Flight Risk

Draven was driving Micki and I to school again on Monday. I climbed into the backseat and tossed my bags next to Micki's.

"How're you feeling?" Draven questioned, turning around in his seat to face me, referring to the incident at the game.

"I'm feeling a lot better," I said honestly, "It's almost like it never happened." I stretched my arms back and smiled reassuringly.

Draven nodded slowly, his eyes trained on the very edge of my collar bone near my shoulder. "That a bruise?" he asked wearily.

My fingers moved to the spot automatically and I pulled my shirt up to cover the dark mark. "Uh, yeah." I cleared my throat, "Guess I went down pretty hard."

Micki sat in the passenger's seat and rolled her eyes, not buying my half-assed lie. "Can we just go?" she asked impatiently, trying to divert her brother's attention, "I've got things to do today, Draven."

"Yeah," Draven said as he started the car, "Sure." He backed out of my driveway and took us down the street towards our school. He pulled up in front of the building not long after and put the car in park near the front of the building.

Micki pushed out and put her seat forward so I could climb out, too. I handed her bags to her and then went back for my own, only to be stopped by Draven as he said my name.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his eyes meeting mine.

I glanced towards Micki and the building. "I'm going to be late, Dra. I can't afford another detention. I'm finally getting back on solid ground with my mom."

"It'll only take a second," he promised before directing his words at Micki, "You can go. She'll catch up."

Micki rolled her eyes at her older brother and stalked off, heading towards her third hour class to retake a test she hadn't done well on. I climbed out of the backseat and then sat in Micki's spot. "What's up?" I questioned, wrapping my arms around my softball bag.

"That's not a bruise," he said, his eyes searching for the spot through my t-shirt.

"That's none of your business, Draven," I stated warily, reaching for the door handle.

He quickly shook his head. "No, don't leave. I'm sorry. I, there's just something I want to tell you," he begged, touching my arm softly to get me to stay in the car. "Just let me tell you."

I sighed loudly and turned back to him, more apprehensive than before. "What?" I asked flat-out, "Just tell me, Dra."

He sighed much softer than I had and leaned his head back against the seat. "I can't just come out and say it," he muttered, "You'll think it's completely ridiculous."

"I'm going to be late for class," I stressed, my eyes finding the time on the dashboard, "So either you say it now or I'll talk to you later."

"No, wait."

I waited, my eyes on him as he thought through his words. After a couple of silent minutes, he sighed and shook his head. "I'll see you after school, I guess. Sorry."

I pushed the door open and shrugged my shoulders. "No problem. See you later." I climbed out of the car and swung my bag onto my back and grabbed my softball bag, putting our little encounter behind me as best I could as I raced into the building, trying to beat the first bell.

I made it to my coach's office near the back of the building just as the bell rang. I knocked on the thick door and pushed it open, smiling at Coach Ferguson in hopes that she wouldn't call me out on it.

"You're late, Granger," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest and completely ignoring my attempt at exaggerated politeness.

I walked into the room, closer to where she sat at her desk, typing a few things into her computer. I leaned on one foot and kicked the other one out, scuffing the ground with the bottom of my tennis shoe. "Sorry," I murmured, jutting my hip out, "I got caught up in the parking lot. Could you write me a pass?" I eyed her nervously, hoping to avoid the lecture that was sure to follow.

She leaned her elbows on her desk and looked at me blankly, like she was waiting for me to say something else. When I didn't, she asked, "Why would I want to do that?" but reached for her pad of passes anyways. She wrote my name on the line and filled out the time and date before signing it and holding it out in the air.

"Thank you," I gushed, moving around her desk, "I won't be late again. I promise." I put my bag in the back of her office with the rest of the team's and grabbed the pass from her. "See you later, Coach."

As I stepped out of the room, she called, "You better be on time to practice!"

I promised I would as I headed towards the front hallway of the school. I was assigned more homework in my first few classes, just like every other day, before I pressed myself into the crowded hallway of the old building and headed towards the lunch room as it filled with other students geared for the same purpose.

I skipped the lunch line and headed towards our usual table. Micki and Johnny weren't there yet, and I was almost glad that Johnny wasn't. Everyday I spent with him he happened to mention that he'd be leaving with the band in just "X" amount of days. He didn't intentionally try to point out that I wasn't going, but just mentioning the tour seemed to remind me.

Micki came first, shouting loudly about her newly arranged Christmas Break plans. "My grandparents said I could come back to Italy for a couple weeks!" she gushed, throwing her books onto the table, "You could totally come if you want. I'm not even kidding. I'm thinking about asking Quinn to come along, too."

My lips parted in shock. "That's a pretty serious move, isn't it, Mick?" I asked, picturing the boy she'd jokingly referred to as her 'play thing' just the week before.

She shrugged, a small smile on her lips. "I think I actually like this one," she stated, surprising me even more. She rolled her eyes when she saw the look on my face. "Stop it!" she demanded, punching my shoulder.

"Ouch!" I shouted, grabbing my arm, "That really hurt, Micki! How am I supposed to play with a concussion and a bum shoulder!?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're fine. If Zacky was over last night, you are completely okay."

"How do you know about that?" I whispered fiercely, grabbing her wrist, "I didn't tell you!"

Micki busted out laughing. "He really was there last night!?" she asked loudly through her laughter, "Oh gosh! I was just joking but that's great!"

I crossed my arms over my chest as I realized that I had given myself up. I waited until she was done laughing and then asked, "Wouldn't it be a bother if I was along with you and Quinn? I don't want to be the third wheel or anything."

Micki's eyes widened as another 'good idea' popped into her crazy head. "You should ask Zacky to come!" she shouted, slapping her hands against the table, "That would be so amazing! Me and Quinn and you and Zacky!"

"No way!" I retorted, "I'm not asking Zacky to go to Italy with me!"

"Why not?" she asked, completely serious, "Isn't his family like, super Italian or something? I bet he even has family there."

"How would I ever get away with leaving the country with Zack?" I asked bluntly, crossing my arms, "You didn't think that through, did you?"

She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't have to tell you mom," she muttered, "I could pick you up to take you to the airport and Zacky could meet us there."

I shook my head, wanting to go, but knowing that it could never work with Zacky coming along. Micki's grandparents would end up mentioning something to her mom who would probably find a way to get ahold of mine, even though they'd never met.

"Come on!" Micki begged, lacing her fingers together, "You know you want to. Why can't you just live a little, Grange?"

"Because I can't," I groaned, "I can't leave the country with a man my mom doesn't approve of. Couldn't that be considered kidnapping or something?"

Micki gave me a look that made me think I'd just said something completely stupid. "Not if you have permission," she stated like it was obvious, "Just think about it, okay? It'd be so much fun."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, already giving up on the subject, "Lets go get some food. I don't think Johnny is coming."

The two of us stepped into the shortening lunch line, ate our food, and then headed off to class without Johnny, each of us wondering where the sophomore could've gotten to since his parents had been making him come everyday until the day he and the band would leave.

We made it through our classes and rushed to the coach's office to grab our bags before hurrying to the locker rooms to change. I knew that if I was late to school and to practice, the coach wouldn't do me anymore favors, so we dressed quickly in our practice uniforms and raced down the old hallway, my shoulder bumping Micki's as I pushed myself harder, taking a sizable lead as we pushed on towards the gym.

Micki laughed as we pushed through the large double doors. "My god, Granger," she cheered, following me to the center of the gym, "You can run like hell!"

I laughed and shrugged my shoulders as we caught some of the attention of our teammates who were funneling in through the same doors. "I may not look like it," I chuckled, tying my hair up as I spoke, "But I just like to run."

Micki clapped me on the back and headed to the bleachers to tie up her cleats. I followed her and sat down next to her, ready to run out any aches that I had left over from Friday's game.