The field is the only place I can find security.
But today, I find nothing.
Juggling the ball between my feet, I try to organize all the thoughts flowing through my brain.
I feel confusion and fear as balance the ball on the top of my foot.
Why?!?
I kick the ball straight into the air.
Why?!?
I spin and kick the ball with all my might, sending it barreling toward the goal. The net catches the ball and drops it to the ground.
I bend over, running my hands through my hair, trying to control a breakdown.
“Look who it is!” a voice carries across the field.
Not now, I silently complain.
“Cole.” I stand up, clenching my fists, trying to collect myself.
Cole, the meanest jerk that has ever lived, and his closest followers stand feet away from me.
“Heard your girlfriend almost died.” His laugh as awful as ever.
I ignore him and turn around to retrieve my ball. I use my toe to flip it up into my hands.
A ball bounces off my back and hits the ground. Most likely thrown by Cole or one of the others.
Normally, I would not let something like that bother me.
Maybe it was the fact that their lives were so easy.
Or maybe it was because my emotions were haywire right not.
Whatever the reason, I turn around and kick their ball as hard as I could into the woods nearby.
“What did you do that for?” one of Cole’s followers steps forward and shoves me into the pole of the goal.
I grit my feet and shove him back into one of the other jocks.
“Hey!” Cole grabs my shoulders and slams me back into the pole.
Why my parents had me take martial arts since I was three, I don’t know. But, it definitely pays off in instances like this one.
Shoving my ball into Cole’s stomach causing him to double over, I grab him and flip him over onto his back.
But no karate experience can take on fifteen full-grown teenage guys.
As soon as I get one on the ground, I have two more on me.
Normally, I would stay and fight, but this was the last thing Tesa needed.
So the first chance I got, I bee-lined for the parking lot.
“Coward!” I hear Cole call after me.
I glance back and smile when I notice he has blood dripping out of his nose and falling over his lips.
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I do not know why I keep going back to the hospital. I guess I feel like it is the only place I can go where Caleb is not pushing me around and where I am not getting attacked by a gang of jocks.
The elevator dings; I step off, counting doors till I reach 204.
The door was left open, so I peeked in, but cannot find anyone. Keeping my hand on the door frame, I lean in, wondering where she could have gone.
“Are you looking for Camri Barrent?” a passing nurse taps me on the shoulder.
“Um…yes,” I reply and turn around to face her.
“She is at therapy right now. You are welcome to watch if you would like.” She points with a pen while gripping a clipboard. “Down that hallway and to your left.”
She gives me a kind smile then continues walking down the hall.
I drum my fingers on the wall, deciding where to go. I finally decide to go outside and watch.
Following the nurse’s instructions, I find the door to the outside.
The area was surrounded by the hospital walls, but it had vines and trees scattered around. Tables and chairs were placed around to offer a resting place for visitors and patients. The walkway was outlined by stones dyed to look as if they were gems.
A clatter and a thump attracted my attention to a far corner.
Staying hidden behind the trees, I watch Camri, on the ground, holding herself up with her hands. Her face was down, inches from the stones. A pair of crutches were sprawled out beside her. A lady crouches next to her.
“Get back up,” the therapist tells her, but Camri does not even flinch.
“Use your hands and push yourself back up,” the lady tries again. Once more, Camri showed no reaction.
She just continues staring at the ground, as if the world around her does not even exist.
“We aren’t getting anywhere. This session is over. We will try again tomorrow,” the therapist signals to a nurse waiting nearby, then lifts Camir into a wheelchair. The nurse grabs the crutches then pushes Camri past me and back into the hospital. Camir does not even look up.
The therapist glances at me and nods to the door, where Camri and the nurse disappeared. “You know her?” She grabs her bag and keys off a table.
I look back at the door.
“Used to,” I swallow than walk to the door and head for the parking lot, with no glance back.
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