“Oh, I meant ‘Maybe she’s born with it’.”

“Maybe it’s Maybelline?” I quipped.

He pointed at me. “You’re good.”

“I take a licking and keep on ticking,” I smiled, resting my head against my hand.

He shrugged. “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.”

I giggled again and wiped the residual wetness from my eyes. “You can’t top the coppertop.”

Ryan sat for a moment, looking stumped, and then an impish grin appeared on his face. “I have good news. I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO.”

My eyes narrowed. “Are you in good hands?”

Ryan intertwined his fingers in mine. “Easy, breezy, beautiful, Covergirl.”

I bit my lip, not wanting to stop our game. It was such a wonderful distraction.

“Just Do It,” he nudged my arm.

“Leggo my Eggo,” I countered, playfully pulling my arm back.

He flexed him arm. “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.”

I pointed to his arm and shook my head. “Tastes great, less filling.” I sat up and waited for his riposte.

“WASSSSSUP?” he leaned over into my face and I burst out into a roaring laughter. He bellowed out his own and we covered our mouths to keep the nurses from rushing in to quiet us down.

“Thank you. I needed that,” I breathed, holding my stomach.

“You most certainly did,” Ryan agreed.

The next morning, I woke up to the ring of my cell phone. I scrambled to my night stand, ripped the charger cord from its port and jerked it to my ear.

“Hello?” I cringed, waiting for the person at the other end of the line to mention the near maniacal tone in my voice.

“Hey Nigh, it’s Ryan. You left your Anatomy book here yesterday. I just wanted to let you know before you got to class.”

“Oh. Oh! Thanks. I don’t think I’ll need it today, we’re preparing for a lab.” I rubbed my eyes, wondering when I had finally fallen asleep. It didn’t feel like I’d slept at all.

“Did I wake you?”

“Yeah, but that’s okay.” I looked at the clock. “The alarm goes off in ten minutes, anyway.”

“The nurse said that they may release me today or tomorrow,” he said.

“Excellent! Let me know when and I’ll rally the troops to spring you.”

“Will do,” he chirped, sounding extremely enthusiastic for the early hour.

Classes dragged, and I had to force myself to finish out the day. By the time I got to my room, exhaustion had set in, and I decided to cook something quick and then take a nap.

Finishing the mounds of homework scattered on my bed was impossible. I couldn’t concentrate knowing that every time I turned a page, every time my spoon scraped the bowl, every time I sighed, Jared was listening.