CHAPTER TWO

Fractured World

It all started because I forgot my sneakers for gym. Angela handed me an extra pair of hers from her collection. She loved track as much as I loved National Geographic specials and she had sneakers for running on pavement, running in the rain, and running uphill. I’m surprised she didn’t have a pair for running while being sick of gym. Then again, Angela was never sick of gym.

“They look like small boats.”

“I’m a whole size bigger and four inches taller.” She wiggled her nose. “Put on an extra pair of socks, and you’ll be fine.”

“I’ll fall on my butt right in front of Chad Foster.”

“Maybe then he’ll notice you exist.”

I stared, shooting lasers at her head of teased dark curls.

She shrugged it off, reaching for her sweatshirt with her elegantly long arms. “It’s better than getting a failing grade for the day.”

I wished I’d put her expensive sneakers back on the shelf. In the moment, a failing grade would have been the end of my world. But looking back on it, I would have enjoyed a few more weeks of innocence much more. In cryosleep, no one considered my junior-year gym grade.

As we walked out onto the gym floor, the volleyball net came into view and my heart sank. I hated volleyball. I was always afraid I’d break a finger or bruise my arm when I served. That’s why I ran away from the ball.

Our gym teacher, Mr. Gold, had muscles that could have been made out of gold. He was an Olympian back in the 90s. Ridgewood Prep had only the best of the best, which usually worked in my favor, except for gym. Mr. Gold didn’t understand why you couldn’t do three hundred pull-ups or run a mile in under six minutes. It took me a whopping ten.

So the game began. Chad served to our team, and Angela sprinted to the right, hitting the ball up over my head and back to the other side of the net. My reprieve was short-lived. Chad’s best bud, Walter, hit the volleyball back, way over Angela’s head and right to me. My eyes went to Angela, but she had a look that said, “Not this time. You’re on your own.”

So I did what I usually did. I ran away. Taking a leap backward, I tripped over the toe of my right sneaker and fell on top of my left leg in an embarrassing tumble. The ball hit the floor beside me.

Pain shot up my leg into my lower back. The bone in my lower leg felt like a toothpick split in two. I bit down, trying not to cry in front of everyone.

Angela ran to my side. “Are you okay?”

“No.” I whispered under my breath, “I don’t think I can get up.”

“What?”

Mr. Gold shouted from across the gym. “What’s going on over there?”

Angela spoke for me. “Jennifer can’t stand up.”

I loved my friend more than ever in that moment. Even though I’d just lost a point for our team because of my cowardice, she still defended me.

Mr. Gold walked over, disbelief clouding his eyes.

I wished I hadn’t cried wolf all those other days, getting out of gym for having a phantom headache or vague dizziness that only came during third period.

“Can’t get up?” He crossed his muscled arms. Tripping over yourself and falling so hard you couldn’t get back up at the ripe age of seventeen was ridiculous. I knew that. Only, this time I wasn’t faking.

The other students surrounded us. Spying Chad’s red football jersey out of the corner of my eye made heat travel up the back of my neck to my cheeks. I couldn’t lie on the gym floor forever.

I whispered to Angela, “Help me.”

She pulled on my arm, but when I placed weight on my left leg, the pain exploded in an unbearable spike. I screamed like those girls in the cheap, B-horror movies.

That must have sounded believable because Mr. Gold winced and nodded to Angela. “Get the nurse.”

“Yes, Coach.” She patted my arm. “I’ll be right back.”

Meanwhile, everyone stood around me in an awkward circle.

Chad shifted on his feet. “Can we finish the game now?”

Humiliation tingled up my spine. I hated him for being so inconsiderate, but I hated myself more for liking him in the first place. Sometimes beautiful-looking people became ugly when you got to know them inside, and Chad had just turned from hottie into jerkwad. Hot tears stung my eyes.

Mr. Gold had enough sense to call off the game. “Come on, guys. The show’s over. We’ll continue this game tomorrow. Do your laps for the rest of class.”

As the class moaned and started to run, Angela came back with Nurse Sherry. She knelt down beside me. Smiley faces dotted her scrubs, mocking me with their happiness.

“Can I take a look?”

“Sure. Go ahead. I’m not going anywhere.”

Angela laughed, then covered her mouth like “I shouldn’t be joking in a time like this.” This was the exact sort of time I needed humor the most.

Miss Sherry probed my leg gently with her wrinkled hands. Every part she touched hurt, some more than others. I kept squirming and yelping like a baby.

She stood and stared at Mr. Gold like his gym policies had pushed me over the edge. “It’s broken, all right. I’ll call an ambulance.”

Broken? Like, actually broken? Suddenly I didn’t feel so bad about being such a crybaby.

Angela put her arm around me. “Now I see why you’re so afraid of gym. You knew, Jenny. You have ESP.”

I laughed despite the pain. “More like a lack of ESPN.” Angela stayed with me until the ambulance came. Nurse Sherry wrote her a note to get out of fourth period. I guess she pitied me. The sirens wailed from the back exit doors of the gym. Angela smiled, but she looked sad. “Our limo awaits.”

“You’re coming, too?”

“I’ve always wanted to see BMC.”

I rolled my eyes as EMTs picked me up and put me on a stretcher.

“I think I’ll just about die if anyone sees me carried out like this.”

Angela had a sparkle in her eye. “Think of it this way—it adds to your mysterious persona. You’ll be the talk of the school.”

“I fall down and you turn into quite the comedian.”

She laughed and winked. “I have a good teacher.”