Rejects | | a.u

1.0

CHAPTER TEN 

  Walking up the stairs with a limp was a very large challenge but trying to explain to Janet why I had a sprained ankle would be an even bigger one.  I prop my shoulder against the door frame to unlock it. 

  Michael had insisted on driving me home because he said there was no way in hell I was going to make it alive. I would have argued with him but sadly he was right. The whole ride home he questioned me about Luke. 

  I ram the key into lock getting frustrated. Keys and locks have never been something I’ve had patience with. I finally manage to unlock the door. I walk in, practically slamming it behind me.

  I limp my way to the living room to find Janet sitting on the couch, her brown hair tied up into a pony tail, still in her work clothes reading a book by the window. 

  “Hey, Janet.” I say unsure about why she’s home so early. “Why are you home so early?”

  “I got a call from the school nurse.” She says, pushing her glasses up. I wince in pain as I attempt to sit on the couch. Janet quickly get’s up and helps me. 

  “Did you walk home?” she asks quickly. 

  “No, no. Asami’s boy- this kid Michael drove me home.” Janet quirks an eyebrow.

  “Is it that blue haired kid who was at the hospital?”

  “It’s actually purple now but yeah.” She nods her head and pushes up my jeans to inspect my ankle. 

  “When did the nurse call? What did she say?” I ask trying not to sound desperate. There is no way in hell I am telling Janet about the fight. 

  “She said you tripped in PE playing soccer or something.” I sigh of relief. 

  “Yeah, I was shoved out of the way.” At least that part was true. Janet gets up from where she’s sitting and wanders into the living room. I assume she’s going to get the first aid kit – one of many around the house. 

  A few moments later Janet comes back with a wrap and ice. I extend my leg so my foot is in her lap. She takes off her glasses and places them on the table in front of us and gets to work wrapping my ankle. 

  I suck in my breath as Janet places the ice on the bone. Its cold and it stings, truth be told I wasn’t a fan of any injuries that involved ice because my body temperature always seemed to be the same as Antarctica. 

  “So who shoved you?” Janet asks, sounding very curios and not fully convinced with my gym story. 

  “Calum Hood,” not a lie. “Surely it was an accident. He’s like a soccer freak.” Partly a lie.

  Honestly, I’m not sure if Calum had meant the push or not. He didn’t seem to sorry or even concerned that you could pretty much hear my bone crunch from under me. I’m just thankful it’s sprained. I mean my ankles sprained really bad but it’s not broken. 

  “Never heard of him.” Janet says, taking the ice off my ankle and inspecting it. 

  “He just randomly appeared, I guess.” Janet starts to wrap my ankle. I lean my head against the couch pillow. 

  “So how’s school going?” Janet asks, changing the subject. I sigh and try not to scream out in pain. My ankle is driving me nuts. Pain tolerances seemed to have highs and lows for me. 

  “It’s okay.”

  “I heard from Asami you were doing something in history that involves a boy?” Janet wiggles her eyebrows and I can’t help but laugh. She seemed more like that one aunt you love to death who acts almost like an older sister rather than a relative.