Page 72 of Player
I glance over my shoulder and see that all three of my friends are following us.
"It's Player and Bradley!" Sonam answers.
My heart skips a beat as a bad feeling washes over me. We reach the main entrance of our dorm and I see students gathered around a commotion. Sonam pushes his way through the crowd and I follow him, but I freeze when I see the scene unfolding before my eyes.
Bradley stands in a fighting stance, forearms raised to protect his face. Facing him, Player looks ready to lunge. His lower lip is split, with a trickle of blood running down his chin.
"Bradley! Player!"
My shout is lost in the excitement of the students who have gathered here. My brother lands a blow that hits Player in the ribs, and he retaliates, making my brother stagger backward.
I push my way out of the crowd to get between them.
"What are you doing! Stop it!"
Player's gaze passes over me, but he's in such a state of rage that he doesn't pay attention to me, so I turn to my brother. "Bradley, please!"
But he's no better than Player. He spits on the ground before addressing me through gritted teeth, "Move, Dixie."
I've never seen him like this. Anger seems to have possessed him. He's nothing like the Bradley I know—the one who's kind, sensitive, and thoughtful. The man standing before me is not the same person.
He steps around me to face Player again, and it doesn't take more than that for them to resume their fight. Without thinking, I step between them and grab my brother's arm to hold him back. He pushes me away violently, and Player's fist connects with my cheekbone.
I stumble as a cry escapes me, then collapse onto the lawn. The pain isn't as sharp as the humiliation I feel in that moment.
Player reacts first, approaching me. "Dixie!"
But Bradley pushes him away. "I think you've done enough damage."
It's Pia and Saphya who help me up. My brother and Player glare at each other.
"You're both idiots!" I shout.
Then I turn on my heel and walk away, supported by my two friends and Keri. On our way, we run into Thomas, our dorm monitor and resident advisor. He stops me when he sees my face marked by the blow and streaked with tears. I hadn't even realized I was crying.
"What happened?" he asks me.
I shake my head, unable to answer him, too shocked by the behavior of these two men who mean so much to me.
"We're on the second floor," Saphya informs him, with more presence of mind than me. " You can stop by anytime for us to explain everything, but right now, my friend needs to rest."
I can see that the RA isn't happy about letting me go, but his attention shifts to the group behind me, and he finally says, "I'll come by later. Take care of yourself and stop by the health center to have someone look at your cheek."
I bite my lower lip and nod, even though I have no intention of seeing the nurse. When I get back to the apartment, I collapse on the couch, my body shaking with sobs.
Keri brings me an ice pack; seeing that I don't react, Pia takes it and applies it to my face. I grimace and hiccup from the pain.
"You're going to have a nasty bruise," Saphya comments.
"It's a contusion," Keri explains in her typical clinical tone.
"I have good foundation," Pia reassures me. "I can cover that up in no time."
I appreciate the efforts they're making to console me, but I'm in shock from what just happened. And not just because of the blow I took... I feel so humiliated!
My brother and my... my what, exactly? The only word that comes to mind regarding Player is asshole neighbor. And, at this moment, that perfectly sums up everything he represents to me.
"They really went at it," Pia whispers while brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. Our eyes meet and tears roll down my cheeks. My friend puts an arm around my shoulders to pull me closer to her.
