Tortured Hearts

Will’s P.O.V

Everything started to become complicated when I went away for the bonding trip. Everyone that was doing a sports related course had to go, it was none negotiable.
On the way there, a girl with long blonde hair sat by me. She waited patiently to catch my attention as I ignored her by watching the traffic through the window. All I could think about was Alicia and whether she was making new friends yet. The jealous part of me hoped she didn’t meet any guys at all; a foolish hope, since the halls weren’t separated by sex, so she’d bound to be sharing the kitchen with at least one.
“The traffic’s not moving,” the girl beside me said. “There’s nothing interesting out there to see.”
I turned to look at her, wondering what her problem was. “Sorry?”
“Ah, he speaks. For a moment there, I thought you were deaf and mute.” I said nothing in reply, thinking of how she was another pretty but thoughtless girl. “I’m Hanna.”
“Will.” No matter how much I wanted to ignore her, it was only polite that I at least tried to reply.
“What’s playing on your mind, Will?” she asked, putting specific emphasis on my name.
I regarded her through blank eyes, wondering where she wanted to go with this conversation. Couldn’t she just have sat with someone else? There were a few spare seats yet. “Nothing interesting,” I replied, not wanting to discuss Alicia with a stranger. I just wished she’d shut up soon.
“You’re not very talkative,” she said to me before asking, “Is it a girlfriend you’re thinking of?” I nodded, turning back to face the window. “What’s her name?”
“Alicia.”
“Nice name.”
“Thanks.” Shut up, I thought.
She stayed pretty quiet for the rest of the journey, save for a few short exchanges with her asking questions and me giving one word answers. It was a very long journey for me.
I was glad when we pulled up at the place we’d be ‘bonding’, some fresh air away from the blonde girl named Hanna was just what I wanted- no, needed even.

We did assault courses in groups chosen by the coaches. It was pure bad luck that got me landed in the same group as chatty Hanna. She seemed ecstatic to be in the same group, though. She irritated me more than she could ever know.
It was on the third day of the challenges and activities that I begun to feel the horrible ache in my chest that told me I was pushing myself too far. Without Alicia there to run a cover story for me, I needed to get to my tablets even if it meant causing a scene. I left my group ascending the climbing wall as I stumbled my way back to the little huts we were sleeping in. I pushed the door open hard, breathing sharply as I staggered towards my bag. I needed those pills within the next minute or I’d be in real trouble, with no-one knowing about my heart condition. I didn’t even write it on the medical forms we’d filled in; if I had, it’d be game over for my sporting career.
My fingers fumbled as they met hoodies and vest tops. I couldn’t find them and my breath was becoming so short that my body jerked.
“What’s wrong?” Hanna’s irritating voice asked as she rushed towards me. She’d followed me into the cabin and was now watching me with wide, scared eyes.
“Tablets,” I wheezed, my abdominal muscles physically hurting due to the jerking motion.
She delved through my things, pulling out anything that was in her way, before finally finding the tablets and popping the correct amount into her hand. She then roughly pressed them into my mouth before passing me her bottle of water. I eagerly swallowed them down, hoping that I hadn’t done any permanent damage to the transplanted organ; Britt’s heart.
Hanna read the label around the bottle of tablets and her eyebrows rose as she read what they were meant for. “When you can breathe again, you can explain about these,” she said, shaking the bottle in front of my face. Somehow, I knew she wouldn’t be quite as understanding as Alicia was about my problem.
Five minutes later, I was forced into telling her about my heart transplant. If I didn’t, she said she’d take the tablets straight to the coach.
“So you’re aiming to be a star player but you’re not supposed to even do sport in your condition?” She looked incredulous and I could sense her judging me harshly.
“I’m not in any ‘condition’. I’m fine most of the time. It’s just sometimes, it gets too much and I need to take those.” I pointed to the tablets that she was still clinging onto. “Speaking of which, can I take those back?”
“No,” she replied bluntly. “I’ll keep hold of these. I’m still unsure about whether I should tell the coach about this or not.”
“What?” I asked in panic. “You can’t tell anyone! It’s not your secret to tell.”
“So what? It’d be for your own good if I did. How is it fair that you get this place when so many other guys, healthy guys, would have killed for it? You’re selfish.”
She went to stand and I grasped her arm, pulling her down to stop her. “I want it more. Believe me.” I stared into her eyes, baring what passion I felt for the game to her. “I want it so much more. You have to understand that this is my life. I’m really good at it. Why should I have to give up my dream because of something so stupid and unfair as that?”
“I’m sorry, I really am,” she urged. “But you’re putting your life at risk.”
“Without this, I have no life.”
“Don’t be melodramatic.”
“I’m not.”
She stared into my eyes, weighing up whether to tell or not. “Convince me.”
“What?”
“What are you willing to do to keep your dream going?” she asked, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. I didn’t like the sound of this but I already knew my answer.
“Anything.”
“Good.” She stood up and added, “I’ll meet you later tonight by the lake.” She waited for my answer, tucking the tablets into the pocket of her hoodie.
I almost swore when I realized she’d got me right where she wanted me. I was trapped and had to do anything and everything she wanted. “Fine,” I grated out, pissed off beyond belief. “What time?”
“Ten. Don’t be late, Will.” She flounced out of the cabin, leaving me to clench my fist and curse under my breath.