BREAKAWAY

Chapter Seven - Edited

Sang's POV:

Now that I was officially part of the team, I discovered that they trained every day except weekends from 5 pm till 7 pm. This meant that my mother was free to punish me badly on Fridays, since I wouldn't see anyone again until Monday evening.

My first proper training as part of the Blackbourne team was on Monday.

Again, my mother dragged me into reception, where Mr Blackbourne was standing, presumably waiting for us.

He handed my mother a piece of paper, pulling her aside to speak to her before she sighed in annoyance, turned around, and walked back out of the doors.

I watched her go, open mouthed. She always stayed for my practices so she could make sure I didn't talk to anyone, boys especially. She also liked that it made her look like a very doting mother, when she was actually scrutinising me for anything she could punish me for later.

But one short conversation with Mr Blackbourne and she was out of the door? It was very confusing.

He turned around to me and gave me a tiny smile, which could have been mistaken for a simple twitch of the lips, and beckoned to me to follow him down to the rink.

"She's gone to collect your team kit." He told me, winking at me as I relaxed, knowing that she'd be gone for the entirety of training.

I smiled, feeling a weight lift off of my shoulders for the first time since before the abuse started when I was five, and his lips twitched again, somehow able to sense my relief as he pushed his glasses up his nose with a finger.

I made a quick detour to get changed, before making my way to the edge of the rink, getting on immediately and skating some laps.

I always felt free when I skated, but this time it felt extra good, and I could feel the wind whipping my hair back from where it was tied in a ponytail at the top of my neck as I soared around the rink.

I stopped once the large clock on the wall hit 5 o'clock, and joined the semicircle with the rest of the boys.

"We've got some admin to do today." Mr Blackbourne said, instantaneously grasping the attention of everyone who'd previously been talking amongst themselves. "You're all due for your annual physical exams."

"But didn't we have- ?" Luke started to say, but Mr Blackbourne cut him off with a single look.

My breath hitched.

Physical exams were with doctors. I'd never been to a doctor before in my life. My mother refused to take me, and told me that doctors were bad. I knew that it wasn't true, but the fact still remained that I'd never had a physical exam before, and if my mother found out I'd had one she'd kill me. I was suddenly all the more grateful that Mr Blackbourne had sent my mother off today.

He must have caught my relief and anxiety because he sent me an encouraging look, and moved on quickly.

"We're also going to get to know each other better, so we'll play a game while you take turns seeing Dr Green for your physicals."

That sounded okay. If we were going to be a team I had to know them like the back of my hand, and vice versa.

Mr Blackbourne clapped his hands in a final decision. "Everyone in a circle in the middle of the ice, Mr Lee, you will start with Dr Green."

Kota got off the ice and Mr Blackbourne slid a hockey puck across the ice to Gabriel, who caught it.

"So how this game works..." Mr Blackbourne started. "When you have the puck, introduce yourself, tell us about yourself, then throw it to someone who hasn't already had it." He said, and gestured to Gabriel who started.

"I'm Gabriel Coleman, I'm sixteen, I like fashion and art. My favourite colour is orange." He said.

He looked around, and his gaze focused on me. He passed me the puck and I caught it, nervously hitting it in a square shape as I looked down at it and cleared my throat.

"I'm Sang Sorenson, I'm fourteen. I like reading. My favourite colour is pink." I said quietly.

Gabriel grinned. "I knew it! I knew you liked pink." He said, pocketing the dollar that Luke grudgingly handed to him.

I laughed at how excited he looked, and passed the puck to Nathan just as Kota came back and switched with Gabriel.

The boys continued to introduce themselves, and we ended up asking each other questions at Dr Green cycled through us one by one.

Nathan looked deep in thought for a moment before he turned to me.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

I nodded and shuddered at the memory of my first allergic reaction. I had been seven, and it was a good thing that the school I'd been in at the time had an EpiPen handy, because my mother refused medical treatment when the paramedics arrived, and we moved house immediately after.

"Yes, peanuts." I said. Mr Blackbourne was suddenly alert.

"I didn't know that." He said. "Anything else? Other types of nuts?"

I shook my head. "Just peanuts. I have a spare EpiPen in my duffel bag." My dad had gone to pick a few up for me, and my mother had threatened for me to 'better not need one', so I was super careful what I ate, and I hadn't had a reaction since.

"Well, Peanut." Nathan said. "I'm allergic to bees."

"Alright, if you're going to call me peanut, I want to call you bee man." I said, smirking at the horrified look on his face, but lucky for him, Gabriel saved him.

"That's a terrible name Trouble." He said.

"What do you suggest, Meanie?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and cocking my head to the side, smiling when he looked stumped.

"Well, bees make honey, you can call him honey." Luke said. North grunted, and smacked him over the head. I winced in sympathy.

"I hate honey." Nathan said, shuddering, and I smirked.

"Honey it is, then." I said, as he groaned and Dr Green called me in for my physical, my hands shaking as I followed him.