Two Truths and a Liar

X • Replaced

Leon

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I woke up in tatters.

A week ago I had been allowed to leave the hospital, two days before I could leave my bed and go to school and earn more pity than I probably deserved. It was all anyone knew how to do. Feel bad for you. Apologize for something that wasn't their fault. I didn't deserve for them to feel bad in the first place, the liar that I was.

The confusion I felt for the events of that night, bundling up in a complete disregard for the fact that it happened. I had made up half the story, did anything happen to me at all?

Something happened.

Something had to happen, otherwise I wouldn't have just woken up, face down in a heap of the contents of my room all toppled and scattered over the ground. Lamp shattered. Clothes torn. Alarm clock beeping wildly for me to get up.

I pulled myself off the ground and felt as if my bones were splintering. A crack that ran up my frame.

Soft- the light that struck my eye falling in folds from the window. Hard the ground underneath my carpet imprinted palms. I wasn't hurt. I was healing, even. But the white cotton tee I had worn to sleep bragged slash marks the size of my hand. I was shaking. Shaking and shaking, beads of sweat coating my chest and arms and running down my hairline into my eyes.

I breathed, bringing in sharp gasps, feeling them flash like fire through my lungs. I pulled myself off the ground. Touched sweat-slick palms to my face and Stared blankly at the floor.

What happened?

A few minutes passed, and I finally gained the courage to stand up unsteadily, legs trembling underneath me. My life was falling apart. I realized it, squinting at the alarm clock letters, nestled on my bedside table. The sound of it scraping against my eardrums and vibrating throughout my brain, the time reminding me life went on. I still had to get up and go to school in the morning, despite all this... whatever this was.

I thought of the events of the last week as I splashed a cold rush of water from the bathroom sink onto my face, gasping at the shock, then breathing into a towel slung over the shower door. Almost to remind myself I'm still awake.

Coach's fatal words ate me alive, causing me to involuntarily wince even now. You're a great player, Leon. But we're going to have to let you go.

Destroying my scholarships and chance at a future in a single sentence.

Sentencing me to watch from the sidelines as my team fought their way through the finals and made it to state. Months of being left behind in meetups and maybe even parties. It was the only reason they kept me around, wasn't it?

It wasn't just about my injuries anymore, really. They'd gotten a new player. A better player. A recruit ready to take my place if anything happened to me, which apparently, it had. Coach was ready to jump in on any excuse to replace me.

I'd seen him play before. His name was Connor, and he was good.

Too good.

Anyone could see why they'd take him over me, especially now. I'd be years behind by the time I was ready to play again, who knows how much they'd improve by then. I'd be in the dust. Another forgotten friend on the road to a future that never included me. .

A sound of footsteps thundering up the stairs jolted me from my thoughts.

"Leooon, breakfast,"