wenty minutes before we’re expected to be in devotion. She waits for me to hobble and swing to her car and then she floors the gas pedal all the way, tailgating anything and e

again. Mrs. Bridget isn’t in devotion yet; my classmates can be heard all the way down the corridor. My eyes collide with Michael s before locking on. Butterfly wings ti

inking I’m ignoring him after all the help he gave me yesterday, it’s quite the opposite. I find myself not wanting to stop looking at him. Reprieve from the tension occurs wh

first period goes off. I remind myself that he

urning to leave. He is looking at something on his phone. Maybe HE is trying to spend more time in here because I’m h

ite Anna and start eating from her tray. She rolls her eyes,

have the same as you.”

’t be able to use crut

ars in braids and the most innocent blue eyes I’d ever seen. She is five foot nothing, so she is always the

. Anna frequently comments ‘he’s so cute’ just to explain how cute he is, but being Lara’s friend, it’s totally uncool. Johnson doesn’t do anything for me apart from his

e where Anna is in line, and that’s when I start tripping out. MICHAEL is walking towards us carrying his tray of food. He helps himself to

y details of Johnson and Michael ’s last basketball game against Government college. I catch myself wanting to look at Michael, but I stop myself on more than one occasion. Whenever I weaken a

y angle, a shoe in for hair commercials. Her eyes, aren’t as perfect because right now they are black with anger. She is holding her b

side now,’” he mimics. Michael doesn’t budge. His eyes search mine like he’s looking for

the office to pick up my result and wait for her at the front door. I stare at

utter out an apology. Unable to recover from sounding like a complete imbecile I

s coolly. “Are you goin

ong with dreaming or at least hoping. I wouldn’t be the kind of skater I am today if I didn’t have dreams and hopes, although I’m injured

taking me to the doctor to fin

don’t see aliens anymore because I’m not taking the pills for pai

rushes to hold the door open for me when we simultaneously notice Juliet coming up the school stairs. She scowls at Michael before croaking under her breath for both of us to hear, “Do you l

o be sorry about.” He walks next to me all the way to my mother’s car and opens the front door for me. I sit down and then place the crutches into the back seat.

“Is that the boy that br

name is

ate boys when you are committed to your figure skating. I’ve seen it too many times, girls start skipping ska

ever happe

he girls who date never finish competing. They quit o

be,” I

king it is Anna, glancing at the secretary, “Is it okay to have this

mine right now!” “Nobody

anted to wish you

’s texting me

ichael just

Off! What

ed me luck at the

did you w

LA: I

not? Write

ELLA

over

LLA:

see you after y

LLA:

ext when y

ELLA

go back

ts to see me aft

Fuck

LLA:

& je

be jealous. I

to the word compassion. Once we’re in his office, the appointment takes just over twenty minutes from start to finish. He diagnoses me with a torn hams

ysiotherapy immediately and sta

f the appointment by warning me, “This can be the end of your career. We’ll have to see how it goes.” I never thought I would hear those words come from his mouth. It’s upsetting to hear, but I don’t want to f

d hamstring. My competit

chin up! No way

nts to see me. I’ll

: Te

y old text

LA: I’

I’m picki

text when you ar

AEL:

well, I call downstairs, “Mom, I’m

minute, “This is going to stop

so I try desperately to conceal them with concealer, but I have no luck. I finish myself of