Nika P.O.V
Watching Alyssa run towards the chairs towards the sideline already had my heart racing, my eyes flicking back and forth between the girl and the ball.
"She's going to crash into those." Aaliyah says with a mutter, most of my team and other girls having the same concern on our face.
"ALYSSA!" The voice carries through the now semi-silent gym, the cheering and noise having gotten slightly smaller as everyone's eyes were on Alyssa. After Jess calls for her, I see Alyssa's head glance down for a second before the girl jumps, pretty much supermanning herself over the obstacles in her path, the athlete managing to get the ball back over to her team before crashing to the ground, fallen chairs and the scoreboard hiding our view from her.
Maia had suddenly stood up when Alyssa managed to pass the ball back, Caitlin doing the same not even a second after. The play continues on the court but the sound almost goes mute for me as I keep my eyes on where Alyssa had disappeared.
"Oh fuck. She's not getting up." Kate was the first to speak, the rest of the girls seeming to be holding their breath. We notice Jess manage to block a ball for their final point, but none of the team nor the coach cheers because as soon as the play was done, they had all rushed to where Alyssa seemingly was.
"Please be okay, please be okay." I hear Maia muttering beside me, Paige pulling her into a side hug as both girls were keeping their eyes trained on the spot where she still hadn't gotten up or appeared from.
As the crowd around the area grew I finally stood up, starting to make my way through my teammates to get to the stairs.
"Nika? Where are you going?" Caitlin had asked, noticing me trying to rush through the crowded area.
"I need to make sure she's okay." Is all I say before Evina grabs my arm before I can fully get to the stairs to descend to the arena. I look at her with a confused expression as she suddenly points to the court, my eyes following her arm.
The intense worry on my face calms, switching to concern as I see Alyssa finally standing up with the help of one of her teammates, watching as they lead her to the bench. An athletic trainer seemingly doing some tests on her ankle. I continue watching until I see Jess hand her some crutches, the black-haired girl wobbling to get up, before the team slowly disappears into the hallway and towards their locker room.
"She's okay enough that she didn't have to be carried into the locker room. I'm thinking that rules out anything is torn or a concussion." Evina states after seeing the concern etched on my face, "I know how much you want to check on her but let the trainers do their last tests in the locker room and then you can go down, okay?"
I let out a breath, whether in relief or stress of not knowing how bad the girl was hurt, I didn't know.
"Okay."
_____________
Alyssa's P.O.V
"Okay. Maybe I underestimated being used to these." I grumble to myself, it was about 30 minutes after the game had ended and 10 minutes after I finished concussion testing, most of my teammates had already left or were outside taking to friends and family, leaving me struggling to put my backpack on, hold my shoes, and waterbottle's at the same.time.while using the crutches I needed to use for the next few days.
"Fuck!" I exclaimed, my water bottle falling from my hands and clattering to the ground, I wince at the sound of metal hitting the hard floor sending a shiver down my spine.
"That just sounded weird as hell." I complain, deciding to lay the crutches against the wall before trying to hobble and pick up the bottle.
"So I'm guessing you definitely don't need help?" I look up the voice, seeing Nika standing at the doorway of the lockeroom, giving me a slight smile but I can see the concern in her eyes.
I roll my eyes, scoffing to myself as I retort towards her, "Whatever made you think that?" I grumble, not angry at the comment or the Croatian in front of me, more so the fact that I had already managed to somehow get injured.
"Are you okay?" Before I could even blink, Nika had walked in and picked up my bottle, moving towards me as she grabbed my shoes in before gesturing towards my back pack. "Take it off. I'll carry it." She adds.
"It's only a sprain, I can carry it on my back.."
"You can, but I want to carry it for you don't have to." I open my mouth to object but she just speaks up again, "Please?"
I sigh, shrugging the object off my back before giving it to the grinning athlete, the girl putting it on before carrying my bottle and shoes in her right hand. The girl walking over to where I had placed my crutches and grabbing them with her left, giving them to me.
Deciding to answer her question from before as I settle the crutches underneath my armpits, "I sprained my ankle, they're saying if I stay off of it completely for the next two or three days I should be fine..but I'm thinking probably three to four... I kind of lied to the trainer a bit about the pain level.."
Nika shoots me a 'What the fuck' glare as we start to walk, I shrug slightly as I shuffle alongside her, noticing the basketball player was walking slower to stay beside me
I fucking hate being hurt
I think to myself, mood souring as I hear Nika suddenly speak up.
"Why would you lie? Alyssa the trainers are literally there to help you! So you can you know, come back and actually play?" She says with an incredulous tone to her voice, her eyebrows furrowing as she talks to me.
"Because I'm a little ole freshman that can't even play a volleyball game without getting hurt, that's fucking why." I spit out, stopping where I stood and slamming the crutches into the ground slightly in spite. "How much of a fucking reject do I look like literally getting hurt in my first ever game?" I continue ranting, not sparing a glance at Nika as I just look towards the ground. "The faster I can get back to practice, the harder I can practice to make sure this," I gesture to my wrapped ankle and foot, "Doesn't happen again."
"Or," Nika starts, as I notice her feet in my viewpoint as she's bringing my head up with her hand to look up her. It was a gentle but strict touch, the foreign girl was going to make me look at her, whether I wanted to or not. "You can focus on getting better so you don't go back to practice, half injured and end up hurting yourself worst. Alyssa you jumped over not only the chairs but the scoreboard table as well, this injury could have been way worst, you landed without even being able to brace yourself what if you broke something or had a head injury?" She tells me, still locking eyes with me but having backed up a bit.
"Listen, you played amazing, everyone out there knows you did, you helped win that game, one hundred percent but you can't keep helping win other games with your teammates if you aren't healthy, you need to tell the truth to the trainers alright?"
I grumble, looking away, praying she wouldn't make me look up again. "I told you the truth didn't I? Does that not count for anything?"
I hear Nika sigh, the sound making me look back up on my own free well, Nika giving me a exasperated look but a small smile playing on her lips.
"It counts for something I guess because now I can make sure you don't overwork yourself these next few days." She nudges me slightly, gently so I wouldn't lose my balance I had on the crutches. "But promise me you'll be more careful? You had all of us worried to hell when you didn't get back up." She continued, "I was halfway down the stairs to join your coaches checking up on you before Evina stopped me."
I playfully grin at the words, looking at the girl beside me as we started to slowly walk again.
"Aw are you saying you were worried about me?"
Nika laughs, a light blush on her face which makes my smile grow even more. "I always worry about you, Knight. Always have and always will."
I look back at my own feet after the words as we walk, trying to fight off my own redness.
"I'll try. But, I mean I'm an athlete, heat of the moment things you know? I can't guarantee I won't do something like it again."
"I hate that I can relate to that." The basketball players laughs, understanding the competitive mentally and wanting to do ANYTHING to win. "But as long as you try, thats good enough for me. Now come on, let's get back to the others, fair warning you're going to get a lecture even worst from Maia more than likely, she looked like she wanted to cry honestly."
Suddenly feeling guilty, I look away from her and the hallway walk feelings like it was miles long all of a sudden, despite the fact that we had only been walking about three minutes because of our prior pause and my needed slower pace.
"Yeah... That's sort of my fault." I speak, "Freshmen year of highschool I sort of did something similar, but it ended much worst." Nika made a nosie which I assumed was telling me she was listening in case I wanted to continue
"It was for the league championship. A super tight game, we were tied with two sets each and we were on our final points. Our libero had been having an off time passing the last few points so she was getting targeting, they served her and she passed tried to pass it but instead od going towards the front of it court, it went towards the back of our bench." I talk, still slowly walking, crutches making a small noise every time they hit the ground.
"I was locked in at this point, I didn't even hesitate as I did pretty much the same thing I did today, I started running after the ball, and my teammates and coaches who were on near the bench all ran out of the way right? I dove over the bench and got the ball back, but my shoe caught onto the chair and I pretty much front flipped over and hit the ground." I sigh, rubbing my head at the memory of the pain that came after.
"I don't even remember much from then honestly, I don't remember anything consistently until I woke up in a hospital bed the next day with a concussion and a fractured collarbone. Maia told me the noise I made when I hit the floor Madd the gym go silent, so much to the fact that the other team had let our team get a point on an otherwise easy ball to pass, just to get people to check on me faster." The noise of the gym and people chattering with their friends and family started to become louder as we neared the entrance and end of the hallway.
"She also told me that somehow, not even seconds after I hit the ground, I had gotten up, trying to get back into the game despite my coaches obviously trying to stop me. The side of my head was bleeding and according to my coaches I was speaking completely gibberish before I just," I make a noise with my tongue, pretending to roll my eyes in the back of my head. "Passed out, knocked out right behind the bench. I'm pretty sure there's a video on YouTube somewhere."
Nika had stopped at this point, looking at me with a shocked expression, jaw dropped. She looked as though she wanted to say something, closed her jaw in thought, opened it again before just rubbing her forehead with her fingers.
"You're actually insane. Fuck if I knew that before hand I probably would have been tearing up too." Nika admits, starting to eye me up and down. "Are you really sure you're okay? I honestly don't know how I'd handle it if you passed put on me right now."
I roll my eyes fondly, appreciating the concern from the older girl and shaking my head with a laugh. "Nothing but a sprain this time Mühl, consider yourself lucky." I joke.
"Thank goodness."
@LysBeHonest Someone take me to an amusement park right now, I can help you skip the lines. Thank you @AllAboutNika for helping me carry my stuff <3.
Liked by @AllAboutNika, @BucketNIce, @SniperShotClark and 122 others
@YouHaveMaiaHeart you're actually insane
@LysBeHonest YouHaveMaiaHeart Nike told me the same thing :( you're plotting against me
@AllAboutNika LysBeHonest YouHaveMaiaHeart only thing we're plotting is making sure you actually follow your trainers rules
@LysBeHonest AllAboutNika YouHaveMaiaHeart :(
@SniperShotClark didn't think a day into our trip I'd see you get hurt but Im glad you're okay
@HeyItsArnold BOO LETS GO TO SIX FLAGS?
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@LysBeHonest HeyItsArnold YES
@AllAboutNika HeyItsArnold LysBeHonest Hell no