I See Sparks Fly Whenever You Smile

Brook

I had stayed out of the way for the most part while Alex’s parents and our other friends came in and out of the room to talk to Alex. I wasn’t sure if it made me feel better or worse when it became clear that Alex didn’t remember anyone – not just me. I could not imagine how scary that was for him.

“How are you holding up?” Jenn asked me as we sat in the hospital cafeteria, drinking some coffee.

I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”

She smiled at me sadly.

“On one hand, I am thrilled that she’s aware. But on the other…” I trailed off.

“His memories will come back, Brook,” Jenn assured me.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because this isn’t how your story is supposed to end.”

I stirred a thin wooded stick around my coffee and watched the tan liquid swirl in a circle around the paper cup. “What if his memories come back and he still hates me?”

Jenn laughed and my eyes snapped up to her.

“I’m sorry for laughing. But you don’t see how ridiculous you sound. Alex never has and never will hate you.”

I took a sip from the coffee. “Can we talk about something else?”

“What else is there possibly to talk about?”

“You and Jack,” I smirked.

“No,” Jenn rolled her eyes. “There is nothing to talk about.”

“Oh. That’s bull, I challenged her. “I feel like I’ve talked to him about this more than you.”

“Then go talk to him.”

“Oh, come on,” I frowned. “Please. I need some good news to give me hope.”

“Oh, that is not fair,” Jenn grumbled, glaring at me. “What do you want to know?”

“Have you slept with him yet?”

“Brook!” Jenn gasped – apparently shocked that was my first question.

“Well…” I pressed.

Jenn sighed. “No. We haven’t.”

“Good,” I smiled, satisfied.

“Good?” She questioned.

“You guys are taking it slow. That means you really like each other.”

Jenn rolled her eyes. “Are we done?”

I laughed. “I guess so. You clearly want no part of this conversation.”

“Look. You know how I feel about dating and guys. I’m not interested in the distraction until I’m done with school.”

“Yeah…” I nodded.

“But then Jack and I spent time together at that party – and sure we were super drunk – but I felt something. And that’s scary for me because that doesn’t happen often.”

“He likes you,” I told her.

“I know,” she said and I swear she blushed. “He’s well aware about how I feel about things. He’s on board to take it slow. Very slow.”

“Alex and I took it slow. It was nice to get to know each other really well because the added pressure of being in a relationship started.”

“I just don’t want any pressure. I have enough of that on my own.”

“So…” I smirked. “Is he a good kisser?”

“Okay,” Jenn stood up. “We are done here.”

“No come on,” I jumped up, grabbing my coffee and following her.

“I said we’re done.” She repeated as we got into the elevator.

“Fine,” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “I know he thinks you’re a good one.”

“How do you know that?” she asked.

“He told me,” I smirked, bumping her side with my shoulder.

She smiled a little and I was pretty sure she blushed again. “The feeling’s mutual, I guess,” she mumbled as we stepped off the elevator.

We stood outside Alex’s room and I stopped before going inside. I could hear him talking and the
sound of his voice was comforting.

“Are you okay?” Jenn asked when I made no more to go in the room.

“I need a minute.”

I hadn’t really been around Alex since he first woke up so I hadn’t fully had a chance to interact with him. I need to prepare myself for the fact that I was going to seem like a total stranger to him.

All the guys were in the room with him and it sounded like they were looking through pictures from someone’s laptop and sharing different stories. It was definitely a good way to try and jog his memories.

“I know that girl,” I could hear Alex say as he looked at a picture on the screen.

From the hall I could see the guys shift sort of excitedly at the revelation that Alex recongnized someone in a picture.

“Who is she?” Zack asked him.

Alex shrugged. “I think she’s a nurse or something. She was in here before when I woke up.”

I glanced at Jenn when I realized he was talking about me. She gestured for me to go I the room but
I couldn’t. I felt like I would be intruding with the guys all in there.

“She’s not a nurse.” Rian explained.

“Oh,” Alex said. It seemed like he was still looking at the same picture. “Who is she?”

“That’s Brook,” Jack advised. “She’s your…he paused for a second before finishing his sentence, “…your girlfriend.”

I could see Alex’s head tilt up. “Really?” he asked. There was a small smile on his lips that made my stomach flip upside down in a way it hadn’t in a really long time.

“Ex-girlfriend,” Rian corrected, causing Jack to scoff and shoot him a glare.

“Oh,” Alex said again and that smile faded from his lip.

I looked back at Jenn with tears welling up in my eyes. She gestured for me to go in the room again and I just shook my head.

“She’s pretty,” Alex said, bringing my attention back inside the room.

Even from the hall I could sense the tension and awkwardness the guys must have been feeling.

“She’s the best,” Jack was the first to speak up.

Alex shook his head before closing the laptop and shoving it away from him. “I’m sorry, guys. I still don’t remember anything.”

“It’s okay,” Zack assured him, taking the laptop before it fell off the bed. “It’s only been a few hours.”

Alex sighed, leaning back against his bed. “You guys must think I’m some awful friend, huh? From the looks of all those pictures, we’ve done some pretty cool stuff together. How could I not remember you?”

“It’s not your fault,” Rian said. His voice sounded a little shaky which made me want to cry all over again.

A weird silence fell over the room and after a few minutes had passed, Rian stood up from where he was sitting and quietly excused himself.

He walked out of the room so fast and with such a purpose he didn’t even see me and Jenn standing on the other side of the door I called after him but he just kept going.

“I’ll be right back,” I told Jenn before I took off down the hall after him.

Rian had been my rock this entire time. If he was final allowing himself to breakdown, I needed to be there for him and I needed to stay strong.

“Rian, where are you going?” I asked when I finally caught up with him.

“Nowhere. I’m fine,” he said. He didn’t stop walking and he didn’t even look back at me.

“Rian, stop, “ I said, walking a bit faster so I was in front of him, block his way.

“Brook, come on,” he sighed, trying to get around me but I put my hands on his shoulders to stop him.

“Where are you going?” I asked again.

He sighed again. “Fine. Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand and leading me to his destination.

When we finally got there, my heart sank to my stomach.

“I’ve come here a few times since this all happened. I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do inside. But I feel like it’s been worth a shot,” he explained as we stood outside the small chapel room inside the hospital.

I gave his hand a squeeze. “Do you mind if I join you this time?”

He nodded, squeezing my hand back before he led me inside. We took a seat in a pew towards the back and both just stared up at the altar for a few minutes without saying anything. I think we were both just taking time to have our own personal moment with whatever higher power would listen.

The silence was broken when I heard sniffling come from someone that wasn’t me. I realized Rian and I were the only ones in the room. The sniffling was coming from him.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a slight laugh when he realized I had realized he was crying.

I shook my head, turning to face him full. “Why are you sorry, Rian?”

He shrugged, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. “You were the last person I wanted to do this in front of.”

“That’s silly,” I said. “I’ve done this in front of you about a thousand times.

“I know. But I also know that the last thing you need right now is to worry about me.”

I tilted my head to the side as I looked at him. “I could say the same for you having to worry about me.”

I took a deep breath and exhaled a shaky one. “This sucks.”

I nodded. “It totally sucks,” I agreed.

“I thought him being unconscious was going to be the worst part of this whole thing. I never imagined him being awake would be worse.”

“I think the best thing we can do right now is be there for him. It’s got to be really hard for him to be around a whole bunch of people that are virtually strangers to him but that’s what’s going to make him come back eventually.”

“Thanks,” he said, leaning over to hug me.

I shifted in my seat so I could give him a proper hug back, “Don’t thank me.”

He pulled back a few seconds later. “We’ve done quite a lot of bonding these last few days, huh?”

I laughed a little, wiping a few tears from my eyes. “We have,” I nodded.

“Does that mean you like me better than Jack now?”

I gasped. “Oh. That’s not a fair question.”

“On the contrary, I think it’s quite a fair question.”

I shook my head. “It’s like picking my favorite Olsen Twin. It’s just impossible.”

Rian laughed. “Okay fine. But at least let me be Ashley Olsen.”