A Matter Of Time

Chapter 4

  Riley's POV

"Prepare to be amazed!" I said.

"But-But she's a girl," someone said.

"I train just as hard as you do, maybe even more then most of you, I think I deserve a chance to tryout since this school doesn't have a girl soccer team," I explained.

I notice Wes and Ashton's jaws were still dropped so I went over to them and lifted their jaws back in place.

"I don't think she can handle this," someone said.

"I already agreed to this," I said.

"But what if most of us don't think this will work?" The same person argued.

"I say let her tryout," Ashton says, "as one of the co-captain's I say we should let her play."

"Lahey, what do you say?" Coach asks and it takes a while to figure out that it is the other Lahey.

"As the other co-captain, I must say I want to see what she's got," a guy says coming out of the group to stand next to Ashton. I am guessing this is Trent.

Like his father, he seems familiar somehow but I still can't seem to rack my brain around the wall that seemed to form.

Coach snapped me out of my thoughts, "Okay Lahey 2, stand with the group."

I go and stand in between Wes and pretty boy.

"Give me 20 laps around the field now!" Coach shouts and everyone starts running and everyone groans.

I end up in front of the group next to Trent and Ashton.

"Race you pretty boy?" I ask Ashton.

"You're on."

Ashton and I instantly break away from the group and create a huge gap. My breaths were still even when it came to the 10th lap and Ashton was still next to me.

We overtook the group already but Trent was right behind us. He seems to have excepted the challenge as well.

I picked up my pace on the 17th lap, my breaths still even but I could hear Ashton's were coming out a bit faster and louder.

When I realised they were still next to me and I picked my pace up to a sprint, well close to a sprint.

One more lap left and I broke away from Ashton but Trent came up next to me.

We left Ashton behind and got faster and faster. We ended up in a tie. Me and Trent were matched evenly.

Ashton wasn't that far behind us, he was actually two seconds behind us.

Coach looked at me with an impressed look and I gave Ashton a high five.

"Not bad, pretty boy."

"You not so bad yourself," he said between breaths, "You beat me."

His usual dark brown hair was even darker now with the sweat. He took off his shirt that was soaked through with sweat. I took in a short breath when I saw his eigth-pack and his muscular toned chest.

"Like what you see?" He asked and I looked up into his baby blue eyes that seems to be brighter than this morning.

"Right, now drop and give me 20!" coach shouted.

I looked around and saw that all of the guys took off their shirts, even Douglas.

Everyone got down and started to do their push-ups so I got down too an did them easily. It's basically like my daily workouts.

"Burpies!" Coach shouted.

We did burpies.

"Plank!"

We did the plank.

"Sit-ups."

We did sit-ups.

Once we were finished with core work we got a 5 minute break and I ended up taking my top off too revealing my black sports bra and my faint six pack lines.

"Come together people!" Coach called us together.

When we came together everyone seemed to stare at me. I didn't care really, I am not showing anything inappropriate.

"Lahey 2! You seem to be fine with the workout but let's see how you play."

"Sure."

"What position."

"Striker."

"What?! But I am striker," A guy whined and pushed through to the front.

"You can sit out for a while then, Sims," coach said.

"Who's second striker?" I asked.

"That would be me," Ashton said.

"Let's get going then!" Coach said.

"Who's winger?" I asked.

Trent picked up his hand and I nodded.

The team's shooters got in a pairs and I got Ashton. We were supposed to get past the defenders and score.

"Let's go pretty boy!" I said.

I can tell he hates that nickname but he doesn't say anything, only nods.

We both start running forward, Ashton has the ball with him and dribbles it forward. He gets to the first defender and passes it to me. I dribble the ball easily with my feet and I dodge someone and then someone else. The defenders are running after me by now but they can't catch me.

I look for Ashton to pass to but he is being blocked by a few people and is trying to get free.

"Go for it!" He shouts back at me.

Two defenders are waiting for me but I dodge to the side and pass them. I get to the goal but I decide not to go for the obvious.

I lift the ball in the air and flip to hit it with my foot in the air. When I hit it the force of the kick sends it flying in far corner of the goal, just out of the goalie's reach.

I get a rough landing though, right on my butt. Ouch!

"I need to work on my landing," I muttered under my breath.

Ashton showed up in front of me and held a hand up for me to take. I flinch with the fast movement and mentally scold myself for being caught of guard. I take his hand quickly but I know he saw that already.

"Why did you flinch?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I didn't flinch," I play dumb.

"Yes you did."

I shrug.

"Lahey 2, get over here!" Coach called.

"Yes coach?" I asked.

"Welcome to the team," he congratulated.

"What about me coach?" The Sims guy asked.

"You can full in for Lahey here when she needs it and sit with Wesley on the bench."

"But-"

"No, no buts," coach said but the Sims guy just stormed off into the distance with fists clenched.

"Wesley is a bench warmer?" I asked Ashton.

"Yeah, he only plays when he is really needed and that is a desperate need, not many plays soccer here so Wesley got in only because there were too few people."

I nodded.

"Welcome to the team," Trent appeared in front of me.

He looks so familiar, I frowned at him and tilted my head at him.

"Thanks," I said slowly.

He looks seriously familiar. Am I so sure I haven't seen him before?

"Okay! Back to work people!" Coach clapped his hands together.

We practiced until 5pm and I quickly rushed to change and literally ran to the exit of the school.

I ran so fast that I never saw the person in front of me so I ran into a hard chest and fell on my back.

I looked up and Ashton was towering over me holding a hand out.

"I see you're falling for me," he smirked.

I got my bag off the floor, "I really don't have time for this now pretty boy."

"You need a lift?" He asked.

"Uh..." I looked around me to check if we are safe. Now that I am out of the school building my paranoia is back. My eyes and ears are on edge. I am out in the open. With Ashton that could probably see the fear in my eyes.

"I am good, my brother's school is close to here."

"I will give you a lift," he looked at me curiously.

"Uhh... Kind of in a rush to pick him up so could move out the way now?" I ask looking around.

I attempt moving around him but he blocks me again. I fake to the left, going to the right instead and run away as fast as I can but a hand grabs my wrist.

I have a flashback to my nightmare and forget that it's probably Ashton but instead my mind thinks it's him. He's come to finish me off.

The hand spins me around and I visibly relax when I am met with baby blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I forced myself to smile.

"Nothing?"

I nodded, "Actually I will take you up on that offer with driving me, I need to get to my brother and I wouldn't want to be late on his first day."  

He nodded and lead me to a black pick-up truck. I sat in the passenger seat and Ashton sat in the driver's seat. He pulled out of the parking lot and seemed to know which school I was talking about.

I found Kai sitting alone on a grassy area.

I walked up to him and crouched down in front of him, "Kai, it's time to go little guy."

He looked up at me with his sapphire eyes and they brightened when they met with mine, "Okay," he said sadly though.

I helped him up and we walked to Ashton's truck hand in hand. I helped his small form into the truck and sat next to him.

"Isaac, this is Ashton, Ashton, K-Isaac," I said.

"Hello little dude; it's nice to meet you," Ashton said to Kai with a sweet smile.

Kai looked at me for confirmation and I nodded and he turn back to Ashton with a huge dimply grin of his own, "Nice to meet you to Ashen."

I burst out laughing and Ashton had an amused grin, "You can call me Blaine little dude, it's my middle name."

"I like it," Kai said.

Ashton shook Kai's hand before driving out of the school and Kai turns to me with a glare.

"You were late."

"I know and I am so sorry little guy."

"I want to watch you play soccer next practice so you better pick me up early."

"Sure."

Not more than 5 minutes later Ashton pulls up to our little house. Kai and I climb out into and came to the door. I waved at Ashton and he hooted before driving off.

"What would you like for dinner?" I asked Kai.

"A sandwich is fine," he said and we walked in together.

I think I rubbed off on him since I wouldn't eat that much during the night, "A sandwich it is then."

Kai sits at the counter and both mine and his homework were spread out on it but his was just a single worksheet while mine was a few different textbook and writing books.

I put his and my sandwiches on a single big plate and put it in the middle of the counter.

"Thank you Riley," he said and began eating it slowly while doing his homework that consists of making patterns.

When he finished I helped him into bed and sang him a song to fall asleep then went back to my homework to distract me from my problems for a few extra minutes. After that it was my daily ritual of pacing my bedroom.

Ever since that fateful day I've never been the same. That day has haunted me for two years now and I can't seem to forget what happened. My parents died but it always seemed like a part of me has died with them; a part of me that I can't get back. The only thing keeping me going is Kai and I will never leave him for anything or anyone. I will never sacrifice anyone for him and that is how it will always go.

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Sorry if this chapter was really boring and I promise it gets better! This chapter was basically just a filler