California Dreaming

Chapter Twelve

   “You’re coming tonight, right?” Gabriel asked, as we all walked home together. Henry was giving Leila a piggy back ride and Gabes had an arm wrapped around me, he smelt like sunshine. 

   “You have to, Ji! You’ve got to support your guys!” Henry exclaimed, nibbling at Leila’s ear playfully, as she stuck her head over his shoulder, giggling loudly. 

   “Of course I’ll come!” I grinned, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, I didn’t know you were on the team too, Hen,” I said, looking over and frowning at Henry. 

   “Yeah! I’m the right back, wouldn’t have a team without me,” he winked and I rolled my eyes, although I couldn’t deny that I loved this about him, the fact that nothing anyone ever said would burst his little bubble. 

   “And you play left forward?” I looked up at Gabes, he nodded. 

   “On a good day,” he chuckled. 

   “He’s being modest, he’s their star player,” Leila chimed in, prompting Gabriel’s cheeks to blush pink. 

   “I have no doubt that he is,” I grinned. “I guess I’ll see you soon,” I said as I saw my house approaching on the left. 

   “I’ll be round in half an hour,” Leila called as Henry started to jog down the street, with her still wound around his back. I hugged my arms around Gabriel and gave him a long, desperate kiss. 

   “I love you,” I whispered, “and I’ll see you after the game, good luck.” 

   I walked up to my front door and waved at him before slipping inside. I peered out a window and watched as he sprinted after Leila and Hen, who had already made it halfway down the block. It was a little surreal to think that in an hour or so, I would be attending my first American soccer game. I heard my phone ringing and rummaged through my bag to find it, holding it to my ear. 

   “Hello?” I spoke apprehensively. 

   “Jia! Start getting ready! You have twenty five minutes!” Leila exclaimed. “I can’t hear you climbing those stairs, quick!” 

   “I’m going, I’m going!” I giggled, jumping up the stairs and dumping my bag on my bedroom floor. 

   “Okay, I’m going to to get dressed, remember to tie it up!” 

   “I’m not doing it!” I argued. 

   “Oh come on,” she groaned. 

   “Not a chance.” 

   “Just do it, you’ll look hot,” she said sternly, “see you soon!” She hung up the phone and I sighed, looking at my reflection in the full length mirror and cocking my head to one side, twitching my lips thoughtfully and laying a hand across my stomach. 

   I started to take off my school uniform, opening my wardrobe and grabbing the pair of shorts Leila had lent me the day before. I pulled them on and checked in the mirror. They were a burgundy colour, with two yellow stripes down the side, but they were way too long, nearly reaching past my knees. I then pulled on Gabriel’s old team shirt, one which was too small for him now. Leila had wanted me to tie it up, showing off my bear abdomen, but I was very conscious of my scar and did not want to raise any questions. It was baggy on me too, like the shorts, but it didn’t look too bad, I thought, paired with a pair of Nike’s, bright green and blue and pink. 

   “Jia, are you ready?!” I heard Leila calling through the letterbox in the front door, after ringing the doorbell several times. I took my bag and hurried down the stairs, opening up the front door and rushing out. 

   “I’m ready, I’m ready,” I rolled my eyes. 

   “Jia,” she stopped and looked at what I was wearing, “why didn’t you roll it up?” 

   “I didn’t want to,” I grimaced, “no-one wants to my stomach, I’m all pale.” 

   “You still look hot, but you would have looked smoking,” she flicked her hand and that made me laugh, because it sounded so strange coming out of her mouth. 

   “If anyone looks hot, it’s you,” I convinced her. She had rolled the shorts up until they were barely covering her arse, and had them hanging low off her hips. She was wearing one of Henry’s old shirts, but cut, so that it only reached an inch or two above her belly button. 

   “Quick,” Leila took a stick of face paint from her pocket and put two stripes on each of my cheeks, before instructing me to do the same to her. 

   We walked over to her small, convertible car and I jumped into the passenger seat, before we started back towards school. My phone buzzed in my bag and I slipped it out, trying to keep a calm facade whilst around Leila, despite what I saw. It was me, in my underwear, only minutes ago. 

   “I have to say, Jia, I think you’ve let yourself go :/ LOVE AND KISSES xoxoxoxoox.” This was the text that followed, but his words had nearly no effect on me, not after the photo I had just seen. 

   “Is everything okay?” Leila asked, grinning at me from the driver’s seat. 

   “Of course,” I nodded, stuffing the phone inside my bag and beaming at her, “never been better.”