Cool Girl

36: After The Match

"Hazel, we're going out for pizza to celebrate. Want to come?" Dad asks when I find him after the match.

"Yes, please. I'm starving." I groan, holding on to my stomach and dad chuckles.

"Where's mom?" I ask.

"Sebastian asked her to bring clothes to change into, she's getting him those from the car." Dad replies.

Dad and I talk about the match when mom finally joins us. "Sebastian says he needs ten minutes."

"Alright. Hazel is joining us." Dad tells her.

"Why don't you ask Ben to come along?" Mom turns to me.

"I'm sure Ben has plans with his family." I say, not sounding too sure myself and then mom confirms my fear when she says, "Mia had to leave. You should invite Ben."

I sigh and nod, "I'll go find him and ask."

I walk away to look for Ben. I run into Ash first but he doesn't know where Ben is and neither does Sebastian when I find him walking out of the boy's locker room. I'm about to give up when on a hunch I head for the swimming pool and swipe my student ID to get in. Sure enough Ben is sitting there, all alone.

"Hey." I say as the door clicks shut behind me.

Ben looks up and I'm shocked to see his eyes gloomy and sad instead of cheerful from the win.

"What's wrong?" I ask, walking over and sitting down next to him.

He scoffs, "My mother didn't even care enough to stay till the end of the match."

My heart sinks as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He scrolls to something and then reads out loud.

"Ben, I have to take Charles to a doctor's appointment. This is the message she sent me. This is all she had to say on the day of one of the most important matches of my life. My last freaking soccer match."

He lets his phone drop onto the bleacher next to him as he rests his arms on his knees and rests his head in his hands. I sit in silence unsure of what to say to this boy who has been my best friend since we were four, who I watched get distant from his mother over the last few years and hurt over and over.

I've tried to put myself in Mia shoes time and time again but now all I feel is anger at her ignorance towards her eldest son. Her first born. The child who she went through hell and the toughest times of her life with.

I reach out and place a hand on Ben's arm. "I'm so sorry Ben."

When he finally looks up, I see that his eyes are red and he sniffles. I wrap an arm around his and rest my head on his shoulder. He rests his head on mine and his damp hair from his shower, provides me a sense of comfort, knowing that I'm here with him in his time of grief.

"Mom, actually sent me to invite you to come have pizza with us." I say, looking at the water in the pool.

"I would have loved to if I wasn't such a big mess right now." Ben sighs.

And just like that I've changed my mind, I sit up and take out phone. Mom picks up on the fourth ring.

"Hey mom." I say and I see Ben frown.

"Hey, where are you? I was about to call." She says.

"Yeah, there's been a change of plans. Is it okay if you leave without me? And take all the security with you." I say.

Ben starts to shake his head but I reach out and touch his shoulder.

"But Hazel are you comfortable with no security?" Mom sounds worried.

"I'll be careful. I promise." I assure her.

She's silent for a second before she says, "Alright. But be home soon, please."

"Don't worry." I tell her and then say goodbye.

"Hazel..." Ben starts but I shake my head, "McDonald's drive through or Burger King? And I'm not taking no for an answer."

His expression changes from a frown to bewilderment to a smile in a matter of seconds before he laughs softly, "Hazel, please don't blow off your family plans for me."

"And what are you? I'd consider someone who's been around for nearly all my life, family, wouldn't you?" I raise an eyebrow, a smile on my face.

Ben simply nods and leans forward to kiss me. I hold onto the collar of his shirt as he pulls me to him and deepens the kiss.

"Burger King?" He says when we end the kiss.

"Yes, please." I laugh as he stands up and holds out a hand to me. I let him pull me up from the bleacher and then we head out of the pool building.

The school has emptied significantly in the last fifteen-ish minutes that we were inside and I notice that Westbridge's school buses have also left just as I hear Ben groan.

"What?" I ask.

"I rode here with Liam. I don't have my car." He replies.

I smirk and hold up my keys, "Well, we're in luck. Will you drive?"

"Sure." He says and unlocks the car.

We drive to Burger King and get our food from the drive through before stopping in the parking lot to eat it.

"Thanks for staying with me." Ben says as we dig into our food.

"Ben, please stop with the formalities."

"It's just nice to have someone care about you." He shrugs.

"Hey! I've always cared about you." I flick a French fry at him.

He catches it and eats it making me shake my head. This is Ben and me in a nutshell. Nothing can break our bond of nearly fifteen years. Not a kidnapping father, not an ignorant mother. It just brings us closer.

Okay, I said that I loved the previous chapter but I love this chapter even more!! Comment and tell me if you like it too :)

-T