Waitttttttt, you can’t just leave. What if you’re sick? How’re you supposed to tell me?”

Jenn shrugged. “Phone, e-mail.. I don’t know.”

Spencer flipped open his phone. “Do you have a cell?”

“No.”

“Okay, give me your home number then.”

Jenn told him her home phone number and turned to leave but he wasn’t done.

“E-mail?”

“[email protected].”

Spencer raised his eyebrows.

Jenn flushed and diverted his gaze to the ground. “My dad told me that my mom used to call me Jenners and Emoicish is a word I made up. Leave me alone.”

Spencer chuckled. “I’m not saying anything,” he said as he texted the e-mail in a old text to Marek. He meant to save it, but he accidentally pressed send. Well at least he had it now.. in his outbox.

“So can I leave now?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. You can leave. I’m not keeping you hostage any longer.”

Jenn smiled and left, promising to see him tomorrow.

Spencer stared after her. At the closed door. He still felt like she was here. He still felt her touch when she accidentally brushed her hand by his, handing him an assignment. He was going insane. His phone vibrated. Probably to let him know that it agreed. But it was a text message. From Marek.

`What’s dat?’

`sry man, sent by accident,’ and hit send.

`np lol.’

Jenn…. Didn’t know that she made Spencer feel funny every time he saw her. ( That was a fact.)