Breaking Through

Chapter 5 - What is going on?!

Bexley’s P.O.V.

What the hell just happened?

One second she’s gliding away on the ice, the next, she’s heading straight for the side rink.

What was she thinking? Did I make her this upset when I told her we couldn’t be friends?

My heart tightened for a second when she told me that, at least, she wasn’t in my way and that I shouldn’t even bother.

I know that’s what I told her, but I didn't really expect anything out of saying it.

I was just still so angry and I wanted to be petty for a while.

Now I feel like crap.

It’s my fault she got hurt on the ice.

I could see tears forming in her eyes when she first skated away from me. I almost apologized right away, but my ego wouldn’t let me.

Now we’re sitting in coach Henley's car, driving pretty fast to the hospital.

Arriving there barely fifteen minutes after leaving the rink, we made our way inside.

“You guys sit over here while I register you at the front desk. Can I have your cards?”

Janelle nods at her uncle silently, giving him her Medicare card.

She looks down at the floor and holds her arm against her chest. When she settles down in a chair, she sighs.

“Is it painful? Do you need anything? Water or something?” I ask, trying to appease my guilt in some way, shape, or form.

“No. I don't need anything from you. Why are you even here? I’m fine with my uncle, so you can just... leave.” She says, looking at me with a look that’s unsettling, making my heart tighten.

“Look, I’m sorry if I upset you that much at the rink. I didn’t think you’d get hurt like that.”

“Whatever. I’m just a stager to you anyway.” She mumbles under her breath, but I still heard it.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean any of it. I was just still pissed off by how you acted the other day and”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to explain anything to me. I get it. I was a b***h and you couldn’t care less about my apology, so you lashed out. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I won’t make that mistake again. I know my worth”

“What are you talking about? I do care, I was just pissed off and needed to cool down for a while. Maybe a few days. But I would have eventually… Wait a second, what do you mean, you know your worth? What does that mean?” I ask, turning my whole body towards her with a deep frown.

“Jan, they want to see you in exam room 3,” Coach Henly says as he walks to where we were sitting.

“You should just leave,” Janelle says to me as she stands up, walking past me and towards the exam room with the number 3 on the door.

“But,”

“Just leave! I don’t want you here!” She yells, earning us weird looks from other patients and the security guard.

“What’s going on between you two?” Coach Henly asks, looking from her to me a few times.

“Nothing’s going on. Let’s just get this over with so I can tell you, I told you so, that it’s only a minor bruise.” She says as she walks away and steps into the room, leaving the door slightly open.

“What was that about?” Coach Henly asks, looking at me curiously.

“We…we fought…not long before she lost her concentration at the rink. I think… I think I’m the reason she lost her focus and got hurt. She tried to, I just... I’m sorry.” I babble, hanging my head low.

I’m so ashamed of how I’ve been treating her. She only wanted to apologize and I made things so much worse than they could have been.

Why did I have to be such a petty asshole!?

“For now, I think you should leave. “ He sighs. “But you and I will have another conversation later about what really happened back there. I have never seen my niece lose her focus this much in a long time. Not since… Never mind. We’ll talk later.”

I stare at him walking into the room where Janelle is sitting on a hospital bed. She’s still holding onto her arms. I’m pretty sure that if it were only bruised, she wouldn’t be holding it that way.

It’s my fault. It’s all my fault!

Shame engulfing my entire heart, I walk out and call my mom. Since I drove here with Coach Henly, I kind of don't have another way home.

“Hi, Bexy baby,”

“Seriously, mom!!! Stop with that baby name, please!” I whine and cringe at the same time.

“You have asked me that a million times, and I have told you a million times that I will not stop. Now, tell me why you called me during the middle of your shift?”

“Can you come pick me up at the hospital?” I ask.

The line goes dead silent until I hear a loud metal clinking sound.

“Mom?”

“W-Why are you a-at the h-hospital? A-Are you OK? W-What happened?” My mother asks, her voice quivering.

“I’m fine. I’m not hurt or anything.”

I hear her let out a deep breath.

“You scared me half to death! Why are you at the hospital if you’re not hurt?”

“I came here with Coach Henly and…someone else. She got hurt at the rink and needed to get checked out,”

“She? One of your students got hurt? What happened?”

“She’s technically not my student. We were just on the ice at the same time,”

“Is it serious? Does she need anything?”

“I’m not sure how serious her injury is, but I think she’ll be fine. It’s nothing life-threatening.”

“Hummm. Ok. Well, I’ll be there to pick you up soon.”

“Ok, mom. Thanks.”

I sat on a bench and fold my arms across my chest. Today has been quite the day. And the guilt of how I’ve been treating Janelle is eating me up. I need to figure out a way to apologize to her. I was synch n ass that she got injured. I’m sure it’s my fault. If only I hadn’t been such an asshat to her and listened when she tried to apologize, none of this would be happening.

I wonder what the hell did she mean by she knows her worth? For some reason, that statement unsettles me. Something about it feels so wrong.

And what was coach Henly trying to say? What happened to her? So many things were left unsaid.

About twenty minutes pass before I notice my mom's car pull up in front of the hospital.

I settle down in my seat and let out a deep sigh.

“Everything alright? Did you get any news about that girl's injury?” She asks, looking at me curiously.

“No. I didn’t get any news. I’ll send a message to coach Henly later to find out what happened.” I say, looking out the window.

“Ok. And how are you?”

“I’m fine. Not the one who got hurt,” I answer flatly.

“I see that. But you look troubled. Talk to me. What’s on your mind?”

I sigh and say nothing.

How could I tell my mother I’m the reason someone got hurt on the ice? Ice injuries are a very sore spot for her. She would be so disappointed in me if she knew.

“Come on Bex. I know you. What’s troubling you so much? Are you that worried about this girl? Are you two…close?” She asl, arching her brow.

“No, mom. We’re not really close. She just moved here not long ago and just started school today.”

“Poor girl. Must be hard being in a new town and hunting herself on her first day of school,”

Thanks, mom! Way to amplify the guild!

“Probably,” I mumble.

“Make sure to help her out and make her feel welcome, alright?”

I mumble in response.

How am I going to make things better with her?