Crystal woke to a nurse poking her with a thermometer. She stretched and looked around. She had slept later then she had wanted to. It was 10 am.
"Hold that under your tongue dear." The nurse told her. Crystal smiled around the thermometer. Today was the day she was leaving the hospital. The nurse took the thermometer out and left Crystal to take a bath. Well if you could call it a bath. She had to use a warm cloth. She couldn�t shower yet, but Crystal didn�t mind. After she had finished up and got dressed her mom showed up.
"Hi mom!" Crystal said as she hobbled back and forth from the bed to the wall.
"Hi, honey." Crystal�s mom sat down. As her mom sat down there was a knock on the door. Her mom stood up but Crystal shook her head.
"Let me get it." Crystal hobbled around the bed and opened the door. "Hi!"
"Hi Crystal. Hello, good morning Ms. Kelson." Elijah smiled.
"Nina, sweety. I didn�t expect you today."
"Nina. Well I told Crystal I would walk with her." Nina nodded. Elijah pulled out a huge white teddy bear from behind his back. It had crutches and its leg was bandaged. It said get well across its tummy. "I hope you�re not allergic to teddy bears." He tossed it on her bed.
"Aw! Elijah you didn�t have to." Crystal said.
"I know. I wanted to." Elijah looked at her and said, "Are you ready to walk?"
"Yup! Mom you want to come to?" Crystal asked.
"No, I�ll get your release papers and start filling them out."
"All right. Bye!" Crystal hobbled out the door. Elijah was on his way out when Nina spoke.
"Be careful with her." Nina said.
"I will." Elijah smiled and with a wave of his hand he left. They walked up and down halls. They went to see the new babies, and then they sat outside. "Crystal, about yesterday, I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to run�"
"Don�t worry about it. I understand." Crystal cut him off. Elijah was probably used to beautiful girls and she knew it was just a mistake that he almost kissed her.
"All right." Elijah said. "It must be weird for you."
"What?"
"To live a normal life. No camera�s, no news stories." Elijah sighed.
"I guess it would be weird for you." She hadn�t really thought about it.
"Want to know why I came today?" Elijah asked.
"Yes." They were outside in a park type place for the hospital. Crystal sat down on a bench with her leg stretched out and Elijah sat next to her and looked at her.
"Because you treat me like I�m normal. You�re really the only girl that doesn�t freak out, or only want to hang out with me because I�m Elijah Wood." Elijah said. He closed his eyes as the wind blew through his hair.
Crystal watched him as he leaned back and soaked up the sun. Crystal was getting a major crush on him. "Yeah, I�m glad that you are nice enough to care about a friend who calls at two in the morning."
Elijah chuckled and opened his eyes. They looked at each other. They didn�t say anything for a second, and Elijah moved closer to Crystal. He sighed and closed his eyes.
"Elijah, I�"
"Shh." Their lips almost met when a voice shrieked out.
"CRYSTAL!" Janna was running at them. Apparently she didn�t notice Elijah sitting there. "OH�MY�. GOD�HE KISSED ME. LIKE ON THE LIPS." Elijah burst out laughing and turned to look at Janna.
"Hi Janna." Elijah said as Janna almost made it to the bench where they were sitting.
"Elijah." Janna stopped running and turned bright red. "Don�t tell, you can�t, you wouldn�t."
"My secret. Cross my heart." Elijah smirked and looked at Crystal. He winked at her and casually placed his arm around her shoulders. Janna looked at Crystal who blushed a bright red. Crystal gave Janna look that said �please don�t say anything about his arm around me.�
"So, Crystal how are you feeling today." Janna sat down by Crystal.
"Better. Elijah got me the cutest teddy bear." Crystal told her.
"Yeah turns out she�s not allergic to those. Tell me Janna, is Dom a good kisser?" Elijah teased.
"Yeah, is Crystal?" Janna shot back. Elijah turned red from his ears down to his toes.
"I�ll let you know when I find out." Elijah said. Crystal�s eyes widened. �When he finds out?� she thought. As this was running through her mind Elijah squeezed her shoulder and stood. "Well, I�m afraid I must leave you two."
"Awww, do you have to?" Crystal said as she looked up into his blue eyes. Her shoulder still tingled from where his arm was around her.
"Yes, I must you know plans and all that." Elijah plans consisted of going to Crystal�s house for a surprise party he had been invited to for Crystal�s return home. "Goodbye." He turned to leave and turned back, "Call me anytime Crystal."
"I will, you owe me dinner." Crystal waved goodbye to Elijah, then turned to Janna, "Ok, I want details!"
"Well, we went to a movie. Don�t ask me what, I wasn�t paying attention. Then after the movie we went out for ice cream. We talked and talked. Then he dropped me off at my house and I turned to say goodbye to him in the car and he kissed me." Janna shrugged.
"Wow, isn�t that a bit fast?" Crystal asked.
"No, not really I didn�t think so." Janna said, "What about you and Elijah?"
"What about us?"
"You know what I mean. I know you like him." Janna accused.
"Do not. Pippin is my favorite hobbit." Crystal denied. "Come on lets start back I�m getting sore and I think it�s almost one."
"DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Janna looked at her friend. "Crystal and Elijah sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Janna sang as they walked.
"He is cute." Crystal said, "Very sweet too."
"You do like him."
"I called him at two this morning." Crystal said sheepishly.
"You what?" Janna laughed. "Did you wake him up?"
"Of course. I hung up the first time. Did you know Elijah has caller id?" Crystal said. Janna held the door open as Crystal hobbled through it.
"Damn caller ID!" Janna said. "So he called back?"
"Yeah. Yesterday in the hospital we almost kissed. Then out here he tells me he likes me because I treat him like he�s normal and then we almost kissed again. I don�t know why he would want to kiss me. I�m not a model." Crystal said quietly. "Hell I�m not even thin."
"Oh, you shut up." Janna said, "He likes you because you're you. Besides you're beautiful."
"Yeah, maybe I�m convenient. Maybe he hasn�t been laid in awhile." Crystal said. She didn�t mean that, she knew Elijah wasn�t like that.
"Crystal! My god. Just because he�s in movies doesn�t automatically make him shallow." Janna said. "You don�t usually judge people."
"I know, I just don�t understand."
"Give it time. It�s only been a few days." Janna said knowingly
"He did look hot today." Crystal said.
"He did indeed!" Janna exclaimed. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Yeah."
"Your mom is having a surprise party for you tonight. Elijah and crew have been invited. I didn�t want you to walk in to that without knowing. But you have to look surprised." Janna looked at Crystal. "Promise me you will."
"I promise." Crystal was excited to go home and to her party. Her mom helped her pack all of her cards and gifts and put them in the car. The ride home was interesting. Crystal�s mom drove a van. So they had to recline the seat in the front and Crystal had to sit in the back with her leg on the front seat with Janna sitting next to her in the back. It was awkward and painful. It was a ten-minute ride from the hospital to Crystal�s house. Crystal�s mom had the radio blaring and the song that was playing reminded her of Elijah. Crystal and Janna sang along with the music.
"I'm different now, you helped me grow, I look at you lookin at me, Now I know why they say the best things are free I'm checkin for ya, boy you're right on time Angel of mine." The song ended and a voice came on.
"That was Monica�s Angel of Mine. Now some celebrity news for you folks out there in radio land! It has been reported that the girl that Elijah Wood star of the box office hit Lord of the Rings crashed into just three days ago has been released. She has suffered a broken leg. Elijah had a small head injury. Sources say the two are dating. Although that is unconfirmed he has been spotted leaving the hospital today shortly before the girl was released." Crystal�s mom turned off the radio and said.
"You two are dating?"
"NO!" Crystal said.
"Wow you're famous." Janna said frowning, "I�m jealous!"
"Oh my god you two. Don�t believe everything you hear on the radio. At least they didn�t say my name." The rest of the van ride was quiet.