Chapter 11
"Nicky?"
"Bri?" he turned back around "Oh my god, you're awake". He ran over to his best friend and hugged him.
"Did ya miss me?" Brian asked with a grin, then noticed Nick's tears. "Aww come on Frack, don't go and cry on me".
"I thought I was going to lose my best friend."
"Don't worry, you can't get rid of me that easily."
"I'm going to go get a doctor, I'll be right back" Nick said standing.
"Hey Nick, where's Kristy?" he asked curiously.
"In the waiting room. I'll tell her you are awake after I get the doctor". He sent a doctor in to check on Brian and continued down to the waiting room. "Hey, everybody guess what" he said excitedly "Brian's awake". Immediately Kristy jumped to her feet.
"Can I see him? How is he?" she asked frantically.
"He's doing really well" a doctor interrupted, "He is definitely a fighter, all of his vitals are back to normal, and his heart is stable again. And to answer your other question you may see him." she smiled. "That's not all the good news, he can go home tomorrow. He will need to go easy for a while, but he will have a full recovery."
"Thank You so much" Kristy said happily. She ran down the hall to his room as fast as she could and knocked on the door.
"Come in" he called from inside.
"Brian!!"
"Sparkle, How are you babe?".
"Glad your ok." she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I lov.." "Brian, we need to talk" she interrupted bringing a frown to Brian's face.
"About what?" he asked worriedly.
"I don't think we should see each other any more, it has only been two days since we got together and look what has happened. I am afraid of what Kevin is going to try next."
"Who cares about Kevin, I will deal with him."
"No, Brian I am leaving Orlando, I am moving. It will be better for both of us".
Chapter 12
"No, Please you can't leave me now. What is leaving going to help?" He asked.
"If I leave, I know you will be safe." She sighed loudly and stood from where she was sitting on the hospital bed. "I love You, you'll find some new."
"Please, No" he begged.
"Goodbye" She quickly walked out of his room straight through the waiting room and out of the hospital. She knew exactly where she was going to go. She headed to her house and began packing all of her belongings, until she heard a knock at the door.
"What are you doing?" the person said after she opened the door.
"I'm moving." she answered.
"You're what? Why?"
"Because I have to. Please don't try to stop me Howie." she walked back into her bedroom and continued packing letting him come in. "It is the only thing I can do in order for me and Brian to be happy."
"Are you sure?" she nodded. "Then I understand. "He began to help her pack, the tears began to fall down her cheeks, she didn't want to leave all of her friends.
"Oh Howie, I am going to miss you so much" she tried to fight back her sobs, but broke down in his arms.
"Sshh, don't cry. Can you tell me where you are going to move to?" he hugged her tightly, knowing how bad she was hurting.
"No, I don't wan Brian to find out yet. Howie?" she asked.
"Huh?" he replied.
"How come we never talked or hung out. It's like we were never together unless one of us were crying. I don't think I have ever actually heard you laugh."
"I don't know. I regret that now that you are leaving though. We were only around each other when AJ and Brian weren't around and we needed to talk to someone. It looks like everything is packed." he helped her load the boxes into her car and they said their good-byes.
"I'll miss you Kristy." Howie said giving him a paper with his cell phone number.
"I'll miss you more" she smiled. He kissed her on the cheek and she got in her car. She pulled out of her driveway. Leaving her house, her friends, everything she had known in her adult life. She was leaving Brian.
Chapter 13
She drove for what seemed weeks, which was actually only two days. She stopped to sleep only once and other than that continued on steadily. She reached her destination and walked up to the house. After knocking on the door she stepped back to wait for an answer.
"Kristy? What are you doing here, come in." the older woman motioned for her to enter the house.
"It smells the same as when Brian and I were kids." Kristy smiled at the sweet country scent. She got up and walked around the room picking up a photo.
"You two were inseparable" the woman laughed coming up behind Kristy. "Now what brings you all the way up here from Orlando?" Kristy sighed wanting to tell her why, but the promise she made to Brian held her back. She had promised not to say anything to anyone about him being in the hospital, unless he was dying. Her and Brian always held a sacred bond of trust that neither of them was willing to break.
"I needed a change of scenery I guess, I am buying the house next door. I am moving up here."
"Oh that's great"
"But Jackie, Can you do me a huge favor?" Kristy asked.
"What dear? And don't call me Jackie, just because you are all grown up now doesn't mean you can't call me Mom anymore." Jackie told her.
"Please don't tell Brian that I am in Kentucky. Not yet at least. He knew I was moving, but doesn't know where I went."
"I won't tell him, but do you mind if I ask why." Jackie questioned in a curious manner.
"Well I don't know if you heard, but we began to date." Jackie smiled, not surprised at all she knew it would happen sooner or later. "And well it didn't exactly work out as well as we hoped."
~*~*~Back in Orlando~*~*~
Brian made his way out of the hospital and into Nick's Durango and they drove home in silence. Howie had told all of the guys that Kristy really left and they really had nothing to say to each other. On the way to Brian's they passed her old house and saw a moving van in the driveway.
"Wait, Stop Nick!" Brian yelled. Nick jammed on the brakes and watched Brian get out of the car. He ran over to the van and looked for one of the movers.
"Excuse me sir" Brian said to a man carrying a chair out of the house. "Can you tell me where you are bringing all of this furniture?" he asked with hope in his voice.
"Sorry, but that is confidential information. I am not permitted to give that location out" the man said. Brian nodded and walked back to Nick's car. He was giving up, he had no idea where to even start looking for her.
~*~*~In Kentucky~*~*~
Kristy had bought the house and unpacked the few things that she could. Jackie insisted that she have dinner with her and Harold, so she was on her back to the house that she knew so well from her childhood.
"Oh good, your here. Dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes." she welcomed her back opening the door. "And I forgot to tell you. I have a surprise guest for you at dinner tonight."
"You know I hate surprises, tell me who it is." Kristy joked. She helped Jackie by setting the table and she, Jackie and Harold sat down to eat.
"You can come out now." Jackie called into the other room.
"Harold!!!!!" Kristy yelled throwing her arms around his neck.
"Hiya Sissy" he smiled. Through out her child hood Harold had been like a big brother to her and of course was Brian's brother. When they were really young he called her Sissy and she called him Big Brudder.
"Oh I missed you Big Brudder" they sat back down at the table said a small prayer and ate their meal. Throughout dinner they reminisced about the past. How Kristy and Brian could not be pried apart, it was as if they were joined at the hip. After they all finished eating Kristy and Harold III headed to the den to talk more while Jackie and Harold Jr. cleaned up the table.
"So what brings you back to good ole' Lexington?" Harold asked.
"I don't know I guess I just got sick of Orlando and missed being around here." She answered still not telling the whole truth. Just as he was going to say something back the phone rang.
"Can you get that, I need to get something out of my car?" she nodded and ran to answered the phone.
"Hello" she said picking it up.
"KRISTY?????"
Chapter 14
"Who's this?" Kristy asked already knowing who it was. "Hold on, I'll get Jackie." She said before he could answer. Jackie picked up the telephone and was shocked to hear the voice on the other end.
"Brian, How are you?"
"I'm ok Mom, who was that that answered the phone?" he asked. Jackie placed her hand over the receiver.
"He wants to know who answered the phone" she whispered to Kristy. "I can't lie to him." Kristy knew couldn't lie either. She extended her arm and with shaking hands took the phone.
"Hello Brian"
"Sparkle, Oh my God it's you." She couldn't help herself she began to cry, she missed him more than she had led on.
"I miss you Brian" she cried softly, she couldn't handle it anymore, she dropped the phone and ran out the door. Brian also hung up. Kristy went to cried herself to sleep that night , but woke up to a big surprise.
Kristy awoke early the next morning, after a night of tossing and turning. She began to go through her exercises and went out for a run. On the way back from her jog she stopped at a small market to get a bottle of water to quench her thirst. She made her way to the back of the store and grabbed a cold bottle. On her way to the register she noticed familiar blonde hair.
'What is he doing here?' she thought to herself. 'No, it can't be him'. She ducked back into another isle and went to the cash register to pay. When she got back to the house there were two extra cars in Jackie's driveway. Not in the mood to go see what was going on she walked into her house closing and locking the door, like she always does when she is home alone.
~*~At Jackie's~*~
"C'mon Ma, please tell me where she lives." Brian begged. He was getting mad, but still anxious to find Kristy and see her again.
"I Can't tell you, I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone" she explained.
"But"
"There are no but's about it, I am not telling you" Jackie scolded.
Brian pouted for a moment as Nick walked through the door.
"I went to the market and got us some junk food for tonight" he said.
"Whatever" Brian said walking out of the room.
~*~*~
Laying on her bed and thinking about her childhood, Kristy remembered the place where her and Brian used to go after her Mother died. She pulled her shoes back on and left the house.
~*~*~
"I am going for a walk" Brian called to everyone in the house as he walked out the door. He walked across the back yard and in to the woods. It was about a 10 minute walk to get through the woods to the small grassy meadow. As he approached the little creek that flowed by the meadow he heard a sweet melody surrounding the secret paradise. At first he thought he was dreaming, then he saw the source of the beautiful song.
"Sparkle" he whispered to himself softly.
Chapters 7-10
Chapters 15-18
Everybody Needs A Sparkle In Their Life