Chapter 22 Fight Again Next Time
Griffin felt a wave of embarrassment as his first shot was intercepted. He didn't even bother to bend down and pick up the shuttlecock; instead, he used his racket to flick it up and hit it back across the net with a swift motion.
The match continued with Griffin darting all over the court, trying to keep pace with Leopold's relentless shots. Despite being winded and exhausted, Griffin refused to give up, especially with Caroline watching.
At this point, no one was keeping track of the score anymore. All eyes were on Griffin, wondering how long he could keep pushing himself.
Caroline knew Griffin well. Back in school, he was always determined to prove himself. Now, being pushed around on the court and made to chase every shot, there was no way he would swallow his pride and admit defeat.
Just as Griffin dove to save another shot, he landed heavily on the ground, and the shuttlecock fell within the boundary.
Caroline, despite her own pain, quickly got up and rushed over, asking with concern, "Griffin, are you okay? You should stop playing."
Griffin struggled to his feet, panting heavily, "I'm fine. I can keep going."
"Enough, Griffin. It's okay," Caroline urged.
Griffin looked across the net at Leopold, who was watching him with an arrogant expression, seemingly waiting for Griffin to admit defeat.
Seeing that Griffin wouldn't listen, Caroline put on a pained expression and said, "Stop playing. I'm hurt."
Griffin immediately checked her over, "Where are you hurt?"
"My knee. I bumped it earlier, and it hurts to walk."
"You should have told me sooner," Griffin said, waving his racket at Leopold, "Next time, we'll finish this."
Griffin gathered their sports bags, slung them over his shoulder, and helped Caroline out of the court. Leopold followed them a few steps and called out, "Your racket."
Caroline reached out to take it, but Griffin intercepted, smiling, "You played well."
Leopold noticed Griffin's hand still supporting Caroline's arm, and his face showed a hint of displeasure. He replied coolly, "Depends on who I'm playing against."
Griffin felt a sting but maintained his composure. After saying goodbye to Leopold, he continued to help Caroline out.
As they reached the entrance of the sports complex, Griffin sensed someone following them and turned to see Leopold.
Leopold walked up to Caroline, "Let me take you to the hospital."
Griffin was surprised, "I have my car."
Leopold replied, "My car is right at the entrance downstairs, closer."
Griffin was about to argue, but remembered he had parked his car at the exit, which was a five-minute walk away.
He asked Caroline, "Why don't you sit on the steps and wait for me? I'll go get the car."
Before Caroline could respond, Leopold interjected, "No need for that. Don't worry about it. I'm a friend of hers."
Griffin was puzzled about their relationship but saw that Leopold had already claimed to know her.
He looked at Caroline, waiting for her answer. Caroline said, "It's not that bad. I can drive myself home and rest."
"That's not a good idea."
"That's not a good idea."
Both men spoke at once, making Caroline feel overwhelmed. She glanced between them, their eyes full of expectation, waiting for her final decision.
Unable to stand their scrutiny, Caroline walked quickly towards her car.
"Caroline, slow down," Griffin called out, worried she might hurt herself again, and jogged to catch up.
Leopold followed leisurely, as long as Caroline didn't get into Griffin's car, he didn't mind.
"I'm fine, really," Caroline explained to Griffin as she walked, "I feel much better now."
Griffin was still concerned, "I think you should go to the hospital, just to be safe."
"No need," Caroline unlocked her car from a distance, "If it gets worse, I'll go to the hospital even if you don't tell me to."
She opened the door and placed her sports bag in the back seat, then got into the driver's seat.
"You look tired too. Go home and rest," Caroline said to Griffin.
Griffin leaned on the car window, giving her a careful reminder, "Alright, but if you feel unwell, call me immediately. I'll take you to the hospital."
"Okay," Caroline smiled and rolled up the window.
As the car passed Leopold, Caroline honked the horn. Leopold raised his hand in acknowledgment, watching her drive away.
Griffin walked up to Leopold, "What's your name?"
Leopold replied firmly, "Leopold Wipere."
Griffin searched his memory for the name while extending his hand, "I'm Griffin Wallace, a high school friend of Caroline's. I was the student council president, and she was the vice president."
It was now Leopold's turn to explain how they knew each other.
But Leopold wasn't going to make it easy for Griffin. He smirked, "Do you only play with high school friends at night? Especially female friends? Playing against them is no fun. If you want a real challenge, call me. Men's matches are more intense. Did you enjoy tonight's game? Was it thrilling?"
Is he serious?
Griffin was at a loss for words.
To further irritate Griffin, Leopold pulled out his phone, "Why don't we exchange WhatsApp contacts? Easier to arrange games."
Griffin didn't want to know him or play with him again, so he declined, "Sorry, I left my phone at home."
"Too bad," Leopold pretended to be disappointed, "I felt we had a good game. By the way, Caroline has my WhatsApp. If you want to reach me, you can ask her."
Griffin's eyes widened in surprise, "Really? Okay, if I want to play, I'll ask her to contact you."
Leopold said goodbye, "See you around."
With that, he turned and got into his car, driving away.
Caroline had barely reached home when the doorbell rang.
She checked the video intercom and saw Leopold on the screen, asking, "What are you doing here?"
Leopold held up a bag, shaking it to make the contents rattle.
Caroline asked, "What's in it?"
Leopold replied, "House call from a family doctor."
Caroline blinked, curious about what he was up to, and unlocked the door to let him in.
When Leopold entered, she saw he was carrying a bag of ointments, bandages, and some oral medication.
"Did you go buy medicine for me?"
Leopold scoffed, "In your dreams. These are from my sports bag."
He strode into the living room and began taking out the items, "Come over here, I'll explain."
Caroline approached the table and listened as Leopold pulled out a box of pills, "These are for knee injuries, including old injuries. Take two pills, one in the morning and one at night. Rub the ointment in your hands until warm and apply it to your knee, repeating five or six times. It'll burn at first, but will get better. Use the medical tape to stabilize your knee for a few days, reducing pressure on the meniscus and easing the pain. Got it?"
Without waiting for her response, Leopold turned to see Caroline watching him warily.
He rubbed his arms, "Why are you looking at me like that? It's late at night, and you look like you're ready to eat me."
Caroline picked up a bottle of medication, and Leopold pointed at it, "That bottle costs thousands of dollars. If you break it, you pay."
Caroline gritted her teeth, "Leave now."
Leopold shook his head, muttering as he walked out, "Use it and then discard it. Women are ruthless."
Caroline took a deep breath, trying to control her anger, "Leopold, do you always come to me because you know you'll win every argument?"
Leopold pushed open the door, looking deeply hurt, "I brought you medicine out of kindness, and you misunderstand me. Just wait, I'll jump into Seaside City's river as soon as I leave the complex."
Caroline clasped her hands together, "Finally, some peace and quiet. Goodbye forever."
Leopold couldn't resist a final jab before closing the door, "As if you could manage that."