In My Father's Shadow

by JL Paul

  She rolled her eyes and finished chewing before answering. “I had to work with my Chemistry group on the project we’re supposed to have finished by Friday. We worked in the library at lunch.” She finished her food and heaved her tired body to her feet as the rest of the volleyball team started for the door.

  “She’s not still mad at you,” RJ said to Cole, nudging his shoulder.

  “Oh, I’m still mad at him,” she said with a toothy smile. “I’ll take it out on him later.” She grabbed her water bottle and jogged out of the cafeteria.

  ***

  After practice, Ally scooped her sweatshirt off the gym floor and tugged her knee pads to her shins. She stretched and took a swig from her water bottle.

  “Hey, Ally,” Kelsey Brown, a fellow junior and teammate, greeted as they headed to the locker room. “Jennifer's pretty ticked at you.”

  “So I hear,” Ally responded, not in the least bit bothered.

  “Is it true that Cole broke off their date for the dance to take you instead?” Kelsey asked in a low whisper.

  “Yeah,” Ally said with a nonchalant lift of her shoulder. She dropped to the bench and kicked off her shoes before peeling off her socks. She shoved them aside and gathered her shower items and a towel.

  “Are you two like dating now?” Kelsey asked.

  “I’m not really sure what we are at this moment,” Ally responded honestly as she slipped her feet into shower flip flips and headed toward the shower room.

  “Well, watch out for Jennifer because she’s convinced herself that if it weren’t for you, she’d be back with Cole,” Kelsey warned, her eyes worried.

  “Thanks, Kelse,” Ally said as she smiled over her shoulder. “But she doesn’t scare me.”

  ***

  Ally pondered Kelsey’s question the rest of the week. She knew she should just come straight out and ask Cole but she was too afraid. Besides, she’d hardly had a chance to tell him good morning let alone have a heart to heart with him. After practice and homework, she barely had time to eat, sleep, and shower. They hadn’t had a moment alone since the night he’d walked her to her dorm and broke off his date with Jennifer.

  “I’ll talk to him after the game tonight,” she mumbled as she headed to the gym. They’d had a quick practice after classes, ate a light dinner, and then had to report back to the locker room to prepare for the game. He’d be there along with the rest of the boys and it pumped her up to think he’d be cheering for her a little more than usual.

  “Don’t screw this up for us, Jones,” Jennifer growled as Ally pulled her uniform out of her locker.

  “I’m not the weak player on the team, Mansfeld,” Ally retorted, tensing and preparing for a showdown.

  Kelsey walked over and stood between them, sensing the tension a mile away. “Save it for the other team,” she ordered, looking more at Jennifer than Ally.

  Jennifer glared one more time before stalking off to change into her uniform. Kelsey smiled weakly and then moved on to prepare herself.

  The gym was near capacity when Ally came out with the rest of her teammates to warm up. She scanned the crowd quickly and spotted Cole, RJ, and Jamie about half way up the bleachers - Alec, Ren, and Parker seated right behind them.

  The other team charged out of the visitors’ locker room amid a loud chorus of boos. Once warm-up was complete, the official blew the whistle and they all crowded around their coaches.

  Ally listened intently to the coach’s instructions and headed to her side of the net. Her mind focused solely on the game as the rush of competition swept through her veins. She loved to play and couldn’t wait to get her hands on the ball. She tried the best she could to always be a good sport but the need to win was so thick inside of her that it pushed her to do her very best.

  The game started and the competition heated – the rivalry between the teams thicker than mud. The ball volleyed back and forth several times before Ally spotted her chance. She jumped and spiked the ball as hard as she could and cheered when it bounced on the floor on the other side of the net. Her teammates congratulated her, except for Jennifer, and the game continued.

  The intensity of both teams heightened as the night wore on and Ally was determined they were not going to lose again. Each team had won a game and Ally was focused on winning the third so they could take the match. She pushed the damp, loose strands of her hair back, tucking it behind her ears, and positioned herself in front of the net, waiting for the set. When the ball came flying her way, she jumped at the exact same time as the girl across the net from her and spiked it. But something hit her from behind, knocking her into her opponent who accidentally punched Ally’s face instead of the ball. The blow sent her down with such force she fell on her ankle the wrong way. A sickening crack rent the air as pain shot up her left leg. She crashed to the floor and shot upright, clutching her ankle tightly, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. A sticky ooze of blood flowed thickly from her nose but she hardly noticed – the agony of her ankle was so great. The pain in her ankle radiated up her leg, making her nauseous, and wouldn’t recede so she rocked back and forth, not even aware of the chaos around her. Coach Phelps reached after shoving through the horde of players and applied a towel to her nose. Ally pushed it away in irritation, her sole focus only on the pain that wouldn’t stop.

  “My ankle,” she moaned, struggling to stay upright and not flop on the gym floor like a fish on dry land. She swallowed as bile crawled up her throat and threatened to make her lose her light dinner. Blood was congealing on her lips and that definitely wasn’t helping matters any.

  “I know, honey,” Coach Phelps soothed, forcing a towel in Ally’s hands. “Hold the towel to your nose and I’ll help you get to the locker room.”

  Ally took the towel and pressed it to her nose, wincing at the pain, and allowed the coach to gently help her to her feet. Ally applied slight pressure to her left foot and stumbled, nearly crashing back to the floor in an intense spasm of pain. Her head spun and little stars sparked and died in front of her eyes. She didn’t want to move – wanted to remain on the floor until the pain abated, no longer how long it took.

  “Come on, Ally,” Kelsey said from her other side, urging her to her good leg. Her voice was shaking but comforting, at the same time. “Let’s get you off the floor.”

  Ally swung an arm around the coach’s shoulder before grabbing onto Kelsey. The pain continued to throb and she nearly blacked out from the intensity. She concentrated only on hopping on her good leg across the gym floor and to the locker room, not even noticing her cousin and her friend desperately holding on to an angry Cole’s arms, preventing him from rushing to the floor.

  Chapter Eleven

  “That spiteful, conniving little wench,” Cole muttered for the tenth time as he paced near the locker room door. They had left the gym and congregated by the outer locker room entrance in the hall, waiting impatiently for some word on Ally’s condition. Cole couldn’t get the image of Ally, blood pouring from her nose, rocking in obvious pain on the gym floor out of his mind. His fists remained clenched at his sides and he was so tempted to force his way in that locker room and demand to know what was wrong with her.

  “Ally’s going to get Jennifer back and get herself suspended, isn’t she?” a pale faced Ren asked.

  “We don’t know it wasn’t an accident,” Jamie muttered, not totally convinced.

  “Come on, James,” RJ said, his face marred with dark anger. “Jennifer clearly pushed her into that other girl! We all saw it.”

  “I know! I know! But I just don’t want to believe Jennifer would be that vicious,” Jamie admitted. He noticed Alec sitting on the floor, back against the wall, face as white as a ghost. He squatted down next to him and punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, cuz, she’ll be fine.”

  “Did you see all the blood?” Alec whispered, his eyes wide and unseeing.

  “Nose injuries always bleed a lot. Trust me - I’ve seen my fair share of the
m on the football field,” Jamie reassured him. He tousled Alec’s hair and stood.

  Just then Kelsey burst through the door and started to jog down the hall.

  “Kelsey!” Cole shouted. She stopped and turned around to look at him. “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah,” she called over her shoulder as she resumed her jog. “I just have to get something from the nurse’s office.”

  The Dean of the school entered the hall next and the boys all crowded around him. “Boys,” Dean Freeman said, hands in the air. “I assure you that Miss Jones is okay. She does need to go to the hospital for some x-rays, but it’s nothing serious. We think her ankle is broken so if one of you has a large car, I’d appreciate it if you could drive us. She needs to be able to stretch her leg out in the back.”

  “I have an SUV,” RJ offered, patting his pockets, looking for his keys as if to prove it. He frowned and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll get my keys and pull it up.” He sprinted down the hall and pushed through the doors, the cool air sneaking in past him.

  Dean Freeman looked at Alec and gave him a reassuring smile. “Mr. Jones, your sister is just fine. We called your mother and assured her that she didn’t need to rush home but she only agreed as long as we call her once the x-rays have been read. Your mother asked me to have you call her – she thought you might be a little shaken up by the accident.”

  Cole bristled at the mere mention of the word ‘accident’. It galled him that the Dean was looking at the incident as though no malicious intent was behind it. That meant there’d be no punishment.

  Alec produced his cell phone from the front pocket of his jeans. His fingers trembled as he pushed buttons then held the phone to his ear, ambling away to hear better. Cole wished he could comfort the kid but he knew anything he said would sound empty. Cole was too worried to console anyone.

  “Where are the parents?” Jamie asked, his brow furrowed. “Anyone know?”

  “Cleveland,” Ren said as he studied his watch. “They’re in the same time zone as us so the opening act is probably on stage right now. I’m sure our parents are in the dressing rooms.”

  RJ returned, his cheeks and nose red from the biting wind, a jacket draped over his arm. He threw his keys at Cole. “You drive them and we’ll follow in Jamie’s car.”

  Alec ended his call, his face more relaxed, and moved next to Jamie. “Will one of you take me to the hospital, too?”

  Jamie tossed an arm around Alec’s shoulders. “Sure, cuz. You can ride with me.”

  Kelsey came back pushing a wheelchair. She didn’t stop to chat, just opened the door and maneuvered the chair inside the locker room.

  Cole pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against the cold, stone wall, waiting. Ally had to be in pain and it made his stomach tighten just thinking about it. He wished they’d just hurry and get her out of the locker room and to the hospital where someone could help her. He was still tempted to force his way inside and carry her himself but didn’t need to as finally, the locker room door opened and the assistant coach backed out, pulling the wheelchair with her. Once she got in the hall, she turned it the right way and paused to speak briefly to the Dean.

  The boys gathered around Ally who sat in the chair, left ankle splinted and propped up, head tipped back, eyes closed with a white towel, obviously concealing ice, pressed to her face. Her left hand clutched the arm of the chair tightly and dried blood covered the front of her yellow jersey.

  Cole’s heart stopped and he longed to hold her hand and whisper words of comfort to her but he knew better. She was hurting and she was furious. Nothing he could say would matter much at this point.

  “Ally,” Alec whispered fearfully. “Are you okay?”

  She cracked open an eye and the corners of a grin were just visible beneath the towel. She loosened her hold on the arm and extended her hand to her brother. He stepped forward and took it, squeezing it softly. “I’m fine, Alec,” she said, her voice cracking and totally unconvincing.

  “Here Ally,” RJ said, as he draped the jacket over her body. “It’s chilly out there.”

  “Thanks,” she croaked, closing her eyes once more.

  The assistant coach wheeled her out to RJ’s truck, which he’d pulled as close to the gym doors as possible and left it running. The heater was on full force, warming the entire vehicle. RJ opened the back door as the coach stopped the chair and applied the brake.

  “Al,” Cole said, bending close to her ear. “Put your arm around my neck. I’m going to have to lift you to the seat and you’re going to have to scoot back slowly. It’ll probably hurt like hell for a few minutes.”

  She nodded and did as he asked. He careful lifted her out of the chair and onto the seat, wincing when she did as she slid far enough back so they could close the door. Dean Freeman got in on the passenger side as Cole jumped in on the driver’s side.

  “Al,” Cole called out. “Do you want to call your mom and dad now?”

  “No,” she whispered, barely audible over the noise of the heat flowing through the vents. “Mom said to call her after the x-rays.”

  Cole drove as quickly as he could through the small town and hopped on the freeway. The nearest hospital was ten minutes away and even though he knew it wasn’t a dire emergency, he didn’t like that she was suffering.

  He spotted the bright sign for the hospital and pulled RJ’s SUV to the emergency entrance. Dean Freeman went inside to get a wheelchair and inform the administration desk what had happened. Cole opened the door and gathered her in his arms. Her eyes were still squeezed shut and she still had the ice pressed to the bridge of her nose but it didn’t hide the pain etched in her face.

  When Dean Freeman returned with a nurse and a wheelchair, Cole lifted Ally out of the car and kissed the side of her head, placing her in the chair. She smiled weakly before the nurse wheeled her through the automatic doors. The others pulled up behind him and Alec sprinted after Dean Freeman who was nervously following his injured student.

  “Give me my keys, bro,” RJ said. “I’ll go park the truck – you go inside.”

  “Thanks,” Cole said as he placed the keys in RJ’s palm and raced inside. He found no sign of them and asked a nurse at the desk. The nurse smiled kindly and told him that only family members were allowed in the exam room at that time and if he’d have a seat in the waiting area, she’d let him know when it would be okay to see her.

  Cole didn’t argue – couldn’t form the words – and plopped into a chair as RJ, Jamie, and Ren joined him.

  “I wonder what happened with the game,” Jamie mused as he picked a sports magazine off a nearby table. Cole didn’t recognize the athlete on the cover as it was torn nearly in half. Jamie dropped it back down and leaned forward, wringing his hands. “I mean with Jennifer. Do you think the coach punished her?”

  RJ shrugged. “I doubt it. It looked like an accident even though we all know Jennifer meant to do it.”

  “That spiteful little wench,” Cole muttered again.

  Jamie’s phone rang and he frowned at the screen. “It’s Aunt Liz,” he said as he flipped open the phone, the others listening to his conversation.

  “She’s still in the back but she seemed okay when we brought her,” Jamie said, shrugging at Cole. “Um, they’re going to x-ray her I guess and she if her ankle is broken.”

  He paused as he listened. “It didn’t look like an accident to me, Aunt Liz, but don’t you worry about it – we’ll take care of it.” Evil glimmered in his eyes and Cole couldn’t help but feel that familiar camaraderie and the comfort it brought. He grinned at Jamie and offered a fist which Jamie bumped. “No, Aunt Liz, no one is going to get in trouble. Don’t worry about that, all right? I swear!”

  He covered the phone to chuckle. “I’ll have her call you as soon as she gets out.”

  He hung up and grinned. “She’s afraid we’ll take matters into our own hands.”

  “I gathered that,” Cole said as he fell back into his seat. “She
’s right, though.”

  “Definitely,” RJ said as he jumped from his seat to pace. “Most definitely.”

  ***

  Ally was released from the hospital after it was determined that she’d broken a bone in her ankle but none in her face. Cole helped her back into RJ’s truck and drove her and Dean Freeman back to the school.

  The boys helped her get settled in her room and fussed over her until she bit her lip and ordered them to stop. “Thanks, guys, really, but I’m fine now,” she told them, her voice a little watery due to the pain meds swimming in her system.

  Cole grinned at her loopy expression although a sick feeling still remained in his gut. A deep purple bruise had sprawled out across her nose and under each eye and it tore him up to know that it was done purposely.

  The heavy dose of pain meds was making her eyes droopy and Cole figured it wouldn’t take long for her to fall asleep. He helped her prop her clumsy cast with extra pillows and handed her the remote control. She’d been excused from classes on Friday and told to keep her ankle elevated at least until Monday.

  Seeing her struggles to stay awake, the boys bid her a goodnight. Cole kissed her cheek, made sure her cell phone was in easy reach, and told her to call him if she needed anything at all, even if it was the middle of the night.

  “I do have a roommate,” she protested, pointing at Jeana’s empty bed.

  Cole rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead. “Call me if you need me, princess.”

  “Don’t call me that,” she protested as her eyes drifted shut.

  Although curfew was approaching, they walked over to the picnic tables outside of the Student Center, anyway. Parker sat there with three other guys and they immediately inquired about Ally’s health. Cole lit a cigarette and assured Parker and his friends that Ally was okay – in a bit of pain but she would mend.

  “Kelsey told me that Jennifer and Ally had a few words before the game,” Parker informed them in a low voice. “Kelsey also said that Jennifer blames Ally for Cole dumping her.”