Frienemy: Cuts and Bruises

"How is he feeling?" I ask, my long fingers clutching the phone tighter desperately, afraid to miss any new information.

My mom sighs into the phone, and I hear her fumbling around in the back. Probably trying to get ready to leave for work, but right now is the only time she can talk before five in the morning tomorrow, when her shift ends.

"He had a good day today. He read a bit, and the nurse said he was pretty energetic around lunchtime." She shuffles around as I let a breath of relief escape my lips. "But the doctor also told me that his body is getting weaker."

There it was. The bad news. It hit me like a punch to the stomach, and a breath left my mouth again. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to gather the hope that was pooling in my mind somewhere. After a few minutes of neither of us speaking, just listening to the rustling on the other end of the phone line, I hear a door shut behind my mother, followed by the chiming of bells. Not wanting to doom her to a nine hour shift of sadness, I open my eyes and force a smile even though she can't see, and try to change my attitude.

"He just needs a few more good days, and his body will get stronger," I tell her with strong conviction. "Danny will be fine, mom."

Her voice wasn't as falsely cheerful as mine. "I hope so. I have to start work, Lily, I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright hon?"

"Okay, mom. I love you."

"I love you too." Click.

My hand dropped to my side limply, holding the phone, and I shut my eyes again. Usually when my mother and

I ended a phone call, I would be okay, and there wasn't much bad news to hear of. But today, I felt absolutely wiped; hearing Danny was getting worse made my stomach twist painfully. The thought of losing my little brother was too much. It carried too many harsh realizations that I didn't want to face. After a moment, I recollected myself and shoved my phone in my pocket, grabbed my bag off the ground and pushed myself up from my seat on the grass.

I had only taken a few steps out of the building I just had class in before calling my mom and making a seat for myself on the ground. She was always picking up extra shifts and working for extra money, which we needed desperately to pay for the hospital bills. When I went off to college last year, I got myself a job on campus so I could send money home in the hopes of lessening the financial burden off of my mothers shoulders. But she was a single mother with a child in the hospital; there was no such thing as lessening a financial burden like that.

"Lily! Wait up!"

I pulled myself out of my thoughts long enough to stop walking and turn around to see Andrew, a tight end on the football team, barreling towards me. Andrew is a big guy who, if you didn't know him, you'd be terrified of him. But when you get to know him, you'd realize pretty quickly that he's just a big softie who loves romantic comedies and Glee.

I somehow find a smile to give despite the toxic thoughts floating through my head and greet, "Hey Andrew, what's up?"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, averting his gaze to the ground. "Tyler and I were rough housing at this party on Saturday, and I think I messed up something in my calf. Would you mind taping me up without telling Sandra?"

I chuckled at his behavior; he was acting like a little kid who had been caught stealing the last cookie. Rightfully so, because Sandra, the athletic trainer, would chop his head off for injuring himself while he was drunk. However, I was used to this request, seeing as the boys couldn't help themselves from drunkenly fighting each other.

"I wouldn't mind at all," I assure Andrew.

Andrew looks up at me with a wide smile. "Thanks Lily, you're the best. Are you heading over to the stadium now?"

I nod and we begin walking toward the football stadium together. We still had fifteen minutes before practice started, but I desperately needed a distraction after my phone call. Andrew didn't question why I was going as early as he, but instead filled the air with the detailed story of he and Tyler fighting at a party.

When we got to the stadium, Andrew headed off to the locker room while I went to the athletic office to find Sandra. She was sitting at her desk with Coach Baxter behind her as they reviewed tapes on the computer screen. Sandra glanced at me and then back at the screen, not bothering to say hello.

Coach, however, smiled at me and straightened up. "Hello, Lily."

I smile and greet cheerfully, "Hi Coach Baxter, hi Sandra."

"We're watching tapes," Sandra tells me expectantly instead of greeting me. "Can you bring the first aid kit and med bag to the field?"

Having anticipated this, I simply nod and turn around, grabbing the first aid kit hat was tucked away by the door. The medical bag was in the locker room, where I needed to go to tape Andrew's leg. I glanced at the clock and saw we still had ten minutes until practice started, so I would be able to tape up Andrew before practice.

I reach the guys locker room and give my familiar three pounds on the door and wait until one of the guys open it. Max Caulfield, a senior boy who played running back, opened the door and grinned at me. He was shirtless, with his white football pants and blue socks and shoes on, but lacked a jersey.

I've been the assistant athletic trainer since last year and I still haven't gotten used to this.

"Hey Lil," Max greets me with his cheeky grin and cheery demeanor. "Andrew is expecting you."

I stop checking him out long enough to grin at him. "Thanks Max."

He steps aside and let's me enter the locker room, and I hear all the booming laughter and chatter amongst them.

Max and I walk down the short hallway until we enter the full locker room, where the lockers and benches are for the guys to get changed. Most of the guys are in here, and thankfully they're all dressed, and that realization always calms me down a little.

I mean, it doesn't matter how comfortable you are with a person. If they're hot and shirtless, you're going to stare.

"Lily, my favorite girl!" Trevor, a defensive lineman, cries when he sees me.

Trevor gets up from his seat on the bench to throw an arm around my shoulder and squeeze me against his side, his usual goofy grin on his lips. I laugh and lean my head against his shoulder, my mood picked up considerably. Trevor was one of my best friends on the football team; his happy go lucky attitude not only kept me smiling, but it kept me sane on days like today.

"Hey Trev," I reached up and ruffled his sandy blonde hair, which I know he hates, and laughed again when he swats my hand away.

"Hey!" Trevor protests, running a hand through his hair as he glares at me. "Watch the hair."

I smile innocently at him and scan the locker room to find Andrew. He's sitting down on the floor with his leg stretched out in front of him, poorly massaging his calf.

I slide out from under Trevor's arm and jab my thumb over my shoulder to point to Andrew. "Duty calls. I'll talk to you later."

As I walk away from Trevor and toward Andrew, a few other guys lingering by their lockers greet me. I said hi to Tony and Jay as they tied up their cleats, and waved at Sam and Rory while they stood at their lockers. I grab the medical bag beside the closet door and sit on the floor across from Andrew, who looked a mixture of relieved and sheepish when he saw me.

I look at him and then down at his calf before saying, "Alright, let's see what hurts." I put one hand on his calf any another on his foot, pushing his foot forward to stretch the leg. "How does this feel?"

Andrew's expression hardens but he grunts, "It feels okay."

I roll my eyes. This isn't the first time this happened- these boys were so intent on acting tough, that when they were injured, they denied the pain. As the assistant trainer, I was used to the boys putting on a brave face and insisting they continue to play on an injury.

Because I'm so used to this macho behavior from these guys, I have my own way of making them admit when something hurt. I asses the damage done and smile sweetly before putting both hands on his calf, one under and one on top, and pull it forward.

As I anticipated, Andrews face screwed up in pain and he groaned, "Fuck, that hurts."

I hold back a victorious smirk, but all feeling of success is squandered by an obnoxiously arrogant voice. "Stop being a pussy, Andrew."

My brow furrows in annoyance as I glance up to see the owner of the voice. Vincent Bradshaw is standing above us with his arms crossed against his chest, an annoyingly smug smirk on his lips. Vincent is Penn State's prized quarterback, beloved by all of the school; especially the girls. Well, all the girls except me.

Vincent Bradshaw was just a cocky, arrogant asshole who, unfortunately, is great at football. His ego is the size of Texas, he sleeps with every girl he sees, and thinks he's better than everyone else. He's the only guy on the football team I didn't like, and the distaste was mutual. Vincent and I didn't exactly see eye to eye.... Ever.

I stop and withdraw my hands from Andrew's calf and glare up at Vincent. "He's injured, not being a pussy."

Vincent turns his confident gaze to me and rolls his eyes. "Everyone's injured." Then he glances at Andrew pointedly. "Suck it up."

Annoyingly enough, Andrew mutters, "I probably don't need to be taped up, Lily."

I muster up all the bad thoughts I've ever had and direct them into an icy glare at Vincent, the boy who thought he was invincible. "Vincent, go away."

He smirks instead. "I love it when you get feisty, babe."

Instead of slapping him in the face, like I really want to do, I shake my head and look back at Andrew somberly.

"You strained a muscle in your calf. If I were you, I'd ice it when I got home, and take two Advil before practice tomorrow."

Andrew nodded hesitantly. "Thanks Lily."

I got up from the floor and grabbed the medical bag before glancing at the clock. Practice would start in a few minutes, and when I looked around the locker room, I noticed it mostly cleared out. With one last glare in Vincent's direction, I walked out of the locker room.

If there was one thing Vincent Bradshaw was good at, it was getting on my nerves.