𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔

Setback

Aneli walked with Verity to the nurse, complaining about her brothers. "They always say I'm not part of the family because I have a different last name. Like come on, I was here first."

"Why do you have a different last name?" Verity looked at her best friend. She always thought their last names were all Moreau.

Aneli was fixing her braid. "I was born before my parents were married." She just shrugged it off. "And my dad isn't my dad."

"WHAT." Verity stopped and stared her dead in the eyes.

    Aneli shrugged. "It wasn't my mom's fault." Was all she answered. "My dad is still my dad though. Oh, look the nurse."

    They had reached the nurse's office and Aneli opened the door. A middle aged lady looked up at them walk in. "Yes?"

    "My friend here got injured in the varsity hockey game a little while earlier." Aneli explained to her. "She hurt her wrist and it's really bruised."

The lady got up. "Follow me to the back, miss. Uh, not you."

"She comes with." Verity said and walked to the back. Aneli stuck her tongue out at the nurse and walked after her friend.

The nurse closed the door and walked to a counter with a clipboard. "What's your name?"

"Verity Portman."

She writes the name. "Miss Portman, date of birth?"

"November 17, 2006."

She jots it down. "Thank you. Now, im going to take a look at your wrist."

-

"WHAT?" Aneli flew up onto her feet. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE CAN'T PLAY FOR 4-6 WEEKS?"

Verity pulled Aneli down. "Neli."

"Miss Portman has tendonitis. She needs to rest her muscles from physical labor; that includes sports as well."

Verity looked at her casted arm. "Miss, the showdown is just outside of six weeks. Will i be able to play?"

The nurse had the answer written on her face. "You've got to be shitting me." Aneli huffed. She got off her chair and walked out. "I'll be right outside here."

Verity turned back to the nurse. "Sorry for my friend. Thanks for the cast." She hopped off her bench and went to Aneli. "Not very cool of you, Nells."

"That lady can suck it." Aneli replied. "I'll tell the others what happened. See you 'round." She walked down the hall and turned the corner. Verity was walking back to her dorm to finish the letter for her dad.

At the end of last year, her mom, Vivienne, gave Verity a stack of letters from her dad. More than a stack actually, maybe three or four stacks. A letter from every couple months starting from when he got in. Verity was understandably pissed at her mom from hiding them, but eventually got over it.

Verity reached the dorm door and opened it to see Theresa passed out on her side. She ignored her roomies snores and went to her desk. There was a half-finished letter in the middle. She gripped the pen with her good hand and started scribbling the last bit. Theresa ended up walking up and leaving as soon as she did.

Verity eventually went to Granes's office. "Coach?"

Grane looks up. "Miss Dior, what can I do for you?" Verity holds up her cast. "Now what the fuck."

"Nurse said no playing time til 4-6 weeks."

Grane huffed and stood up. "We barely had our first game." She complained. "Okay, you'll still go to practices and stuff, just like don't practice. I'll have you and Kevin watch tapes, or something."

"Oh, alright." Verity nodded her head. "I think i'll be fine when the showdown comes around."

The coach tilts her head. "Hmm, let's hope. Those new kids aren't too bad on JV, need all the hands we could get-or should I say skates?" She laughed at her own joke. "Okay, see you, Portman."

-

Verity got dropped in by all of JV and Varsity in the span of approximately two hours. "Hey, honey cakes."

"Hey, Banks." Verity didn't have to turn to know that was Bryce. "How you doing?"

Bryce sat in her bed and shrugged. "I'm fine. How bout you?"

"I'll manage." She looked at him and saw his hair was slightly messy. "Never seen your hair messy outside of the lockers."

Bryce turned pink and flattened his hair down. "It's 'cause I got you these." He pulled a small box of chocolate and a little bouquet of white roses. "Figured white would suit the room better." He passed the items to her as her dorm opened.

"I got gummies for my condolences about your ar-" Trey walked in holding a bag of sour patch kids. "Hey, Banksie."

Bryce rolled his eyes. "Don't call me Banksie."

"V does."

"Do you look like Verity?"

Verity gave a quick look at them before grabbing the flowers from Bryce. Trey looked at the roses and chocolate, Bryce smirked as Verity gently placed the roses down. "Thanks for the gummies." Trey tossed the bag and Bryce caught it before putting it on Verity's desk.

"You're very welcome. Well, I'll see you in health." Trey smiled at her and eyed Bryce before leaving.

Once he left, Verity turned to Bryce. "Really?" She huffed.

"What?" Bryce put his hands up.

Verity turned to her sealed envelope and started writing her dad's name. "You know what, B."

"Well, I don't know why you're writing to a Dean." He looked over her shoulder. "That a friend..?"

Verity finished the name before answering her friend. "Dad actually. I was thinking of seeing him this weekend."

Bryce let out a sigh. "Oh, good. Yeah, you should definitely do it. Where's he at, I'll drive."

"Bryce, you can't drive." Verity reminded him and laughed a bit.

Her friend smiled. "I knew that. But I'll still take you there, even if we have to fly."

"I don't think you'll want that." She advised. "He's at the prison downtown."

Bryce went quiet and stared at her. "What a coincidence. My uncle is too, I wonder if they're roomies."

"Aren't they separated by like what they did?"

Bryce shrugs his shoulders . "I dunno. Maybe. We could ask on the weekend. Anyways, what he do?" Verity looked at him. "How'd he get b-"

"I know what you mean." Verity cut him off. "He got discharged for military misconduct before going in for second degree attempted murder. He tried to kill this guy, I dunno why."

Bryce blanked out, thinking for a moment. "When does he get out?"

"Like mid senior year, I think. Might be the beginning." Verity didn't remember when as her mom didn't tell her and her dad doesn't know either. "But yeah. What's your uncle in for?"

Bryce sat up. "Uh, the first time was drug trafficking, second was grand theft auto, third was for more drug trafficking, and now it's violation of parole."

"He sounds like he has stories."

Bryce laughed at that as he got up. "I needa go, baby." He put the chocolates on the desk he didn't realize he was still holding. "See you during classes." He bent down and hugged her. He released slightly and inched back a bit. "A kiss to make your booboo go away." He kissed her cheek. "Bye, honey."

"You act like a big brother with all this hospitality."

"I am a big brother, babes." Bryce walked to the door. "Bye." Verity waved him off.