Amy woke up in her own bed, this time. "Oh… ugh, school starts today, doesn't it?"
"Yep." Tess handed her crutches. "You won't be needing these for much longer, though."
"Thank God." She groaned. "I need coffee."
"Oh, not you too." Tess said, dismayed. Lord, if you send another coffee-holic my way…
"I'm joking, Tess, relax." Amy yawned. "I'll take the car, ok? And I'll be back around six, 'cause I got practice right after school. Just observing. I promise."
"Well, I was thinking, once you get home—if you're not too tired, that is—you have a piano in the living room. Now, I'm a fairly decent player, and I thought maybe you'd like to do some singing. For practice. I used to give voice lessons, you know."
"Really?" Amy was slightly intrigued. "Yeah, maybe I'll take you up on that. But I don't know. Am I really that good? I always thought—"
"Listen, baby. You have a confidence issue. I don't know if anyone's ever told you that."
"People've mentioned it," she mumbled, putting her hearing aids in.
"Well, people are smart. Sometimes they know what's best for you."
"And sometimes they don't. Listen, Tess, I gotta get going. I'll eat breakfast on the way, ok?"
"Well—" Christopher started crying, and Amy smiled at her. "Why don't you get that? I'm going to get dressed, and then I'm out of your hair."
Tess shrugged and started down the hallway. "That girl is going to be the death of me…"
"Ok, Sara, I'll see you at practice." Amy swung herself into the room and leaned her crutches against the wall. She got out of class five minutes early to give her time to navigate the halls with her crutches, and Sara had helped her carry her books. Then a voice startled her.
"Amy."
"Andrew?" She looked up, startled. "Oh, wow. I guess coach isn't back yet, huh."
"No, sorry. Looks like I have to teach English, too. How's your leg doing?"
"Better. I can walk on it. Sort of. I'm supposed to see the doctor some day soon to get cleared for practice."
"Well, good." The bell rang and the rest of the class poured in from the hallway. Andrew put his glasses on and stood behind the desk. "Ok, class, let's get to it."
Andrew and Monica didn't see Amy for the next two days. Tess said she was sick on Tuesday, and on Wednesday she had her appointment. Afterwards, she called Sara and asked her to gather the team for a meeting after school on Thursday. Once they were all there, she limped to the front of the room and cleared her throat.
Andrew leaned on the shelf next to Monica, and a few moments later, Tess arrived. Unseen, the angels watched the proceedings. Amy balanced herself on her crutches and began.
"Guys, uh… I just got some news from the doctor." She bit her lip and sighed. "I guess you remember the game where I sprained my ankle and all that, well, I went to get cleared to play again, and he found… something. He, uh—" She worked her jaw, looking up at the ceiling. "He said that all the pains I've been having in my knees these past few years have been due to my having insufficient support from my ankles, and that all the running and stopping and sliding and falling on the basketball court will only make it worse. And that…" Finally her voice closed up. "If I don't want to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, I can't play basketball anymore."
"Amy, no." Sara whispered. Amy shook her head.
"It'll be ok. I'll still be at all your games. I'll still sit on the bench with you. I'll just, you know… coach. Or something." The words could hardly make it out anymore.
Andrew looked at his friends. "This can't be right."
"I'm afraid it is, baby." Said Tess. "That's another reason we're here. She's going to have to deal with this somehow. And holding it in is not going to help her." Andrew and Monica sighed, looking at her.
"Does she ever cry?" Monica wondered aloud.
"Not that I've seen," Tess answered. "And that could be part of the problem."
"Then let's solve it." Andrew said flatly, getting up and walking through the group of girls that had gathered around Amy, comforting her as best they could. Amy stared after him.
"Yep." Tess handed her crutches. "You won't be needing these for much longer, though."
"Thank God." She groaned. "I need coffee."
"Oh, not you too." Tess said, dismayed. Lord, if you send another coffee-holic my way…
"I'm joking, Tess, relax." Amy yawned. "I'll take the car, ok? And I'll be back around six, 'cause I got practice right after school. Just observing. I promise."
"Well, I was thinking, once you get home—if you're not too tired, that is—you have a piano in the living room. Now, I'm a fairly decent player, and I thought maybe you'd like to do some singing. For practice. I used to give voice lessons, you know."
"Really?" Amy was slightly intrigued. "Yeah, maybe I'll take you up on that. But I don't know. Am I really that good? I always thought—"
"Listen, baby. You have a confidence issue. I don't know if anyone's ever told you that."
"People've mentioned it," she mumbled, putting her hearing aids in.
"Well, people are smart. Sometimes they know what's best for you."
"And sometimes they don't. Listen, Tess, I gotta get going. I'll eat breakfast on the way, ok?"
"Well—" Christopher started crying, and Amy smiled at her. "Why don't you get that? I'm going to get dressed, and then I'm out of your hair."
Tess shrugged and started down the hallway. "That girl is going to be the death of me…"
"Ok, Sara, I'll see you at practice." Amy swung herself into the room and leaned her crutches against the wall. She got out of class five minutes early to give her time to navigate the halls with her crutches, and Sara had helped her carry her books. Then a voice startled her.
"Amy."
"Andrew?" She looked up, startled. "Oh, wow. I guess coach isn't back yet, huh."
"No, sorry. Looks like I have to teach English, too. How's your leg doing?"
"Better. I can walk on it. Sort of. I'm supposed to see the doctor some day soon to get cleared for practice."
"Well, good." The bell rang and the rest of the class poured in from the hallway. Andrew put his glasses on and stood behind the desk. "Ok, class, let's get to it."
Andrew and Monica didn't see Amy for the next two days. Tess said she was sick on Tuesday, and on Wednesday she had her appointment. Afterwards, she called Sara and asked her to gather the team for a meeting after school on Thursday. Once they were all there, she limped to the front of the room and cleared her throat.
Andrew leaned on the shelf next to Monica, and a few moments later, Tess arrived. Unseen, the angels watched the proceedings. Amy balanced herself on her crutches and began.
"Guys, uh… I just got some news from the doctor." She bit her lip and sighed. "I guess you remember the game where I sprained my ankle and all that, well, I went to get cleared to play again, and he found… something. He, uh—" She worked her jaw, looking up at the ceiling. "He said that all the pains I've been having in my knees these past few years have been due to my having insufficient support from my ankles, and that all the running and stopping and sliding and falling on the basketball court will only make it worse. And that…" Finally her voice closed up. "If I don't want to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, I can't play basketball anymore."
"Amy, no." Sara whispered. Amy shook her head.
"It'll be ok. I'll still be at all your games. I'll still sit on the bench with you. I'll just, you know… coach. Or something." The words could hardly make it out anymore.
Andrew looked at his friends. "This can't be right."
"I'm afraid it is, baby." Said Tess. "That's another reason we're here. She's going to have to deal with this somehow. And holding it in is not going to help her." Andrew and Monica sighed, looking at her.
"Does she ever cry?" Monica wondered aloud.
"Not that I've seen," Tess answered. "And that could be part of the problem."
"Then let's solve it." Andrew said flatly, getting up and walking through the group of girls that had gathered around Amy, comforting her as best they could. Amy stared after him.