Stage Hearts: The Derek Diaries 2

Chapter 9

The next morning, when Hannah and Oliver come through my door with Randy trailing behind, I completely forget about everything else.  

Because when Oliver makes a beeline for me and is so desperate to hug me that he drops his crutches and almost falls on me, that's all that matters.  

"It's so good to see you," I tell them as Oliver just holds on, refusing to let go, even as Hannah pleads with him to be gentle.  "He's fine," I assure her.  "It's been a rough weekend for all of us.  Give him a minute."

Hannah finally convinces Oliver to step away from me and helps him regain his balance, handing him his crutches, which she's picked up off the floor.  Then she turns around, grabbing something off the chair behind her.  She spins back to me and hands me two large books topped with what appears to be a handmade get well card.  "Morgan sent these for you," she explains.  "She hasn't quite worked up the courage to come say hello yet, but we're trying."

I carefully gather the books into my lap, making sure not to bump my stitches but of course still somehow managing to catch my IV in the process, dangit.  My hands are shaking a bit as I pick up the card.  It's definitely handmade, and Morgan is clearly quite the artist.  The front of the card is a very well drawn anime-style cat holding a heart in its mouth that reads "get well soon".  I open the card and silently read the message inside to myself.

Hi, Derek!  I'm sorry to hear about your surgery and how sick you are.  I really hope you can get well soon and get back out there, the fangirls and fanboys miss ya already!  And by the way, thank you for the follow.  There's so much I want to tell you, but I'm afraid you'll think I'm just another crazy fangirl.  That being said, I got you something to hopefully take your mind off of the hospital.  This is the first two books in the Taflen Chronicles series, my favorite books right now.  If you want to message me again, go ahead.  It makes me so happy.  You have no idea.  Please get better, the world still needs you.  Love, Morgan Kinsley Lane.

"Derek?  You good?" Hannah prompts me.

I quickly snap the card shut and tuck it between the books.  "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I reply, trying to hide my smile and hoping I'm not blushing.

"Derek, your face is as red as a tomato," Oliver remarks with a smirk.  "Why don't you just talk to her?"

"Because I don't want to annoy her."

Oliver rolls his eyes.  "Oh, of course.  You're going to annoy a girl who has a massive crush on you by having conversations with her.  That makes sense.  Wow, Derek.  You're a genius."

I scoff at him.  "Shut up.  It's not like I like her."

Hannah bursts out laughing.  "Says the boy who can't even have a conversation about Morgan without blushing."

"Hate to be a killjoy, but we've got to go," Randy pipes up.  "Sorry to cut you off, gang."

"Shoot," I reply.  "Anyway, Oliver, you're going to kill it.  Remember, don't try to be me.  Be you.  Say hello to Kaya, Lucy, and Elijah for me.  And do your best to not worry and have fun."

Oliver salutes me with his crutch.  "I won't let you down," he promises before turning to leave.

Randy winks at me, then leads them out of the room and down the hall.

It's only a few seconds after the door shuts behind them that a text comes through my phone from Randy.  Go get the girl, buddy. If a girl gives you books, you've met some very high standards.  Don't waste this chance.  

I send him a smiley face before putting my phone away.  

I gather the first book into my hands and stare at the elaborate cover.  A girl with shiny black hair and a pink and gold warrior outfit wields a sword while flanked by a platinum blonde boy in a green and blue warrior outfit.  The girl is obviously the main character and the stronger of the two.  The young man has a sword, too, but his is in its sheath at his side.  The girl is the one in fighting stance, holding her own against whatever they are facing.  

I haven't even read this book yet and this main character reminds me of Morgan.  I don't care that they look nothing alike.  I don't care that this character is likely a princess or something and Morgan is a biology student from rural New York.  As I open the book and begin reading, the hospital room and all the equipment keeping me alive fades away and is replaced with a quaint little fantasy village.  The girl on the front cover, who turns out to be a villager that protects slave children, slowly morphs into Morgan as the words flow through my mind.  

The next thing I know, by the time the nurses come back to continue my treatment, I've spent half an hour reading about how "Morgan" and her sister were exiled and imprisoned for saving slave children and how "Morgan" was adopted by the queen of her new kingdom and trained to be a benevolent warrior.  

Reality hits me like a freight train as soon as nausea overtakes me and causes me to get sick once again and the nurses have to deal with me.

As soon as I'm straightened out, I want to keep reading, but I end up falling asleep.

And when I sleep, I dream.  I dream of Morgan as a beautiful warrior princess, except she is not the one from the book.  In my dream, she has somehow found her way into Chain Breaker alongside me.  I do not know what kingdom she hails from, nor do I know how she found Layeba and Sholta's hut.  And in this dream, Morgan and I speak a language straight from our hearts that only we understand.  

It all fades away the next time the nurses wake me up.  Yet it feels so real, so fresh.  I pick up the card again and open it to the inside.  I read her words and run my fingers over her handwriting.  The dream still fresh in my mind, I can't help but feel that this is the heart language that we spoke in the depths of my subconscious, even though it's just English.

It's literally just plain English.

My first language.

And yet, I still can't figure out how to say "I love you".