League Of Her Own

chapter six

The locker room was buzzing, but all I could do was focus on Jake. Through Coach's pre-game speech, I found myself stealing glances over my shoulder toward him. Never unfazed, he was always whispering with Nathan and Wesley or cheering alongside Coach.

But I knew that something wasn't right.

"Anderson!"

Jake's eyes snapped over to meet mine, the locker room buzz quieting.

I nodded toward the door. "A word?"

"Oh shit!" A burst of laughter and jeers toward Jake overtook the room as I stepped out into the hallway, Jake following behind.

"I'll make it up to about the Pep Rally" he asked, as he came to a stop behind me. "I never meant to ghost you, you have to believe-"

"Let me see your hands."

He raised an eyebrow at me in question. "What?"

Grabbing his right hand, I flipped it over to see the bandages across his knuckles. "What the fuck happened?"

He ripped his hand away from me. "I'll make it up to about the Pep Rally. Okay?"

"I told you if things got physical at home, that I was showing up."

Silence stretched between us, and the word vomit was spilling out before I had a chance to stop it. "You can be okay with this, Jake. This is supposed to be your home!"

"I know that, Sam." His tone was sharp, and I found myself taking a step back in surprise. "You're the only person I have to come to, do you get that?"

"Jake, I-"

"I need you to ride this out with me for the rest of the year. I know it's bad, I don't need you telling me that. But I don't have anyone else to go to."

Hearing Jake say that out loud was like a knife twisting into my stomach. "We can-"

"We can what?" he challenged. "Tell someone? Let CPS do their investigation? And then what, Sam?"

"I don't know-"

"No. You don't know. Because you don't have to think about it. Every goddamn time I have to deal with Richard, I do. I leave the house for too long, and I've got my mom on my back. I come back, and I've got Richard to deal with. I don't know how the fuck else to handle it other than get through this year and ride out on a scholarship. But you have to let me do that."

I'd prepared to pull Jake outside, to tell him off for disappearing during the Pep Rally and then warn him that I was coming for Richard next.

Not this. My heart was thumping against my chest as I was berated by my best friend. Listening to him ask me to look the other way, something I swore I'd never do.

"I've only ever stood up for you." My voice was stronger than I thought it'd be. "You don't deserve this."

Jake cleared his throat, a telltale sign that he was getting emotional. "We don't have time to do this, Sam. Just do me this one favor."

"You're asking a lot."

"I know what I'm asking."

We were standing face-to-face, both waiting for the other to step back.

"Evans!" Coach's voice called out into the hallway. "What the hell are you two still doing out here? Get out onto the field for warm-ups."

"Please." A whisper, as Jake's eyes searched mine.

"I can't just stand by and watch you get hurt."

"I need you right now, Sam. As a friend.

And I had to decide if I was okay with that.