Kim shared a confused look with her mom. She looked at the clock, it was 11:48 a.m. which meant school was going on. "Coming." She replied. The nurse nodded at her and walked out, shutting the door.

Kim started thinking, who was the person who could possibly sneak between classes, inviting himself trouble, giving the teacher a very good reason for detention, just to meet her? Only Jack Brewer had those kind of guts.

She brought a smirk on her face on Jack's thought. Kim grinned even deeper on the fact that he sneaked out of class just to meet her. She kept her hand on her cheek, imagining and imagining deeper until Ms. Crawford interrupts.

"Is it prince charming?"

"How can I know?" She replies though the answer was obvious. 'Yes.'

"Then, what are you smiling about?" Her mom snapped at her.

Kim realized her smile which was unintentionally on her face. She quickly turns it back to normal. "Don't you have to go?" Another question.

She frowns. "But I look gross, look at my hair." She said, pulling her hair out of her face. Ms. Crawford sighed at her. "You look fine. Just go. You can't keep him waiting forever."

Kim walked out of her room, straightening her sweatshirt and short which were crumpled as she had slept in those. She got inside the elevator, not because she had to walk less, but because of the mirror inside. She nonstop brushed her hair with her fingers until she reached the ground floor.

Kim walked out of the elevator, still straightening her sweatshirt. She came to the reception, looking for Jack. She didn't see him so she went to the receptionist, "Kim Crawford, room no. 215. Is there someone looking for me?"

"I am." A voice from the back called.

Kim couldn't control her smile. She turned back, trying her smile back to normal. To her surprise, it wasn't Jack.

Her heart sank.

"Blake, what are you doing here?" Kim greeted him as she tried not to show her disheartenment. It was natural because she had expected Jack.

"Why, are you not happy?" He asked as he reached to hug her. Kim hugged back but it was very different. "No, it's just" She paused. "Unexpected." She finally added with a sigh.

"Won't you be in trouble for skipping classes?" She asked as she pulled away from him.

"Not really. I had practise plus, it was break time." He shrugged.

"Still, I don't think you're allowed to sneak out. What if someone sees you?" She said as she pointed to his football jacket.

"Don't worry. Wanna go get some ice cream?" Blake asked as he reached out his arm to Kim. She nods.

*At the mall*

They sat down at the table nearest to the fountain. Kim stared at Blake, his eyes shining because of the reflection of the water. He moved his gaze to Kim which caused her to look away. "Which flavour?" He asks.

Kim shakes away from her thoughts. "Sorry, what?"

"The ice cream. Which flavour?" He asked in his French-American accent.

"Strawberry." She said.

"Great. I'll be back." He said and left.

Kim folded her hands and leaned back deeper onto the chair, feeling the fresh air of the atmosphere. She took her foot on her lap and caressed it, no longer feeling any stiffness or pain. She took her hair up and tied it in a pony-tail as she exhaled out the hospital air out of her body.

"Here you go." She turned to see Blake having two ice cream cone in his hands.

She shared a fake smile.

He silently watched her playfully eating her ice cream, smiling at her which she did not notice. He slowly puts his hand under his cheek, still staring. Kim turns her eyes straight to his, making him look away.

"Is something wrong?" She asks him.

"No, I just... something got my attention." He replied in an almost convincing manner, grinning awkwardly.

"Kim, there's something bugging me." He asked, all of a sudden.

"What is it?" She asks as she wipes her mouth with the tissue.

"Are you and Jack in any ways together?"

Kim paused with whatever she was doing, her eyes fixed to the spot where she was looking. How was she supposed to answer that question? She only had feelings for him. She never actually asked him out nor did he.

She started blinking her eyes dramatically before saying anything, "No, we're not." She speaks in a nervous way before adding, "Why'd you ask?"

"No reason. Just out of curiosity." He shrugs. "I have seen the way he looks at you. You're the first girl who's getting that much attention from him." He added with much more seriousness in his voice.

Kim blushed at his statement. She doesn't let it show, keeping it all inside her. She shook away her thoughts but could not shake away her smile. Blake notices it.

He notices how her face lit up as he mentioned Jack's name, the most popular guy at Seaford High. A flash of jealousy burns him inside. He looks down, concealing it all himself just like Kim.

"So, what's bugging you?" Kim breaks the silence.

He stands up. "Never mind that. I guess, I should get going as it's getting late. My coach's gonna kill me." He said, still trying to shake away the jealousy. Kim nodded in agreement. "Should I walk you back?" He asks.

"No need. I am all good now. You should go." She said as she pointed to the clock. "Thanks for the ice-cream." Kim added.

"Anytime." Blake said and walked out.

Kim silently watched him go away. She then stands up, swinging her hands back and forth, touring around the mall a little before she walks back to her same, boring hospital room.

She plans to go to the dojo as she remembers Rudy's words- 'You are welcomed anytime, any day.'

Kim pushed the glass doors, entering the place she longed to see. No one was there. Very expected as it was 12:03 p.m. Everyone must be at school. Despite being it empty, she walked in.

She noticed a giant poster reading 'All Martial Arts World Championship' pinned on the wall. Kim continued to stare at it for a few seconds and then went to Rudy's office. She knocks on the door. "Come in." He calls from inside.

"Hey, sensei." Kim mutters as she opens the door.

"Hi, Kim. How's your foot? And call me Rudy." He waved at her as he invited her to sit on the couch placed in front him.

"All good, Rudy. What's up with the tournament poster out there?" She asks him, pointing outside.

"Oh, it's an annual tournament for all types of martial arts. We've registered only for Karate and Tae Kwon Do but there are many options such as Shaolin Kung Fu, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Muay-Thai and a lot more. This year, they're holding it in Beijing." He tells her.

"That really makes me want to participate." Kim said, her eyes staring at the floor.

"Don't worry. You have next year." He tried to console her and she nodded back at him.

Kim left after talking for ten more minutes. She walked to the Hospital, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her shorts. Kim got inside the elevator, this time because she was tired.

She walks in her room where she found her mother still sitting on the chair beside her bed. She weakly smiled at her and shut the door. "So, how was it?" Ms. Crawford asked Kim.

"It wasn't Jack." She said as she crushed her body on the bed.

"Oh."  Her mom said after a pause.

"You're getting discharged tomorrow." She adds.

"What?" Kim says as she turns her head, facing her mother. Her mom nodded for Kim's satisfaction. "Thank god." She speaks before crushing her face in her bed again.

"I'm gonna go now. Pack up your stuff. I'll come at 7 in the morning tomorrow." Her mom said and Kim showed a thumbs-up sign at her, her face still crushed in the bed. She sighed at the sound of the shutting door.

Kim allowed herself to rest in the same positionfor some time before getting up and packing her stuff. She felt relieved for nomore of that awkward Hospital smell anymore. Tomorrow morning was gonna be hectic.