Over The Net

FOURTEEN

Eddie stretched, his long limbs cracking and complaining. He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck which was beginning to ache unpleasantly. The sun beat down upon them through the cracks of the trees, its light splayed across the apparently deserted court. He flinched at the sudden pain that coursed through his bad arm, he winced and tried to ignore if.

"Jay" he said, but Jay didn't hear him. "Jay!" He rose his voice and Jay lifted his head, concern flooding his features.

The same afternoon sun cast the outside courts in a golden glow, the red court appeared as a burnt orange beneath the bright white of Eddie's new trainers. Jay was seemingly distracted by it. A pleasant breeze filtered through the branches of one of the trees that lined the court. Jay winced as the breeze hit him in the face, a small smile filled Eddie's face at the sight.

"Yeah?" He finally responded, he too rose his voice a few octaves to be heard clearly, then he strode over to where Eddie held his good arm to his forehead. "You alright mate? I was just about to load up the machine again". Eddie was filled an urgent panic at the thought, yet he kept his face stoic. Something he had trained himself to do so that others wouldn't worry.

"I think I've had enough" he said, looking to the side at him. Eddie's eyes drifted from Jay's slowly developing expression of realisation. Jay could always see right through him. "I think I'm going to go take a break in the rest room and-"

Concern suddenly flashed over Jay's normally quite calm face, Eddie winced, hating it when people worried about him. When Eddie forced himself to look up against his better judgement, his coach and friend had stepped closer instantly, folding his arms and staring at Eddie emphatetically, his steely eyes searching Eddie's blank expression.

"It's your arm isn't it?"

"No" he lied, too quickly, as the previous wound began to silently throb. He grit his teeth slightly; hoping for it to go unnoticed if he was sly about it ,and shook his head, not meeting Jay's watching look as he spoke, face flushing. "N-no, I'm just tired is all. You're always saying I need to take more b-breaks".

"Very true..." Jay agreed, yet his tone sounded uncertain and unconvinced. "Okay, you go...clean yourself up in the break room, I've got some paperwork waiting for me on my desk. I'll take the rackets and balls back first though".

Eddie nodded and Jay followed him into the tennis centre. He kept his aching arm close to his body as he managed to manoeuvre his way through the awaiting door. He waved at Jay with his good arm, and wondered down to the supply/rest room where he knew he could find medical equipment.

When he was sure Jay was gone, he began to hoist up the long sleeves that he wore to conceal the cluster of burn shaped scars, the harsh shiny red skin, the everlasting blisters that ran up his arms and disappeared at his collarbone, and the greying bandages that were wrapped around by him in the hopes of concealing what he had started to hate looking at.

His hands began to shake, fingers quivering uselessly as the pain coursed through him, the sight making him feel weak and hopeless. Footsteps echoed down the corridor, quick and hurried, but he didn't notice, too wrapped up in his actions.

"JESSIE!" Peter yelled somewhere nearby. Eddie, grown so used to the antics of Jessie's twin brother, merely even stopped what he was doing to acknowledge the panic that Peter always possessed. He could then hear Jay talking somewhere and heard his voice growing distant. He took this as an opportunity to grip at the worn material that he had woven haphazardly across the harshly blushed and raised skin.