Healing, Love, and High School

Chapter: The End

As fast as Thanksgiving came, Christmas is here. Full two weeks of no school. Its also a reminder that I am almost graduating. Man, time goes on quick.

"Derek, did you get mom's gift?" Stan pokes my shoulder. We are walking around the mall doing some shopping for presents. It is December 22 so I need those last minute gifts.

"Yeah," I nod.

"Okay, well, I just need to get Lu a gift. What does she like?"

I shrug, "I don't know. Get her a purse or a nice jacket."

"She is a weird woman," Stan says. We go to a random store and Stan buys Lu a jewelry set. We go home and start wrapping the presents.

Suddenly the door opens and Lu starts to yell my name. "Derek Derek!"

She comes in the dinning room. Thankfully Stan wrapped her gift.

"What?" I ask.

She hands me an envelope. "Letter from Leslie!"

I quickly open it.
Hi Derek,
I am writing to hope you are fine. Troy talked to me. He told me you will be getting a surgery to try to reconstruct your leg so you can at least walk without a cane. Hopefully the surgery will go fine. Wishing you the best. Merry Christmas.
Love,
Leslie

"What did she say?" Stan asks.

"She talked to Stan. He told her about the surgery."

"And?"

I shrug, "Nothing. She just wishes me good luck."

I feel happy she communicated with me but that's all she wanted to say? Wait, why didn't Troy told me anything?

I quickly go to the kitchen and dial his number. "Troy!"

"Whoa, what?" He asks.

"How did you talk to Leslie? Why did you tell her about my surgery?"

"Dude, relax, she had my number. She called from a public phone just last week."

"And why didn't you tell me?"

"She told me not to tell,"

"Did she say anything else?"

"No. She asked how I was and I told her about Florence."

"Alright,"

"Derek, I'm sorry. Besides what information can I give you? She didn't tell me where she was or her phone number."

Oh wait, the address on the envelope!

I tell Troy I'll text him later and hang up. I ask Stan to give me the envelope.

He comes in and gives it to me. "What did he say?"

I check the address and city.

"Miami, Florida" okay she is in the capital. I tell Stan to look up the address online.

"A Tom Mayer lives there," Stan says. "She probably used it for you not to figure out where she lives."

"Yeah but that means this Tom is a friend or a neighbor."

Stan smiles, "arent you becoming smart little brother."

.....

LESLIE POV

It is so nice in Miami. We are going to the beach after opening the Christmas gifts today.

Harold yells for me to go to the living room.