"Hi, I was looking for Jace Storme's room," I said to the nurse behind the counter.
"Jace Storme, you said?"
"Yes."
She types away on her computer, "Here he is. He's in room 214, right down the hall, turn to the right and it should be on your left." I smile, tell her thank you and follow her directions.
This is the first time I'll be seeing Jace since the whole incident on the football field. I've been meaning to come by, but with everything going on and him not being able to have visitors, it's been a challenge. Teddy and I were supposed to come to see Jace together, but he had to go see coach today.
Turns out, the fight made its way out of Parker Lyon's house through the halls of Berkeley, and then found its way to the coach's office. When he heard about it, he was angry. Some of the players told me that he almost had an aneurysm and threw a chair.
I tried my best to make sure that no one circulated the video around, trying to control a couple of grown-ass college students is harder than you think. He hasn't texted since going to his office, but the outcome may be that he doesn't play with us when we go to Washington. And if that's the case, we're fucked up the ass.
It's so weird being in a hospital. The last time I was in one was for my sister, Katherine. She was playing in her 8th-grade soccer game when she collapsed on the field. My parents were scared shitless, turns out she had appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix. The ambulance came to the school, we followed behind it.
When they tried to sedate her for surgery, she started going crazy. My parents had to hold her down, it was a shit show. I just stood to the side, laughing in my hand. She wanted to kill me from the fire look that was in her eyes.
She woke up the next day from surgery, angry at my parents and everyone around her, saying she was going to call the cops and report a crime for our parents forcing her into surgery. Whenever that time comes around, she brings it up, trying to make my parents feel bad.
She can hold a grudge.
Coming down the hallway, I make it to Jace's room. He's the only one in there, laying in his bed while he watches the TV. I knock on the door; he turns towards me and smiles.
"You busy?"
"Does it look like I'm busy? The only thing I'm allowed to do is watch TV and walk around the room. Come on in." He ushers me inside.
I shut the door behind me, standing on his right side. He's got on a hospital gown and a white blanket draped over his legs. An IV was stuck in his left arm and a cast around the right. He looks better than he did when he left the field on the gurney.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Better than I'll ever be, I guess. Sit down." He pats the edge of his bed, and I do. "I've missed you, man. Where the hell is Teddy?" He cranes his neck to look behind me, wondering where our other best friend was.
He didn't hear?
"Teddy is with coach." He furrows his brows, confused. "Parker Lyon had a party at his house so we all went. At the party was Bridget's douche of an ex, Kam, who decided to trash Bridget in front of everyone for leaving him. Teddy got angry and beat his ass, everyone with a cellular phone recorded the fight and it got back to coach."
Jace shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling, "That idiot."
"I know, but he was protecting Bridget, Kam had it coming."
"But did it have to be right before the championships? I get it, but I'm just so angry."
"I feel you. Teddy is good, we need him, losing you has been something we've got to adjust to, we can't lose him."
Jace smiles, "How's Topolski doing, by the way."
"He's doing good. At first, he was shaken, all those eyes on him. Now, he's doing well. Most of the guys just stand and stare when he launches his arm, I've never seen a ball fly so long and far in the sky. The guys are starting to be nice to him, and some even call him by his first name."
"That's good, at least there's someone that can hold up the position of Quarterback. I always knew he was special, he just needed to be in a position where he was pushed to show it."
"Yeah, talented kid. Just asking, where is Monica."
When I say her name, Jace starts to get an annoyed expression on his face. He points to his left, and by the counter is Monica, talking to one of the nurses.
"What is she doing?"
"Driving everyone fucking insane." He rubs his hand over his face.
I laugh, "She can't be that bad."
He cracks his neck, "Oh, you don't know. Ever since I've gotten out of surgery, she's been glued to my side. From the moment I wake up, to when I take a shit to when I go to sleep. I am never alone, she's always there, I need to be alone Andreas!" He grips my arm, shaking violently.
"It's ok, Jace," I assure him, trying not to laugh.
"No, it's not." He looks to make sure Monica is still at the counter, she is. "I need her to leave, just for a few hours so I can sleep and maybe do some school work. She's not even letting me do that, I'm so bored in here that I want to work. I love her Andreas, to fucking death, the best girl ever, but I can't stand being around her right now."
"There's no way."
"Dude, she's out there right now arguing with the nurse about pudding, fucking pudding! I wanted chocolate, and when they said they didn't have any left, she stormed out the room, and she's been at that counter for 30 minutes now." He then gets a look on his face like a lightbulb went off. "Oh, why didn't I think of this, you can take her out."
"No, Jace I can't."
"And why not?"
I heave a breath, looking down at the ground. "There's something I need to take care of, and I need to be alone today."
"Dude, just let her sit in the car, give her something to watch, just please." I can feel his nails clawing into my skin, I rip it from his.
"Jace, she's not a five-year-old. Tell her you need space."
"Don't you think I've tried; she tells me no and proceeds to tuck me in like a child. What is so important that you can't take her?"
"I'm going to see Jessie." He just stares at me, wondering if what I said was true.
"Dead ass?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
I explain, "Up at Parker Lyons party, I had a moment with Elizabeth-"
"Wait, is she ok?"
I wave him off, "She's fine, Kam tried to come at Bridget and she punched him."
Jace smiles, "Good for her."