Chapter 3

            Jen woke up the next day to see a strange man staring at her.  He looked to be in his early 20's with strong, defined muscles and the sweetest eyes she had ever seen.  He was wearing a pair of blue Tommy Jeans and a white tee-shirt.  His dark hair and tanned skin made him even more irresistible to look at.

            "Hey, Jenny.  I've missed you.  It's been such a long time," he said in a sweet voice.

            "Jeff, is that you?"  Jen asked realizing that her cousin was supposed to be in that day to see her.

            "Yeah, it's me.  How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

            "I think it was when I was about eight.  God, you have changed into one of the cutest guys I've ever seen.  Too bad you're my cousin," she laughed, thinking about how stupid she was making herself look.  "So, whatcha been up to, Cuz?"

            "I've got a band and it's for real this time," Jeff said, flashing Jen a smile to die for.

            "You always loved to sing,"

            "We call ourselves 98 Degrees. It's a corny name, but it sells," he replied.

            "I love it.  Sounds really hot to me," Jen blurted.  She couldn't help but giggle at her comment.

            "Would you like to meet the guys?"  Jeff asked.

            "Sure, why not?  If they look as good as you, then I'd love to," she answered.

Jeff walked out of the room to retrieve his band mates.  Jen was now getting nervous.  She had never felt so strange about being with her cousin and his friends.  For some reason, Jen was more irritated than usual.  It was embarrassing to be in a hospital bed with a bunch of cute guys staring at her.

            "How did I get myself into this?"  Jen asked herself.

            Soon, Jeff walked back into the room with three very cute and very strong guys.  "Jen, this is Justin, Nick, and Drew.  Guys, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Jen," he introduced.

            "Hi," Justin said.  He was tall, dark and handsome with a pair of glasses.

            "Hey, Jen," Nick added.  He was extremely hot and looked almost exactly like Jeff.

            From behind Nick and Justin, Jen heard a faint "hello" come from the last one.

            "Come over here and let me see you.  Don't worry, I don't bite," she joked.

            Finally, he walked out of the shadows so Jen could see him better.  He was a little shorter than the others and wore a black hat with blue jeans and a cream tank top.  He had adorable hazel eyes and the sweetest smile.  There was something about him that made Jen fall head over heels in love.

            "Hi, I'm Drew," he finally spoke up.

            "Hi," Jen practically whispered.  Their eyes made contact, and she instantly knew he was the man of her dreams.

            "So, how did all of this happen?"  Nick asked, knocking Jen out of her trance.

            "Oh . . . um. . .," she tried to think, "my ex-boyfriend pushed me down a flight of stairs at school."

            "That must've hurt.  How do you feel right now?"  Justin asked.

            "I still feel like shit."  The guys started to laugh.  "Hey, you would too if your neck was sprained and you arm was broken."

            "I hope you feel better soon," Jeff said.  He walked over to Jen's bedside and kissed her on the cheek.

            "You're supposed to say that, you're my cousin," Jen replied.  She tried to pick up her hand to give him a hug, but couldn't.  She began to cry instantaneously.

            "What's wrong?"  Drew asked, looking at her in a strange yet serious way.

            "Look at me.  I can't even hold up my hand.  How the hell do they expect me to be okay in around six months?"  Jen cried.  She thought about losing her position as one of the fastest runners in the state of California and bawled even more.

            "Don't cry, June bug," Jeff whispered into her ear as he held her in his strong arms.

            "I haven't heard you call me that in years."

            "You always hated that, but I just wanted to make you smile and think about something else," he replied, wiping the tears off Jen's face.

            "Thank you, Jiffy," she answered, knowing he hated being called that.

            "Okay, we're even."  Jeff gave her a kiss on the forehead and got up.  "Think about it this way, at least you got your hand off the bed.  Some people can't even do that after falling down stairs."

            "Are you leaving?"  Jen asked.  Her eyes shifted around the room to look at the others, especially Drew.

            "Yes, but only for a little while.  I'll be back later to spend more time with you," Jeff said.  He walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the hand.

            "Later, Cuz."

            "Later, J."

            As Jeff, Nick, and Justin walked out of the room, Drew stayed behind.  He looked at Jen with his soft brown eyes, then walked over to the bed to take her hand.

            "What are you still doing here?"  Jen asked quietly.

            "I'd like to talk to you and get to know you better, if you don't mind."

            "I don't mind.  I like talking to people.  I hate being alone in hospitals, they give me the creeps," she responded.  Drew sat down in a chair next to Jen.  He brushed a few strands of her blond hair away from her eyes.

            "Could I ask you about your boyfriend?  I don't want to upset you or anything, that's why I'm asking beforehand."

            "Sure, he was an incoherent asshole who went to far when he told me not to hang around with my best friend," Jen answered.  She relaxed in her bed while waiting for Drew to ask her another question.

            "So, now you're single?" he inquired.

            "Single and ready to mingle," she joked.  They both laughed at her comment and began talking about other things.  Minutes turned into hours as the chatted.