Title: Broken toes
Fandom: The Faculty
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Rating: PG
Length: 828 words
Written for Challenge 194 = toes
Summary: Casey breaks his ankle and two toes
Note: okay, I admit, there is only a touch of 'toes' in this story, sorry for that



Zeke stopped the GTO in front of the Connor's house, looking over to the porch with slightly narrowed eyes. Casey was sitting on the wooden swing, his left leg on a stool in front of him, obviously in a cast. Even from the distance, Zeke could say that the boy was not very happy.

He turned off the motor and stepped closer.
„Hey, Case, what are you doing?

Casey put the book he was reading down and glowered at him.
„What does it look like? I'm preparing for the next marathon.“

Zeke laughed, unimpressed by the snippy answer he ascended the three steps onto the porch. Noticed the glass with ice tea and the plate with the half-eaten sandwich. Next to the swing two crutches. Casey himself looked pretty out of line. He always was a bit of a geek, with his stupid checkered shirts, the too wide jeans and the camera around his neck but his amazing blue eyes made up for this. Despite all the bullying and teasing, he had to endure at school he never seemed to lose his good humor for longer. Today though the sparkling in his eyes seemed to be gone.

„What's happened,“ Zeke asked and pointed at the foot in the cast.

„Don't you have anything better to do, Zeke?“

„Hm, to be honest: no. Much too hot to go to the Mall and the parties at the lake start to get boring.“

Casey huffed.
„You know what is boring? When you have to spend half of your vacation in a fucking hospital. And even when you are home again all you can do is to sit on the porch, reading stupid books.“
He looked over to the GTO in the driveway.
„You are free to go wherever you want, so stop complaining.“

Zeke dropped down onto the step of the porch and looked up to Casey.
„What's happened,“ he asked again.
„It looks broken.“

„The ankle,“ Casey agreed.
„And two toes. It was a stupid accident. I was in the park for some photos. Tried to climb a fallen tree near the pond; the trunk was slippery, and I fall. Big drama. Ambulance, hospital, all the embarrassing shit. Complicated fracture, of course, I'm a lucky fellow.

Had to stay in the hospital for ten days. And the doc says I'm not allowed to put much weight on the foot for the next four weeks at least.“

He paused and sighed deeply.
„Now I'm caged in the house together with my Mom all day long, and she starts to drive me crazy.“

„Casey?“
The female voice coming from the house let him roll his eyes.

„See,“ he said.
„She can't leave me alone at least for some minutes.“

„I guess, that's because she cares for you.“

Surprised Casey glanced at Zeke.
„Sure she does. She is a good Mom, but I hate it when she turns into a mother hen and treats me like a four-year-old toddler. It's just a broken ankle, geez.“

The door opened, and a woman stepped on the porch.
„Casey, would tomato sauce for the spaghetti be okay? I know, you prefer tuna sauce but I would have to go to the Minimart for the tuna, and I don't want to leave you all alone that long. You can never know...“

„I could go,“ Zeke offered.

Mrs. Connor turned to him and blinked.
„Oh, you are...“

„Zeke,“ he said and stretched out his hand.
„Friend of Casey. Just came by to look after him. I don't mind to drive to the Minimart to get some tuna.“

„That would be great.“
Mrs. Connor beamed at him, and he thought that she was very much like Casey.
„Maybe I could write you a grocery list. There is some more stuff I could need. Usually, I go to the farmers market every morning, the fruits there are much fresher, but at the moment Casey needs me more.

Wait a moment, will you? But maybe you would like to have an ice tea in the meantime?“

Zeke smiled.
„Ice tea sounds great.“

She rushed back into the house, and Casey finally found his voice again.
„We are friends,“ he asked still confused.

„Well.“
Zeke shrugged.
„We share the bleachers at school almost every lunch.“

True. Casey had to admit this. Also true, that they barely shared a word; Zeke was busy with his dubious dealings, Casey was reading and just daydreaming. They hadn't much in common they could talk about. Even more surprising Zeke's sudden interest in him. But for whatever reason, Casey suddenly felt much better than he felt since this stupid accident. A wide grin sneaked on his face.

„Maybe you could stay for lunch,“ he said.
„If you don't have anything better to do. The tuna sauce of my Mom is priceless.“