"You don't have to carry it" I say when Joe lifted up my bag.

"Yes I do" he said. "You got hit in your shoulder pretty hard."

"Joe" I whined as I bumped into him. "I'm fine. I don't even feel it."

He chuckled and draped his arm around my shoulder. "Still, I already picked it up and I don't want your friends to judge me."

I turn around to see Marge and Sasha talking to each other as they stared at Joe and I. Marge then started to blow kisses at us and I quickly gave her the finger, that caused the two to burst out in laughter.

"To late, they already do" I snorted.

"Well when you and that Noel girl left, Gary came in and cussed the hell out me. Saying that this was a closed practice and I should smoke my J's somewhere else."

"He's paranoid like that" I say.

"I noticed" he said as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket. Joe opened the trunk and dumped my bag in it. He unlocked the doors and we both slid in. "Ready?"

"Yep" I say. We pull out of the parking lot at 8:43 and begin the hour long drive home.

When we pulled into the highway Joe turns to me. "How old is your brother?" He asks.

"Carl's twenty three" I tell him. "Oh, what's your brothers name?"

"Caleb" he nods.

"Does he like derby to?" I ask.

"I don't know. He never wanted to come with me when I went to matches back in Seattle" Joe told me. "He thinks is just skating in circles."

"Bring him to the match this Friday" I tell him. "Me and the girls will straighten him out."

Joe laughed. "I think he would rather go to the football game."

"Ew" I shudder.

"You hate football?" He asks.

"It's okay, I just don't like high school football" I said.

"That's reasonable" Joe chuckled. "Anyway, how did you get involved in derby?"

"I was in Phoenix with my brother. We were walking around and then saw these signs for a derby match. He wanted to go but I didn't but he dragged me along" I say as I try to remember what had happened. "At that moment I loved it. Then I met Noel and she and I became friends. She pulled some strings with Gary to see if I could get me on the team."

"So they let you on the team like that?" He asked with a snap of his fingers.

"Oh no" I say as I shake my head. "I had to go to tryouts a month later. I made it though."

Joe continues to drive towards town through the desert. The town I lived in was rather big for being in the middle of nowhere. Even though there wasn't anything to do here it was still home.

"Where am I dropping you off at?" Joe asks when he drives into the town.

"The high school. I need to get my car" I say.

Joe nods and steers the car towards the school. Within minutes we pull into the parking lot and he parks right next to my car. Joe takes the key out of the ignition and then we both leave the car. When I was busy trying to find my keys out of my purse Joe got my bag out of the trunk.

"Here you are" he said as he handed me the bag.

"Thanks" I say as I take the bag and place it in the backseat of my car.

"No problem" he says as he slams the trunk shut.

We stand there in awkward silence for a minute or two. I didn't know what to say so I settled for something simple.

"See you tomorrow" I say as I open the car door.

Joes head snapped up and he gave me a soft smile. "See you tomorrow."

I sat down and started up. Joe was standing a few feet from my door and I waved before driving off.