all!" I turn the opposite direction. "I need to go check on Earl." Sadie shrugs and let's me go. I take a few calming breaths as I wander to Earl's new room. He was in critical condition and no longer on in my assigned section. I push open the door, relieved that I don't have to face Jack too. The room is empty except for an occupied hospital bed.
Earl has even more monitors at his side. The excessive tubes were probably driving him nuts. He smiles when he sees me but he can hardly turn his head. His skin is pale and his collar bones protrude through his gown.
"Kat." My heart sinks when I hear his raspy voice force itself to speak.
"Well look at you," I say, upbeat. "You're lookin' good."
"How many times have you lied today?" His look was smug. Um a lot.
"I came to see how they're treating you over here," I continue. It breaks my heart to see him this way.
"Well," he forces himself to say. "They don't sneak me Junior Mints from the cafeteria." I shrug.
"What's the matta?"
"Nothing," I reply, amazed at how well he could read me.
"You're face tells me otherwise."
I walk closer to his side, letting him squeeze my hand. His skin is dry and his hair is thinning.
"It's been an interesting week." That's the only way I could describe it.
"You're telling me," he says slowly. "Is my boy minding his manners?"
"Yes," I reassure him. "Don't worry about that."
"Jack is good kid." He turns his head away from the monitors, avoiding looking at the IV stuck in his hand. "When you've lived as long as me, the rough weeks don't really matter. Family matters. Friends matter. Don't give up what you got."
"I won't," I respond. I suddenly feel stressed that all these tubes and machines were keeping him hostage. It was clear to me that was not what he wanted. "You give good advice."
"I've seen lots of things," his raspy voice croaks. He coughs, covering his hand with his mouth. "Want to know my advice for you ?" I nod, and Earl just smiles. "Someday, my dear. You come see me again and I'll tell you."
"Deal," I agree, though curious as to what he was thinking. I leave his room in a trance. Earl's hoarse words play over and over again in my head. I pull out my cell phone. It was time to stop being childish. Life wasn't supposed to a competition, and I was in a bind.
The phone rings and I get Holly's answering machine. I dial the number to the studio, expecting to hear her voice pick up.
"Grandview Dance Company, this is Sara."
"Oh," I respond. "Sorry I was hoping to speak to Holly. Is she there?"
"Oh Holly," the girl says sounding excited. "No I'm afraid she's on vacation."
"Vacation?"
"Yes. She took the week off to go to England. Isn't that exciting?"
My chest pounds and the blood in my veins pumps vigorously through my body. My forehead is so steamy it could grill a kabob. "WHAT!"
Chapter Nine
"She did what?" Leah yells at the television set. She resumes painting her fingers bright pink before the polish drips on the couch. Jenna clatters some pots and pans in the kitchen. "Quiet in there! I'm trying to watch a Kardashian throwdown." I see Jenna glare in her direction and bang the cupboards even louder. "Don't mind her . . . she just saw some pics from the engagement party." Leah's apartment reminded me of mine and Holly's in college. Fancy furniture covered with clothes and a kitchen that smells like cupcakes. That was the scented candle.
"Did you even hear what I said?" I repeat. She was the last person I could turn to. I was coming to my little sister for advice. The girl that would most likely ditch a final for a free manicure . . . okay spa treatment.
"Yeah I heard you. I knew you'd hit it off with that richy." She tosses her caramel curls. They were longer and curlier than mine.
"That's not the problem," I respond.
Earl has even more monitors at his side. The excessive tubes were probably driving him nuts. He smiles when he sees me but he can hardly turn his head. His skin is pale and his collar bones protrude through his gown.
"Kat." My heart sinks when I hear his raspy voice force itself to speak.
"Well look at you," I say, upbeat. "You're lookin' good."
"How many times have you lied today?" His look was smug. Um a lot.
"I came to see how they're treating you over here," I continue. It breaks my heart to see him this way.
"Well," he forces himself to say. "They don't sneak me Junior Mints from the cafeteria." I shrug.
"What's the matta?"
"Nothing," I reply, amazed at how well he could read me.
"You're face tells me otherwise."
I walk closer to his side, letting him squeeze my hand. His skin is dry and his hair is thinning.
"It's been an interesting week." That's the only way I could describe it.
"You're telling me," he says slowly. "Is my boy minding his manners?"
"Yes," I reassure him. "Don't worry about that."
"Jack is good kid." He turns his head away from the monitors, avoiding looking at the IV stuck in his hand. "When you've lived as long as me, the rough weeks don't really matter. Family matters. Friends matter. Don't give up what you got."
"I won't," I respond. I suddenly feel stressed that all these tubes and machines were keeping him hostage. It was clear to me that was not what he wanted. "You give good advice."
"I've seen lots of things," his raspy voice croaks. He coughs, covering his hand with his mouth. "Want to know my advice for you ?" I nod, and Earl just smiles. "Someday, my dear. You come see me again and I'll tell you."
"Deal," I agree, though curious as to what he was thinking. I leave his room in a trance. Earl's hoarse words play over and over again in my head. I pull out my cell phone. It was time to stop being childish. Life wasn't supposed to a competition, and I was in a bind.
The phone rings and I get Holly's answering machine. I dial the number to the studio, expecting to hear her voice pick up.
"Grandview Dance Company, this is Sara."
"Oh," I respond. "Sorry I was hoping to speak to Holly. Is she there?"
"Oh Holly," the girl says sounding excited. "No I'm afraid she's on vacation."
"Vacation?"
"Yes. She took the week off to go to England. Isn't that exciting?"
My chest pounds and the blood in my veins pumps vigorously through my body. My forehead is so steamy it could grill a kabob. "WHAT!"
Chapter Nine
"She did what?" Leah yells at the television set. She resumes painting her fingers bright pink before the polish drips on the couch. Jenna clatters some pots and pans in the kitchen. "Quiet in there! I'm trying to watch a Kardashian throwdown." I see Jenna glare in her direction and bang the cupboards even louder. "Don't mind her . . . she just saw some pics from the engagement party." Leah's apartment reminded me of mine and Holly's in college. Fancy furniture covered with clothes and a kitchen that smells like cupcakes. That was the scented candle.
"Did you even hear what I said?" I repeat. She was the last person I could turn to. I was coming to my little sister for advice. The girl that would most likely ditch a final for a free manicure . . . okay spa treatment.
"Yeah I heard you. I knew you'd hit it off with that richy." She tosses her caramel curls. They were longer and curlier than mine.
"That's not the problem," I respond.
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