Page 56 of Teaching the Kot'oll Coach

If Winnie were here, she wouldn’t be competitive at all.

I silently snort a laugh at the thought. She won’t be here. She probably is still mad at me.

When dinner is finally over, I’m so stuffed that I almost can’t even move. I don’t mind tasty food, except I may have eaten too much.

I pat my stomach with a grin. My abs won’t be showing anytime soon after this, but this feels familiar. There’s a warmth in my stomach like a warm hug from Mother. She always gives us the best.

Mother and Father refuse to let us help with the dishes, so all of us are on the couch. The television is on, but I doubt any of us are watching.

I close my eyes when my limbs get heavier. The long day has finally caught up with me after the nice time with food.

Efaze nudges my side. “So, you’re fine now.”

I flex my arm, stifling a yawn. “Yes, perfectly fine.”

He watches me for another moment, seemingly not believing me.

I say, “The doctors made me go through a lot of rounds of healing rays.”

“I know. But still... It’s a spaceship crash.”

“Well, the auto system was already halting the spaceship.”

He muses, seemingly finally accepting my answer. “How about that female?”

“What female? Who?”

“The one who visited you and was there when you were sent to the hospital.”

I blink, not certain what to say. “A human female?”

“Yes. Winnie, I think. I didn’t pay attention.”

“Oh, Winnie, yes. She’s a coworker who witnessed the accident.”

Efaze is still staring at me.

A stream of heat reaches my cheek. I hope I didn’t do something wrong, but apparently something’s off, at least according to Efaze.

Now that I take a moment...

So, my brothers are all staring at me.

I blink. “What’s the looks for?”

Efaze shrugs and looks away. Vatok says, “We always saw her in the hospital.”

Um... Maybe? I saw her a few times, but I was tired most of the time and the passage of time was a weird thing in my head when I was focusing on healing and sentenced to bed rest. “I don’t remember.”

Vatok narrows his eyes on me for another second before he looks away.

I guess.... Are they trying to hint at something?

I...

Maybe they want to ask why or whether Winnie would be here. Just because she visited me a few times doesn’t have to mean a ton.

Since she doesn’t like me now, or probably has never liked me, I guess there’s no point. I still wish she’d feel better and talk to me, but who knows? Maybe she thinks I’m dumb too. Not to mention the principal’s dumb floatball match makes it worse.

---