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I look at the machine, studying a faint line limping up and down.
He follows the sluggish line with his finger. “This indicates that thankfully, there is some brain activity present, but it does indicate that Samuel may not wake and be the person he once was.”
My father scoops me up into his arms. I lean against his shoulder, but his warm, familiar musky fragrance does nothing to soothe my pain.
“It’s still very early days.” I can hear the hopelessness in Dr. Kepler’s tone. “Like I said, we’ll monitor him closely. Once the swelling goes down, we’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on inside of Samuel’s head. He may need surgery, he may not. He’s young, fit, and healthy; the odds are in his favor. The rest is up to Samuel. Now, I understand his blood type is AB-negative. His blood type is one of the rarest in the world, so just for precautionary measures, I would like to have some on hand. What blood types are you, Mr. and Mrs. Stone?”
As they talk shop, my brain begins churning through everything Dr. Kepler has just said. It appears we wait, wait for my comatose fiancé to come to. But for how long? And who will Samuel be when he does wake? Peering back over at the near flat line on the monitor, I know that my Sam may never return.
I hear Dr. Kepler ask, his tone troubled. “The fact you have Type One diabetes, Mr. Stone, and seeing as you have a phobia of needles, Mrs. Stone, I need to know, does Samuel have any siblings? It may also be wise to have him or her on standby, just in case Sam needs a transplant.”
When a stale silence permeates through the room, I slowly pull away from my father’s cocoon, watching as Greg and Kellie uncomfortably avert their gazes. I know why, but this is literally a matter of life and death. Their differences now mean nothing because the only thing that matters is making Samuel well again.
Dr. Kepler looks on, confused by their sudden retreat, unaware of the big, fat elephant in the room. “Mr. and Mrs. Stone? Do you have any other children?” he questions once again. Kellie nervously tugs at her diamond drop earring while Greg clears his throat.
I can’t take it anymore. They’re wasting time. With a surge of confidence, I step forward, all eyes swinging my way. Piper and my mother nod, egging me on. In a small voice, I declare, “Dr. Kepler, Samuel does have a brother.”
Dr. Kepler looks relieved, while Kellie and Greg turn green.
I choose to ignore them as I add, “He has atwinbrother. And they’re identical.”
* * * * *
August 4th 2004
Dear diary,
Something amazing happened today at school. Samuel Stone finally spoke to me. *sigh* It was by far the most exciting thing that has happened to me all week. After admiring from afar for months, I FINALLY got to talk to him.
I needed a copy of The Catcher in the Rye to complete a paper, which of course, I’d left to the last minute. I raced into the library during my lunch break, hoping to be hit with the creativity bat, but instead, I got hit with the reality bat when all copies of the book were out. I lent my copy to Piper, who was even more behind than I was, so I felt bad asking for it back.
While I was contemplating writing another paper on a different book, a fragrance which can only be defined as pure masculinity oozed through the air, leaving me gasping.
My questions were answered soon after when I ran straight into a solid wall of muscle. I yelped, apologizing profusely, but my apologies died in my throat when I was pinned to the spot by one of the hottest boys in school. His eyes were the most striking color—they were sea green, licked with a curving swirl of gray. He was tall—taller than I thought he was. And his face—total heartbreaker. At first, I didn’t know which twin it was.
Samuel was the cocky, arrogant jock, while Saxon was the quiet, arty type.
When a coiled smile touched his lips, I realized I was creepily staring, so I quickly stopped being a weirdo and smiled. I wish some kind of coherency followed that smile because when I saw a tattered copy of The Catcher in the Rye clutched to his chest, I blurted out, “I need that.”
My cheeks instantly reddened as I corrected, “I meant, I need that book.”
I never thought a laugh could be sexy, but my opinion on sexy laughs soon altered when the hottie twin opened his mouth. “Well, in that case, here you go.” He chuckled as he handed me the book.
I looked down at it, focusing on his hands; the flecks of dirt underneath his fingernails making him appear even more manly. When he waved the book, highlighting that I was once again staring at him like a creeper, I quickly reached for it, accidentally brushing against his fingers. A zing, a spark, an electrical current zapped through me, rendering me useless as I dropped the book to the floor.
Absolutely mortified, I lunged for it the same time he did and we ended up bumping foreheads. As he reached out to save me from face planting, I felt that spark, those butterflies once again taking flight within my belly, and it took all my willpower not to turn to putty in his hands.
This encounter was not how I wanted our first meeting to go, but his smirk made me feel…beautiful. I’ve never felt that way before. I know I’m only sixteen, but Piper has made it to second base with two guys, while I haven’t even been offered a place on the team.
It was like I was in a movie. Staring into each other’s eyes, nothing existing but us. I nervously licked my lips, my braces suddenly sticking to my dry mouth.
“You can keep it for as long as you like.”
His deep voice reminded me where I was, and I smiled. “Thank you. I promise to return it asap.”
“No worries, Lucy. I know you’ll take good care of it.” He knew my name! It took all my willpower not to break into a happy dance right then and there. And how did he know I’d take good care of it? Has he been watching me?
I wanted to subtly ask which twin he was, but his confidence had me guessing it was Samuel. When he shouldered his backpack and I saw an orange basketball wedged inside, I knew I was right, as Samuel was the captain of the basketball team.
