Lacrosse

34- Unplanned and Hope Handed

Josh

After practice on Thursday night, I begin to get really concerned about Kendall. She still hasn't been at school and nobody, not even Destiny, has truly talked to her. Destiny has gone over to drop off homework, but Kendall shoos her away before she gets the chance to start a conversation. Kendall never misses school or practice. This is her livelihood. Everything in her life has been about being the best she can be so she can get a scholarship to college, because without a full ride, she won't be able to go. For her to miss three days is shocking and means that she is truly hurt.

I don't even know that I'm doing it when I start driving. I think that I'm going to my house, but my hands are steering my car in a different direction. I drive past the large, wealthy homes of Pittsburgh and into the more realistic houses that your everyday people live in. I keep going and find myself turning into the only trailer park in this part of the city.

I pull my black Ford into the driveway of a slightly off-white trailer with a screened off patio off to the side and a beaten up Kia in the front. I hesitate before stepping out, knowing that the chance of Kendall actually wanting to talk to me is slim to none and the possibility of her parents letting me even if she wants to are practically nonexistent. Yet I still do it and before I know it, I am standing outside the rusted metal front door after knocking, waiting for someone to open it.

I hear voices coming from inside what I presume to be the kitchen and I see two people moving about. Neither of them come to the door and I don't really expect them to. If our positions were opposite, my mother and father certainly wouldn't open the door for Kendall.

But I still stand there, hoping that maybe the door will swing open.

Right when my hope is almost completely gone and I make up my mind to leave and act like I never came, the silhouette of a woman appears behind the thin curtain covering the window of the door. The door swings open and I see Jill, Kendall's mom, standing there. Her red hair is half pulled into a ponytail, the other half hanging loose to her shoulders. Her green eyes narrow at me, as if the mere presence of me outside her house is despicable.

"Hello Josh." She shifts uncomfortably on her feet before deciding to lean against the door frame.

"Hi Mrs. Freed," I reply. I usually call her Jill, but it doesn't feel appropriate now. Since Saturday night, everything that Kendall and I built for nearly three years diminished.

She sighs loudly and I'm not sure if it's because she doesn't know what to say or she is just in disbelief that I am here. "Kendall won't want to see you."

"I figured." I shove my hands into the pockets of my sweaty gym shorts and look down at my slides. "Sorry I bothered you."

I begin to walk away from the door and towards the exit of the patio when Mrs. Freed stops me again.

"Josh," she says, "get her back."

I tun around to look at Kendall's mom, shocked at the words that have just left her mouth, but she is already gone. She has retreated back into the small kitchen area, closing the door behind her.

Why would Mrs. Freed tell me to win her daughter back? I mean, it's reassuring to hear because that's exactly what I want to do but I didn't expect anyone else to support me. The whole school practically hates me and hopes that Kendall finds someone that will treat her better than I did. My mom is still trying to set me up with Kimmy, telling me that it was a gift for her to show up at school to break Kendall and I up. The last person I expected to hear support from was Jill. This is her daughter we're talking about. Her only child. Why would she want someone to be back in her life after breaking her heart not just once, but twice? It just doesn't make sense to me.