Falling into Fiction

12 Unwanted Spectator

After missing practices because of my bruised elbow, which sounds pathetic just thinking about it, I wasn't allowed to play in last week's games. Now, though, I've hit the necessary number of practices to play, and I couldn't be more stoked. Our game tonight is against a school close by, one that I've heard we're pretty evenly matched with.

So far, I've spent my days after school and any free time on the weekends at Dee's house. Andrew hasn't ridden home with me since that Friday. Now Dee just shows up after my practice is over and follows me home in her own car. That made me wonder if those two times Andrew was outside waiting he just did his alien speed thing to get there, and that's why he didn't have a car.

I forced myself to get through physics without his help, too. He never spoke to me throughout the week after he healed me, not even in physics to bother me. This distance is probably for the best though. Andrew would end up hating me later on for one reason or another anyway.

As I'm in my bathroom getting ready for my first game, Dee's head pops in. "Are you just about ready to..." she stops talking as her gaze lands on my uniform. "Damn." She drags out the word and whistles.

My face heats up as I turn to her, hands in my hair as I attempt to tame it into a ponytail. "What?" I ask her self-consciously.

Dee steps fully into the doorway now. "You look hot, that's what. You guys wear spandex during the games?"

"Well, yeah." I turn back to the mirror, still struggling with the bumps that pop up in my thick hair. "Have you never been to one of the volleyball games?"

Dee makes an awkward face. "Umm, no. You saw me at the football game. I don't really pay much attention to the sports at school." She pauses for a moment in thought. "Or in general really."

I laugh, finally putting a rubber band into my hair. As I wrap a second one around, Dee tells me she'll be downstairs waiting. I hear her footsteps retreat down the stairs, and when I'm sure she's gone, I take a look at my body in the mirror. Turning to view different angles, I try to figure out what she must be talking about.

Our long-sleeved jerseys cover up my arms, which I'm thankful for. The white jerseys have red lettering on them, a big number four sitting on my chest. I move to view myself from the side, and I'm surprised to see that the black spandex does do well for my butt. I do a little three-sixty, doing my best to admire myself instead of nitpick.

I slide on a pair of sweats before heading downstairs. It might still be warm outside, but walking around in spandex makes me feel too exposed. I couldn't explain why I don't feel that way out on the court, though, a time when people are actually focused on me and really noticing the spandex.

I have a habit of pulling them down. Constantly.

Katy happens to be waiting with Dee, having decided last minute that she would go watch to support me and to get away from Daemon in the process. Dee drives us to the school. I told her multiple times that she didn't need to since she'd be forced to watch warmups before the game even started, but she insisted.

Since our traces haven't quite worn off, we've still been stuck under Daemon's watchful eye, and by watchful eye, I mean his bored gaze. A few days in, I started to realize that I was getting in the way of Katy's and Daemon's thing just by being there, so that's when I started doing homework at the kitchen table. It gives them space and keeps me caught up on my homework.

 Daemon can't be at the game to keep an eye on us during and on the way home, but he said we should be fine since our traces have gotten so faint. I think Dee is plenty of protection, but I know they all rely on Daemon to do the protecting as the strongest. It makes me wonder how strong Adam and Andrew might be.