Free Students of the Game by Sarah Bumpus Page B

hear a female pleading. I jog towards the door and aware of the fact that I’m about to enter a female restroom, I pause and lean my ear against the door to listen. A male voice says, “ C’mon, baby…I’ve heard you like it rough…” and with that, I make the decision to enter. Dropping my bag, I push through the door.
    The smell of disinfectant is overwhelming and a small part of my brain understands that the bathroom must have been recently cleaned, while the immense amount of pink tile and the unfamiliar lay out causes a second of disorientation. But something that I’ve learned how to do on the field is to be easily adaptable, and with the blink of an eye, I’ve sorted out the play before me. Carver has Missy pressed up against the wall between two hand dryers with his back towards me. His left hand is covering her mouth, while the other has disappeared underneath the fabric of her maroon cheerleading skirt. Missy rolls her head in my direction and when she sees me, her wide eyes plead for help.
    “What the fuck are you doing?” I exclaim, and yank Carver off, slamming him into the tile.
    Carver rips free of my grasp, and Missy sinks to the floor. The prick of tears begin to form in her eyes, and she tries to will them back.
    “Fooling around with my girlfriend , what the fuck are you doing?” he growls, pushing his hair back with both hands.
    I glance at Missy who looks back at me with scared eyes. “That’s not what it looked like.”
    “How would you know what it looks like? Have you ever even fucked a girl?”
    His response causes me to snap and I grab his shirt, shoving him against the wall. “What the hell is your problem?”
    Carver starts laughing then calmly takes his time to muster up a reply. “Obviously it will be you, if this…,” he motions in the general vicinity of Missy, “becomes one.”
    “Are you threatening me?” I spit, tightening my grip on his shirt. “What have you even got?”
    “Oh, hmm…I don’t know, something that involves juice?…And I don’t mean apples or oranges.”
    “Fuck you. I didn’t take the roids and you know it.”
    This guy is a diabolical asshole. I should have seen it, the signs were there. I mistakenly passed it all off for confidence because I wanted to give him a chance as a friend.
        Carver pulls free from my grasp and starts walking to the door, “Yeah, but remember what Bobby said, if word ever gets out…it’s on your head.” He doesn’t even glance at Missy before walking out the door.
     
     
     
    I’ve become Missy’s protector. She hasn’t really talked too much about what happened with Carver, nor have I pushed her to do so, other than trying to convince her to tell her parents, or even a teacher. However she won’t budge, not wanting me to get in any trouble, since I was the one that ‘saved her’.       
    One day after school I’m walking Missy towards her bus, and she tells me that she quit cheerleading. She can’t stand the thought of wearing that little skirt ever again. Missy grabs my hand before climbing onto the bus and over the loud hum of the idling engine she says, “You know I was interested in you the whole time right? I was just using him to get to you. Looks like I got what I wanted,” she acknowledges sickly, then gives me a light kiss on the lips. “You’re my hero. Thanks for saving me.”
    And with that we officially become a couple, and Carver and I, officially become enemies.
    Honestly I start to feel more and more like a superhero. My mask is never off and I’m constantly watching Carver to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else, and Missy to make sure she’s safe. Deep down inside I know it’s because I never did it for Joy, when I should have, after her dad died. And since I’m t oo damn chicken to try and make amends with her, I attempt to do it at least with myself. Deep down inside I also know that I’m really a coward, not a hero……my reason to hide behind a