by Melissa Aden
Stifling a smile, she took it. “Stupid boot!” she hollered, launching it down the hall with gusto.
“Whoa! Not that hard. Knowing Mia’s taste, those boots are worth at least a few hundred dollars.”
“Oops.”
I laughed at Sophie’s sheepish expression. Fetching the boot, I looked it over. “It’s not damaged and you feel better, so we’re good.”
“Except for my right knee,” Sophie said, wincing as she extended it.
“May I see?” With her consent, I took off her other boot and inspected her knee, glad having a doctor for a father and completing medic courses for agency training had done me some good after all.
The bell rang.
“I’m going to be late for class,” Sophie whined. “And I’ve made you late, too.”
“It’s okay. I have connections, remember,” I tried to cheer her.
“First the tea and now this. It’s so like me to make a total fool of myself. I fell like a ton of bricks.”
“That you did,” I snickered.
“Hey! You’re not supposed to agree with me!” She slugged me and I laughed harder. “It’s not funny!”
“At the time it wasn’t. But think about it now.”
“Nope, not funny.” She then laughed. “Okay, maybe a little funny.”
“There! A smile!” I cheered.
“Ouch!” She winced as my fingers grazed a tender part of her knee.
“That’s it. I’m taking you to the nurse’s office. Thankfully, it’s not far.” I offered my hand to help her up. “Do you think you can walk on it?”
“Yes.” She stood and immediately sat down again. “No.”
“Okay, hold these,” I said, handing her the boots. Grabbing our bags, I helped her to standing position before pulling her onto my back.
“Bad day to wear a skirt. Big mistake,” she whispered.
“No one is here to see,” I said, moving quickly nonetheless.
“That reminds me… do you think he saw?” Sophie asked.
“Who?” I asked, knowing full well whom she meant.
“Hagen.”
“Yes. Did you not hear him announce it?” I fumed. “He openly laughed and didn’t even stop to help you.” I softened, knowing this probably made her feel bad. “He’s a creep, Sophie. Mia thinks so, too. People like him aren’t worth your time.”
“You don’t like him very much, do you?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“No, I don’t like him. I’m very protective of my family and friends, and he’s been rude to me, made snide comments about my brother, and then today, disrespected you. In my book, that’s three strikes.”
“I can understand that.”
“Here we are,” I said, entering the medical office.
Nurse Pennycoat looked up from her desk. “Well, what be the matter here?” she asked in her thick Irish brogue.
“First casualty of the school year,” I joked, placing Sophie on a nearby examination table. Sophie shot me a look. “Nurse Pennycoat, this is Sophie Cohen. Sophie, Nurse Pennycoat. Sophie tripped on her way up the stairs. I think she sprained her knee.”
“Well, Everett’s usually pretty accurate about these things,” Pennycoat said, her ruddy cheeks especially red today. “Let’s have a look.”
I normally would have left for privacy’s sake but feeling protective, I took a chair beside the table.
After a quick examination, Pennycoat said, “I concur with Dr. Everett’s diagnosis.” She laughed at her joke. “It’s just a grade one sprain — very minor. You overstretched the ligament, dear. It’s not swelling too badly though, so some ice, painkillers and elevation, and you’ll be good as gold. Do you hurt anywhere else, love?”
“My side and my arm,” Sophie said, holding up her right arm.
The nurse pulled the sleeve of Sophie’s shirt back to reveal a large blue bruise. “Oh dear! You did a good job, you did!” She felt around. “You’ll probably have a hefty bruise for a time but, thankfully, nothing’s broken. Now lie back, dear, so I can take a look at your side.” She pulled up Sophie’s shirt, exposing her stomach.
Sophie obediently laid back, her face redder than ever. I figured it was my presence that embarrassed her. I wasn’t about to budge but I did look away.
“Ouch!” Sophie quietly exclaimed.
My eyes shot back up.
“I think we have ourselves a fractured rib — either that or a severely bruised one,” Pennycoat mused. “You must have had yourself a hard fall, yeah? Take a deep breath for me, dear.” Sophie obeyed. “Well, you’re not having issues breathing and both sides of your rib cage rise and fall together, so I don’t think there’s a break. Does it hurt to breathe?”
“No. It only hurt when you touched it,” Sophie replied.
“Okay, then. I think you’ll be okay for the day, but you might want to have a doctor look at it. Maybe Everett’s father, yeah?” Pennycoat asked, glancing my way. Sophie looked at me as realization dawned.
“I can arrange something if needed,” I agreed.
“Anything else I can do for ya’ then or is my job here done?” Pennycoat asked.
“Do you have a remedy for injured pride?” I spoke up. “Sophie was complaining about that as well.”
Pennycoat chuckled, her round shoulders and belly shaking. “Get some rest and your pride — and the rest of ya’ — will be good as new in no time. I’ll fetch ya’ some ice and ibuprofen and be back in a jiff.”
Sophie sat up with a wince before pulling her shirt down with emphasis.
“Good job, Slick. A sprained knee and a possibly-fractured rib. Maybe I agree with Hagen after all — I give it a ten, too.”
“Everett!” she snapped, seeming hurt.
I softened realizing it was unfair to channel my anger for Hagen to Sophie. But what did his eyes do to make Sophie go blank? Did Hagen actually have something to do with Sophie falling or did she actually fall due to her clumsiness in Mia’s boots? “I’m just glad I was there to help because we both know Hagen didn’t.”
“Okay! You’ve made your point. You don’t like him. I don’t want to discuss it further. Besides, you shouldn’t judge. You don’t even know him.”
It irritated me that she defended him. “And you do?” I shot back before I could stop myself. She looked away. “I’m sorry, Sophie. Just promise me you’ll watch your back with him.” I fought the urge to add, And that you’ll never see or talk to him ever again.
She looked annoyed but my sincerity must have shown through for she nodded and said, “Okay.”
Pennycoat bustled back into the room with a long cloth bandage, a bag of ice, two packets of pills and a water bottle. She told us about the R.I.C.E. formula (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), and with a little sweet talking, we left with notes excusing us from our classes for the day.
“Your place?” I suggested, excited about the prospect of spending the day with her.
“You’re going to keep me company?” She sounded surprised.
“If you’d like.”
“I'd love,” she said, again hopping on my back. “Lead the way, Knight in Shining Armor.”
I liked the sound of that.
Chapter 16
The Answer
I loved how the day had turned out. It took me publicly humiliating myself to get here, but the reward of time alone with Everett was well worth it.
The past two days with him had been amazing. Everett was funny and intelligent and I was astounded how we meshed so naturally. I’d never met a guy quite like him, and the more I got to know him, the more I felt like I’d known him for ages instead of days, even though when I thought about it, I realized I didn’t know much about him at all.
“Time to play doctor,” Everett said, unloading Nurse Pennycoat’s goodies from his book bag and handing me the ibuprofen and water. Plopping on my couch, I popped the pills in my mouth and chugged some water, spilling much of it down my shirt. “Man, it’s not your day,” Ev
erett laughed.
I groaned, exasperated. “No, it’s not my week. I’m going to change.”
Putting my arms out, Everett pulled me up with a little too much force, sending me flying into him. His arms tightened around me as he balanced us. Both of us froze, eyes locked, not knowing what to do next.
I wondered then if he’d done it on purpose. I didn’t mind if he had. There was a magnetism with Everett that I’d never felt with another guy, and while I’d never dated, I somehow knew it was something special you didn’t come across too often.
Our faces were so close that Everett only needed to lean down slightly to kiss me. Unlike my altercation with Hagen, I didn’t mind if he tried. But then he stepped away, steadying me from an arm’s length.
Confused and embarrassed, I spun on my good leg, quickly limping to the safety of my bedroom and shutting the door behind me. What was that!?! I thought, bewildered. The look on Everett’s face as he pushed me away — a mix of anger, worry, and disdain — shook my confidence. Here I thought we were hitting it off, that everything was leading to us possibly dating. The horrible truth set in giving me a sinking feeling. Everett didn’t like me like that.
After pulling on some sweatpants and a clean shirt, I headed to the bathroom to check myself out. To my horror, my mascara had smudged and ran from crying earlier in the day, leaving subtle trails through the plains of my cheeks. I quickly washed away my mask to reveal dorky old me. I took out my makeup bag to touch up, but resisted the urge accepting there was no need to look nice since my relationship with Everett was clearly on the road to platonic friendship, and not budding romance. Catching myself primping my hair in the mirror, I willed my hands to my sides, quickly marching from the bathroom.
Limping back into the living room, I found Everett moving furniture. He’d already shoved my coffee table aside and now pushed a chair to face the couch. Sitting in the chair, he placed a pillow on his lap.
“Sit,” he said, patting the couch in front of him. I obeyed and he reached for my ankle, gently placing it on the pillow.
Just friends! Just friends! Just friends, I chanted, watching him roll back the leg of my pants to my knee. A shivered as he ran his fingers over my leg.
“Sorry. Are my hands cold?” he asked. He rubbed them together before touching my leg again. “Better?” I nodded even though my shiver hadn’t been caused by cold hands. Taking the bandage, he bit his lip as he gently wrapped my knee, placed a cold pack on it, and secured the pack with another bandage.
“You’ve done this before.”
Everett chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve had my share of sprains. That should do it,” he said, fastening the bandage. “So what now? We have a good hour before lunch.”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “We could talk.”
He smiled. Something about the way he looked at me made my stomach flip.
Just friends. Just friends. Just friends.
“About what?” he asked.
“About you,” I said, reasoning that getting to know him might give me a better chance at figuring him out. “I’ve told you all about myself, but I know nothing about you.”
The smile vanished from his lips. “That’s because there’s not much to tell. My parents are benefactors and alumni of Brightman Academy, explaining why I’ve attended for the past two years. That’s about it.”
“I’m sure there’s more to you than that.”
“Nope.”
“Then tell me more about your family.”
“Okay,” he stared at the wall above my head as if deep in thought. “How about this for an interesting fact? My family works for an underground organization that’s goal is to save the world.”
“Everett!” I said, a bit disgusted he was making a joke of this. “I’m being serious.”
“I don't like to talk about myself. In fact, I try to avoid it.”
“Then how do you expect us to get to know each other?”
“I don’t.”
I looked at him, perplexed and hurt by the wall he’d suddenly put up. His body language reflected it too, his arms now folded over his chest. “So, you’ve asked me a million questions about myself over the past couple days because you don’t want to get to know me.”
The look on his face showed he understood how ridiculous it sounded. “I guess I have trust issues. Why are you so interested?” he asked, defensively.
I was aghast at how this conversation was quickly slipping from my control. Not knowing how to stop it or jump ship, I could only brace myself as we barreled into the inevitable iceberg.
“Do I honestly need to justify it?” I asked. Everett stared at me, making it clear I did. I didn’t know how to put it in words. Because I’m slightly obsessed with you. Because it feels like you get me better than anyone ever has. Because I feel closer to you and like you way more than I should after only two days. Because I want to be more than friends but can’t if you don’t let me in. Feeling it too soon to divulge the truth, I settled for a watered-down version, simply saying, “Because I care. Because I like you and want to be your friend.”
“Friends don’t sit around and grill each other. You spend time with people and get to know them slowly and eventually.”
Perplexed at how Everett could still be defensive after I said something so nice, I too grew angry. “You grilled me the past few days.”
“That’s… different.”
I sighed, agitated. I couldn’t believe how insensitive Everett was being. “Fine. Let’s not talk at all. We’ll pass the hour staring at each other in silence.”
He watched me for a moment before saying, “What do you want to know?”
I wanted to stay mad but was more curious than prideful. I decided it best to ease into things. “Tell me about your dad. Nurse Pennycoat mentioned he’s a doctor.”
“Yup. He recently cut back his hours because he’s also an inventor and thinks he’s about to discover some huge scientific breakthrough. He spends most of his time in his garage anymore, so I don’t see him much,” he rambled, his voice monotone.
“And your mom?”
“She’s a homemaker and a really good cook.” He paused. “I don’t know what else to tell you about her.”
“Do you have any pets?”
“Kind of.”
“How can you kind of have a pet?”
He sighed. “I have a dog named Scarlett.”
“I love dogs! What kind?”
“I dunno. Some rare breed. Mom got her when she lived in Europe.”
“If your mom got her, then why is she your dog?”
“Because—” He paused, seeming flustered. “I dunno. She likes me best.”
“And you have a brother?”
He noticeably darkened. “No.”
“Then who is the Benjamin guy Hagen keeps harping on? You said he was your brother.”
The look on Everett’s face made it clear that I’d said something wrong. “I knew that’s what this was about!” he exploded. “So you heard one of those ridiculous rumors and wanted to know if it was true, right? I can’t believe this. I expected this from them, but never from you.”
“Huh?” I had no idea what he was talking about. “What rumors?”
“R.I.C.E. stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation,” Everett spouted. “The only thing you’re missing is rest, so I’ll leave you to it.”
“What?” I reeled. “Wait! I don’t want you to go,” I blurted. “I thought we were going to hang out.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a big fan of playing Twenty Questions,” he said.
“I’m sorry if I offended you, but I was just trying to get to know you. I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He dismissed my remark with a sarcastic “whatever” before folding his arms like a defiant child and staring at the floor, refusing to meet my gaze.
His rejection stung more than I liked. I was done playing games and putting up with the many moods of Everett. It w
as exhausting — especially after the day I’d had. Finding the need to hurt him back, I shouted, “Fine then. Go! I’m already having a crappy day, and the last thing I need is your mood swings or guilt trips. So go on. If you intended to push me away, then congrats, you’ve succeeded.” My eyes narrowed as I released my final poisonous barb. “I wanted to have lunch with you, but I guess I can eat with Hagen instead.”
The look on Everett’s face was priceless — comical even. He leaned forward, practically spitting at me, “What!?! What do you see in him?”
“Hagen might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but at least I know what to expect with him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that maybe we shouldn’t hang out anymore until you figure out what you want. One second you’re flirting with me and leading me on, and the next you’re yelling at me like you hate me.”
“Leading you on?” He seethed in his chair a moment before propelling to his feet, sending my foot crashing to the floor from his lap.
“Ouch!” I exclaimed as my heel struck the ground. I cradled my wounded knee as it throbbed, glaring at Everett.
He looked sorry for only a moment before anger overtook his features again. “Have fun at lunch with your boy toy. I’m out.” He started for the door.
Not wanting him to leave, I said the first thing that came to mind, “Boy. Friend.”
It did the trick. Everett stopped and spun around. “What?”
I stood, even though I knew it would be excruciating. Anything to feel more powerful. “Boyfriend,” I repeated. “Hagen is my boyfriend.”
A silly hurt look came over Everett, revealing that he cared more than I thought after all. I waited for him to say something — anything. The longer he stood there looking like a wounded dog, the more awful I felt. I wanted to hurt him, but hadn’t expected feeling so crummy upon achieving it.
“What? No more rude comments or unwarranted opinions?” I spewed.
He quickly walked back to me, and for a moment, the fantasy of him grabbing and boldly kissing me flitted through my mind, but stopping short of me, he did no such thing.
“I’m sorry, Sophie,” he quietly said. “You’re right. I’m confused. I don’t know what I want. I didn’t mean to shut you out. It’s just that—” He paused, agony playing out on his face.