Take Your Time

Chapter 17

Peyton POV

Tuesday's game we won 3-0. Our next game is this Saturday.

As I leave the locker room, I pick up my strides to catch up with McKenna.

"Hey girl hey!" McKenna shouts cheerfully. "Did you hear?"

My attention rises as I look at her. "Did I hear what exactly?"

"Coach is leaving after Saturday's game." My jaw drops open at her statement. "He is taking over a soccer program at a college a couple hours away from here."

What the hell? How does she know about this? "But we are winning Saturday, why would he leave then?"

"Word on the street is he has been trying to leave for a couple years. All he needed was a star player to bring attention to him." McKenna smacks my back. "Coach leaving is all because of you."

I roll my eyes at her comment. "He can leave for all I care. We will win the state championship without him and he won't be able to take the credit for it."

"Hell yeah!" McKenna smacks my arm this time. "I'm totally not as confident as you, but I can pretend to be."

Life and this school year would be boring without her. I decided to put soccer to the side and focus on the reason why I am walking with her at the moment. "Anyways, do you know where Tyler is taking Caitlin tonight?"

"Yeah, of course I do. I am her best friend." She says proudly. "He is taking her to the diner by her house since it's a school night and they both have practice."

I nod my head indicating I heard her. I pull out my phone and send out a quick text.

Peyton: Meet me at my house at 6

"Who are you texting?" McKenna tries to look at my phone. "Your hot ex-girlfriend?"

I glance down at my phone to read the message.

Halie: Will do

I shake my head. "I was actually."

"Are you two going to get back together?"

McKenna has been asking me this every day since she saw Halie at my game.

"Why are you concerned about it?" I question. "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I can't have friends of the same gender without you thinking that I'm going to date them or that I should date them."

We walk into the locker room to get ready for practice. "Okay I'll admit I jumped to assumptions when it came to Caitlin, but Halie is an ex and she is hot."

"Are you saying Caitlin isn't hot?" I don't understand what McKenna's logic is here.

McKenna scrunches up her face. "I don't think of my best friend in that way. She is okay looking but she is no Halie."

I start chuckling as I look towards my locker to see Caitlin staring at McKenna and me with hurt expression.

McKenna didn't seem to notice that her "best friend" was hurt by the comments. She goes to her locker and I slowly approach mine.

"Hey." I smile at Caitlin who turns her back to me right away. "Please don't be like that."

She takes a seat and starts putting her socks on. "I'm not being like anything. I'm trying to get ready for soccer practice. Is that wrong of me?"

"Caitlin." I try to calm the mood. "I can tell by the look you gave me and the tone in your voice that you are angry. Please talk to me."

I start getting dressed as Caitlin stands up. "Why would I be angry? Who cares if Halie is hot? Who cares if I'm not? I don't have to have McKenna and your approval on how I look to be happy. I'm sorry that McKenna and you thought dissing me was funny. It's pretty low of two people I thought were my friends, especially you who I thought..."