Something different (interacial love) process of editing

Chapter 21

When James takes me to the infirmary,  he puts me on the bed and waits for the nurse.

"What happened?" A big lady in her mid 40s comes out, with black hair and many gray strands, pinned up into a bun.

"Uhh.." James looks at me and I know he wants to know if I should tell or not. I shake my head and he holds my hands and looks back up saying,"She got hit in the face with a ball, playing soccer."

The lady squints her eyes,  not sure if she should believes us or not, but then shrugs her shoulders and then goes to the back, and comes back with a ice bag and hands it to James.

"It will be cold, but for it not to swell, you need to put it on your face. Anything else?" We shake our heads and she goes to her desk and works on some paperwork.

"That Kayla girl is ridiculous. Your coach is more ridiculous because she left in the beginning of the match."  James says and I smile at him, with the ice over my face.

"It doesn't matter.  Kayla's a paranoid brat." I say and he holds my hand and kisses it.

"Whenever you are ready, I'll take you home okay?"

"I think I want to go now, but let me go back to the field real quick. " I say, taking off the ice pack and getting off the bed.

I walk down the path back to the field and everyone is gathered talking to one another.

The game must have finished. 

As soon as I step on the field, everyone turns there attention to me and start whispering, and Kayla is annoyed that I have returned and comes marching towards me, with Josiah-her sidekick, walking behind her.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home or something?" She crosses her arms interrogating me.

I just move aside from her and ignore her, going to coach, who is looking right at me, with a puzzled look on her face.

"What happened? I left and the girls said you guys were playing and a someone kicked the ball and it hit your face. Are you okay?" She asks and I just stand there laughing a little in disbelief.

I think about going on with the lie, but I just can't do that. "You know, if you had not left, you would have seen how your captain abused me. She threw the ball at my face and I went to the infirmary. I am tired of all of this, I can't even play a sport I enjoy, without stupid girls bothering me. I am done. I want out. I am sorry, but until she leaves, I am not thinking of coming back." I say letting all my frustrations out, and walk off the field towards James, who is smiling with his hand up, which causes me to smile and I give him a high 5 and we leave.

"That was awesome." He puts his arm over my shoulders.

"Yeah, well those people were getting on my nerve. I can't be there on that team with Kayla and.." I was about to say Josiah, but I bit my tongue. 

"Well. I am happy you did. Hows about we go get some ice cream? Twistee Treat isn't so far from here." 

"Yeah. Sounds Great."

As soon as we get into James' car, I see all the soccer teams going to there cars, leaving as well. I see Josiah and Kayla walking towads his mustang, and he is looking towards us, watching us as we are pulling out the parking lot, with that same poker face he use to do in the beginning of the year. I just look away and we go on our way to Twistee Treat together.

***

When James dropped me home, he told me that he will try to call me later, if he is not busy taking care of his brother, who is still at the hospital, suffering from pneumonia, that he was diagnosed with last month, since the party.

James still does not talk to his sister no matter how hard I try to convince him that she made a mistake. He insist on telling me that because of the mistake she made, his brother now has leukemia and his life is now shortened.

I open the front door and smell my moms special lasagna and my mouth starts watering. "Mom it smells great!." I yell out and find her in the kitchen, smiling and dancing."What's going on?"  I lean against the counter.

"Well, you won't believe it, but I have a date tonight." My mom says so happily, I thought I heard her sing it.  I am frozen and confused.

"A date? With your job?" I say, knowing full well she means with a guy.

"No. I met someone. He was new, came to my job and I had to watch him a little, and we just hit it off." 

"Mom, but its hasn't been long since dad died. That quickly you are moving on?" I say without thinking and then my mothers happy face, which I have not seen in years, deflates into sadness and I feel a tinge of guilt.

"That is not fair. The one time I think I can finally move on, you try and make me feel bad about my late husband. How could you say that to me Anamarie? Should I stay a widow all my life? Should I not be happy like you and James?" She begins to tear up and I don't say anything, yet.

"I don't want a new father. I want my old father back. I never said you can start dating!" I yell and she gasps.

"I need your permission to date?" She is disappointed and leaves me in the kitchen alone. She yells out,"I thought that you would be happy for me. Seems as though I was wrong. I do not want to cook anymore, you do the rest." 

I just stand there, feeling stupid. I should not have said anything and should have been happy, but I just miss dad. I go to the lasagna and finish up the rest and take my food to my room so I do not have to see my mom all dolled up, and cheerful, if I didn't already ruin her mood, which I know I did.

I go to my room and see many missed calls, and then the phone begins ringing again.

Josiah

I don't know if I should pick it up, but then just do it to see what he wants to say to me.

"Hey, is it true? You quit? He asks, sounding a little nervous.

"Yeah. Why does it matter to you?"

"If it is because of me, you do not need to do that. I am dating Kayla so I wouldn't do anything to you." He sounds bitter.

I laugh in disbelief, "So you called me to tell me that? You are not so special that I would leave the team because of you. I am done with all of you people, constantly bothering me and making me feel sick to my stomach. Just you and your stupid girlfriend leave me alone. I have had enough." I yell and he stays quiet.

"Don't call her stupid." He hisses and I am shocked he is acting this way to me.

I have tears strolling down my cheek and I just shake my head, not knowing if I even want to reply to that and then just say,"Don't call me anymore, don't talk to me, don't look at me. You are making it hard as it is, always taking her side. I just..goodbye Josiah."

I hold the phone to my heart and fall onto my bed and silently cry to myself.