This Could Be Us

Chapter Sixteen - Is That A Threat?

The doctor's office was packed with children as young as 6 months and adults who looked like they were tip-toeing near death. Coughing and sneezing all around me, I covered my face with my t-shirt. The last thing I needed was to get a cold or the flu before districts, but I guess that didn't matter seeing as I could potentially be out for a week with a concussion. I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"How's the head?" Zach asked, placing his hand on mine. I moved my hand away, knowing Carter wouldn't approve of the gesture.

"Throbbing in pain still." I replied. "Thanks for bringing me to the doctor's on such short notice."

I had Coach call Zach after Paige rocketed a ball at my head at practice. He wanted to check for concussion as soon as possible, but my parents were still at work and Carter had practice. Zach was my last resort. 

"No problem. You know I'll always have your back." Zach smiled.

I gave a short laugh, remembering how he left me in the dust to be with Kate. Then I reminded myself that he had been trying really hard to make things up to me. I needed to stop giving him so much grief about what he did, and start accepting his kindness. After all, I was with Carter now, and it was okay for us to be friends. I didn't have to worry about getting hurt again.

"Aria Chandler." The nurse called, and I pushed myself up from my seat slowly.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come back with you?" Zach asked, concern showing on his face.

"I'll be fine. Thanks." I said and continued making my way towards the nurse.

She lead me down a hallway and motioned me into a room decorated with snowflakes and snowmen. She took my blood pressure and asked me a few questions before leaving me alone to wait for the doctor.

I leaned back and closed my eyes. Elevator music was playing softly through the speakers. I tapped along with the beat, enjoying the peacefulness of the vacant room.

A knock on the door startled me, causing me to jump up quickly. I grabbed the wall next to me as I realized how light-headed I had become.

The doctor opened the door and peeped his head around the corner. "Good afternoon, Aria. Long time no see!"

"Right?" I laughed. It wasn't too long ago that I was in here after punching Zach in the face.

I watched as the doctor looked over the forms in my folder. "So a concussion this time, eh?"

I nodded my head slowly. "Took a basketball to the side of the head."

"Must have been quite a bit of force behind that ball." He thought out loud. "Does closing your eyes relieve some of the pain?"

I closed my eyes to check. It didn't make a difference. "No."

"Well that's good. You aren't experiencing a sensitivity to light." He commented.

He asked a few more questions and did a few more tests before coming to a conclusion.

"Well looks like you are not concussed, but you should take it easy for the next 24 hours. So no basketball, running, or any exercise that involves a lot of exertion."

I let out a sigh of relief. I wanted to jump and scream with happiness. Paige didn't get the best of me. Not today.

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"So you never did tell me how you managed to get hit that hard by a basketball." Zach mentioned.

We were on our way home from the doctor's office, and most of the ride had been pretty silent until now. I was busy texting Anna and Carter about what had happened and the results from the concussion tests.

"Oh yeah," I scoffed. "A girl on the basketball team chucked a ball at me while I wasn't looking."

Zach raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Jesus! Who does that?!"

"Paige Keller does that." I replied.

"Wait, new girl Paige Keller?" Zach asked.

"Uh, yes. Who else would I be talking about?" I snapped, irritated by the thought of her.

"Ohhh..." He replied, hesitantly.

"Ohhh... what?" I asked.

Zach had an "oh shit" look on his face, which meant whatever he was about to say, I wasn't going to like. I braced myself.

"Well I have been talking to her for a about a week or so now and was thinking about asking her out." 

I couldn't help but laugh then. He had managed to fulfill my plan without me even mentioning it. I was actually more relieved than anything. I was sure that if Paige had Zach to keep her busy, she would lay off Carter and me. 

"You are a lot less pissed about this than I thought you'd be." Zach said in confusion. 

"I was actually hoping you two would find each other." I smiled.

Zach continued looking at me like I was crazy, but I didn't mind. 

"So when are you going to ask her out?" I asked excitedly.

"Uhm, I was planning on doing it this weekend." He replied, focusing on the road ahead of him.

"Why wait? That's like three days away!" I insisted. "You should ask her out tonight!"

He turned his view from the road to me, and the way he looked at me made me think he was about ready to check me into a mental institute. "Let me get this straight. You want me to ask out a girl who just tried to send you into a coma with a basketball?"

"Details," I shrugged.

He scoffed. "I think that blow to your head caused massive brain damage."

"Look, what's going on between Paige and I should not interfere with how you feel about her." 

"This is all feeling much too familiar." Zach mumbled to himself.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"Nothing," He sighed. "I'll ask her out on my own time. Okay?"

I rolled my eyes at him and turned to look out the window. Our conversation must have lasted a lot longer than I thought, because when I looked out the window, we had just turned onto my street. Within the next minute, we were pulling into my driveway.

"Thanks for the ride." I said, forcing a smile despite how irritated I was. He nodded back at me. I got out of the vehicle and shut the door. I stood there and watched as he pulled out of the driveway and took off. 

I stood there awhile, collecting my thoughts, until my phone buzzed in my hand.

An unknown number had messaged me:

Unless you want a broken arm to go with that concussion, stay away from Zach.

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Author's Note:

Short, filler chapter.

It was needed though. It would have been too much to throw the events of next chapter and this together. So stay tuned for the coming chapter!

Thanks for reading!