Page 22 of Home Game

I stared at my reflection. Maybe the time had come. Maybe I needed to take a short jump off some bridge. Perhaps my parents would be waiting for me somewhere. Maybe we could be together again.

A knock on the door. “Zoey?”

“Coming.”

I opened the door.

The nurse stood looking at me, a smile on her face. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“Your friend showed up. No need for the bus.”

I looked behind her.

There stood Ryan.

CHAPTER 7

RYAN

She looked worsethan I remembered. Her short black hair stuck to the side of her head. She was swimming in the old scrubs. Her face was a mess. The only familiar thing about her was her one blue eye that stared at me with shock, unblinking.

“Hey Zoey."

“What are you doing here?” her voice cut.

“They found my card and called me. I figured you might need a friend.”

“We’re not friends.”

“Well, I’m here. So let me help.”

“I don’t need your help.” She enunciated each word carefully. Anyone else would be grasping, hands out, wanting to know how much I could give, but she was giving me grief for trying to help her. Part of me respected her for that. Maybe not the smartest move on her part, but this girl was more independent than anyone I had ever met.

The nurse and I exchanged a look.

Zoey glanced up at me. “What happened to your face?”

Was she for real? “Hockey.”

“What does the other guy look like?”

“I broke his nose.”

She ducked her head and wincing, half shuffled past me. The nurse watched us carefully.

I tried again. “Let me drive you somewhere.”

She took a deep slow breath. “Yeah, sure. Why not?”

She shuffle-walked ahead of me, carrying a plastic bag.

The nurse looked up at me. “She has a prescription for painkillers. Make sure she gets those filled.”

“Should I know anything?”

She shrugged. “Lots of rest and fluids.”

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