In the Middle of Two Sides

Chapter 6

#73 Rhys Doyle

...

I was sitting awkwardly, as usual, with Greyson as my mom hounds Coach Miller about how I'm doing. It's not like she knows anything about hockey, but it is nice that she cares. My uncle was showing stupid memes on his phone to me every two seconds.

"Greyson this is the fifth cat one in a minute. Give me a break please." I whined. We've been here for well over half an hour and he's starting to drive me insane. I really wish Brown was here so we could talk. It seems he found his person and now I'm just someone that he used to hang out with.

I miss him.

"Fine then. Be that way." I rolled my eyes at him. "So that's the girl?"

"I'm not answering that." I mumbled as he leaned over and bumped my shoulder. I looked over at him as he grinned. "Ok fine, that's her. She's great huh?"

"Oh she's wonderful. I think that's your problem." I whipped my head around him, "Rhys kid, Madeline is great and sweet and wonderful and I don't know. I don't think she fits in with us."

I snorted, "Says you. You were literally the good kid in our family. Aunt Amelia and yours relationship is a walking Hallmark. How is this different?!" I was slightly offended.

Madeline was the sweetest human on this earth and she's too good for my family? I mean yes she is, but like that doesn't mean I don't want her around. She makes things brighter.

"I know that look, she's the light? I know I'm just making sure you're not putting her on a pedestal. It's been, two weeks since you've really started talking to her? Just get to know her better."

"That's all I want. I've never done this." I sighed as my uncle laughed at me and patted my back.

"Trust me Rhys, I know." Why was he being rude today? I don't get it. "When's she coming over?"

"She's not, she's hanging with her friends." I sighed as he rubbed my head.

"Isn't that where you should be instead of with your boring family?"

I shrugged and looked up to see if my dad had gotten his water out of the vending machine or if he was still fighting it. He hadn't and he was still there. He was also employing Maya to try and stick her hands in the machine to get it to work for him. It wasn't, but at least he was trying.

Amelia was scolding her child and I wonder if Maya even liked her mom. Sure Aunt Am was great, but she's always so uptight. If she wasn't at the law firm, she was head deep making sure Maya was studying. It was mental, but it was kind of nice to see her again. Mainly Greyson, but it's the thought that counts right?

"You're not boring." I mumbled back as he sighed. It wasn't the answer he was hoping for, but it was the one he was going to get. I don't get why hating your family is such a thing. Why wouldn't I want to hang out with them? This is this is the only time I'll get to see the majority of them until the football game. Most kids don't have that opportunity.

Like Madeline.

I sure hope everything's alright with her family. It's not I didn't notice her crying to Garret when he left. He was doing a horrible job of comforting her because she did blow up and leave him. I'm not saying that made me happy, but she was no longer crying into another guy's arms. I can't exactly not be happy about that.

I just worries me why she was so worked up. Was everything okay with her family? Like I know if something happened to my family I'd be a wreck as well. Maybe she was just missing her parents. It can't exactly be easy not having time here to enjoy college life. This is what she worked for and now they can't share it with her. I know that level of sadness.