Teacher's Pet

“We’re a team. I don’t want to come across as stirring up more friction.”

“Look, Eryn, if anyone on my team is causing friction, I’m fairly certain you aren’t the culprit. And, if something’s going on, I need to know. I can’t coach effectively if I don’t. Now, tell me what happened, and be honest. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Fine. So

meone tripped me from behind,” she said.

“What? Like, on purpose?”

“I felt a foot kick my ankles together as I was running. It was hard and sharp, and definitely not an accident.”

I nodded. “Any idea who it was?”

“I went straight down and tumbled. All I could see around me were legs.”

“But you have an idea of who might have done it?”

Up to that point, she’d been making a serious effort to look straight down the hall as we walked. I was certain it was because our faces would have been inches apart had she turned.

However, she paused for a moment, then swiveled her head to look at me, and I could see that she knew. The look on her face told me she didn’t want to rat anyone out, even if they had purposely caused her harm.

That look also set off an intense, protective instinct inside me. Seeing her suffer was not something I ever wanted to see again, and I desperately wished that there was some way I could take the pain for her.

“I think I have an idea of who it may have been,” she murmured reluctantly.

“And? Are you gonna tell me?”

She bit her lower lip and looked down. It made me want to kiss her even more.

“Tammy? You think it was Tammy, am I right?” I questioned.

“Yeah,” she replied uneasily.

“I figured so,” I replied. “Do you think anyone else saw it?”

“I don't know, but even if they did, they might be too scared to say anything about it. Tammy can be...vindictive, to say the least.”

“I see.”

We reached the nurse's office, and I knocked on the door. The nurse, an older, plump woman named Millie, came out and gave Eryn a motherly smile.

“Oh no, have you hurt yourself dear?” she asked softly.

Eryn nodded.

“See what's wrong, and let me know as soon as you can please, Millie,” I said to her as I placed Eryn on one of the exam tables in Millie’s office.

“I'll do that. I will take very good care of her,” she replied.

Eryn and I shared one last look before I left her in Millie’s capable hands – a look in which many things went unsaid. I closed the office door behind me and hurried back to the court, a storm of emotions beginning to rage inside me. I was going to get to the bottom of this – and if Tammy had indeed deliberately hurt Eryn, there was going to be hell to pay.

I went back to the court, trying to focus on the practice, but at the back of my mind trying to think of a way to find out what had happened. Close to the end of the practice, I had an idea. I called Leena aside while the girls had divided themselves into two teams and were playing a practice match.

“What's going on, Coach? Have you found out how bad Eryn's injury is?” she asked.

“No, not yet – but I do want to find out exactly how it happened. Because it seems it wasn't an accident.”

Her face registered a bit of surprise at this announcement. “It wasn't? Are you sure?” Leena asked.