How to Keep Rolling After a Fall by Karole Cozzo

in the corner.” He smirks at me. “So no snooping.”
    But when I open the door to his room and walk inside, even though I see the movies right away, my attention is drawn to the back corner of his room. A tall bookshelf is filled with trophies, and I walk toward it to take a look. There are trophies from every sport, dating back to Little League and including swim team and wrestling, too. At the top are trophies and awards from water polo. Multiple “most valuable player” awards and team captain recognition certificates.
    There are lots of pictures, too. Pictures of Pax with his teammates, looking happy and rowdy. Pictures of Pax with girls. Lots of different girls, hanging on him or planting kisses on his cheek. Seems like he was popular. Especially with those girls.
    Then I notice one last picture, on the bottom shelf, and inhale a quick, sharp breath as I kneel to look at it up close. It’s an eight-by-ten that must have been taken just before his accident. In it, Pax is posing poolside, in nothing but a pair of black swim trunks. His hair is much shorter than it is now, but his face is the same, and his eyes sparkle as he grins cockily at the camera, with his muscular arms folded across his chest. His torso is perfectly defined, and that sexy little guy V is clearly visible above the spot where the swimsuit hugs his hips.
    The shot was taken from far enough away that his legs are included in the frame. They look just as strong and solid as the rest of him. I stare for a minute, thinking that Pax was probably one of the hottest guys I’ve ever known in real life.
    Feeling flushed, I grab a movie from the top of the pile and head back to the living room. I stare at Pax. He’s wearing a faded gray-and-red plaid shirt open over a T-shirt and a pair of worn-looking jeans. It’s one of the few times I haven’t seen him in shorts. Out of his chair, relaxing on the couch, he looks just like any other guy. And the fact of the matter is, he’s every bit as attractive as the guy in the picture.
    My heart rate kicks up a little. I toss the DVD onto the coffee table and grin at him. “That’s a pretty impressive trophy collection you’ve got in there. And I see what you mean about why I’d rather have a picture of you hanging above my bed than skinny little Justin Bieber,” I say, trying to make it a joke.
    â€œYeah, too bad I’m not that Adonis anymore.”
    There’s something off in his voice, and his words don’t come out sounding as light as I think he means them to.
    â€œSeems like you were quite the MVP.”
    â€œYeah, the pool used to be my second home. Maybe my first home, considering how much time I spent there.” He shrugs. “At least I have rugby, but it’s not the same.”
    It’s not fair , I think. Suddenly, I’m remembering what happened at the college fair, and I realize why I’m so upset about it.
    â€œIt seems unfair that you had to lose out on your dream when other people … still get to have theirs.… People who don’t deserve it.”
    â€œHmm?” Pax looks at me, confused.
    I take a deep breath and slowly exhale it. “That girl who was talking to the Syracuse coach at the fair. Her name’s Haley. She used to be one of my friends. Turns out she’s not really that nice of a person. And I’m pretty sure she’s still going to end up getting a full scholarship to a Division One school. And it’s not right.”
    I pause for a few seconds, and then I tell Pax something I’ve never told a single other soul. “She was one of the girls who was at my house when the pictures of Taylor got posted to Facebook. She was the one who uploaded them to my computer.” I take another deep breath. “She was the one who posted them.”
    Pax sits up straight. “Are you serious?”
    I nod, remembering. At first, I made a weak attempt to stop