To Play Through The Pain

I woke up with an arm around me and opened my eyes to see a heavily muscled chest in my face. Nice. I laughed to myself and pushed myself into a sitting position, taking a look at the clock. 7AM. Perfect.

Trying not to wake Z, I slid out of bed and padded across his room to the bathroom, where I quickly undressed and jumped into the shower. I heard him up and moving as I patted my body dry and he tapped on the door.

“You almost done? I have to shower too.”

I answered as I towel dried my hair, “Yeah, two seconds.” I bent over and flipped my hair so that it hung to the ground and dried it a little more thoroughly before I righted myself, wrapped the towel around me and stepped from the steamy bathroom. Z was sprawled out on his bed with his eyes closed. He was snoring and when I glanced at the clock I decided he needed to be woken up. I hitched the towel around me more securely, and leaned over the bed with one knee on the mattress next to him, and the other foot on the ground.

“Oh, Joshua. Mackenzie. Woods! You have too many names for your own good, Z. Get up, shower’s free.” He groaned and squinted one eye open. A smirk spread across his mouth.

“Oh, Peony, I knew you would come to me when you were ready.” He reached over and pulled me down on top of him, laughing at the way I squeaked.

“Z! Let go! I am naked under here!” I pushed up and scrambled away, my face red as it could get.
He sat up and leaned back on his hands looking at me with a smile on his face, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

I tugged the towel tighter around me, “Well you should learn to control yourself.”

He laughed as he stood and tugged on a strand of my wet hair as he walked passed me into the bathroom, “I’m sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, Peony, I won’t do it again.” He kissed the top of my head and disappeared into the bathroom.

I ignored my racing mind and quickly slid into my clothes, slamming the drawers of my dresser open and closed as I went. I hung the towel in the back of the bathroom door and left the room, jumping down the stairs and into the kitchen. The room was painfully empty. The nanny had taken Loren to preschool about an hour ago, so it was only Z and me in the house this morning. His mother had gone on a business trip to Bermuda, and had been gone for a week.

I set up the skillets and pans needed for breakfast and quickly began to cook. I was just putting food on plates when I heard Z lumbering down the stairs. His hair was wet and sticking up all over the place like he had run a towel over it recently, he was wearing a pair of faded jeans that fit him so perfectly it was obvious they were at least four years old and his shirt was slung over his bare shoulder. I narrowed my eyes at his bare chest and was tempted to splash him with bacon grease.

“Put your shirt on, dumbass.” I slid his plate so that it was in front of him on the counter.

He smirked, “Nope, I like feeling free in the mornings.” He leaned back and stretched so that his muscles expanded and pulled taunt under his skin. My mind went into panic mode when I caught myself watching him with major interest. I stopped myself from biting my lip and swiftly punched him in the gut. With an “oof” he couched forward and then laughed.

“Eat your food, dumbass.” I pointed to the eggs bacon and toast on his plate, “I slaved over that!”
He grinned at me, “What would I ever do without you?”

“Starve.”

He started to shovel eggs into his mouth and I ate my own while I washed the dishes. He came up behind me with his empty plate.

“You don’t need to do that, you know. You cook I can clean, it’s not a big deal to me.” He cleaned off his plate and put it in the dishwasher, and then took my empty plate from me to do the same.

I shrugged, “No worries. I was on a roll.”

He smiled at me over his shoulder and didn’t say anything. I cracked my neck and stretched upward, straining my back pleasurably before I ran back up the stairs and into Z’s room. I found my hairbrush in one of the drawers in his bathroom and ran it through my straight brown hair. There was a slight wave in it from letting it dry naturally, which was present every day because I didn’t even own a hair dryer, and it fell to just underneath my shoulder blades.

Back in the kitchen, Z grabbed his keys and shook them in my face, “Leggo!”

I followed him out to the driveway and I reached into my truck for my school bag before jumping into his truck.

“You still up for practice today?” He asked as he flipped through radio stations.

“Of course, you know I love to do to.”

Z smiled at me, “I wish I’d pushed you to go out for the team. I didn’t even think about it until this summer.”

I shrugged, “Me either, but it’s too late now. I don’t mind being on the sidelines, I have basketball to look forward to.”

Z threw his arm behind me to rest on my headrest as he wound through the back roads leading to the school, “Yeah, but female football player? That’s kinda hot. You missed out.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, “And I’m not hot as a basketball player? I’ll show you after football! I’ll beat your ass and look hot doing it.”

He grinned, “Oh yeah? You wanna make it a bet?”

I was never able to let a bet go, it was a part of my pride. So, even though I lost the last one, I found myself agreeing as we walked toward the school.

Z grinned, “Fine. If you win I’ll do something of your choice, but if you lose, you have to be watergirl for the team this season.”

I glared, “You’re on!” I smirked, “And if I win, you have to be waterboy for my team this season.”

He grinned, “I would have no problem with that.” I growled.

“Fine. Then if I win, you have to do it every game while wearing a cheerleader uniform. Of the female variety.”

His eyes narrowed and he extended his hand. We shook on it and glared at each other as we made our way to our lockers. Sam was waiting by them with a grin on his face.

“You ready for practice tonight?” He slapped my back and I tore my eyes from Z’s to smile at him.

“You know it.”

Sam looked from me to Z, “Did you two make another bet? Because you both look about ready to start arm wrestling right here.”

I smirked, “We sure did, want to make an audience for this one?”

“Hell yeah! What are you doing?”

“Well, I have to beat him in a game of one on one and look hot doing it. Think I can handle that?”

Sam smirked at me and leaned next to my locker on his shoulder, “Oh I think so. What brought this bet on?”

I glared at Z who was expressionlessly rifling through his locker, “He told me that I would be hotter if I was a football player. I beg to differ.”

Sam made a contradictory sound, “I’m going to have to side with Z on this one. Girl football player? That’s pretty hot.”

I smirked, “I’ll show you.” And then I slammed my locker shut and started to walk away, “After football practice! Z’s court!” And I made my way through the crowds of people to my homeroom.

There are so many people who will have you think that high school is a hell full of people who all care about that one crowd that ultimately treats them like crap. That’s not true. Well, high school is hell, but that’s for different reasons. Honestly, in my experience, people just do their own thing. There are the stereotypical cliques and all, but it is not a war between them. People just go with the flow.

So for example, I am friends with most of the cheerleaders, the captain of the debate team, and the boy most seen in detention and no one looks down on me for it. I can befriend the people I want to befriend, and whoever has a problem with it can go to hell. But that’s not a problem because no one has a problem with it.

In first block I sat with Melanie, a junior in the cheerleading squad. She was a sweetheart, always smiling and never confrontational. I liked her for that.

“Hey, I heard you’re going to be practicing with the football team again today.” She greeted me as I sat down.

“Yep, Z needs to save his arm, so I’ll be throwing plays while he does the thinking part.” I took my book out and flipped through the pages until I found the one I needed and marked it.

“I was thinking, if you wanted, you could come with me and some of the girls shopping for homecoming dresses today after practice. I heard you’re going with Z.”

I nodded and smiled at her, “I am, but he took me to get the dress yesterday. I lost a bet, and he wanted to make sure I actually bought the dress.”

She raised her slender eyebrows, “He took you dress shopping?”

I laughed, “He forced me dress shopping.”

She whistled, “If only he was available, I would be all over him. He’s perfect.”

I scoffed, “You don’t see him when he gets out of bed in the morning.”

She raised her eyebrows further, “And you do?”

I shrugged, “He’s my best friend. I sleep over at his house more than I sleep at my own. It’s been that way since we were little.”

She eyed me for a second before she shrugged and faced forward.

“What?”

“Nothing,”

I glowered at her, “Don’t give me that girl-talk stuff. What are you thinking?”

She smiled, “Nothing! Don’t worry about it. What does your dress look like?”

I explained it to her, “But Z can’t know, he hasn’t seen it and he’s going crazy.” I laughed, “He keeps asking me, like he’s going to catch me off guard or something.”

Melanie rolled her eyes, “Of course he does. Does he know the color? He needs to match you.” She looked at me seriously.

“Yeah, I told him the color.”

“You just said gold, didn’t you?”

I blinked, “Um... yeah?”

She sighed, “Light gold or dark gold?”

I scrunched up my face in concentration, “Um... I don’t know?”

She sighed, “You need help with girl things. This is why you need to hang out with girls more.” She pointed at me.

I chuckled, “No thank you. No offence, but girls are boring.”

She placed her hand on her chest in mock hurt, “How dare you! I am not boring!”

I laughed and was about to retort when the teacher called us to attention and from there the class period flew by. Second block was much the same, and when the bell rang I made my way to the cafeteria with my backpack bouncing on my back. I was walking out to the courtyard when I felt an arm settle around my shoulders and I smiled up as Z.

“I got you a sub.” He was holding it in the hand attached to the arm around me, “Ham, turkey, papper jack cheese, salami, lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, onions, and ranch dressing. Did I forget anything?”

I grinned and took the paper boat containing my lunch, “Nope, not a thing. You know me so well.” I lightly tapped his cheek and he snapped his teeth at my fingers.

We settled on the patch of grass in the courtyard and munched on our sandwiches as we waited for the others to come out. Jackson was first, his arm around Katie, another of my cheerleader friends. She smiled and waved at me and Z as they approached and sat on the grass with us.

“Hey! I heard you two are going to homecoming together! Peony, are you really wearing a dress?” Her eyes were wide and excited when I nodded, “Do you have it yet?” I nodded again, “What does it look like?”

Z was very quiet next to me, but I didn’t fall for it. I patted his knee and smiled at Katie, “I can’t tell you that in front of my date. I find it fun to withhold that information from him when he so obviously wants to know.”

Katie giggled, “Awe, Joshua, is she teasing you?”

He pouted and nodded, not looking up from his sandwich and Katie cooed over him, leaning over to hug him. He smirked at Jackson from over his shoulder and Jackson glowered at him.

Owen came out next and sat next to me, his bagged lunch in his hands, “Hey guys.”

Katie took her spot next to Jackson and arched her legs over his lap, leaning into his shoulder, and he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her knees.

“Hey, Owen.” Katie smiled at him brightly, and he smiled back at her, just as brightly. Owen is the definition of a sweetheart. He is the most respectful guy I knew at that point. Unlike certain guys who may or may not have been sitting with me and walking towards me at the moment (Sam sat down then with Melanie), Owen was a one girl kind of guy. He didn’t hook up, he dated and had steady girlfriends.

Although I had to give it to Sam. He’d been dating Melanie for two months and he hadn’t screwed it up yet. He really seemed to like her, I noticed as I watched him watch her with a prideful and slightly dumb smile on his face.

“Melanie, Peony won’t tell me what her dress looks like.” Katie pouted and Jackson gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Melanie swallowed the bite she took of her pizza (yes. The cheerleader was eating pizza. Like I said, people aren’t clique robots), “Don’t worry, I’ll describe it to you. It is absolutely gorgeous from what she’s told me.”

Z dropped his sandwich, “She knows? She knows, but you best friend doesn’t?” He pouted, “This is horrible!”

I patted his back a little harder than I would have if I was really sympathetic, “There, there. You’ll get over it.”

He huffed and swatted my hand away, “You are horrible!”

“Oh, but you love me anyway.”

He narrowed his eyes, his mouth drawn in a frown that was no match for the big smile I was sending him. He sighed and lost the battle over his facial muscles, then shoved me into Owen’s lap, who caught me before I fell face first in his ranch covered fries.

“Woah, careful there.” He smiled at me when I straightened, “You don’t want all that white stuff on your face.” My eyes narrowed and I shoved him. No matter how sweet he was, he was still a guy. The group laughed at my reaction, and I shook my head, amused at my friends.

“Owen, who are you asking to homecoming?” Katie smiled at him as she sipped at her Sprite and then took a bite of her cookie.

He shrugged, “I don’t know yet. There’s still three months ‘till the dance, I don’t have to know right this very now.”

“Well, who do you have your eye on?”

He shook his head with a little smile on his face, “Don’t worry about it.”

Katie sat up straight, “What? Tell me! Owen, tell me!”

He looked startled when she pulled herself free from Jackson and crawled over to sit right in front of him on her knees.

“Tell me! I really want to know! I can help!”

He groaned and shook his head, “I can do it myself, Katie, don’t freak out.”

She pouted then snatched his fries away from him, stood and ran across the courtyard. Owen smirked and followed her, chasing her around as she yelled at him to tell her who it is.

Jackson just groaned and laid back in the grass with his hands over his face.

“She flirts with everyone, it’s driving me insane.”

I nudged him with my toe, “Hush, she is just friendly. She is obviously into you.”

Melanie agreed with me and finished off her pizza. She looked at Sam and kissed him on the cheek, “Do you want to come with me to the art room? I have to finish that portrait project, and I would love for you to sit for it.”

He nodded and they both stood, “See you guys later.” Sam nodded at us and then slipped his hand into Melanie’s back pocket as they walked away. Z stretched and then laid back in the grass himself as Owen came sauntering back with his fries in his hand. Katie straddled Jackson’s stomach and smiled down at him, and they conducted a silent conversation that ended in the two of them walking away hand in hand.

“Did she get it out of you?” I asked Owen.

He sighed, “I like food, and she took it away from me. Of course she got it out of me.”

I raised an eyebrow, “So? Who is it?”

He frowned, “Laurie Huntsmen. You know, the girl who works in the library after school and edits the school newspaper? She’s in my English class, and I have really started to like her lately. She’s smart and sweet.”

I grinned, “Of course I know her. She interviewed me every year for the basketball team. Go for it, I like her. She’d be good for you.”

He nodded with a smile on his face, “I hope so. I like her too.”

Z threw a clump of grass and dirt at him, “How about Missy Greenhouse?” He teased, and Owen scowled.

“Hell no. She’s like a bowl of dip that every guy in school has slobbered all over. You know, the one at the party with all the little chip pieces in it and you just know everyone’s double dipped? Yeah, that’s her.”

Z’s laugh was bellowed, “Ouch, now I don’t wanna touch her again. Thanks for that, Shakespeare.” He grimaced and sat up so that his legs were stretched out in front of him and his hands were supporting his weight behind him. Owen is also a writer. A very good one at that, which is why most of the guys call him Shakespeare.

“Well, I have to go. I’m meeting Laurie to work on a paper due for English. See you two at practice.” He stood up and walked off, waving at people as he went.

“Speaking of practice, meet me by the locker room, I’ll let you in so you can change out there. I have to get you some pads anyway.”

“I need pads?”

He nodded, “We’re running full plays, and there is a chance you’ll get hit. You need the protection.” He tapped my forehead, “Let’s get to class before the bell rings, I hate dealing with the crowds of people after lunch.”

We stood and walked to third block in silence. We were the only ones in the classroom when we sat down in our usual seats. We were lab partners, so we sat together at one of two-person tables with all of the fancy equipment on it.

Z watched me for a second, his face slightly upset, his lips pressed together, and his eyes slightly squinted. He leaned forward after a few minutes and put his hand over mine.

“Be careful at practice today. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Be quick on your feet and don’t get distracted. Just don’t get hit, okay?”

I smiled at him, “I can take a hit.”

He frowned and gave me a look, “Peony, have you seen Matt? He’s huge. That’s not just a hit, it’s a pulverizing. Just promise me you will keep your guard up and do all you can to not get hit. I really really don’t want you hurt, I would never forgive myself.”

I sighed, “Z, you’re too protective. But I promise, I will get out of the way of Matt if he gets through Jackson. I promise.” I smiled at him, and he mussed my hair playfully.

“Shh,” he pointed to where the teacher was starting the lesson with a stern look on his face and leaned on the table like he was listening intently to every word the teacher said. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my notes.

When school was finally over I hopped up from my seat, ran to my locker to put my books away, and hustled out to the football field. Z was waiting for me outside the locker room like he promised, his pads on under his football pants, but without a shirt on. He held up a finger and stuck his head into the locker room.

“Girls! Cover yourselves, we have company! And I will kill you if you flash her, her innocence is my responsibility!” I rolled my eyes at that last and followed him into the locker room. He sauntered through the rows of half dressed boys and glared at the ones who looked suspicious.

“Wesley, go ahead and do it if you want to run suicides all practice, freshman.” Z snapped at a husky boy who had turned his back to us and held onto the waistband of his football pants like he was about to pull them down.

We thought that we were safe once we got to the equipment room, but when we walked back out with all of my pads and practice clothes in our arms Z swore. Jackson was standing in the middle of the locker room in nothing but a jock strap, posing with his hands behind his head.

While Z was yelling at him, and the guys were laughing, I looked around quickly checking the open lockers for what I wanted. When I found it I grinned, grabbed it, and squirted a very heavy amount into my hands. I then found Jackson’s cup which was behind him on the bench and put the Icy Hot into it, looking up and winking at Z who’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he yelled at Jackson, I set it back on the bench.

Jackson grinned at me when I walked back into his line of sight, “Like what you see, Peony?” He turned and flexed his backside, which made me look away and cover the side of my face. Jackson’s rear was not something I wanted to witness.

Jackson got dressed quickly, as did I. I walked out of the bathroom just in time to watch Jackson blindly grab his cup and shove it into his pants. Five seconds. It took five seconds of silent waiting for it to kick in. And when it did his high pitched shriek pierced the locker room like a fire alarm.

“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!” He jumped around, stripping his clothes down, and ripped his cup out, but the Icy Hot was already on the sensitive skin below the belt. He screamed again, cursing like a sailor as he made his way to the showers to wash himself off.

Z, like everyone else in the locker room was howling in laughter, holding himself up on a row of lockers and clutching his stomach with his other hand, tears streaming from his eyes.

He looked at me, “That was great, Peony. That’s why I love you... right there.” he pointed toward the showers where Jackson could be heard whimpering and swearing as the cold water poured.
I shrugged and tucked my helmet under my arm. The others had left the locker room for the field, still laughing. Chuckling, Z straightened up and looked me up and down, amusement still in his eyes.

“Yeah, female football players are sexier.” He grinned and threw his arm around my shoulders. Once we were on the field he turned to face me, “Remember what you promised. Be careful, Peony, once Matt gets going, he can’t stop on a dime.”

I nodded with a wry smile, “I know.”

He cuffed my head and we walked to Coach who smiled at me, “You ready, girl?” I nodded and he patted my back, “Good. Warm up with Woods, then take your position. Woods’ll be there with you, giving you and the team orders. Just listen to him.” Coach scanned the field where the team was warming up, “Where’s Jackson?”

Z and I grinned and shrugged, “Getting ready.”

Coach watched us warily and then his eyes flickered over my shoulder and his mouth pursed like he was trying to repress a smile, his eyes knowing.

Jackson ran out to the field, the front of his jersey and pants soaking wet, and a scowl on his face. The other players noticed him and one of them, Sam I think, started a slow clap. The rest of the team joined in and started cat calling and howling at him as he came closer. He glared at them all before a small smile broke over his face and he shook his head. His teammates patted his back as he started to warm up, and after a while everything settled down. Z and I warmed up and before I knew it I was in shotgun behind Sam.

He made a crude joke and I threatened him with the same treatment that Jackson got, and he shut up. That didn’t stop him for long, though. And I ended up laughing it off for the rest of practice.

Z shouted orders, and once when he heard one of Sam’s comments, shoved him and told him to get himself together. Sam nodded and stuck to making moaning sounds whenever I got up close and personal with him.

It was half way through practice when Jackson slipped on a bald spot on the practice field and Matt got by him. I launched the ball a beat too late and didn’t have time to dive out of the way of Matt, who was flailing his arms as he tried to stop. He didn’t.

All 250 pounds of him collided with my body and sent me straight to the ground. His elbow jammed me in the side and I stifled a cry of pain as I felt it sink into the muscle there and then slide off and to the ground. I grunted instead and he quickly jumped off of me and hovered over me as I pulled my helmet off.

“Shit Peony, I’m sorry! I tried to stop!”

Z was there then, on his knees by my head, his eyes wild, “P, are you alright? Where’d he hit you?”

I shook my head, “I’m fine, Z, it’s just a bruise.” I froze on my way to a sitting position when my side protested, but I kept going.

“Lay back down, Peony, give yourself a minute.” Z pushed my back to the ground and looked up at Jackson who was standing over us with his hands on his head, his face hard and his lips pursed. His eyes flickered with worry and guilt as he watched Z pull my practice jersey up and check my side. Z hissed when he pulled up my under armour shirt. He told me it was pretty red, and would be a nasty bruise.

Breathing too deep hurt, but I forced myself to do it anyway, training the muscles not to constrict too much, even though they wanted to.

Z looked back up at Jackson, “What the hell was that? Do your damn job and DEFEND YOUR QUARTERBACK! DO YOU HEAR ME?”

“Understood.” Jackson’s voice was tight.

“Take a lap! When you get back here, be ready to play and not be a spectator! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!”

Jackson took off running and Z turned his eyes on Matt, “You take a lap too! This is a practice! You don’t hit the quarterback at practice!”

Matt took off after Jackson and I sat up. Z started to tell me to stay down, But I shook my head, “No, I’m fine, it’s a bruise. I’ll be fine, just let me get up and walk a bit.”

“You’re done,” Coach told me, “We can take it from here, go ice that, or you’ll regret it. Tony’s in my office with the cooler.”

I shook my head, “No, really, I’m fine. It doesn’t really hurt anymore, I was just charlie-horsed.” Coach gave me a look, “Really! Look!” I got to my feet and twisted from side to side, ignoring how my side protested.

“Alright. Run the last play, then Z’ll take over for you to finish up the practice.” He nodded at Z, who was looking at me with a scowl on his face.

“Go sit down, Peony.” He growled.

“No, I’m fine. I promise.” I flashed a smile and he sighed, dropping his hands from his hips.

“Fine, but if you get hit again, you’re out. I don’t like seeing you get hurt.” He hissed the last part so that only I could hear it, and I smiled at him.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m used to bruises, you know that.”

He glowered at me and I sighed, “I’m tough, Z, please don’t try and baby me. I know it’s hard for you, and I appreciate it, I really do, but now isn’t the time.”

Z grunted and turned away with his jaw clenched. As he took his position to the side of the play he passed Jackson. Before he got by, Z grabbed his facemask and yanked Jackson to face him. He had quiet words with him, his eyes visibly scalding, before he shoved him toward the line and backed up with his fists clenched and resting on his hips. He stood and watched as we all took our positions.

“You sure you’re okay? That was a really hard hit, Peony, that might even have put me out.”

“Naw, I’m good.” I grinned and shoved him to his position. He shrugged and got ready. Z called the play, and I hiked. I took one step back, then two, then aired the ball to Owen. Jackson took Matt to the ground, something I hadn’t ever seen him do before. The ball fell into Owen’s hands and he danced around the defence’s attempts to stop him and slowed to a stop in the end zone.

“Run it again!” Called Z, “Peony, release a second faster.”

I grunted and grumbled under my breath as the ball was returned and ran the play again. Matt didn’t get through again in the last five runs of the play. He did get by in the sixth, but I had been watching for it. I dove out of the way, but Matt clipped my legs as he went by and sent me spinning to the ground. When I hit I rolled and stopped on my stomach, resting my weight on my elbows.

Z knelt down beside me and slipped my helmet off of my head, “You’re done,” He said sternly, “I won’t watch you get hit anymore, the play is almost perfect anyway. Go get ice. Now.” He added when he saw the contrary look on my face.

I sighed and he helped me to my feet. My thigh pulsed where Matt hit me the last time, and my side screamed.

“Get water!” Z ordered, “When we come back I’ll run the plays.” The team scattered and Z wrapped his arm around my waist to help me off the field.

“I can walk, you know.”

He grunted, “Be thankful I’m not carrying you bridal-style, Peony, I’m barely holding it together right now.” He glowered in Jackson’s direction, who was watching us made our way into the locker room with worry stricken eyes.

“Tony!” Z called once we made it into the office, “Two bags of Ice, please, wrap her up.” Z helped me sit down and then worked to get me out of my pads. I was getting annoyed with him, but I knew he was struggling right now so I held my tongue. It would be bitchy for me to snap at him for caring about my well being.

Once I was down to my sliders and my under armour shirt he stopped and tilted my face up to look at me. I smiled at him reassuringly and he sighed.

“Take off your shirt, let me see it.”

I pursed my lips at him and sighed. He was going to freak out. It was a bad bruise, I could feel it lancing pane up to my armpit and around my waist. But I grasped the edges of my shirt and pulled it up over my head anyway. He hissed and covered the large circular bruise with his hand. It was swelling and the red was turning white already.

His face was stony and he pointed to my thigh. I sighed and pulled up the leg of my compression shorts and showed him the large red mark there. It would be a nasty bruise in a matter of twenty minutes. I patted his chest pads when he hissed and he bent his head so that he was resting his forehead on the top of my head.

“I dislike this very much, Peony.” He grumbled.

“Eh, I’ve had worse from basketball.”

“That is a lie.”

“No, remember my concussion?”

He hissed, and was about to speak, but thought better of it. He didn’t believe that that concussion came from basketball for one second, and he was right. I was surprised that I’d said that. It is kind of scary how telling everyone a story about something can actually make you believe it yourself, even if just for a moment. I shrugged it off and smiled up at him.

“Go back and run practice, I’ll be out there soon.”

He sighed and nodded his head. After kissing my hair once he turned and left the office.

“Those are some pretty nasty bruises. Who hit you?”

“Matt. Twice.”

Tony eyed me, “Twice? Matt?” He whistled, “My kinda girl!” And then he went on to place a bag of ice over each bruise and wrap them tightly in place with plastic wrap. The ice numbed me nicely, and I slipped back into my under armour cutoff and and brought my pads back to the equipment room. Not bothering to put anything over my compression shorts, I walked back out to the fiend in time to watch Z deftly step out of the way of a charging Matt.

I grumbled profanities about boys and their cockyness as I made my way to the water cooler and poured myself a cup. I sat down and watched the rest of the practice, my book bag at my side.
Fifteen more minutes of plays, and twenty minutes of conditioning and pep talks later, and coach dismissed the team. Z ran over to me, pulling ahead of the pack of boys making their way to me, and crouched down in front of me.

“How’re you? Your head doesn’t hurt does it?”

I sighed and shook my head, “No. It did when he hit me though. There were quite a few of you at that point.” I smirked. He frowned and I sighed again, “I am fine, Mackenzie, I promise.”

He nodded, “I’ll be right back, okay? I’m just gonna go get changed.”

I nodded and he jogged off. Jackson took his place and crouched before me.

“Peony, I am so so sorry, I tried, but I slipped, and the second time I just wasn’t fast enough-”

“Hush. I’m going to be fine. I am fine. I am just bruised, kinda like a banana. No need to worry about me. Honest.”

Jackson grumbled incoherently before he spoke again, “Woods’ gonna kill me.”

I shook my head, “Nope, not gonna kill you. Just gonna glare at you; make you squirm.” I patted the side of his head, “Stop freaking out, I already have Z to take care of.”

He made a face then stood and sulked into the locker room. Before he walked in he rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced, probably dreading facing Z.

Matt was next. He sat next to me and asked me if I was alright. He tried to apologize, but I shook him off.

“I should have gotten away, I watched Z do it more than once. It’s not your fault I’m not quick enough.”

He sighed, “But you don’t have experience. That’s the problem. I just wish I was able to check up and stop.”

I laughed and winced, my side had constricted with the ice and I was laboring with my breathing, “Me too, Matt.”

He chuckled and slapped my back lightly before he stood up and walked off, “You’re tough, Peony Olson!” He called. I waved and smiled when he turned his back and made it to the locker room with more confidence than Jackson had.

Sam and Owen talked to me at the same time.

“I can’t believe you took that hit and got up. No offence, but you are a girl. You don’t have the muscle mass that guys do, and that would make taking a hit like that worse for you than it would be for me or Woods. Not to mention the fact that you aren’t used to taking hits at all. Damn, woman, what are you made of?”

I smiled and shrugged, wincing when I jarred my side, “I’m tougher than people think.”

Owen grinned, “We know that now.”

“Go get changed.” I told them as Z jogged up to where we were talking, his backpack bouncing over his shoulder. They nodded and patted Z’s back as they passed, and he looked at me the whole time, his grey eyes stormy with concern.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like a peach.” I winced as I stood, and he visibly cringed when I gasped and had to straighten slowly and lean on the leg that wasn’t bruised.

“Let me carry you, Peony, please.” He said as I took a painful step, my knee didn’t want to bend as lucidly as my other knee, and it locked up twice. I sighed, knowing I didn’t really have a choice. If I walked it would take forever to get to the truck. I nodded and he sighed in relief before he scooped me up bridal style and carried me away. The cheerleaders were all leaving the gym when he made it to the parking lot and I swore, cursing my luck, which made Z chuckle.

Melanie and Katie saw us and came running over, followed my Taylor and Missy. The first three mentioned were looking at me with concern on the faces, they were my friends and they all asked what happened. Missy glared at me and smiled flirtatiously at Z, who ignored her and talked to the other three.

“Damnit Peony, can’t you be a girly girl like the rest of us?” Melanie put her hands on her hips and glared at me. Then sighed, “You going to your house with her, Joshua?”

He nodded, “Yeah.”

She pursed her lips and nodded, “I’ll come by, okay? Help you with her a bit.” She looked at me, “Stay off of your feet, okay? You need to heal.”

I nodded and Katie beamed at me, “I’ll bring movies and make dinner, how’s that?”

My stomach growled thinking of it. Girl could cook! I nodded and grinned at her, “Of course.”

Taylor patted my arm, “I have to go home to babysit my brother, but if you need anything just call, I have a car seat and can be there in a flash.”

“Thanks, Taylor.”

She smiled and turned, “Come on, Missy, lets get going.”

“No wait, do you need any kind of help, Z?” She batted her eyelashes and and both Z and I froze.

“Don’t call me that.” Z deadpanned at the same time that I growled, “Don’t call him that.”

I glowered at her and her lips formed a pout, “But why not? I like it!”

“You don’t call me that. No one but Peony calls me that.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted further, “But I want to! It’s so much cooler than Joshua! And I don’t wanna call you Woods!” She whined.

“I don’t care. Only Peony calls me, Z, I won’t answer to it from you or anyone else.” He shifted my weight and I inhaled when my side strained and he swore, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Guys I have to get her home.”

“Come on Missy, let’s go. I will leave you here if you don’t come.” Taylor hissed, shooting Z and me apologetic looks.

Missy wined and stomped after Taylor, complaining the whole way about how mean Z was being and how she wanted to call him Z and blah blah blah. I tuned her shrill voice out and waved at Katie and Melanie as Z carried me away toward his truck. He set me gently in the passenger’s seat and drew the seat belt over my body softly.

“You alright?”

I nodded with a smile and he took his place in the driver’s seat. He didn’t turn the radio on as he drove me back to his place, and I sighed, “Sing for me?”

He smiled, “What do you want me to sing?”

“Songbird.” I closed my eyes and rested my head on the seat, listening to his voice fill the cab of the truck after a slight hesitation and a clearing of his voice. He stopped singing to walk around the truck after he parked in his driveway and continued once he opened the door and pulled me into his arms.

And I wish you all the love in the world,

But most of all, I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds are singing like they know the score.

And I love you, I love you, I love you like never before.

He kept singing as he carried me into the house, my head rested on his shoulder. He finished singing after he layed me down on the couch and began pulling the ice from my bruises.

“‘Like never before.’” He finished softly.

I smiled at him and pulled at the plastic around my middle. He took the plastic from around my leg and tore at the plastic around my middle after batting my hands away.

“You should really do something with your voice, that was amazing.” He rolled his eyes and I held back a laugh because I knew it would be painful.

Pain lanced through his eyes for a moment, but he shook it off and got up to go to the kitchen. He brought back water and put it on the table by the couch. He lifted my head and placed sat so that it rested on his lap, and he stroked my hair from my face comfortingly. He started humming a part of the song again and I sighed and closed my eyes. I don’t remember falling asleep, but his voice carried me off.