"Why is it that every time I get hurt, I wake up to you?" My eyes had just opened and rested on Julius, once again in a hideous green chair.
"Thank God." His voice was breathless. He crossed the room in two strides, grabbing my face with both of his hands, one on either side and crashed his lips to mine. They moved with an urgency, a strength I hadn't felt in them before.
"I thought I lost you." He said, ending the kiss, but not moving away.
"Why? How long have I been out?" I asked, confused. To be entriely honest I could barely remember why I was in here. All I remembered was the game and the boys special warm up, waiting for Julius and Gerry and then Ray getting kicked off the team and... Ray! "He... he could've killed me."
"You were out for almost a week. But he hasn't woken up yet." Julius's eyes were hard.
"Wait. He hasn't woke up yet? But, he didn't get hit." Did my mind leave something out?
"When Gerry and I found you," he paused, seemingly planning something, "Ray, he um, he was working on your buckle..."
I processed what he had just said for a moment. Puzzling over his phrasing. Working on your buckle? I don't have any buckles. Except for my... my belt. I stared up at Julius "He... he was going to rape me?"
"I, I think so." We were silent.
"Thank you. For saving me." He didn't answer verbally, but took one of my hands in his two. The small parts of my skin visible through his much larger hands, which almost completely enclosed mine, resembled the moon and the stars shining through the blackest night. The contrast was beautiful.
I was released from the hospital three days later. After being monitored 24/7, I was ready to just go crazy and it was perfect timing too, since the Titans had officially made it to the semi-finals of States and Alan was documenting every moment of it.
One day, Sunshine tried to teach Big Blue Ti Chi. It was amusing watching the thin Californian move so gracefully through the movements and then observe as Big Blue attempted to copy the motions. Sometimes he almost succeeded, almost.
Another day was Petey's birthday and decided to celebrate right before school. We all chipped in to buy him a nice big birthday cake, which Julius promptly shoved in his face. Later on in the party, Petey unwrapped presents, one of which was my duck-tape covered football with the words "DON'T DROP ME" written on the side in black sharpie. This got a round of laughs.
Later that day, Petey was slacking off in practice. I started yelling, but it wasn't until I actually started to physically go after him that there was any noticeable improvement. Suddenly it was touchdown after touchdown, which led to a round of jokes about manliness at Petey's expense.
That Friday, the guys organized a car smash. Each of the boys took their turns. Julius and Gerry went up together, walking with what Julius called "swag." I was jumping and clapping on the sidelines when Julius grabbed onto my hands pulling me into the loop. Gerry handed me the mallet. I tried to hand it back, but they wouldn't take it. Julius walked up behind me and helped me strike the car directly on the hood. I giggled, for maybe the first time in this life, and turned, wrapping my arms around him. His arms snaked around me and our lips met.
Flag after flag rose into the air. Fouls upon fouls. This game was rigged. I could see our boys getting frustrated. I yelled and jumped but nothing changed, until my dad walked onto the field and had a hushed conversation with one of the refs. All of a sudden he had a new attitude. The boys huddled around them, but Petey soon left the huddle. I ran down the bleacher stairs. I needed to be with the team, I was a part of that team. I was about to jump onto the field when a pair of arms enclosed me.
"Kiss me now, or else the animal gets shot." I felt the gun in the front pocket. The cold hard metal was pressed up against the small of my back. I knew who it was, so I didn't doubt the danger. I turned and kissed Ray with all I had.
Obviously no one had told anyone about Ray's assault and attempt of rape towards me, because if someone had, I would not be in this situation. In the situation no girl should ever be in. In a situation where they had to watch their boyfriend jog out of a game where they are finally getting ahead, look up into the stands and see their girlfriend kissing the man, if you can call Ray that, that abused them. Little did he know it was for him that I was betraying him. I kissed him for Julius, because I knew that padding that protected him from two hundred pounds of flesh wouldn't protect him from the bullet Ray would for certain send his way.
Julius's expression turned cold and heartless. He sat on the bench his back to me. "You sit right here. Understand." Ray commanded. I followed his instructions, after all Julius was closer and now with out a helmet. Ray's arm snaked around my waist. An action Julius had committed hundreds of times, but never once had it felt like this one. Never once had it felt wrong.
"Julius!" I ran into the locker room after the team, "Julius!" He stopped, but only for a moment before moving on.
"Sheryl. I need to talk to you." It was my dad.
He pulled me into a deserted part of the bleachers and explained to me how the Hall of Fame officials had fixed the game to assure my daddy would be head coach again. He went on about how it was unfair and how he had to speak up even though he lost the hall of fame. I expressed my irritation with the Hall, but other than that, my mind was occupied.
Even with my boyfriend hating me, it wasn't until we got the phone call that I truly went numb.
