A Sports Romance • Basketball/Soccer/Lacrosse
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Two Neighbor Enemies. One Fake Relationship.
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"I'm sick and tired of pretending. I want us. I want you and me."
"And so what? Do you want to be with me? Because I'm sure tired of being a second choic...
When I enter the kitchen Reuben is there eating cereal.
"Hey, how was school?" I asked as I grabbed cereal myself.
Reuben shrugs and mumbles, "It was fine."
I nod my head slowly and sit down next to him, pouring the cereal and milk into my bowl.
"You?" He asks and I shrug too, "Same old. Free periods and watching movies in classes."
We don't say anything to each other after that. All we do is sit in silence while eating our cereal.
The sound of footsteps breaks our silence and we glance up from our bowls to see Angelina walking into the kitchen.
She gives a small smile before going to grab an apple from the fruit bowl.
Just as she's about to leave, I stop her.
"Lenny, come sit down with us." I pat the table and she turns around with a nod.
I watch as she sits down in front of me and takes a bite of her apple.
Reuben clinks his spoon against his empty bowl repeatedly, in his world.
"Alright, guys. Let's not do this. Papa wouldn't want us to be like this." I dropped my spoon into my bowl and sighed.
"Be like what? Upset? Sad? No offense, Mauricio, but you might've hated Papa for his addiction but we didn't. He meant the world to us, so we're sorry that us being sad over our father's absence is bothering you." Reuben spats at me and I feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.
Is he serious right now?
I glance over to Angelina who's not making any eye contact with me. But I know she agrees with everything Reuben just said.
"He meant the world to me too, Reuben. I spent years taking care of him. Years. I endured everything so you guys wouldn't. It was mentally and physically exhausting taking care of a forty-year-old drunk man. So, don't say he didn't mean anything to me, because he did. And I know Papa would want us to be happy and patient for him."
Reuben's eyes start turning red and watery, "I just miss him."
I wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him against me, "So do I. I miss him so much."
Reuben wipes his tears away and sniffles.
"We have to stick together and stay strong. Papa will be back sooner than we might expect." I reach out for Angelina who's crying now too.
She takes my hand and I smile at my little siblings.
We got this.
It's always been us three against the world.
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