When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(100)
I dodge everyone’s questions the remainder of the day about what happened to my eye. Most people just believe I got into a fight. I let them go with that theory. I don’t have it in me to come up with some bullshit excuse anymore like I use to. Kennedy keeps quiet as Dan and Mark ask about it. She looks up at me almost pleading to quit hiding the truth.
Coach pulls me into his office during third period to talk to me about my newest wound. I tell him the same lie I had told everyone else. I got into a fight with some jackass from a neighboring school. He seems to buy it, but he explains that he’s postponing the Georgia scouts until it’s healed. I express my concerns that they will overlook me now, but he assures me that that isn’t possible. Apparently I’m on the top of their list. My dreams are within my grasp still and nothing is going to get in my way as far as I’m concerned.
Chapter FortySeven
-Kennedy-
“What can I do for you Kennedy?” Coach waves me into his office with a smile. I stand just outside the threshold having this internal debate on whether this is the right thing or if it’s a colossal mistake.
“I don’t have much time, but I need to talk to you,” I say as I finish the walk into his office. “It’s important.” I nervously close the door behind me. There’s no turning back now.
To be honest, I don’t know what I’m thinking. My only thoughts are with Graham. Being worried about him has become a full time job. The straw that broke the camel’s back was him showing up like he did last night. He can’t go on living like he is now and I refuse to sit around doing nothing. I know it isn’t my place. A part of me believes that it is. He confides in me and I know that if the roles were reversed that he would be up in arms.
“I need to talk to you about Graham,” I begin to explain taking a minute to collect my thoughts. Maybe I’m trying to talk myself out of telling him. Coach watches me intently waiting to hear what I have to say. Graham’s his star player. I can see the worry in his brow. “I don’t know how to say this and I’m not even sure if you’re the right person to be telling.”
“If it has to do with Graham then I’m the right person. What’s going on?” he asks obviously worried about his starting pitcher. Coach is the type of man who invests more than just time in his players. He sees them as his own children. Their troubles become his troubles.
Here goes nothing…
“I’m just going to come out and say it.” ----Long pause---- “Graham’s father beats the shit out of him and when I say beats the shit out of him I mean leaves bruises, causes cuts, and breaks bones.” That felt good to say out loud. I let out a long breath that I feel like I’ve been holding in for far too long.
Coach stares at me for what feels like an eternity.
“Is that where the swollen black eye came from?” he asks me with concern. He must have seen it this morning when we walked into the school. I nod in response. “And you know for a fact that it’s his father?” I nod again.
“Okay.” Coach runs his tanned wrinkled hand over his head and down his face in frustration. I can see the worry in his eyes.
“What’s going to happen now?” I question. There has to be something Coach can do, some solution to Graham’s nightmare.
“Kennedy…I’m glad you told me, but there isn’t much that I can do. Until Graham confides in someone of authority on his own then it’s sort of a moot point. When he’s ready to talk, he’ll tell someone. I can tell you are worried about him and I promise that I’ll keep an eye on him. If I notice anything then I’ll talk to him, okay?”
“That’s good enough for me.” I lie smiling softly hoping that he believes me.
“Kennedy, he’s lucky to have you looking out for him. You’ve made him into a good man,” Coach says with a knowing grin.
“I’m the lucky one.” I wave at him as I head out of his office. I have already missed most of lunch. Graham’s probably wondering where I disappeared to. I’ll come up with some excuse. I go into the library to try to read my book. It’s an impossible task as my mind filters through everything that I know about Graham and what I have just done. Graham won’t understand why I did what I did.
He’s going to hate me when he finds out. I don’t think I can survive losing him.
By the time third period rolls around Graham isn’t in class. I haven’t seen him all morning and am beginning to worry about him. It’s half way through the hour when the door opens. Graham glides in handing Mr. Stevenson a late slip. He finds his spot in the chair next to mine. I smile over at him trying to gage his mood.
“Where have you been?” I whisper as I lean over.
“Coach called me into his office,” Graham explains. I visibly tense up and he notices. “Everything’s fine. He just told me that he’s postponing the Georgia scouts until my eye is healed.”
“Oh that’s good,” I avoid looking at him. It’s an impossible task. Looking away from Graham is a chore, not something worth doing for too long. I manage to avoid Graham as much as possible for the rest of the day.
After school, Violet drags me off to the mall once again to look for prom dresses. She’s far too into the whole dress shopping thing. Dan and she are still planning on going together. They seem to be getting closer and more open about what their relationship actually means. I like him a lot. He’s good for her. Dan tends to keep her under control. I didn’t even know that was a possibility.