But as my foot connected with the ball, pain exploded in my left knee. I buckled and fell onto the damp grass.
The agony tore up from my knee all over my left leg, and I clutched it as shouts echoed around me.
It took me a second of rolling on the grass, watching my teammates surround me, to realize the shouts were coming from me.
In the background, Sanchez took a couple of steps back, his hands lifted in an innocent motion as the referee approached. Then darkness claimed me, putting me out of my misery.
ROSALIE
8 months ago - January
The hospital hallway smelled like disinfectant and sadness.
I clutched the Tupperware container against my chest, second-guessing this entire plan. The cupcakes inside weren't even that good; the frosting was too thick, and the tops were slightly lopsided. But Nova had mentioned Derek was refusing visitors, barely eating, and spiraling into a depression that scared everyone.
And I knew exactly what that felt like.
“You sure about this?” Aaron asked, hovering protectively beside me. “He's been pretty rough with everyone.”
“I'm sure.” I wasn't. But I also couldn't stop thinking about the way Derek had screamed when his knee gave out. The way the entire stadium had gone silent. The way I'd felt my own hip ache in sympathy.
Aaron knocked, and a muffled “go away” came from inside.
My brother glanced at me, but I was already pushing the door open.
Derek sat propped up in the hospital bed, his left leg elevated and wrapped in enough bandages to supply a small pharmacy. His usually perfect hair stuck up in every direction, and dark circles shadowed his eyes. He looked small in the oversized hospital gown, nothing like the cocky striker who commanded attention on the field.
“I said go...” He stopped when he saw me, confusion replacing the anger on his face. “Rosalie?”
“Hi.” I lifted the Tupperware like a peace offering. “I brought cupcakes.”
“I'm not hungry.”
“I didn't ask if you were hungry. I said I brought cupcakes.” I set them on the rolling table beside his bed and pulled up a chair, ignoring Aaron's surprised expression. “Chocolate with vanilla frosting. They're not great, the frosting's too thick, and I think I overbaked them, but they're edible.”
Derek stared at me like I'd sprouted a second head. “Why are you here?”
“Because everyone else is tiptoeing around you like you're dying, and that must be exhausting.” I peeled open the container. “And because I know what it's like.”
“What's what like?”
“Losing the thing you love most.” I met his eyes. “Having your body betray you. Wondering if you'll ever be yourself again.”
Something shifted in his expression. The defensive walls didn't crumble, but they cracked. Just a little.
“You had an injury,” he said quietly. Not a question.
“Hip replacement. At seventeen.” I picked up a cupcake and held it out to him. “I was supposed to audition for companies this year. Instead, I’m going to university and acting like everything’s fine.”
Derek took the cupcake, his fingers brushing mine. “Are you? Fine?”
“Some days.” I grabbed one for myself. “Other days, I want to scream. Or cry. Or both.”
“Yeah.” His voice was barely a whisper. “Yeah, I get that.”
We ate in silence for a moment. Aaron had disappeared at some point, probably to give us privacy. The only sounds were the beeping of monitors and the distant chatter of nurses in the hallway.
“The frosting really is too thick,” Derek said finally, but there was the ghost of a smile on his lips.
