Chapter 3
"Ron, come on, food's ready."
Sunshine pulled a pillow over his head, mumbling something he hoped sounded like English. Generally, he liked mornings just as well as the next guy, but sometimes they just came too early in the day for his tastes. Caught in the blur between wakefulness and oblivion, he could almost ignore his ribs, pulsing in time to his heart.
"Come on sleeping beauty. Up and at 'em. Supper's getting cold."
"I'm up. I'm, wh-wait, you said supper right?" Sunshine cracked open one eye to stare blearily at his father.
"Right. Something wrong with that?"
"Nah, I just-what time is it?"
"About 9. I was beginning to think you weren't going to wake up until Spring. Must have been some party."
"Mmmm, something like that." he knew his father could see the blood on is knuckles and the mud stains on his jeans. He was pretty sure he had seen the mess on the porch too. But his
father wouldn't ask about them. Colonel Bass respected his son's
privacy, and wouldn't say a word until Sunshine decided to talk.
Now that he was awake, Sunshine could smell the chili simmering in the kitchen. Usually one of his favorite meals, it made his stomach roll to just think about it tonight. Even if he felt like getting up, he wasn't sure it felt like staying down. "I'm not that hungry dad. I'll just grab something later. You go ahead and eat."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, just don't stay up all night, you've got school tomorrow."
"What!"
"Kidding."
Sunshine relaxed as the curtain separating his room from the living room settled back into place. It was way too early in the day for mind games, even if it was 9 o'clock.
Listening for his father's footsteps, Sunshine sat up, carefully stripping off his shirt, wincing, as he had to raise his arms. In the dim reflection of his wardrobe mirror, the bruises looked spectacular.
Purples and blue's vied for attention among the streaks of angry red and yellow running across his body. He could feel the heat as his hand ghosted inches above the skin.
From hip to collar bone on his left side was an unbroken string of bruises, creeping around his back and spilling out onto his chest, looking for all the world like a child's spilled paint set. He could even see the faint outline of a boot toe digging into his ribs.
Frowning, he let his hand trace the cut on his bottom lip. His chest and stomach were covered, but he didn't have a single bruise on his face, only a few scratches. It didn't strike him as odd. A shirt would easily hide his bruises, no awkward questions to have to avoid. He had to congratulate Smith's ruthlessness.
Sunshine bit back a gasp as he bent over to untie his shoelaces, pulling off his shoes and socks. This was going to make school interesting on Monday. Painful, but interesting.
He had had his fair share of bruised ribs in his lifetime, but it always seemed twice as bad he remembered it. Mother nature's revenge for not listening the first time.
Slowly, he shed the rest of his clothes, and slid under the blanket. Fumbling in his nightstand drawer he found the bottle of Tylenol he kept there. He dry swallowed two of the bitter pills before turning off the lamp.
Sunshine knew at least a few of his punches had connected with Randy's face the other night. He only hoped the other boy's eyes we're swollen shut by Monday. Smug bastard. _*_*
Sunshine rested his forehead against the cool metal of his locker, shutting out the dull roar of the crowd pushing past him. He wasn't quite sure how, but he had managed to make it through the day. His ribs still protested, but he found if he didn't breathe too deeply or move to fast he could keep the pain under control.
Breathe shallow. Move slow. Breathe Shallow. Move slow. Yeah right. Sure, it worked when all he had to worry about was staying awake during French. But in three hours, the Titans were going up against one of the toughest football teams around. Just thinking about it made his ribs hurt
"Hey Sunshine. Why so quiet man?" Gerry shoved an armful of books into his locker, slamming the door shut before they fell out again.
"Thinking." Sunshine straightened his shoulders, falling in step behind his teammate. "About the game?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, don't worry. We haven't lost one yet."
"Yet."
Gerry laughed at Sunshine's less than sunny outlook. "Where were you Saturday?"
"Hmm?"
"Saturday. The day after Friday. Comes before Sunday. We were supposed to go over some old plays."
Oh yeah, Saturday. Sunshine had completely forgotten about that, until Bertier said something. "Sorry man, I slept through most of it. I didn't remember-"
"S'allright. Hey, I got to go. See you at the game?"
"Yeah. Sure." Sunshine waited until the linebacker had jogged out of hearing range. Wrapping one arm around his side to brace the impact, he slung his bag over his shoulder. "If I live that long."
"Ron, come on, food's ready."
Sunshine pulled a pillow over his head, mumbling something he hoped sounded like English. Generally, he liked mornings just as well as the next guy, but sometimes they just came too early in the day for his tastes. Caught in the blur between wakefulness and oblivion, he could almost ignore his ribs, pulsing in time to his heart.
"Come on sleeping beauty. Up and at 'em. Supper's getting cold."
"I'm up. I'm, wh-wait, you said supper right?" Sunshine cracked open one eye to stare blearily at his father.
"Right. Something wrong with that?"
"Nah, I just-what time is it?"
"About 9. I was beginning to think you weren't going to wake up until Spring. Must have been some party."
"Mmmm, something like that." he knew his father could see the blood on is knuckles and the mud stains on his jeans. He was pretty sure he had seen the mess on the porch too. But his
father wouldn't ask about them. Colonel Bass respected his son's
privacy, and wouldn't say a word until Sunshine decided to talk.
Now that he was awake, Sunshine could smell the chili simmering in the kitchen. Usually one of his favorite meals, it made his stomach roll to just think about it tonight. Even if he felt like getting up, he wasn't sure it felt like staying down. "I'm not that hungry dad. I'll just grab something later. You go ahead and eat."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, just don't stay up all night, you've got school tomorrow."
"What!"
"Kidding."
Sunshine relaxed as the curtain separating his room from the living room settled back into place. It was way too early in the day for mind games, even if it was 9 o'clock.
Listening for his father's footsteps, Sunshine sat up, carefully stripping off his shirt, wincing, as he had to raise his arms. In the dim reflection of his wardrobe mirror, the bruises looked spectacular.
Purples and blue's vied for attention among the streaks of angry red and yellow running across his body. He could feel the heat as his hand ghosted inches above the skin.
From hip to collar bone on his left side was an unbroken string of bruises, creeping around his back and spilling out onto his chest, looking for all the world like a child's spilled paint set. He could even see the faint outline of a boot toe digging into his ribs.
Frowning, he let his hand trace the cut on his bottom lip. His chest and stomach were covered, but he didn't have a single bruise on his face, only a few scratches. It didn't strike him as odd. A shirt would easily hide his bruises, no awkward questions to have to avoid. He had to congratulate Smith's ruthlessness.
Sunshine bit back a gasp as he bent over to untie his shoelaces, pulling off his shoes and socks. This was going to make school interesting on Monday. Painful, but interesting.
He had had his fair share of bruised ribs in his lifetime, but it always seemed twice as bad he remembered it. Mother nature's revenge for not listening the first time.
Slowly, he shed the rest of his clothes, and slid under the blanket. Fumbling in his nightstand drawer he found the bottle of Tylenol he kept there. He dry swallowed two of the bitter pills before turning off the lamp.
Sunshine knew at least a few of his punches had connected with Randy's face the other night. He only hoped the other boy's eyes we're swollen shut by Monday. Smug bastard. _*_*
Sunshine rested his forehead against the cool metal of his locker, shutting out the dull roar of the crowd pushing past him. He wasn't quite sure how, but he had managed to make it through the day. His ribs still protested, but he found if he didn't breathe too deeply or move to fast he could keep the pain under control.
Breathe shallow. Move slow. Breathe Shallow. Move slow. Yeah right. Sure, it worked when all he had to worry about was staying awake during French. But in three hours, the Titans were going up against one of the toughest football teams around. Just thinking about it made his ribs hurt
"Hey Sunshine. Why so quiet man?" Gerry shoved an armful of books into his locker, slamming the door shut before they fell out again.
"Thinking." Sunshine straightened his shoulders, falling in step behind his teammate. "About the game?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, don't worry. We haven't lost one yet."
"Yet."
Gerry laughed at Sunshine's less than sunny outlook. "Where were you Saturday?"
"Hmm?"
"Saturday. The day after Friday. Comes before Sunday. We were supposed to go over some old plays."
Oh yeah, Saturday. Sunshine had completely forgotten about that, until Bertier said something. "Sorry man, I slept through most of it. I didn't remember-"
"S'allright. Hey, I got to go. See you at the game?"
"Yeah. Sure." Sunshine waited until the linebacker had jogged out of hearing range. Wrapping one arm around his side to brace the impact, he slung his bag over his shoulder. "If I live that long."
