I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much blood. It was just a soccer ball, for God’s sake. It’s not like somebody shot him in the face. But there’s blood gushing out of Leo’s nostrils, quickly staining his white jersey as the boy sobs hysterically.
It’s making me a little queasy, to be honest.
Julie screams, of course. I can’t blame her, but it is a touch overdramatic. I mean, it’s just a bloody nose. Although as I said, it’s a lot of blood. Even Mark looks a bit sick.
Thankfully, Sean has jogged over to the boy and seems to have the whole thing under control. Julie gives him some tissues from her purse, and he gets Leo putting pressure on it and tilting his head back. The first set of tissues gets soaked with crimson, but the second set fares better.
“My poor baby!” Julie cries as she tries to hug him. “We need to take you to the emergency room.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Sean says. “The bleeding seems to be stopping. I think he’s fine.”
“But his nose could be broken!” “I don’t think so.”
Julie puts her hands on her hips. “Well, how do you know? You’re not a doctor.”
“I’ve got some idea. I broke mine—twice.” He taps the bridge of his nose, which is slightly crooked. “I think he’s okay. But you can take him in if you want.”
“Gee, thanks,” Julie mutters.
“I’m okay, Mom,” Leo says bravely. He’s a tough kid. You kind of have to be if Julie is your mother.
Julie turns around to glare at me. “This is all Bobby’s fault. What is wrong with that kid?”
My mouth falls open. “What are you talking about? It was an accident.”
Julie snorts. “Please. I heard him telling you how jealous he was of Leo. And you were telling him to kick the ball as hard as he could. He was
aiming right for Leo’s face.”
I look at Bobby, who is hanging his head in the corner. A tear slips down his cheek. He didn’t hurt his best friend on purpose. If he could aim like that, he’d be the best kid on the team.
“It’s nobody’s fault,” Mark speaks up. “Sometimes kids get hurt during the game. Bobby didn’t mean to hit him. Now, Julie, if you want to take Leo to the emergency room—”
“Yes!” she snaps. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Julie grabs her son roughly by the arm and the two of them march off the field while Leo protests. God, I hope his nose isn’t broken. She’ll probably sue us.
No, she won’t really sue us. She’s just upset because her son is gushing blood from his nose. Julie can be very dramatic when she’s upset, but I’m sure she’ll calm down.
I start to go over to Bobby to see if he’s okay, but Sean is already bent down next to him, talking to him quietly. Sean’s shirt has Leo’s blood all over it, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I see a tiny smile spread across my son’s face.
While I’m watching Sean and Bobby talking, my phone buzzes inside my purse. It’s another text message. Probably Elliot, saying he’s off to the office for work. Saturday wouldn’t be complete without my husband rushing to work.
I pull out my phone and read the text message:
I know the secret of why Mark Tanner let you talk him into that other boy joining the team. And if you tell anyone about these messages, everyone in town will know it too.
I frown at the screen, an uneasy feeling in my chest. Then a second later, a photograph appears.
I gasp out loud.
“Are you okay?” Maria is squinting at me. “You’re not squeamish, are you? That was a lot of blood.”
“No, I’m fine,” I say quickly. “Do you need to sit down?”
I shake my head vigorously. “I’ll be fine. Just… I need a minute.”
I step away from the crowd of parents and kids. I look at the screen of my phone, and the whole world seems to disappear around me. My fingers are shaking as I type in the words:
Who are you and what do you want from me?
I wait for an answer. But like before, there’s no response.
