Like a brother

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

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Somehow we fit the entire family, minus Chase, into Samantha's car and began the drive to Chase's soccer game. He had been playing soccer for as long as I could remember I might add. I hadn't watched him play in what felt like forever.

"Is he any good now?" Beckett asked Carson as the pulled into the parking lot of the school fields.

"He's decent," Carson said, which caused Matthew to snort.

"Decent? The kid's a sophomore and he's getting offers from Duke and Michigan State," Matthew stated, opening the car door. Beckett laughed, and Carson slightly smiled. Mara followed me out of the car, grabbing her pink headphones and blanket. I couldn't blame her for dragging along a blanket, it was still mid-January and only about 55 degrees outside, and the sun was quickly setting.

I pulled on a sweatshirt and a beanie and started walking to catch up with Beckett.

We found a spot on the bleachers and I immediately spotted Chase on the field. If I recall correctly, he played striker but the could've changed. He whipped his dark brown hair out of his face and kicked the ball towards their goalie, but was rejected by the crossbar. The ref called captains, and shortly after the game had begun.

In the second half, we were tied 4-4 and Chase was set to take a penalty kick on the opposing team. He set up his shot, but I could tell something was off about his game. He took the kick, slamming the ball straight into the goalie, and a look of defeat on his face. His teammates seemed to notice as well as me and Beckett, but no one looked concerned.

They ended the game, winning 5-4 over the other team. Chase celebrated half-heartedly, but I could tell he wasn't in it. He walked off the field with the rest of his team, and we all exited the bleachers. I found Chase talking to his team, and he ran over to where Michael and Samantha were standing.

He spoke quietly enough to them that I couldn't hear before running back to one of his friends' cars. I couldn't help but feel a little let down as we all loaded into the car without Chase. Samantha said that he was going to get pizza with his team and that he would be home later. When we reached the house, I grabbed a pack of Cheeze-its from the counter before heading back into the guest room.

I set my phone on the counter in the bathroom, pulling out my ponytail as I started the water for my shower. The music from my phone blared in my ears as I washed my hair under the hot water. I had only been in the shower for about fifteen minutes when I hear the screams coming from downstairs. My heart rate sped up as I slammed the water off, pulling on the closest sweatpants and a t-shirt as I raced downstairs, the water from my hair dripping down my back. I halted in the living room where Samantha was crying and grabbing Mara and her purse. Beckett ran from the basement and Carson came shortly after.

"What's going on?" Beckett asked, taking the words right from my mouth.

"There's been an accident," She squeaked, "Chase is in the ER."

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I swung my feet back and forth in the chair, waiting for the nurse to update us on Chase's condition. I was mentally applauding myself for being so calm in this situation. After the complete mental breakdown I had in the car, I just stayed quiet. I knew this was harder for Samantha than it was for me, so I just kept to myself.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket, making me jump. I pulled it out to see that it was a text from Clayton, and my face turned a dark shade of red.

"Sienna," Samantha said, pulling my attention away from my phone. She nodded her head towards the hallway, and my heart caught in my throat. I got up from my seat, my legs shaking in fear which made it exceptionally hard to walk. I looked around at my surrounding and my stomach felt queasy. I didn't like the idea of being injured and ill. I couldn't imagine Chase like one of these kids, and it made me feel some way that I couldn't explain. My heart felt as if it was stopping when we reached Chase's room. Samantha opened the door and I couldn't comprehend what I saw. Chase had a huge gash on his forehead which looked to have been stitched up, and his left arm was in a brace, but those injuries seemed minor compared to his right leg. It was severed right below the knee and was bandaged and propped up on a pillow. I felt as if my heart was breaking for him, and when I looked into his eyes it confirmed everything.

He had tear tracks down his face and was trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Carson picked up a sleeping Mara in his arms and carried her outside when he saw that Chase wanted everyone gone. Samantha gave my hand a squeeze and left silently.

I didn't know what to say, so I sat down in one of the chairs and played with my hands. You could cut through the silence with a knife; that's how terrible it was.

"Do you know what happened? And I mean what actually happened," Chase said in a jarring voice. I shook my head, and Chase tried to sit up but winced when he moved his left leg. I felt a twinge of pain for him as his face contorted in misery.

"They told me we were going to Mario's for pizza, but when I got into the car, the whole backseat was filled to the ceiling with beer," Chase said in a surprisingly calm voice. My heart was hammering in my chest and I felt like standing up for much longer would be hazardous. I couldn't come to the realization that Chase might not ever be able to walk properly again. He continued to speak as the silence continued.

"I didn't know what to think," He said, "The right thing to do would've been to just walk away, but my pride stepped in and that's how I ended up in this accident."

His face was an unreadable expression and I felt uncomfortable like he might completely lash out at me or start crying. His instability frightened me and I felt like his personality was draining out of him as he continued to explain the accident.

"I had this gut feeling that something was going to happen, and when the light was red and Branden kept going, everything went black," He said, and I had a feeling he was done talking. The room stayed silent and I walked to the door, but he stopped me.

"Sienna, promise me I'm going to be able to play soccer again," He said in a tone of voice that sounded desperate for reassurance.

"Honestly Chase, I can't. I'm sorry," I said, walking out of the room with a deep feeling of pain and regret. I walked out of the hospital into the waiting room and didn't bother to

Tell anyone where I was going, I just needed to be alone.

I walked outside and found a bench to sit on. It was down to about forty degrees outside now and the blue painted metal was freezing beneath me. I took deep breaths, able to see the air I expelled. The reality of Chase's situation hit me as I looked at the city in front of me, and freezing cold tears ran down my face. There has to be some way he can play soccer again. If he can't, I don't know what he's going to be able to do.