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Before we begin, someone walks through the doors late and draws everyone’s attention. I look up to see the new boy standing there.
“Come on kids, snap to it,” Mrs. Valen hollers out, so the others slowly move into position. Ricki grabs a ball and sets up to serve it while everyone tries to discreetly glance towardswhere Mrs. Valen talks with the hot topic of the school. I force myself to focus on the game and not look at him. He’s got enough eyes on him as it is, and he can probably feel them. As I’m staring straight ahead, I catch a glimpse of him walking towards the bleachers to take a seat. He’s new so I assume he doesn’t have his sports uniform yet and the P.E teachers have strict instructions. No sports gear, no play time means he’ll have to spend the period watching us.
Ricki’s hit sounds in the room then it travels over the net a second later and I follow it as the other team sets it before spiking it over. It comes straight at me, and I manage to do a forearm pass without looking too gangly. We fall into a rhythm and move around in a circle as points are scored and everyone takes turns at serving.
We are evenly matched and I'm up next to serve.
The only warning I get is an “Aaah,” that Delilah screams before the ball whacks me in the back of the head making me stumble forward. My eyes screw shut as I clutch the back of my head with two hands as it pounds from the pain. The beginning of a headache is already forming.
“Sophia, are you okay? I’m so sorry,” she says, as her and my teammates surround me.
“Do you need to sit down?” Ricki asks, and I peel my eyes open. A few tears have sprung to the surface from the pain.
“Yeah, I think I’ll sit down for a bit,” I tell them, walking the best I can around the side of the court.
“Sophia, do you need to go to the nurse’s office?” Mrs. Valen asks, as she moves around the court to come and check on me.
“No, I think I’ll be good once I sit down for a bit.”
“It was a hard hit so if your head is still hurting when the bell rings, go and see her even if it’s to get some paracetamol for the headache you are sure to get.”
“Okay Miss,” I reply. She pats me on the shoulder as I step past her and head to the bleachers to take a seat. The closer I get, the more I notice the new kid. His knees are bent with his elbows resting on them as he leans forward, enticed by the games of volleyball like he wishes he was out there. My butt drops onto one of the wooden beams a few rows down from him. Resting my own elbows on my knees, my head drops into my hands and my eyes close. My palm runs over the back of my skull in search of any bump the hit might have caused to erupt. Delilah is as uncoordinated as I am but jeez how did she hit it so damn hard?
Shuffling behind me draws my attention before a deep voice speaks. His voice is quiet, so it doesn’t carry far but it has me lifting my head to look at him and his brown almost black eyes stare straight back at me.
“Hey, is your head, okay?”
“It’s pounding now,” I admit, which makes him wince.
“Do you need an ice pack or anything?” he asks, which makes me smile at his kindness.
“No, I’ll be okay for now. Thank you.”
“Lorenzo,” he adds. Lorenzo. I mull the name over in my painful head. It suits him.
“Sophia,” I tell him, which makes the faintest hint of a smile light up his face. His top lip pulls up in a miniscule movement, but I notice it and that tiny movement makes a huge difference to his face.
“Nice to meet you,” he adds.
“You too,” I tell him, before my brain slams around in my head with the pressure. I physically wince, scrunch my eyes and place my head back in my hands, hoping if I don’t move the pain will lessen. Lorenzo lets me be, not talking anymore but not moving back to his original seat. The whistle blows some time later and Mrs. Valen tells us to head to the sheds to change.
“You should go to the nurse like she said,” Lorenzo’s smooth voice says, as he stands and picks up his bag beside him.
“Yeah, I think I will. Thanks.” He nods before strutting down the steps towards the bathrooms. I pass Mrs. Valen on my way to get changed.
“Change then go straight to the nurse. How is it now?”
“Not as bad as it was but I do have a headache.”
“I’ll write you a note for next period if you need it,” she tells me.
“Thanks Miss.” She writes me a note and hands it to me. On my way to the changing room, I meet Delilah coming out.
“I’m so sorry Sophia.”
“It’s fine, it was an accident. Luckily it got me out of serving,” I joke, making us both laugh which makes my head hurt more.
“Do you want me to wait for you?”
