Author's Note: Written for...
Insane House Challenge. Prompt: being suspended
Daily Drabble Game. Prompt: Angelina Johnson
Rumors
331 words
"This is just a misunderstanding," Angelina claims, trying not to lose her temper again. She knows Dominic, her coach, is doing his best to get to the bottom of what happened, but it's still infuriating that this has happened at all.
"Toni claims you broke her nose and there are three witnesses that confirm her story. Care to enlighten me as to why you would want to injure your team captain the day before a big game?"
Angelina hangs her head. She doesn't want to relive the day, the ugly words that were said.
"You're already on suspension until this is settled, Angie. Unless you can give me a good reason to look past this, you're off the team."
"She said I was using George," she mutters. She hates how her eyes fill with tears every time she gets angry. "She said I didn't even care about him - that I was only with him because he looks like Fred."
Dominic doesn't know the whole story. No one does. The team has met George, of course. Angelina's showed off her handsome boyfriend at all of the parties, but there's never been any reason to talk about Fred. He's long gone and - other than being one of her closest friends - there's not much to tell.
Unless, of course, a tabloid reporter should hear that Angelina accepted an invitation to the ball with him a long time ago, and the story gets twisted into something ugly.
Dominic runs a hand through his thinning hair, clearly at a loss for what to do.
"You're suspended for the next two games." Angelina doesn't argue. It could be much worse. "I'll talk with Toni. If she decides to press charges, there's nothing I can do to help. But she was out of line. I'm sorry."
She shrugs. She's not the one Toni should be apologizing to, she thinks. Angelina can take the insults and the rumors, she knows the truth and that's enough. But George deserves better.