“Nurse,” he called out calmly. Just then a solid woman with cute cat-eye glasses came in, rolling a metal tray behind her. “I think Ms. Crimson can have her pain shot now.”
“Give me something to knock me out instead.” I couldn’t help the tears from leaking out of my eyes. Without a leg to stand on, I was a useless captain. Oh, no. Maybe Chloe really would replace me!
Ouch!
“Sorry, honey,” the nurse said, removing the needle from my arm. “Small pinch.”
“Not so small.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Dr. Lewis laughed as he stood up from his stool. “This shot will do the trick. Elaine here said she’s been trying to get a hold of your parents, but they’re not answering. Is there someone I should call for a ride?”
“Um …” I wasn’t sure where my parents were, but I knew Leona would pick me up. Suddenly, warmth spread over me. “Wow,” I said. “That’s good stuff.”
The doctor chuckled. “Someone to call?”
I lifted my head, about to give him Leona’s number when a very tall, blond guy walked in. “I’ll take her home,” Aiden said. I giggled. That was silly. What was he doing here?
“And who are you?” the doctor asked, looking back and forth between us.
My head was heavy so I rested it back onto the table, no longer able to hold it up. I was just drifting off when I heard myself murmur, “He’s my boyfriend.”
CODE PINK—HIGH ALERT
Dear Smitten Kittens,
As you may have heard, SOS has been compromised. I repeat, we have been compromised. This high-alert status is due to the possible backlash from the male population of Washington County.
So for now, do not discuss SOS with ANYONE! Take the high road and walk away if they’re harassing you. And definitely, definitely do not call them an “ass-faced pieces of trash”. (Good one, Kira!)
Keep smiling,
Leona : )
Chapter 5
“Tessa?”
My mother’s voice hummed in my ear. My eyelids fluttered, and when I opened them, she was there, stress painting her face in shades of gray. Which wasn’t vibrant at all, I decided.
“Mom? They said they couldn’t get a hold of you.”
“We were going over the bridge, and you know how spotty reception is there. But we called the second we heard and raced over here. We nearly got a ticket.”
“Your mother drives like a maniac.”
I looked over to see my dad grinning in a chair in the corner. Of course, my mother rarely drove when they went out so I knew he was just teasing. My father was known to get tickets occasionally. Occasionally enough that the local sheriff called him Smokey and the Bandit. Which I totally didn’t get! My dad didn’t smoke. And who the hay was the Bandit? He sounded mean.
Just then Dr. Lewis strolled in, a clipboard and papers in his hand. He explained to my parents about the clean break and how I’d have to come back to get it cast because the orthopedic doctor wasn’t there and that I might require surgery.
Surgery! That was not a good sign. I had tryouts to watch over (and a captainship to hang on to). How could I properly prep us for ESPN and deal with the fallout of SOS exposure if I was having surgery? It would be a tragedy of epic proportions.
The doctor said he’d consult with the surgeon, and my mother alternated between oh, my Gods and damn its, which seemed to really contrast each other.
Wait. Was … was Aiden here? Did I dream that? I looked over to my father, and when he caught my eye, he smiled. “What is it, honey?”
“Was Aiden here?” My voice lowered at his name. My father’s eyebrows pulled together behind his glasses. At first, I wasn’t sure he was going to answer, but then he cleared his throat and spoke.
“Um … he was. Yep.”
I waited. He averted my eyes. “And? Is he still here?” Not that I wanted to see him. I was just curious.
“No. No, when we got here, he said he had to get back up to school. Guess one of the boys had called him about the accident. He came to check on you.”
“Oh.” I wondered what else he’d said. If he’d apologized to my father, or left a message for me. But I didn’t want to look like I cared. Because I didn’t. That part of my life was over, and my hairdresser had suggested that when I thought about Aiden and it hurt, I should think about something happy instead. So … uh … Unicorns. Yes, unicorns raced on rainbows and had flowers in their manes and granted wishes and—
“You ready?” My happy thought was interrupted by my mother as she shuffled almost a dozen papers and pamphlets in her hands.
I nodded, still feeling a little high. Man. Those drugs were definitely strong. In fact, I think I might have called Aiden my … I stopped, unicorns popping in my head. But I moved them aside and wondered what he thought when I’d called him my boyfriend. If he smiled his beautiful smile. If his gorgeous green eyes filled with tears. If he said he loved me.
“I got you crutches,” my father said, reaching behind the chair to pick them up off the floor. “I figured you wouldn’t be happy going to school in the wheelchair.”
“No. The gymnasium isn’t handicap accessible yet.” I was distracted, but with the help of my mother, I climbed off the table. I was suddenly helpless, and for me, that was not a good feeling. Not at all.
When we got home, there were, like, eight hundred messages on the phone. Some from concerned squad members and some vulgar ones from fellow students.
My father’s eyes grew more and more concerned with each passing message.
Beep. “You’re in a world of hurt, Crimson. You’re lucky I don’t call the f**king cops.”
Beep. “I have to admit, I appreciated the help SOS gave me, but to think it was you? Totally weird. I mean, we have language arts together. You knew all that stuff about me and never said anything. I thought SOS was part of the CIA or something. Not a freaking cheerleader. Whatever.”
Beep. “You and your girls are going down—”
My father shut off the machine and rubbed roughly at his forehead before slipping off his glasses and putting them on the granite kitchen countertop.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We didn’t mean to—”
“Tessa, when you informed us last year about the spying, we were disappointed. We told you that investigating your fellow students was unethical, and I thought we all agreed that you were done with it.” He paused, glancing down at my ankle.