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“I have your hoodie in my locker,” I blurted out.
The infamous hoodie had made a journey from my house this morning all the way to my locker but had remained there all day. So close to its owner, yet so far away. It wasn’t like Jayden had been asking about it, but for some reason now seemed a good time to bring it up.
It might have had something to do with that feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I’d been dropped in the middle of a dream where I was giving a presentation in class and I’d realized I’d forgotten to put on pants.
That terrifying kind of feeling.
He blinked, confusion momentarily reflecting in his eyes. “Oh. Okay.”
“I just thought you’d like to know.” I used my crutches to back away from him, causing his hand to drop from my arm and my skin to go back to normal. “I didn’t mean to keep it for so long. I just kept forgetting.”
“That’s good, I guess.” He grimaced and coughed slightly. “It is my favorite hoodie.”
“Right. So that’s why you should have it back.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” Crud. I was spiraling fast in this moment of extreme awkwardness.
The only thing to do now was cut and run. With a last, painful smile in his direction, I made a turn to leave. That’s when my stomach dropped into the bottom of my sneakers.
“Coach Padilla.” My voice came out in a squeak.
Coach stood a few yards away, her clipboard resting on her hip, her scowl pinpointed on me. I gave her an innocent expression, hoping against hope that she hadn’t seen anything worth noting in the last few minutes.
“I see you disobeyed my order to stay off the track,” she said in a growling voice, slaughtering all of my lingering hopes. “And you hurt yourself again, Hale. What’s it going to take to get you to take this seriously?”
I squirmed under her glare, caught between the desire to defend myself and hide my reddening face. “I’m sorry, Coach. I’m heading back to the bench, right now. I swear.”
“Good. Stay there for the rest of practice.”
She lifted her chin and stared down her nose at me for what seemed like a full minute, making me feel as if I were five inches tall. I really hoped no one else was watching. Withering under Coach’s stare was the equivalent of being put in stocks in the town center and having tomatoes thrown at your face.
Finally, she blinked and turned halfway toward the hurdlers practicing on the other side of the track. “I’d like you to come to my office before class tomorrow morning, Hale. It seems we have some issues to discuss.”
My stomach went sour as I watched her march away. I’d never been someone who got in trouble. Not even a detention. I got my first speeding warning last year in my mom’s van and I couldn’t sleep for a week after that. The looming threat of a meeting with Coach was going to wreck my night.
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Jayden said from behind me. “She looked like she was going to bite your head off.”
Great. Just great. How many times was Jayden going to be around to witness my humiliation? He was like a bad penny I couldn’t shake. I seriously needed to give him back his hoodie. Or burn it. Whatever would erase this mess that had become my life.
“Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said, waving my hand dismissively before grabbing the crutches and pushing myself forward.
I couldn’t even look at him. There was no way I could take one more second of that superior, teasing grin he always wore.
This was serious. This was my future on the line.
And Coach Padilla held it all in her callused hands.
Chapter Six
I might as well have been wearing a cowbell. The sound of my foot in its new bulky black walking boot clunking down the hallways of the school caught everybody’s stare. At least the crutches were gone. No more chafed armpits for me. Now, all I had to do was face Coach Padilla and hopefully the rest of my day would get a little better.
“Do you have to walk so close to me?” Charlotte yanked my backpack higher on her shoulder and scowled at my new boot, as if it had personally offended her. “I can’t believe you’re wearing that.”
“It’s the next step to freedom, little sis,” I said with a smile. Her hatred for my boot had no effect on me. “Doc says a couple more weeks and I’ll be back on the track. Then, you won’t have to haul my books around for me. Doesn’t that sound great?”
She rolled her eyes and was about to reply when her face went white. I followed the direction of her stare. Three sophomore girls walked down the hall toward us. I didn’t know their names, but I was pretty sure at least two of them were on the cheerleading squad and the other played volleyball. They glanced at my thick boot and then laughed behind their hands, shooting me superior looks as they neared.
