Chapter 44 - "You sure you don't want me to stay?"

"Courtney!"

"Get the net off her."

"NO! Lift it over here."

"Courtney, are you okay?"

"Say something!"

"Get it off!"

"We're trying!"

"Try harder!"

"You yelling at us Miguel won't make this better!"

"Why did this happen?"

"I don't know, we made the calculations."

"Those were made with the lighter net. This isn't the one we ordered."

"This is not the time! Get this thing off her!"

The shouts fell on top of Courtney as she lay completely still, eyes closed. Her head throbbed from the impact with the floor and the vibrations of footsteps only added to the pulsing. Flares of pain sparked in her ankle and she gritted her teeth against it.

Thirty-five minutes. There were thirty-five minutes left before everyone had to leave. The entire basis of her decorations was destroyed. New plan. There needed to be a new plan. Focus on that, Cory, only that. Nothing else.

Courtney felt the sting of tears in the back of her eyes as the weight of the net vanished from her. Four sets of hands reached out for her. Taking in a deep breath and willing the tears away, Courtney opened her eyes. Miguel knelt beside her.

Wow, that almost looks like genuine concern, Miguel. Who knew you had it in you.

"Slowly," he said.

He waved away the three other people, strangely enough, one of them was Max, and eased his arm around Courtney's waist. She hooked her arm around his shoulders as he helped her to her feet. Well, foot in the instance, everything in her screaming that she shouldn't put any weight on her braced ankle.

But avoiding reality wouldn't do her any good. Courtney set her foot down, and a spasm of pain skidded up her leg. She clenched Miguel's shirt and bit her lip. Not the time, it's not the time to lose it. Focus. Breathe in. Do. Not. Lose. It.

Courtney looked around her. The threat of tears returned as she saw the net carelessly bunched and twisted on itself, the beautiful leaves she'd spent time ironing crumpled. Breathe. Don't lose it. Keep breathing. Smile. Too many worried faces. Be okay. You need to be okay for them.

"Okay," she said, smiling. "I have to admit that dramatic turn of events was not on my to-do list."

Courtney could almost hear the collective breath everyone released.

"We need to rethink our plan-"

"You need to go to my office," Coach said. "I need to check out your ankle before we do anything."

Courtney nodded and plastered on an easy expression. Don't show the pain. No need to make everyone worry.

"Okay. Everyone I'll send Miguel back to instruct you. And to continue this dramatic theme, I'm going to make him carry me."

Miguel took her cue and hoisted her into his arms.

Courtney flipped her hair. "This is true power."

Everyone laughed as Miguel carried out of the gym.

"You can drop the act now," Miguel whispered as they followed Coach down the hallway.

Courtney said nothing, focusing on her breathing. Pain in her ankle and head made thoughts slower than normal but the sight of the net remained too clear in her mind. Failed. It all completely failed. Weeks of work and thought gone in an instant. It was fine. There was a solution. It was a setback. A minor- a major setback but that was... that was okay.

"Here," Miguel said, depositing her onto the exam table in Coach's office.

Oh, the memories this brings back. Memories that should be buried and burned. Which those two things don't work together but both are what should happen to these memories.

"How is your head?" Coach asked.

"Hurts a little." As Coach walked to her medicine cabinet, Courtney pushed Miguel's shoulder. "Go save the leaves. They need to be removed before they get more wrinkled."

"Cory, that's not what's important-"

"Yes. It is."

Miguel still hesitated. Don't stay, Miguel. I can not keep myself together if you are here being sympathetic. I need to get through this moment. This next thirty-five minutes then I will deal with this.

"Go. I didn't spend time ironing those leaves for nothing."

Looking reluctant, Miguel took a step back. He does have a heart, what a strange discovery. Though I knew this since I'm one of the few he shows it to. It's comforting but not what I need right now.

As Miguel left, Coach returned and Courtney happily accepted the aspirin. Anything to help at least one of her problems go away. True, it's one of the minor ones but right now she needed a small solution.

"Let's take a look at that ankle," Coach said.

Oh, rather not. Let's ignore it and pretend that nothing happened to it, I'm fine, it's fine and it will not be a problem larger than the problem its already been for the past few weeks.

Sighing, Courtney twisted on the bed, resting her ankle on top. She closed her eyes as Coach eased off her shoe and removed the brace.

Yes, closing her eyes was definitely going to help the issue. By not looking at it. No, but what could she do!

Breathe, Cory. Keep breathing. True the alternative was not breathing and just deciding to pass out but she'd already had one dramatic action today, best not to add fainting to that list. Though it wouldn't be fainting, it would be swooning. Swooning gracefully.

"Okay," Coach said. "It's not as bad as I thought. It's not swollen. I think you just aggravated it."

Ah, was that all? And I thought it was yelling curses at me because it was happy. Aggravating it makes more sense. Maybe if I buy it a fruit basket it will calm down.

"I'm going to have you ice it and that will help."

"Sounds good."

That's exactly what I wanted to do with my thirty-five minutes, sit and do nothing while my entire project is falling apart. Correction, it already fell apart and it laying fallen on the floor.

Breathe, Cory, keep breathing.

As Coach brought over an ice pack, Courtney slid back to lean against the wall. With the coldness of the pact numbing her ankle and the aspirin starting to set in dulling the throbbing in her head, Courtney began to see the full scope of how much of a disaster she was in.

"Can you go help organize people?" Courtney asked.

"You sure you don't want me to stay?"

Have someone possibly witness her breakdown? Yes, that's exactly what she wanted.

"I'm good," she said.

Coach eyed her and Courtney tried to convey as much control and calmness as possible. When it felt she might crack under her coach's gaze, Coach nodded.

"Okay, I'll be back in fifteen," she said.

"Great. Make sure Miguel doesn't bite anyone's head off. I think it's best if we didn't add murder to today's events."

Coach laughed and left. Courtney leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling. The same tears that had been issuing threats returned and she squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn't give in to their demands. Not now. It was not the time. She needed to keep a handle on it.

"Cory!"

Oh, so not the person she wanted to see.

Micah raced across the office and staggered to a stop beside the exam table.

"I came back from the theater and they told me what happened," he said. "Are you okay? How's your ankle? They said you hit your head, is that okay?"

Too much concern. Nope, this was not what she needed.

She pushed his chest gently, teasing as well as needing physical space from his waves of worry.

"Breathe, Micah," she said, forcing a laugh into her voice. "I'm fine. Every girl dreams of having to be rescued from a net. You weren't there to do the rescuing so I'll work on my timing next time."

Micah moved closer, his brow wrinkled, though this time it didn't feel as much in concern as in confusion.

"Hey," he said softly. "You don't have to make jokes."

Oh but I do, I'm one gentle word away from losing it. And it's not the time to lose it. Can't lose it, might not be able to find it again.

"You're worrying too much," Courtney said. "I don't want you to stress."

"Cory, I know you worked hard for all of this and what you worked for is fallen apart."

Is that so? And here I was thinking it had all been a bad dream, that the hours I had put into this weren't right now collapsed not the gym floor with no obvious way of fixing any of it.

"I know," she said.

"Then why are you acting like it's not a big deal."

"I know it is."

Micah frowned deeper. Wow, no concern in that frown at all. Well, that helps a little.

"Cory, it's me," he said. "Be real with me."

The tears returned this time with guns daring her not to let them lose.

Not the time. It was not the time. She couldn't lose it. Minus the fifteen minutes to ice her ankle, she only had about twenty to rework the idea she'd spent months thinking over. HOW WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?!

Breathe, Cory, breathe.

"It's going to be fine," Courtney said. "I get your concern but it's not a big deal."

No, it was a huge deal. It was massive. So massive that it might become a physical mass and crush everyone.

"Cory," Micah said. "Why are you trying to pretend like it's okay with me? I'm here."

Yes, and that was the problem, he cared and she didn't need his kind, comforting presence. She needed to not lose it. She needed logic. She needed to not cave to the demanding tears.

"Micah, it is okay," Courtney said. "It will be okay. Worrying about it right now will do no good. Okay?"

Micah shifted and tugged at his curls.

"Please don't act like I'm being ridiculous," she sighed heavily.

"I'm not."

"You're pulling on your hair. You do that when you're overwhelmed, uncertain, or embarrassed. The only one that works here is overwhelming. I'm not being overwhelming. I'm trying to get through this!" Deep breath. "I don't need sympathy, I need plan. I need to figure out what to do next. Okay?"

Don't! Don't stare at me Micah like I'm being irrational. That is the last thing I need.

Micah reached for his hair but stopped.

"Cory, it's just Homecoming," Micah said.

Just. Homecoming.

Breathe, Cory, don't lose it.

"Look, I get that you and your friends don't think it's a big deal but to some people it actually matters. And I'm thinking of those people. Those people who have been planning for this. Not your friends. It's fine that you don't get this but please don't act like it's something stupid and unimportant. It is. To me. To others and that's why I need to figure out what to do."

"Hey."

Courtney and Micah both looked to the doorway where Aiden stood, holding a set of crutches. As he walked over, Courtney saw Micah tense.

"Miguel said you'd need these," Aiden said. "He also told me what happened. Are you okay?"

Micah took a step back. Courtney sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I just need to figure out what to do next but I have no idea where to start."

Aiden set the crutched against the table. "That's simple, what would your father say to you?"

As he held her gaze, Courtney found a ballast in the storm inside her. She clung to it. What would her father say? When faced with a roadblock, take a step back, assess what can be saved, and reconfigure the plan.

Okay, she could do that.

What are the facts? The net above the gym is no longer an option but the leaves can be saved.

The archway for the doorway hasn't been put up so it's still possible.

The lights on the bleachers are set up and ready to go.

The columns have been covered and can still be used.

Covering the basketball hoops would mean nothing is hanging over the gym and is still a viable decoration.

The forest set pieces are ready to go and can still be used to block the bleachers.

If the leaves are salvageable that means all that remains is a way of hanging them. The East Coast Fall design can still happen. She just needed to redesign it.

Those were the facts. And those were facts she could work with. This could still be saved.

Courtney let out a breath. She focused on Aiden again and nodded.

"Okay," she said.

He smiled. "See, easy. You know what to do."

Micah backed away. "Seems I'm in the way. You got someone who helped you figure out that next step."

What?

When Courtney looked at Micah, he'd already turned away and made it to the door. He reached up to touch his curls, but he formed a fist and dropped his hand. Not a good sign.

"What can I do to help?" Aiden asked.

Courtney tore her eyes away from where Micah disappeared to Aiden, who waited expectantly.

Focus. One thing at a time.

"All the leaves need to be saved," Courtney said. "Miguel is already doing that but he'll need all the help he can get."

"I'm on it. Do you need anything before I go?"

"No. Just help Miguel."

Aiden nodded once and hurried out of the room. Courtney closed her eyes. Come back, Micah. Please just come back.

"How's that feeling?" Coach Ramirez said, walking back into the room.

"Better."

The word slipped out before Courtney even gave conscious thought to her ankle. Luckily, the word did fit. Her head had stopped throbbing and she didn't feel any spasms of pain in her ankle.

"Okay," Coach said. "Let's see how you do standing on it."

After Coach removed the ice and braced Courtney's ankle again, Courtney took her crutches and slipped them under her arms. A cursed but familiar feeling. When she set her ankle down, she held her breath. At no shocks of pain, she let it out. Coach gave a happy nod.

"Okay," she said. "Walking with these for a bit just to be sure but it looks like no damage was done."

A rare positive today.

"Thanks," Courtney said.

With her shoe back on, she carried herself out the door and down the hallway toward the gym. Before she could make it inside, Lynn appeared, her face flushed from practice and running.

"I saw Micah leaving, he told me what happened. Are you alright?"

"Ankle is fine. Project will be fine. It can be saved."

Lynn let out a relieved breath. "Good." The relief didn't last long on her face as she eyed Courtney. "Micah looked... off. Did anything happen between you two?"

Oh, soooo not the time to delve into that issue and what is or isn't the current state of her relationship and if that relationship is still a reality. Nope. Not thinking about that.

"It's nothing," Courtney said. At least that's a pathetic hope that it will be nothing when it comes time to deal with it. "It's fine."

Lynn stared at her, opened her mouth but closed it. "What can I do to help?"

"Help me get through the next twenty minutes."

"Okay."

When they stepped inside, Courtney took in the crumpled net but didn't focus on it. Instead, she watched everyone crouched around it, removing the leaves. That was good, they would be saved and it would be okay. It would all be okay.

It had to be okay. She needed it all to be okay.

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HOLD ME BACK!! SOMEONE HOLD ME BACK OR I'M GOING FOR THIS AUTHOR! 👊👊

What is she doing?! Has not enough happened to Cory! Does she need to take it this far! Hold me back!!

*looks around* why is no one hold me back? Ah! Do you think I can't take her? Cause I totally can! She's said it herself she bruises like a peach. I can take her.

You're all ignoring me. Fine. *sits in the corner staring at the wall* Say whatever you want, I'm going to be lonely and sad now. 🗯💭💬🍿

*sniffs* Why Micah, why'd he have to leave? And why did stupid Aiden have to come in? *sniffs again* I don't like this.

Oh cruel world! Oh evil author! Haven't you had enough of hurting Cory! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!

Clearly not because THIS happened and I don't see where the light at the end of the tunnel is. Where is my silver lining? 😔 Oh forlorn person that I am. Where doth the hope of my mere existence lie?

Uh... okay. Seems I go Shakespeare-ian when I'm dramatic!

Anywho... vote, comment, follow??

No, no you're right. I've been cruel enough to you best not to ask for more than you not all ganging up and stabbing me.

Remember, a dead author can't write. Simple but true.