Safe and Sound

Safe and Sound - Chapter 10

Chapter TEN

My first day back at school was overwhelming, to say the least. My mom had called and talked to my teachers about what happened, but all of the extra attention about it was too much for me. About fifty different people - it felt like - asked me the same questions about my arm. It was still in a sling, keeping my elbow bent. I was exempt from PE for at least a week, and Cheer practice after school was depressing.

   Coach Winters was understanding, but commented more than once how I needed to get better soon because I was the best flyer. She gave me an unimpressed smile at the end of practice.

    "Maybe by Friday you can join in?" she asked, as I walked towards her.

    "Uh... I have an x-ray Friday morning to see how it's healing-"

   "Great! See you then," she finished, patting my back before turning to call to the girls, who were running off to the change room.

   "Geez," Sonya said, walking over to me. "That was rough."

   She was a base, but was really good at tumbling, too. She was tall and strong, much more so than I was.

   "Kayla is not ready to be the main flyer," Kate told me, shaking her head.

   Kate was a flyer, but also the star tumbler. She'd been in gymnastics since she could walk and had been doing cheer since she was twelve.

   "Well, Coach apparently thinks I should be up there with a sprained elbow," I said, rolling my eyes.

   "We're fine," Sonya said, nudging Kate. "You just get better."

     But I felt like I was letting them all down. And suddenly my Mom was unsure about me cheerleading all together, which made it all worse.

   "We are not rushing you back to cheer," she told me that night, after I told her about practice. "It's hard on your body, and you're healing."

   "Mom..."

   "Seriously, Cassidy. I will talk to your coach-"

   "No. I want to wait until the x-ray. Please," I begged.

   "Okay," she sighed. "Homework?"

   "Just some reading," I nodded.

   Before I fell asleep, I laid in my bed thinking about Rowan. I almost texted him, but I knew that would make me seem desperate. He always seemed to wait a few days in between texting me, so I could wait, too.

   But it was hard. By the end of the next school day, I was shaking - I was so nervous and excited to talk to him. I'd never, ever, felt this way before.

   "I'll text you later about that English homework," Kate told me, pulling into my driveway to drop me off.

   "Okay," I nodded, but I was so distracted.

   When I got inside the house, I sat down at the table, taking out my phone right away. But instead of working up the courage to text Rowan, I saw I already had a new text.

   MY DAD'S GIRLFRIEND LOVES THE FLOWERS.

   FLOWERS? I sent back to Rowan, confused.

   YOUR MOM SENT ME A HUGE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT TODAY, WITH A THANK YOU CARD, he explained.

   My face felt hot with embarrassment and I was glad he couldn't see me.

   OMG. REALLY?

   YEAH. I MEAN, I GAVE YOUR STEP DAD MY ADDRESS...