forget me nots: kate martin

2. bad at memorization

tuesday august 31 2021
kenzie's perspective, flashback + texts

gabbie marshall
8:00

me
hey gabbie!
i haven't seen you in
so long omg
so i applied for this assistant coach
position and got accepted!
the sport i'm assisting is your team!
i'm coming in for first practice
today and wanted to tell
you that i'll see you there!

gabs
no way!
i was just thinking the other
day how much i missed you.
i can't wait to introduce you
to the team!
see you later!

junior year of high school
doctor's office two days after injury

I hop around on my sister's old crutches from last year and walk through the automatic doors to my doctor's office. No one wants to say anything, but my family, my team and myself already know that I tore my ACL. Sure, it's not confirmed but from the multiple I've seen my teammates go through, I have a not so good feeling. I pull up Instagram to attempt and pass the time. My knee goes up and down, a nervous bad habit of mine that I haven't been able to shake. After waiting for 45 minutes, the doctor calls my name and leads me to the MRI machine. I change into the awful hospital gown and lay down in the machine horizontally. It's not too long of a scan and as they pull me out of the machine, I see the doctor behind the computer make an almost pitiful face. He slowly walks towards me and leads me to a normal room.

"Mackenzie I have some unfortunate news for you." Fuck. "I can't be sure for around three days, but I'm almost positive you tore your anterior cruciate ligament." Fuck fuck fuck. Then he started talking to me about surgery and courses of treatment, and honestly, his voice faded like it does in movies. My thoughts drown out his words and all I can think about is basketball and college. Yes, this was my last game of junior year, but this puts me out for the whole senior year. And that's if everything goes well. How does someone come back from this. I come back from my "own world" as my dad would say, with my mom's hand on my leg.

"Honey what do you think about that?"

"About what?" I say while choking back tears.

"The doctor was explaining that if you want a full recovery, surgery is the best option. But you could also-"

"Surgery." I say cutting her off. "I need to play again."As expected, about three days later we get a call saying my ACL definitely tore and we should book surgery as soon as possible.

It only goes down from here. Believe it or not.

"Damn K you look hot!" Via screams from across the kitchen of our apartment.

"V you need to chill. I'm literally wearing jeans and a tee." I chuckle.

"But those are the jeans that make your ass look good." She exclaims. God I love her. "Who are you trying to impress huh?"

"Ok I'm leaving now, bye V!"

"Bye Kenny!" I roll my eyes at the bad nickname and make my way out of our apartment and over to the gym. Okay, so this is actually happening. It kind of felt like a joke until just now. I need to take a deep breath. Sure they're some of the best basketball players in the country, but they're just girls. Right? Who knows maybe I would have been playing with them if certain things didn't happen. I take my AirPod out as I see a familiar face getting out of her car. Gabbie. She turns around and I see her curly hair and big eyes.