~CHAPTER FIVE~

Andrea fiddled with the paper covering the bench she was sitting on. She hated that she had let someone convince her to go to a doctor, especially someone she hates.

But here she was, at an Urgent Care Center near the dance studio, waiting for a doctor. Her knee was still throbbing pretty badly, and she was trying to distract herself with any other thought besides the pain, how she got here, the fall, and the man sitting in the chair next to the bench. They had put them in a room that was obviously used for children on a regular day because everything seemed smaller, and the wallpaper had crayons on it.

Andrea looked over at Jay and tried not to laugh. He was sitting in a chair that was too small, even for him. If he tried folding his knees, he would fall over, so he had them outstretched, and was going through a “Where’s Waldo?” book that had been sitting on a small table (along with a multitude of other children’s books) when they got there.

But Andrea hated him, so she couldn’t laugh, or make conversation. The ride to the Urgent Care was silent, mostly because of Andrea. Jay had tried to make conversation, but Andrea refused to answer in anything other than monosyllabic responses, which ended any conversation immediately. Even when Jay would ask if she was okay, if it was too hot or too cold in the car or if she had a doctor she would rather see, Andrea didn’t answer. It was the same way in the doctor’s office. Neither of them were talking to the other, and Andrea had convinced herself that it was better that way.

Instead, she turned her attention back to the paper on the bench, wondering why they used it. She was always afraid she’d tear it, and it felt like wax paper, and she really didn’t want to think about people baking cookies on the same paper they used in doctor’s offices.

As she was wondering this, the doctor walked in, making Andrea look away from the paper. Jay threw the “Where’s Waldo?” book quickly back onto the table, as though he was afraid that the doctor would judge him for playing that game, even as a grown man.

Again, Andrea caught herself on the verge of laughing.

The doctor didn’t see Jay’s movement; he was too busy giving Andrea, the patient, the same smile every doctor Andrea had ever gone to had given her. Andrea pondered over whether or not there was a class during all that schooling that taught them to smile like that.

“How’s your knee?” he asked lightly, sitting in the chair directly across from Andrea. Instead of being mini-sized like the one Jay was sitting in, this one was regular-sized, and had wheels.

Doctors were privileged.

“Still hurting,” Andrea said quietly. Whenever she was in the presence of someone older than her, Andrea closed off, becoming what she considered to be a polite, rule-abiding robot. She always did what she was told and was always respectful. It was how her parents had raised her. Somehow though, they hadn’t managed to get her to be just as proper when she was with people her age.

“Well, then I have some good news for you,” the doctor said. “The pain will go away on its own. No surgery is needed today.” He smiled wider, and Andrea didn’t have the heart to tell him that she had already figured that out. She had had enough experience with knee problems to know that the pain wasn’t too bad. Or at least not as bad as it had been in the past.

Instead, she tried to look relieved, and said, “Oh good.”

“Yeah,” the doctor continued, apparently encouraged by Andrea’s reaction. “It looks like it’s just a pinched nerve, which probably happened because of your injury a few years ago.” Andrea didn’t miss Jay looking up at her curiously at that. She didn’t blame him. There weren’t a lot of people who knew she had ever been injured. Unfortunately, she had had to tell the nurse about the injury before coming into the room. She had tried to be discreet about it, not wanting Jay, her competition to know, but now she wondered why she bothered. It only made sense that the nurse would tell the doctor.

She ignored the man and nodded to the doctor to continue.

“This time, it looks like all it need is a good rest, some ice and heat, and it should be fine,” he said. “But if it happens again when you aren’t doing anything strenuous, get either to your regular physician or a hospital, depending on how bad the pain is, because there’s still a chance for further damage to be done.”

Andrea nodded. “And it’s okay for me to walk out?” she asked.

“Oh, we’ll get you wheeled out to your car. I assume,” he looked from Jay to Andrea. “That your boyfriend’s driving, right?”

A moment passed where Andrea and Jay looked at each other. The doctor probably assumed it was just a way to confirm his request--which was irrelevant anyway, since it was Jay’s car anyway--but it was actually out of shock that the doctor would assume they were dating.

Then again, they were in LA, and they were obviously not related, Andrea being as pale as snow and Jay being Asian, and what unrelated guy and girl hung out together in LA if they weren’t together?

“Yeah, of course,” Jay said, turning back to the doctor.

“Good,” the doctor smiled wider. “I hope you don’t have to come back here, little lady,” he said as he stood, wagging his finger at Andrea. When he turned his back on her to leave, Andrea made a face at his back, showing her dissatisfaction with being called a “little lady.” It went unnoticed by the doctor, but not by Jay, who had stood and started stretching his legs out from the cramped seat. He let out a snort of laughter, quickly covering his mouth when the doctor popped his head back in. “What did you say?” he asked, hoping to answer more questions.

“Nothing,” Jay said, letting his hand fall from his mouth.

-          -          -          -

Once they managed to get back in the car, Jay and Andrea slipped back into silence. Andrea watched the buildings go by, trying to keep her eyes far away from Jay. Even though he was her number one enemy now, she couldn’t help but still think he was good looking. She figured that not looking at him would just make her forget that, but so far it wasn’t working.

“So, you’ve been injured before?” Jay said suddenly.

Andrea almost groaned out loud. He was trying to start a conversation again, as though the first car ride wasn’t enough to convince him to shut up. And he had to ask about that. Something she didn’t even talk about with her friends. He was the last person she was going to talk to about it.

“Yes,” Andrea said. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fair enough,” Jay said, and Andrea could see him shrug from the corner of her eye. “I understand that, believe me.”

Andrea scoffed in her mind. She was convinced that he was only saying that. He couldn’t have any idea about how she felt.

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