Away

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8;

"Sam! through!" I called as she passed me the ball. I was almost to the circle when Katie came from behind to block me. I smoothly scooped the ball into the air over her stick and dribbled to the top of the circle where I drove the ball into the goal cage.

Coach blew her whistle, dismissing practice. I was just walking away with my bags to go to my car when I heard footsteps behind me. I looked back to see coach trying to catch up to me.

"Jeeze Taylor. You sure didnt skip a beat!" I smiled at the compliment.

"Thanks, coach."

"No, thank you. Im so glad to have you back. We sure struggled without you." Not to be cocky, but they sort of did. They lost three out of the four games they played, putting our record at eleven wins, four losses.

"Glad to be back, Coach." She patted me on the back before heading to her own car.

I was truly happy to get back into playing field hockey. I was still a little shaky, and coach wouldn't let me run the two laps at the beginning of practice, but she finally agreed to let me scrimmage today after texting her nonstop last night saying I was "cleared from the doctor".

I couldn't rip the permanent smile off my face at dinner. It got to the point where Dad actually set down his forkful of pasta and stared at me.

"What?" I asked, my smiling still shining at full force.

"Okay, cut the cheeze Taylor. Whats up, why are you smiling like that?" I looked over to Landon who was giggling his cute eight year old giggle.

"Im just happy."

"Is it a boy?" dad asked with a hint of smile in his voice. I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "No." I said as my face turned a fresh shade of pink.

"Oh really now?" Dad ate more pasta looking at me for my answer the whole time.

"No, its not a boy. I promise. Its just that I actually played field hockey again tonight!" I was expecting smiles and pats on the back, when in reality all I got back was blank stares.

"Uh, this is the part where you congratulate me and hug me. Inspirational stuff." Dad nodded but still made no effort in the inspirational stuff.

I didnt know what I was supposed to do. I thought this was a good thing!

Dad cleared his throat.

"I am happy for you, but I think its too soon." I rolled my eyes at the comment.

"Dad, Im fine. I swear. It feels a million time better and our season is being crushed without me!" Dad sighed in defeat.

"Just promise me you'll be careful?" I gave him a soft smile. "Promise."

Mom called me again tonight, too. As soon as I saw it was her I flipped my phone over so I couldn't read her name for the next right times she tried to call me. I just couldn't do this right now.

Just as I shut my eyes to go to sleep my dad called up the stairs for me.

"Coming!" I yelled. I walked down the hallway and the stairs and stood in the doorway of the livingroom.

"Your moms on the phone for you." I rolled my eyes and he gave me a confused look. I covered the speaker of the phone with my right hand and looked at my dad. "Cant you say im sleeping or something? Thats what I was trying to do when you called for me." Dad brought the phone up to his ear after I removed my hand.

"Hey sorry Hun, I-I mean Kat, but um, uh," Dad hesitated for a second, obviously forgetting my name after the embarrassment of calling my mother Hun again.