Chapter 1: Ouch!
Emma Becker stepped on the tennis court opposite Kristin, waiting for the ball to be served. It was the day after her birthday and she hadn't seen any sign of Sutton. Part of her worried, but part of her was happy to have more time with her family. Sutton was a spoiled little brat. She talked about her not taking advantage of the opportunities Emma had in Las Vegas, but Sutton did the same thing in Phoenix. She treated her parents like dirt. She hated her sister. She didn't appreciate how amazing her friends were. Sutton might have been given everything, but she certainly didn't think so.
The other problem was that she hadn't had a chance to talk to Annie. She'd appeared at the birthday party and then was whisked away by all of the people around her. She hadn't even been allowed contact with her. She knew that her parents were trying to distract her when Kristin had offered to play tennis with her today. She'd obliged, but only reluctantly. She needed to talk to Annie, but she couldn't raise any more suspicions than she already had.
Kristin served the ball over the net and Emma returned it with ease. Back and forth they went, neither side showing any sign of missing. Then, Emma backhanded the ball across the court, just out of Kristin's reach.
"Nice shot," she heard Ted shout. He must've finished his game of golf with Alec and made his way over to the courts. She turned and saw him standing on the sidelines watching the game.
"Thanks," Emma stated, preparing herself for the next rally. She bounced on the balls of her feet as Kristin fired the serve over the net. She returned the ball easy and prepared herself for the next return. Kristin hit it across the court, so Emma turned quickly to make the return. As she changed directions she heard a pop and then her knee gave out. She went crashing to the ground in a cloud of excruciating pain.
Ted watched as Kristin served the ball for the second point of the game. Sutton returned easily, but Kristin volleyed the ball back on the other side of the court. As Sutton went to alternate directions, she crashed to the ground. The ball bounced by her and she showed no signs of getting up. Without thinking, Ted rushed the court. He knelt down beside his daughter. She was clutching her left leg and trying not to cry. Kristin appeared beside him, looking as concerned as he felt.
"Sutton," he called, "where does it hurt?"
She didn't move, "It's my knee," she answered through clenched teeth.
"Same one as before," Kristin noted.
Ted put his hand on her shoulder and then looked around the court. He saw a club employee walking toward them, "Is everything okay?" He asked as he reached them.
"Can you get the club's athletic trainer?"
"Of course," the boy said before rushing off.
Ted turned back to his daughter, "It's okay Sutton. Help will be here soon."