Strength

Wesnesday

I looked into the mirror to see a very dark red scratch across my cheekbone surrounded by a very dark purple and blue bruise.
I slightly touched it and winced at the pain coming off of it.
I looked back into the mirror a final time and stared into my own royal blue eyes recapping what exactly happened last night. My brain telling me 'how could I have been so stupid' and my heart saying 'good for you. Stand up for your team.'
I shook my head and smiled slightly.
—-
I walked into school hiding my cheek with my hand trying to play it off like I was feeling the bridge of my nose or something.
I made my way to my locker and sat up against it.
"Morning Skylar." Mr. Hunter (Mr. H) said.
"Morning Mr. H." I said still covering my cheek.
Mr. H and his two children, Carter (5) and Kelsey (8), made their way to his classroom when I saw Ace coming down the hallway.
Ace has been one of my closest friends since 8th grade. I've liked him since he pulled the secret out of me. My friends say he likes me back, but I'm about fifty percent convinced.
As he opened his locker I saw Mr. H come out of his room and look down the hallway in our direction and then went back into the room. Teachers can be weird.
I looked up at Ace while still hiding my cheek and he looked at me.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing."
"Something wrong?"
I scrunched my nose and looked down at my phone.
"Skylar." He said.
"What?"
"Something's up, you scrunched your nose."
"No, I don't think there is."
"Then why are you covering half your face?"
I stood up and faced him.
"Skylar." I looked passed Ace to see Mr. H outside his classroom.
I walked past him and into Mr. H's room.
His two kids were sitting in desks talking when I walked in.
"Something up with you?" He asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You have been covering half your face and usually you're all over this school talking to teachers or peers."
I raised my eyebrows at him.
"Teachers notice more than you think."
"I guess."
He looked at his watch.
"Kiddos you should be heading over to the other building." He said.
Our schools are all in one area so it literally takes you three minutes to get over to the Elementary from the High School.
After they both left he looked back at me. He was leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head.
"What are you hiding behind that hand?"
I hit him with a you-don't-want-to-know look.
"Come on. I'm a teacher. This is part of my job. I have to know what's up with my students. So what's up?"
I slowly moved my hand away and revealed my very visible bruised and cut cheek.
"What-" was all he got out when coach came into the room.
"Matt the schedule has changed." Coach Brooks said.
Mr. H looked at me and then at coach.
"What?" He asked.
I was still facing Mr. H so he couldn't see my face.
"Will you show him?"
"I can't." I said.
"Show me what?" Coach asked.
Mr. H looked at me.
"Why can't you show him but you could show me?"
"It's about the person that did it." I whispered.
"Skylar What's up?"
I turned around and and showed coach.
"What happened?"
"It was an accident."
"What type of accident results in that?"
"Just an accident. I'm fine."
Mr. H and coach looked at each other.
"Will you come to room during study hall?" Coach asked.
I looked at him and took a breath.
"Yeah."
—-
•English•

I was leaning against the book case looking outside when Ace came up to me. I was leaning on my hand so he couldn't see cheek.
"Whatcha looking at?"
"Nothing."
"There's still something up. What's up?"
"If I could tell you I would." I said looking at him and then sat down.
He sat down and looked at me with a look of 'talk to me later'.
——
This was one of hardest things about not telling Ace is once I show him I would have to tell him who did it and I can't.
——
•study hall•
Somehow I went the whole day up to study hall, which is my 7th period, without any really noticing something wrong. I did get a text from Ace at lunch that said something about talking to him later and that he would get it out of me somehow.
I walked into Coach's room instead of my study hall cause Mr. H, my study hall teacher, would know where I was.
I walked into an empty office.
I sat down and looked up at the ceiling until Coach walked in alongside Mr. H.
"Alright, Skylar."
"What?"
"Can you trust one of us more than the other?" Mr. H asked.
"I may trust coach a little more, but you're a teacher so I do trust you."
"Ok. Then what's  the reason you can't tell either of us what happened?"
"Because then I have to tell Ace or it gets out to Ace."
"What does Ace have to do with this?" Coach asked crossing his arms.
"Did he do that to you?"
"No"
"Then What does Ace have in this?"
"It was someone he knows."
"Is it someone we know?" Mr. H asked.
"Yes."
"Go to this school?"
"No." I said looking at coach and he seemed to be figuring something out.
"No." Coach said a little surprised yet mad.
"What?"
"She did that?" Coach asked.
I blinked at him and looked at Mr. H.
"Who is, she?"
"Nevaeh Waters." Coach said.
"Ace's girlfriend?"
"Mhm." I said.
"The boys complain about her all the time." Coach said.
"Why and how did she do that to you?"
Silence filled the room.
"Does she have something against you?"
"Oh yeah."
"What happened then?"
"She was talking" I paused.
"About what?"
"The football team, the teachers at this school and coach."
Silence fell upon the room again.
"After the boys and coach left to the locker room I heard Nevaeh talking on the phone. She said that the team was nobodies without Ace, the teachers were only working here because Mr. Faye pays everyone so well." I paused and looked at coach.
"She said that you, Coach, was a cheater and that's the only way he won State champions two years in a row. I went up to her and told her at least our teachers weren't forced to work at a our school. She slapped me, but as her hand went across my face her ring had a a rough spot and cut my cheek."
"Damn. Did you ever go to the doctor?"
"No."
"We'll go down to the nurse and I'll check in after I finish a few papers."
"Ok."
I got up and headed out into the hallway covering my cheek until I reached the nurses office.
"Oh my god, what happened Skylar?"
"Long story."
"Understandable."
——
About five minutes later Coach came into the office.
"Hey."
"Hi."
"How ya doing?"
"A little relieved."
"Oh there's something I would like to ask you."
"What?"
"Would you like to come to practice after school? Mr. H is coming with Carter and Kelsey. Maybe it could be a relief sort of thing."
"I'll be there."
"Great."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Relief, I guess."
"Least I can do."
—-
The bell rang and all the students fled from their lockers to the parking lot as I sat there looking at the board.
I huffed out and stood up.
"Coach told me you're coming to practice?" Mr. H said.
"Yeah. Sort of a relief thing."
"Ah. I'll be out there shortly."
I grabbed my bag out of my locker and left out to the football field. I reached the fence and looked at the boys.
I climbed the bleachers and sat down while still hiding my cheek even though  o one could probably see it from where I was.
"Skylar."
I looked at the fence to see to Carter and Kelsey coming up the bleachers.
"Hey dudes."
"Hi Skylar."
They sat down next to me and I looked to see Mr. H and coach talking.
"Skylar?" Kelsey asked.
"Yes?"
"Can you help me?"
"With what?"
"I have to ask someone questions for my homework."
"Yeah. I'll help."
"Ok. What is your favorite food?"
"Pizza."
"Me too. What's your favorite color?"
"Can't day I have one. I like all colors."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"What's your favorite animal?"
"Bears."
"Favorite thing to do?"
"Laugh."
"How?"
"Well you know when a friend makes you laugh and the way you feel?"
"Yes."
"How do you feel?"
"Happy."
"Same way for me."
"How do you spell laugh?"
"L, a, u, g, h."
"Last one."
"Ok."
"Who is your best friend?"
"Ace Matthews."
"You're best friends with him?"
"Yeah."
"That's so cool."
"Who's your best friend?"
"Natalie Foster."
"Who's your best friend Carter?"
"Oliver Mince."
Us three sat there talking for a out another fifteen minutes and then coach called five minute break.
"Skylar you wanna go down with us?" Carter asked.
"No. I'm good. I'll be here when you get back."
"Ok."
After they went down to the field my eye caught onto Ace.
He was going over to the fence and then Nevaeh came into sight. I sat there and watched them and I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Hi Skylar."
I turned to see Xavier.
Xavier sits next to me in English. We talk a lot and usually he has some funny story to tell me. He gets a laugh out of me considering he is one of my closest friends.
"Hey Xavier."
"How ya doing?"
"I'm good, I guess. You?"
"Good. What brings you to practice?"
"Relief, and Coach"
"Relief?"
"Long story."
"Speaking of that, I have a question for you."
"What?"
"What's up with you hiding behind your hand all day?"
"Part of the long story."
"Ah."
"How's practice? Game day in two days."
"It's been good. Practice will be getting harder though when coach calls us back down."
"Good luck now."
He snickered and I looked where Ace and Nevaeh was and they were laughing.
"You still like him don't you."
"Yes."
"Truth is none of us boys like her, but not one of us want are tell him."
"Tell me about it."
"Let's go boys!" Coach called.
"Well there's my q."
"Don't die out there."
"Try."
——
Practice ended and all the boys filed into the locker room. Carter, Kelsey and I made it down the bleachers into the track.
I still had my cheek covered as Carter and Kelsey went onto the field playing with a football while I leaned up again the fence and uncovered my cheek with a little relief, for now.
"Well, Well, Well, look what the cat dig out of the dumpster."
I knew it was Nevaeh so I just ignored her.
"Damn looks like I did I real nice job, oh wait, it made you look slightly better than trash."
I could tell out if the corner of my eye coach and Mr. H looking at us from about a yard away.
"You're a bitch, you know that?"
"I know that, but really it takes one to know one."
I grabbed her wrist mid way to my face.
"Didn't think I seen that coming did you?"
I let her wrist go and she looked at me. She stormed away and I sat on the track up against the fence.
"Damn." I heard coach say as he walked over to me with Mr. H.
I smiled and snickered.
I saw the boys coming back out and I covered my cheek.
"Carter, Kelsey, let's go."
"Carter and Kelsey ran over to where we were and I was still sitting on the track up against the fence.
"I'll see ya tomorrow Coach."
They left and I watched the boys come out.
I saw Xavier and he came over to me.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Yes and no."
"Wanna talk?"
"Yes and no."
"Undeceive much."
"Always."
"Come on." He said standing up and putting his hand out.
I grabbed it with the hand I'm not covering my cheek with and got up.
I walked over to coach while all the boys were talking.
"I can't do this." I said.
"What?"
"Hide. I have strength. I'll let it show. No more hiding."
"Really?"
"One day trying to hide. I can't."
"Well good for you. I'm happy about that."
"I'll see a tomorrow."
"Bye."
——
Later that night my phone buzzed while I was I in the middle of writing and I just ignored it until it kept going off. I picked up my phone to see it was Ace.
Ace✌️: Skylar
Ace✌️: Are you busy?
Ace✌️: Why aren't you responding?
Ace✌️: Skylar???
Me: What
Ace✌️: Why wouldn't you tell me anything today?
Me: You'll find out.
Ace✌️: when?
Me: Tomorrow
Ace✌️: well why were you at practice then? Why were you sitting in the ground looking like something was wrong? What did you mean by no hiding?
Me: You will see tomorrow and coach invited me to practice
Ace✌️: why?
Me: you'll find out tomorrow. Good Night.
Ace✌️: Fine. Good night.

How am I going to explain this tomorrow? Am I suppose to say here Ace this is what your girlfriend did to me the Tuesday after practice when I tried to stand up for the football team and the coach.

Ugh.