A Change Of Hart

Chapter Four

"At any given moment you have the power to say this is not how the story is going to end"

~Kennedy's POV~

Caleb's practice is almost over when the worst possible thing happens.

I happen to glance up from my phone long enough to see Jason trip Caleb and for Caleb to get up and throw a basketball at Jason's head. My eyes widen and I set my phone on the bleacher. I run down the stairs and onto the court as the two boys get in each other's faces yelling and calling one another names.

It's Jason who takes the first swing. He punches Caleb in the face, right in the jaw. I wince as Caleb recovers from the blow and his fist makes contact with Jason twice. Once in the face and once in the stomach.

I freeze and watch the fight unfold. Coach and the other players try to break it up. Caleb's nose is bleeding and seeing the blood unfreezes me. This needs to stop.

I push past the players watching and step up to the boys. Someone, I think Noah tries to stop me but my mind is in overdrive.

"Stop!" I yell stepping in between them. I put my hand on Caleb's chest trying to push him back. I turn to do the same to Jason when I see the fist fly. It seems to happen in slow motion but I know it really only took a few seconds for the fist meant for Caleb's face to instead connect with my cheek.

I grab my face and suck in a breath through clenched teeth. He packs one heck of a punch. Seeing me in pain must bring Caleb to his senses cause he immediately looks at me regretfully, probably thinking it's his fault I got hit which in a way it is.

"Look what you did!" He yells angrily at Jason and then turns back to me still fuming. "Why would you get in the way?"

"To stop you from being an idiot." I say holding my cheek. Caleb sighs and mumbles sorry before he walks up to Jason and starts yelling at him for hurting me by hitting me and by breaking up with me. Jason tries to say sorry to me but I turn away from him.

"Come here." Noah meets my eyes and puts in arm around me. I allow him to lead me outside to Caleb's truck while the coach deals with Caleb and Jason.

We're silent waiting and when Caleb comes out he hands me my stuff I left on the bleachers and he silently pulls out of the parking lot and drives home.

___________

I accept the ice Noah holds out to me and I press it to my red cheek. I shiver from the cold but it relieves some pain.

"What did your coach say?" I ask Caleb who is silently staring at the TV that's not turned on.

"Me and Jason are both benched from the next two games." He says rolling his eyes. I gasp. Caleb can't be benched, basketball is his life if he has to miss practice and two games he might die.

Noah sits down on the couch and sighs. "Shouldn't have fought with him, I doubt he meant to trip you."

Oh gosh...

"And I suppose you think I'm a prick for hitting him?" Caleb yells getting defensive. He already had one fight today he doesn't need another one.

"Boys, enough." I say calmly.

Of course they don't listen to me. "I'm just saying maybe you jumped to conclusions and were stupid for fighting. Now we're down two players and Ken got hurt in the process of you not thinking clearly."

"Don't call me Ken." I object. "Sure I enjoyed Jason getting hit but fighting was really stupid of you Caleb."

He looks at me with betrayal in his eyes. "Seriously, I defended you, I got benched for you and now you're agreeing with someone you can't stand and you guys are making me look like the bad guy." He stands up and stuffs his phone and wallet into his pocket.