Scars and Stories (RE-WRITING)

Chapter 2 - The Incident

*Ashton’s POV*

I got back up to the bleachers in time to see her third baseman field and throw home. I didn’t have time to warn her about the ball coming in as she had tried to fill the holes in the batters boxes. She turned around and caught the ball in her mouth.

“SHIT!” Luke, Calum and I screamed. We all looked at each other before turning back to the field where Jenny was still down, and was for a good minute. We got up and nearly killed ourselves running down the bleachers before expertly jumping the fence and running to where she was laying, now on all fours with blood dripping from her mouth.

*Jenny’s POV*

I took the throw from my short stop and heard my name get called from the other team about a ball that had rolled behind me, sure we were rivals on the field but off we all seemed to get along fairly well. I turned around at the worst possible time and my asshole coach didn’t warn me about the ball coming in from my third baseman and the next thing I knew I was rolling over onto all fours with obvious pain in my mouth.

Fuck my mouth hurt so bad, I gingerly took my tongue and tried to find the source of blood, I stopped on my upper lip the right side, it was split open. I knew I was going to need stitches. I glanced down and noticed I was going to need more than a few stitches; I had landed on a piece of glass and it was embedded in my thigh. I knew there were more injuries but I didn’t care to look for them.

Instead, I looked up to see two guys who might have been my coaches from the way they were dressed, two guys in blue and 3 boys around me. I could vaguely hear the guys in blue saying “Just let her get up on her own.” I looked to see one of the boys kneeling down next to me and the guys who looked to be my coaches were trying to get my catchers gear off. I just wanted to tell them to fuck off and let me be so I could try and remember who was around me but I couldn’t remember and I couldn’t stop sobbing long enough to utter a word.

The umpires managed to get the chest protector off, but I was still kneeling with the shin guards on, there was still blood pouring out of my face and on to my chest protector. I had my head hung, trying to find the strength to get up or at least get on my knees but I couldn’t anymore it hurt so bad. I tried to focus on the boys who were now all kneeling around me and what they might want. I looked carefully at their faces trying to remember who they were.

I looked at the one with the shaggy, sandy hair, a bandanna fastened around his head like it was the norm for him. He was trying not to breakout in sobs and here I was, having no idea who they were or why they were crying over me and I couldn’t even tell them.

The one with the black hair was trying not to let the tears fall but was unsuccessful as he wiped the few that managed to escape his brown eyes. The tattoo on his collarbone peeking out from his shirt looking extremely cute.

I saved the blonde one with the quiff last, focusing on his crystal blue eyes trying to remember who he was, or even remember anything about him except for the fact that he looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment, and that his lip ring looked hot as hell on him.

*Ashton’s POV*

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!” I thought as Calum, Luke and I almost killed ourselves running down the bleachers and jumping the fence onto the field. There was blood pouring from her lip, we got down there and I kneeled in front of her, not caring if I got the red clay or blood on my jeans. They washed. Our concern right now was Jenny. The umpires managed to get her chest protector off, they weren’t concerned about the shin guards yet since she couldn’t get up.

Cal and Luke knelt down next to me and we watched helplessly as she looked up at the three of us with the utmost confusion. We tried to help her up but one of the umpires stopped me and tried to tell me to let her get up on her own. I could tell she just wanted to tell everyone to fuck off. She shook off everyone else who tried to get her up except for the three of us. The umpire put his hand on my shoulder and said to let her get up on her own. I stood up and looked at him with a hard look, my eyes hard and my voice as sharp as it could be. “With all due respect, blue. I know you’re trying to do your job but let Calum, Luke and I take care of her.”

“I’m sorry… you are…?” The umpire asked staring me down hard.

“Ashton Irwin. This is Calum Hood and Luke Hemmings,” I stated gesturing towards the boys before continuing. “We go to school with her.” I felt tears sting the corners of my eyes. I was so scared for her and worried about her.

*Luke’s POV*

I knelt on the ground next to her as Ash dealt with the umpire. She looked at the other boys and then to me, I sighed, trying to steady my breath so that the tears wouldn’t start flowing. She looked at me and half-hazardly held out her arm as if asking me to help her up. Calum grabbed her other arm and we slowly helped her up and over to the bench where Calum grabbed a towel from her bag and gave it to her to hold against her lip.

*Calum’s POV*

As I walked to the dugout with Jenny, Luke and I holding her arms. I turned and looked at him once we were in the dugout and she was sitting down with a towel I got from one of her teammates on her face to absorb the blood. I was so scared that she wouldn’t be the same after this. I was scared she wouldn’t want to play ball after this.

As she held the towel to her face to absorb the blood, we waited for Ashton to be done with the umpire and now her coaches who were trying to insist on her still playing. I looked in her bag and grabbed the keys to her pickup truck while Luke got her shin guards off and the rest of her equipment packed up.

Things weren’t looking good.