Chapter 27: Ava’s Shoulder Snaps (Leo in Ava’s Body)

Leo in Ava’s Body (POV)

I’m in the campus gym, Ava’s volleyball in my hands, her hands, her shoulder throbbing under the sling I ditched an hour ago. Coach Barrett’s whistle echoes across the court, and Jade’s watching me like a hawk, her eyes narrowed after finding those old practice videos on Ava’s phone. The scholarship trial is three days away, and I’m desperate to prove I can be Ava, to keep her dream alive until we switch back. Ava’s in my body, probably sweating through another Blackwave rehearsal, dodging Noah’s questions about “Echo.” Our pact to confess if we don’t switch by the trial and Battle of the Bands hangs over me, but I’m not giving up yet. I toss the ball, ignoring the ache, and prepare to serve.

“Lin, focus!” Coach Barrett barks, clipboard in hand. “You’re moving like you forgot how to play. Trial’s in three days. Step it up!”

I nod, her ponytail bouncing, and grit my teeth, her teeth. “Got it, Coach.” I glance at Jade, who’s stretching nearby, her stare burning. She’s dragging me to Dr. Kim after practice, and I know she’s not letting up after yesterday’s confrontation. I toss the ball again, higher, and swing, my serve sharp but off-target, clipping the net. Pain shoots through Ava’s shoulder, white-hot, and I stumble, catching myself on the court.

Jade’s at my side in a second, her hands on my arm, her arm. “Ava, what the hell? You’re hurt. Stop pushing it!”

“I’m fine,” I snap, her voice sharp, but my hand, her hand, clutches her shoulder, the pain pulsing. “Just tweaked it. Let me try again.”

“No way,” Jade says, grabbing the ball. “You collapsed two days ago. You’re not fine. Coach, she’s done for today.”

Coach Barrett strides over, frowning. “Lin, you’re favoring that shoulder worse than ever. What’s going on? You were our star libero.”

I stand, her body trembling. “I’m good, Coach. Just need to warm up.” I snatch the ball back from Jade, ignoring her glare, and toss it, stepping into another serve. I swing too hard, desperate to prove I’m Ava, and something snaps in her shoulder, a sickening pop that drops me to my knees. Pain explodes, blinding, and I cry out, her voice raw, clutching her arm as the ball rolls away.

“Ava!” Jade’s voice is panicked, and she’s kneeling beside me, her hands hovering. “Oh my God, what happened?”

Coach Barrett blows his whistle, waving players back. “Lin, stay down. Don’t move.” He turns to a teammate. “Get the trainer, now!”

I’m gasping, her heart pounding, tears stinging her eyes, my eyes. “I’m… okay,” I lie, her voice weak, but the pain’s so bad I can’t move her arm. Jade’s holding my hand, her hand, her face pale.

“You’re not okay,” she says, her voice shaking. “You’re going to the ER. Right now.”

I shake my head, her ponytail limp. “No, I can’t. The trial…” But the words die as another wave of pain hits, and I know it’s bad. Really bad.

I’m in the ER again, Ava’s body slumped in a hospital chair, her shoulder immobilized in a new, stiffer sling. The doctor’s words from an hour ago echo: Complete rotator cuff tear. Surgery required. No volleyball for months, maybe longer. My chest, her chest, tightens, not just from the pain but from the guilt. I’ve wrecked her trial, her scholarship, her dream. My phone, her phone, buzzes with a text from Ava: Jade called me. Said you’re in the ER. What happened?! I’m coming. I don’t reply, too ashamed to face her.

The curtain parts, and Ava bursts in, in my body. My face, her face, is pale, my dark eyes wide with panic. “Ava, what the hell?” he says, my voice sharp but trembling. He kneels in front of me, my hand, her hand, reaching for his shoulder, my shoulder. “Jade said you collapsed again. Your shoulder?”

I look away, her eyes stinging. “It… snapped,” I say, her voice barely a whisper. “Rotator cuff tore. Surgery. No trial.” I swallow, tears spilling. “I’m so sorry, Ava. I pushed too hard. I ruined it.”

He grabs my hand, her hand, squeezing tight. “You didn’t ruin anything,” she says, my voice fierce. “You were trying to be me. For me. This isn’t your fault.”

I shake my head, her ponytail heavy. “It is. I knew your shoulder was bad. I ditched the sling, tried to prove I could do it. Now you’re out for months. Your scholarship…”

He stands, his body towering over me. “Stop it. We’re in this together, remember? The pact. We’ll figure out the trial, the scholarship, everything.” She pauses, my eyes softening. “You’re hurt. That’s what matters right now. Let me take care of you.”

I laugh, her laugh weak and wet. “You sound like me now.”

He grins, my grin shaky. “Good. Someone’s gotta keep you in line.” He sits beside me, my arm around his shoulders, my shoulders. “What’d the doctor say?”

“Surgery next week,” I say, rubbing her face with her good hand. “No volleyball till it’s healed. Maybe six months. They gave me painkillers, a new sling. I’m… screwed, Ava.”

“You’re not,” he says, my voice firm. “We’ll talk to Coach, explain the injury. They can’t bench you forever. And I’ll handle Blackwave, keep the band going.”

My phone, her phone, buzzes again, and I check it. A text from Jade: Ava, I’m outside the ER. You’re not shutting me out. Coming in. I show it to Ava, and her face, my face, tenses.

“Crap,” he says. “Jade’s relentless. She knows you’re not you.”

I nod, her heart racing. “She found those videos. Compared them to now. She’s dragging me to Coach and Dr. Kim tomorrow, no matter what.”

Leo stands, pacing, my boots scuffing the floor. “Then we stick to the pact. Three days. If we don’t switch, we tell her, Noah, everyone. But for now, we keep training. You show me how to charm Blackwave, I show you how to move without wrecking my shoulder worse.”

I laugh, her laugh bitter. “Training? I can’t even lift my arm.”

He kneels again, my eyes fierce. “Then we adapt. You coach me from the sidelines. I’ll be you on stage, you be me in spirit. We’re not giving up.”

The curtain rustles, and Jade steps in, her eyes red, her volleyball tucked under her arm. “Ava, why didn’t you stop? Why didn’t you tell me?”

I flinch, her voice raw. “I… didn’t want to let you down,” I say, her voice trembling. “The trial, the team… I thought I could push through.”

Jade kneels, her hand on my knee, her knee. “You’re not letting anyone down. But you’re scaring me. You’re not acting like you, and now this?” She glances at Leo, in my body, her eyes narrowing. “And you, Leo. You’re always here when she’s hurt. What’s going on with you two?”

Leo steps forward, my body protective. “She’s my friend, Jade. She needed me. That’s it.”

Jade’s not convinced, her jaw tight. “Fine. But I’m taking you to Dr. Kim. No more hiding.” She stands, pointing at Leo. “And you, stay out of her head. She doesn’t need your drama.”

Leo nods, my face calm but tense. “I’m not in her head, Jade. I’m just here.”

Jade leaves, and I slump back, her eyes wet again. “She’s gonna figure it out,” I say, her voice low. “She’s too close.”