DIRTY

14 BAYLEIGH/ SAM

A sprained ankle. It was just a sprained ankle, but it felt like hell in a medical boot. I sat quietly on the hospital bed while a doctor fitted me for a black and gray medical boot. The stupid thing was big and bulky with velcro straps. Ethan, Asher and my dad watched from where they were seated across the room.

"How long does she have to stay in that Richard?" Dad asked.

"You know these things go man, i don't know about two weeks to be on the safe side as long as she didn't do anything extreme to it. It's not a bad sprain but with the way she landed it could change up" the doctor explained. "As far as the scrapes on her face, it'll heal with time".

"My face?" I said with confusion.

I looked across the room in the mirror over the sink. My face had a few scrapes and bruises from my fall. I didn't realize how fast I was going or how bad the fall was. I sighed as I readjusted myself on the bed so the doctor could tighten the straps on the boot. After the hospital we went to dinner at this restaurant called Logans. It was a quaint, western style restaurant with neon lights and TVs everywhere. The floor was littered with peanut shells. It was some sort of restaurant custom. They give you a small bucket of roasted peanuts and after you eat them you discard the shells to the floor.

It was unsanitary to me honestly, but many people thought it was a hoot. Dad and Ethan were engaged in conversation about hunting, while Asher and I talked about the track meet. Every now and then I looked down at the large, mesh, black boot on my right foot. This thing was depressing. After dinner Ethan left, he had something to do with his football buddies, but said he'd text me to check on me later.

Dad, Asher and I made it back to the apartment. We went inside and began putting our things down.

"Crap I forgot to check the mailbox downstairs" Dad said.

"Asher and I will go get it".

"But you need to get off that leg pumpkin" Dad insisted.

"I'll be fine, plus Asher will help me back up" I said.

"Alright be careful" Dad frowned.

Asher and I turned and went back out the door. The crutches the doctor gave me rubbed under my armpits in a weird way but I knew I had to get used to them.

"Do you have a dress yet for the Valentines dance?" Asher asked as we rode the elevator back up.

"Honestly, I'm probably not going. I think I'm going to wait until prom" I said.

"Does Ethan know you're waiting?" She asked.

"No, I was going to talk to him about it tonight" I explained.

"He's going to be pissed" Asher informed.

"Oh well big whoop, I'm my own mind" I frowned.

"Where is this rebellious stage coming from?" Asher smirked. "A year ago you were all gong-ho Ethan, 'oh he's hot'" she said, mocking me. "It even cost you a friend and now you're just meh?" She shrugged.

"I'm not meh I'm just unbothered" I answered as the elevator doors dinged and swung open.

At the end of the hall, Sam was coming out of his apartment carrying a large bag of trash. He had on his light gray hoodie with the hood pulled up on his head. Behind his ear was half of a cigarette. Under the hoodie he had on a red t-shirt with some unknown band name on it, matching light gray sweats and the usual retros. Dangling from his ears and into his left pocket were a pair of white wired earphones.

"Or maybe you're thinking about changing models" Asher grinned deviously at me.

"What?" I frowned. "Of course not he's a degenerate" I nodded towards Sam as we stepped off the elevator.