𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 • 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐈𝐄

6.40

calling over her girls, she regrouped them at the other end of the stadium, ready to show off to cali high with all of their tumbling. kenzie counted them into their routine, and anxiously tried to watch both the routine and the football boys. she couldn't quite pick out which one johnny was, but there was one guy that immediately stopped when he saw she was staring. mackenzie quickly looked away, and realised with a jolt they had come to her part in the routine.

quickly bolting forward, she ran in a straight line to start her combo. she successfully completed her round off back handspring back tuck, but fucked up the landing. one of her ankles gave out, her knee went completely outwards, and she buckled under the weight of the pain, falling in a heap on the ground.

the pain rippled through her; a tearing feeling, and then sharp stabs of agony in her ankle joint. her mouth fell open, and it felt like the air had been sucked out of her body. she was completely frozen, unknowing of what to do.

she didn't feel embarrassed or ashamed; she just felt pain– and a lot of it at that.

maddie quickly rushed to her side, pausing the routine and stopping the girls. they were quick to crowd around her, asking questions like, "are you okay?" and, "does it hurt?"

tears pooled in mackenzies eyes as she looked in the expectant eyes of her girls. she shook her head. "not fine. it hurts."

those were the last words she said before she started crying. tears dribbled down her cheeks and she felt a lump forming in her throat.

maddie fell to her knees, pulling mackenzie into a sitting position where her ankle wasn't bent strangely.

"not going to lie kenz, it's not looking good. i think it's starting to swell already." maddie said, voice shaking a little.

"we need a teacher!" mabel piped up, only to be sassed by devenity, who said "fuck teachers, we need an ambulance for this shit!"

"no!" mackenzie gasped. "no ambulance. i'm fine. promise!"

some of the girls had turned around, and were looking behind them. they were turning to each other, whispering, with horrified eyes.

"what?" mackenzie breathed, before wincing. "what is it? does it look that bad?"

"um..." lilia started to speak, but she stopped.

brynn stood and looked where the other girls were looking, and her mouth dropped open. "more like who is it."

"what's going on?" mackenzie demanded, trying to sound as fierce as she could through her tears.

her question was answered when she saw johnny jogging towards them. shock coursed through her, and she quickly tried to wipe away all her tears and swallow them back.

he pushed through the girls, and they parted for him in a daze, letting him through. he looked distraught.

"are you okay?" he asked, voice croaky. he cleared his throat. "i saw you fall, and i was really–"

"i'm fine." mackenzie mumbled, looking away. the tears were coming back, and for different reasons now. just looking at him made her heart hurt.

"you're lying." he said softly before bending down next to her, dropping his voice low. "you always avoid my eyes when you lie."

mackenzie sniffed, feeling her ankle throb and tears well up in her eyes. she laughed bitterly, still not looking at him. "fine. it fucking hurts. no lie."

johnny cleared his throat and spoke slowly and quietly. "maddie, can you go get a teacher? and annie, could you please tell my coach i'll be back soon?"

both girls nodded and ran away, taking a few other girls to accompany them. now the only girls left surrounding them were emily, devenity and lexi.

"i– what are you doing?" mackenzie asked johnny, stuttering and finally looking up. she'd been looking at her ankle, which was blushed red and starting to swell. from previous injuries, she guessed she'd torn the ligaments.

"taking care of you. like i should have in the first place." he replied, swallowing hard.

mackenzie opened her mouth, but nothing coherent cane out. she was rendered speechless, not able to think of anything to say. she only looked at him and blinked away her tears.

johnny bent down and made eye contact with her. "i'm sorry."

mackenzie smiled through the pain, looking up at him through her lashes. "i know, johnny. now's not the time."

he heaved a deep sigh. "will it ever be the right time?"

mackenzie bit her lip. "i– i don't know."

johnny moved to pick her up and kenzie blanched, jerking away. she'd either have to be piggy-backed or carried bridal-style, and there was no way she could handle being close to him, let alone being touched.

"i just want to help–" he tried to say.

mackenzie interrupted him. "don't." she choked out, starting to cry.

he pulled back immediately. "i– what did i do?" he looked at the other girls that were accompanying them. they looked away, fast.

"i can't think properly around you." mackenzie huffed, cheeks a flushed red colour. "and you need to be with your team, not with me. college scouts are here."

"i'd rather be with you." he mumbled so quickly mackenzie was almost sure he hadn't said anything at all.

mackenzie closed her eyes. "not helping. go, johnny."

"please let me help, kenz, i'll just take you to your car–"

the pain crowding in and around her ankle was worsening, and she knew she needed help. she'd need loads of ice and possibly a trip to the hospital. she needed to hurry.

"go!" she said louder, starting to cry properly now. the sobs started freeing themselves.

johnny was biting his lip, unsure of what to do. he looked around and up at the girls around them. standing, he turned away from her. it looked like he was wiping his eyes, but mackenzies own eyesight was blurry due to her own tears so she couldn't be sure. she drowned out the rest of the conversation, numbing herself from the emotional pain that came with dismissing johnny, and instead pried her shoe off her foot with intense focus. this she could do, this she could handle. baby steps, she reminded herself as she tried to stop the tears, baby steps.

maddie soon came back with a male teacher, and together, after mackenzie slung an arm around each of their shoulders, they were able to hop out of the stadium.

mackenzie was intensely mad at herself for crying the whole way out of the staduim, but she wasn't crying because of her injury.

she was crying because she felt like she'd just made a big mistake– for the second time around.

AUTHORS NOTE

sad chapters r funE