Page 71 of Second Chance

29

High School and Hallways

[Mati]

Fleck Denton and his flecking cryptic comments, just fleckity, fleck, fleck. My mind is out of sorts as I stand on the sideline watching the girls run drills.

“Jump at the net.”

“Hannah, dig.”

“Why is there a hole in the center?”

My voice cracks as I snap at the girls, taking out on them my feelings of inadequacy. He treated me like some groupie when all I was trying to do was take care of him.

Fleck him.

But then he has to be all crude, causing tingles in neglected places by saying what he said.

I’ll imprint on you, your soul, and you’ll never forget me.

As if I’ve ever forgotten him or that night—prom night—when everything shifted. The dance. The song. Chris and Denton had words. They didn’t fight, not like my brothers who would throw a punch or two until Mama interceded and then they’d make up. Chris and Denton would argue, and within a day or two things were all good again. Not that time, though. Chris and Denton remained distant for weeks. The night before graduation, Denton broke my heart, and then he disappeared after the ceremony. I heard him drive off in the night, leaving me behind.

The mention of Chris last night changed everything. Like a splash of cold water, I woke up and wondered what I was doing sleeping next to a man who wanted me to act like a groupie. Take me deep. Not to mention, the implication of Chris as the reason things changed—the reason we lost Denton—haunts me and I recall what Hollilyn told me a while back.

Jax said his daddy told Denton to leave.

How could Chris do that? Why did Chris do it?

“Tanisha, jump,” I yell, redirecting my thoughts to my middle and her lack of height at the net.

“You okay?” Alyce asks me, her arms at her sides as she stands next to me.

“What is she doing?” I bark, my head nodding at Tanisha. I think I growl.

“Not Tanisha,” Alyce says. “What are you doing?”

I turn on my assistant coach, a glare beaming from my eyes until I see hers widen in surprise. Her head snaps back as if I’ve struck her, and I take a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble.

“What’s going on?” Alyce lifts a hand to touch my arm, but I flinch back. I don’t mean to be so cold, but I can’t handle her tender spirit. I’ve been fighting tears all morning, after seeing Denton flat on his back on my couch, mouth gaping open, one arm over his eyes, the other dangling near the floor.

The scene also reminded me of prom night. Chris was hammered by the time we arrived at the hotel. He wasn’t open about his plan, but the hints were there. We were both virgins. Prom night was the night, only it wasn’t. He fell to the bed while I went to use the bathroom and when I returned to the room he was passed out—mouth gaping, arm over his eyes, another hanging off the bed toward the floor. I called James to come pick me up. He was the only one who wouldn’t chastise me for where I really was as my parents thought I was at a friend’s for the night.

“It’s nothing,” I respond to Alyce, looking away from her and staring out at my girls who look like they’ve never played volleyball in their lives.

What the fleck are they doing?

“Okay, take five,” Alyce calls out, and I realize I’ve asked the question aloud. Crossing my arms, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You,” Alyce snaps, and I look up to see who she is speaking to, only to discover it’s me. “Coaches’ office.”

I follow like an errant child, surprised at the strength in her tone and the directness of her demand. I pass her into the room, and she shuts the door.

“Sit. Speak.”

While I take my seat, I glare up at her. “Well, missy, this is a side to you I haven’t seen before.”

“I have many sides, sister,” she mocks in return. “Now, tell me what’s going on with you.”