Slapshot

Chapter 33: He's Back, Boys!

Taylor's POV

I got to skip school on Tuesday in order to go to the doctor's. I didn't know what to expect from this appointment, all I knew was that I've been doing everything they've told me to, and I just wanted these stupid crutches gone. My foot didn't feel any pain, which I guess was good.

I went with my mom, one of the only times I got to spend "leisure" time with her during the week. Her schedule being a flight attendant made her quite busy, and made it hard to see her on a normal basis.

They called me into the room, and the doctor gave me a speech on how I was doing. He peeled off the cast, making me wince at the feeling. After unwrapping my foot, he took an X-ray, seeming to look satisfied. It's been about 6 weeks, I was more than ready to be done with this.

When he told me I wouldn't need the cast anymore, I was more than happy. The sprain had just about healed, but when he asked me to try and walk across the room, I was having a hard time. I was able to stand (almost) normally, but even that wasn't perfect.

I'd need to come to physiotherapy multiple times a week, to "relearn" walking after not putting weight on my foot for six weeks. But of course came the catch — since I was having trouble, I'd still need the crutches, at least until physio kicked in and I could walk again. He wrapped my foot in a tensor bandage and let me go with that.

Obviously I felt disappointed, but there was nothing more I could've done other than what I had already been doing, which was obeying the doctor's orders. At least I was much closer to being my normal self again.

The first thing I did was send a picture of my left foot to Cameron. "God, I didn't even know there was anything under the boot," Cameron joked when he saw me at school Wednesday. We were at my locker talking before homeroom started.

"That's right." I chuckled. "I think we had only started talking after I sprained my ankle, so you've actually never seen my foot before." I say with a smile.

I was wearing a pair of socks and running shoes today on both feet, but I had the crutches to help me walk as I sort of "hopped" on my right foot.

I closed my locker, stepping back and gesturing for Cam to come with me so we could walk the halls on our way to class. What stopped me in my tracks was who I saw only twenty feet away.

I bit my tongue, bringing my fist up to my mouth to make sure I didn't scream out in surprise, or to call him. There stood Jonathan, standing with some guys from the hockey team. He was smiling, he was actually smiling.

I turned around abruptly, closing my eyes. Thank god he didn't see me. "What? What happened?" Cam asked immediately.

"Jon's over there." I say very, very quietly.

"And?" He looked confused.

"I just... it's weird for me to see him," I say. My stomach felt like turning inside out.

"Why? I thought you were trying to be mad at him." Cameron said. I forgot to fill him in on everything that's happened.

"Oh, buddy." I say, patting his shoulder. "You've missed a lot." I didn't know what I should tell him, because frankly, I still wanted to keep some stuff private. "Do you think he saw me?" I ask Cam quietly. My back was still turned towards him.

"No, he hasn't looked." Cameron said through his teeth, glancing over at Jon. "But it's kind of hard to miss the one girl in school with crutches." He said. He brought up a good point.

"Let's go the other way. I don't want to pass by them." I tell him. He looks reluctant, but follows me anyway back to the way we came from.

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