Take My Heart. Part Six

[[Part Six]]

 

Jenn handed in Spencer’s homework to the Math teacher and went back to her seat by the window.

Endless thoughts filled her head, exceeding the limited boundaries of her mind. Most of them were occupied a little or a lot by Spencer. She still hadn’t found out why he was in the hospital. She knew one thing, the time she’s spent with Spencer, she…. Liked it. And she didn’t know why.

She saw him to day and tomorrow. She had work on the weekends. Jenn gazed unseeingly at the blackboard. She was dazed out.

This time, she was sitting under a huge oak tree. But she wasn’t alone. With his twinkling eyes and his longish unkempt dark brown hair in his eyes, Spencer sat with her. But it wasn’t sitting. And Spencer didn’t look like he ought to be in the hospital. No, he was holding Jenn close and she was sitting in his lap. He was leaning back against the tree. She was close enough that she could hear his heart beat. The steady thump….thump….. thump…. comforted her in more ways than one. For some odd reason, it was music to her ears, and it also confirmed that Spencer was alive.

Jenn blushed as she saw Spencer hold her tighter and kissed the top of her head. And then it was over.

She felt her face heat up.

What was that? She’d never dazed like that before. It didn’t scare her, but Jenn just wanted to know.

Was that a vision of the future?

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

Spencer woke up around noon. Shortly after he woke, the nurse, Muriel, came in. She had a tray of food with her which she placed in it’s usual spot. She checked the heart monitor, as usual. She had to every time she came in. she could get fired if she didn’t.

He rubbed the tiresome sleep from his eyes and yawned.

“Morning dear,” Muriel said.

“G’morning,” Spencer mumbled back as he sipped some orange juice. The flavour spread in his mouth and continued its journey down his throat.

“Sleep well?”

“Yeah. Just really tired.”

“Okay hunn. I’ll be back around five.”

“Okay. See you later.”

He finished his lunch in peace. Well sort of. Except for inside his mind, where his endless thoughts buzzed, almost all of them about Jenn.

He’d had a weird dream last night. He was sitting under a huge oak tree, leaning back against it. And he was holding Jenn close, she was sitting in his lap. He tightened his hold on her as if she would disappear in the next six seconds. Then he kissed the top of her head. She smelled like roses.

He remembered her scent and it was sweet. Roses must be her favourite flower.

He shook his head but the thoughts didn’t subside and they never would. He was thinking like an idiot. He’d never let Jenn know that he thought (and dreamt) about her almost 24/7. He didn’t wanna scare her off. He wanted her as a friend. Badly. He couldn’t have her hate him. He’d die.

He finished the last of his breakfast and flipped on the T.V to watch some boring show. He couldn’t wait for 3:00.

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

“Oops, I’m really sorry,” said a girl that Jenn knew. Her name was Veronica Laney and she was sort of emo. Jenn knew everyone, remember? Veronica didn’t hate her as far as she knew. She was in grade 10 too and she didn’t really talk much in class, just lost in her own little world.

Veronica had red hair, which she put in dark brown dye to make it seem browner instead of red. Her eyes were always heavily lined with eyeliner, which contained bright green eyes. Her clothes were awesome. She had a lip piercing with a cool ring in it.

She’d crashed into Jenn and Jenn was carrying a shitload of books. Then they all fell. On the ground. With an added bonus they made a loud noise. And everyone looked.

“I’m so so sorry! I should have been watching where I was going!” Veronica apologized as she helped Jenn pick up her stuff.

“It’s okay. To be honest, I don’t think I was watching where I was going either.” Jenn smiled.

Veronica giggled. “Okay. It’s Jenn Forshe, right?” Wow, she knew Jenn’s real last name.

“Yeah. Veronica Laney, right?”

She grinned. “Yep.”

“I think you’re in some of my classes.” Jenn recognized her. Maybe she was. She didn’t remember. She was too busy thinking of Spencer to notice.

“Three of them actually.”

“Which ones?” Veronica handed Jenn the last book and they stood up.

“First, third and fourth.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t notice you. I had other things… on my mind.”

“No problem. Everyone has their moments. Where you headed?”

“I’ve gotta drop this off at the English office, then to lunch.” She indicated the pile of books.

“Do you mind if I come with?”

“No, you can come.” Jenn smiled.

They walked in the direction of the English office. They talked about everything. Movies, T.V, elections, music, school. They became fast friends.

Jenn learned that Veronica was from England, but was born here. Her whole family was English, and her parents worked a lot. She had an older brother who was taking an extra year of highschool. She said he told her it was for extra credit, but she thought it was because he wanted to keep an eye on her.

Jenn had taken a liking to calling Veronica Ronnie. And Veronica had started calling Jenn, Forshen. Jenn didn’t mind. It reminded her of her mom.

They headed to the caf and stood in line for food. This would be the first time Jenn had eaten in the caf with a normal person. The Hopeless Stupid weren’t normal. They didn’t count.

They sat down at a table, just them. Jenn had gotten a salad and Veronica had rice.

“So what ‘chu doing after school?”

“Visiting someone in the hospital. You?”

“I actually don’t know. Video games maybe.”

“Sounds like fun. I had to switch my work schedule to only work weekend’s cause of school.”

“Do you think your dad will come home?”

Veronica knew about Jenn’s dad, but Jenn had told her that he was on a business trip and she didn’t know when he was coming back. It had been a month already. Jenn was starting to get worried.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Or maybe not.

“Do you have a computer, Forshen?” She asked after a pause.

“Yeah. Bought a laptop a year ago.”

“Give me your msn. I’ll add you.”

Jenn gave Veronica her msn and then the warning bell rang for class. They headed to third.

The day had started off normal, and then branched off to good. Jenn just lay waiting for something bad to happen.

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

One more hour. Idly staring at his phone, Spencer sighed. It vibrated and unlike usual, he didn’t jump.

A text message from Marek.

It said, ` Im moving 2 where u live.’

That was news. Marek was moving to where Spencer lived.

He wrote ,`Wat? Srsly? Wen?’ and hit send.

The reply came. `around next weekend.’

Spencer felt giddy like he was a little kid again.

Marek was coming, Marek was coming! Woot! The heart monitor beat a little bit faster. Spencer remembered where he was and forced himself to calm down.

But Marek was coming!

He glanced at the clock. It was a developing habit. Fourty-five minutes. What to do when you had fourty-five minutes to kill?

Some people might watch T.V. But Spencer called his mommy at work. Chatted for a few minutes. Hung up. Called his daddy. Talked about the homework. Hung up. Went to the bathroom. Came back. Glanced at the clock. Ugh! There was still a half hour left, god fudge it!

“Stupid time,” he muttered under his breath. It’d be just like old times. Marek had been his best friend. Not that he wasn’t still. Money doesn’t buy happiness. You get it with words.

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

By the time Jenn had gotten to the hospital after school, Spencer was so bored, that it wasn’t even funny. Well it was, to Jenn. But to Spencer it was anything other. When she walked through the door in his room, he immediately sat up straight and his eyes lit up.

“Jenn!”

"Hello to you too." She smiled. She had to be careful or else she'd lose herself. Which would probably happen, but she didn't want it to happen so soon.
Spencer moved his legs so Jenn could sit down. She hauled her backpack up on the bed with her.

"Sorry, it's just so annoyingly boring to be in a hospital."

" Do you know when they're letting you out?"

"Yeah. Doctors said a week from today. Then when I get home I'm on bedrest."

"Oh, so I go over tehre for your homework then?"

"Yeah."

" Can I have your address?   So I know where?"

" I could say something completely opposite of what you meant, but I'm guessing I shouldn't."

" No, you shouldn't."

" I won't." He held his hands up in surrender as he scribbled down the address for her.

" Thanks."

" No problem. So what's up? What happened in school today? Anything new?"
Jenn just looked at him. " I can tell you don't get out much."

" I would go out if I wasn't bedridden in this stinking hospital..." he trailed off, leaving an angry edge to his voice.
        Jenn laughed. " Are you always like this?"

" Sometimes. I don't usually get mad alot."

" Oh. Okay. I guess that's a good thing."

" Why's that?"

" Becauseeeee... I was planning to ditch you tomorrow. And since you don't get mad.. Well then." She grinned, enjoying teasing him.

Spencer grimaced. “ Oh, I’d be mad. Furious. You’d ditch lil old helpless Spencer for something else?” He imitated getting all teary eyed and turned away from Jenn, making little sniffly noises.

“ I’m sorry Spencer!” Jenn cried.   When someone bugged her, she more or less over-reacted. Usually more. She didn’t say that out loud… did she?

“ What was that?” Spencer turned back again, a grin plastered up on his face.

Jenn gave him a questioning look. She tried to reassure herself that it was just a thought.

“ You over-react.. huh?” he smirked. Oh s**t. Fudge. Holy Philly Cheese Steak bananas! “ Obviously I can use this precious information to my advantage. Don’t look at me like that. It’ll be fun. Come on now, smile!”

Spencer laughed at the expression on her face. Ah Jenn was just so… Jenn. When Jenn didn’t smile, he frowned.
“ Come on Jenners… smile please?” His puppy dog eyes had to work on her. They worked on his mom..

“ Jenners?”

“ My nickname for you.” He shrugged. “ Now smile… please?” He got on his hands and knees on the bed and got in her face, with his secret weapon: his puppy dog eyes.
Jenn stared at   Spencer’s eyes. They were really nice. And his dark brown hair falling in his eyes was… no! She was not   going to think that! Spencer just got closer. Jenn couldn’t breathe. And she couldn’t move. Spencer poked her cheek. His skin sent a shock through her. His touch was warm. But it was making her blush like hell. She had to get him away. Or else she might do something stupid.
So, randomly, she screamed. Spencer screamed too and jumped back.
“ What was that for?! Am I that ugly?!” he shouted, and the heart monitor beat faster. Spencer took note and closed his eyes to calm himself.

“No. You’re not ugly. Anything other actually.”

“Then why’d you scream?”

“I don’t know. It was really random.”

Spencer rolled his eyes. “Doof.”

“I’m not a doof.” She glared at him.

“Says you. Jenners, you’re a doof. Says me.”

“Jerk.”

“Don’t be mean… it hurts my feelings.” Obviously he was joking, but it was funny anyway. Jenn smiled just the slightest.
Spencer threw his hands up like he’d won the lottery. “ Yay! Jenners smiled!”

“ I feel like I’ve known you for a long time.”

“Well that was random.”

“I know.”

“Homework Jenners.” Spencer smiled.

“Well if you hadn’t been…UGH! I hate you!” Jenn flushed as she took out the textbooks.

“ I love you too Jenners.” He grinned.