CHAPTER 91: TRACK AND CARE

Chapter NINETY ONE

**OLIVER WEST**

Gym class made me realize that the gossip was the least of my problems.

Because, tell me why the HECK track was the activity of the day?!!

The wide field stretched out before me like some kind of medieval torture device.

Coach Jefferson’s whistle might as well have been a death sentence to my throbbing hip bone.

"Lazy! All of you are lazy! I don’t want to hear any excuses today!"

Coach’s voice boomed across the field as he paced back and forth like a drill sergeant.

Ugh

The last thing I needed right now was to run laps.

I limped towards him, putting on my most pitiful expression.

"Coach, my legs are really—" The words barely got out when he cut me off with a hand in the air and gave me the most evil glare.

"NO! Four people have already given me the same excuse today. What is wrong with you kids? Why are the youth so lazy every single day? No excuses! Get running!"

My mouth nearly dropped open, then I realized, I didn’t come with my magical wand.

Kieran.

Coach had been lenient to me the past few days, and now because Kieran wasn’t here, he was back to his usual stern self?

Curse my luck.

"What are you waiting for, West?" He pointed a finger at me with his whistle.

I let out another pitiful groan trudging back to the track. Look what being mad at Kieran had cost me. I should have waited for him after the first period instead of speeding over here just to end up like this.

The whistle blew, and I started running. Or what could generously be called running, because I was so far behind the others.

Within minutes, I was breathless and sweating.

William passed me easily, barely even breathing hard.

"Traitor!" I yelled after him, panting like an overheated dog.

Sweat was already dripping down my forehead and my chest felt tight with exhaustion.

He just grinned and kept running, not even slowing down for his precious best friend.

"Running is good for the heart! West! You need to strengthen those muscles! You’re slower than a snail!"

Coach Jefferson shouted from the sidelines, his eyes landed on me struggling behind everyone else, and I could see the disappointment written all over his face.

My face burned with embarrassment, heat crawling up my neck.

A snail?Come do it yourself if it’s so easy! Don’t just stand there giving commands!

I was so lost in my internal rant that I didn’t see the small pothole in the track until my foot found it.

I went down hard, my body meeting the earth with a painful thud that knocked the wind out of me.

Ow. Ow ow ow.

I lay there breathing heavily, staring up at the sky.

Honestly, this was the most comfortable I’d been all period. Maybe I could just stay here until class ended.

"Someone assist West!"

Coach Jefferson’s voice boomed across the field like divine punishment.

NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! I screamed internally as I heard footsteps approaching.

A hand appeared in my vision. I looked up to see Xander offering to help me up.

Raya was beside him, holding out a water bottle.

"You okay, Oliver?" Xander asked, his voice sounding genuinely worried.

There was something that looked almost protective in his expression as he crouched down to assess my knee which I had scratched against the rough floor.

"This looks like it hurts, I will take you to the nurse" Xander murmured. Before I could respond, the small crowd around us parted like the Red Sea.

Next thing I knew, strong arms slipped under my knees and back, lifting me effortlessly from the ground.

Kieran.

My heart lurched in my throat at the sight of him.

His eyes were dark with concern as he cradled me against his chest, but when he looked at Xander, something cold flickered across his features.

I could feel the tension radiating from him like heat from a fire, a lump tightened in my stomach.

"I’ve got him," Kieran said, his voice carrying an edge that made Xander step back from us, but his jaw was clenched, his hands forming fists at his sides as Kieran carried me away.

The girls around us let out collective sighs and murmurs. From the corner of my eye, I could see Raya clutching her water bottle to her chest like she was watching a romantic movie.

"Such an attention seeker." Amanda’s voice, which I recognized, muttered from somewhere behind us.

I could feel her stare digging into us even though I couldn’t even see where she was.

"Didn’t you ask Kieran to pick you up once and he said you were too fat? He never liked you, babe." Hailey’s voice cut through the crowd loudly, earning some laughter behind us.

"Shut up, Hailey!"Amanda snapped back.

I buried my burning face in Kieran’s chest, totally forgetting that I had reasons to be mad at him as I breathed in his familiar scent and tried to ignore the whispers following us as he carried me toward the building.

I just realized it.

Coach Jefferson didn’t say a word as we left the field.

How partial of him!!!

-

-

The nurse’s office was empty when Kieran pushed through the door, still carrying me in his arms. He placed me gently on the narrow bed.

"Where does it hurt?" I met his gaze and looked away, an unreasonable part of me wanted to resume my silent treatment, only that my muscles were screaming in pain.

"My hip and my ankle feel twisted," I mumbled under my breath, still not looking at him.

Kieran’s hands moved with surprising gentleness, checking my ankle first. His touch was careful, not to hurt me further, but every brush of his fingers sent electricity shooting up my leg and a familiar flutter in my stomach.

He stood up to search the cabinets and returned ten seconds later.

"This might help." He said, I caught a glimpse of the cream which Kieran had already applied to his fingers.

He reaches for my leg once more.

"Kieran, you don’t have to..."

"Shh. Let me take care of you." His voice came, in that soft tone that made my argument die in my throat.