You'll Be Okay

Chapter 21

After her first flight was cancelled, Kayley returned on Wednesday.

"Security got hit in the face with a handbag at the airport," she told me over the phone that night. "It was a disaster from the airline but I got to stay with my dad for a few extra days."

Kayley's first meeting with her father was a success - although it was extremely awkward for both of them. Joseph was also a die-hard Lakers fan with a love for Italian food and the owner of two German Shepherds.

"Now that I've met him, I can see why they didn't last." Kayley sighed, sounding exhausted as she got unpacking. "My mom is so high maintenance compared to him."

"He seems nice, though. And your brother?"

There was a disappointed pause. "He's... polite. His name is Ezra which is super cool. Anyway, he's in medical school and lives with his boyfriend so I only saw him once."

Though dejected, she was even more anxious to know what had progressed here during her two-week absence so I brought her up to speed. Starting with Homecoming, then Kade and Lee selling cocaine for Chase Anderson before ending with my new uncle who had turned up out of the blue. Since Kayley grilled me with questions, she was all caught up in time for the Grand Final between Marshall Grammar and the Prep on Friday.

The Grand Final - which Tyler, our star defender, was absent for.

"I left him twenty-three messages," said Jarred holding his phone up to his ear as he dialled Tyler's number once again. "Nothing."

"Call again," Kayley advised helpfully.

Reid grabbed Jarred's phone and tossed it aside. "Jefferson, you're first-string."

Will Jefferson, the bulky boy sitting on the bench, looked smug as he joined the starting lineup. There was murmuring through the crowd, everyone knowing that Tyler being missing for the most important game of the year was going to be costly. But Reid, who was ever-pragmatic, started shuffling his game plan immediately.

"Is Bree here?" I asked Kayley, craning my neck to look towards the other end of the field where the cheerleaders were lining up.

"She's talking to Coach," Kayley pointed.

I looked, just in time to see Bree storming away, throwing down her pom-poms. Dennis said something to her, which she ignored as she made her way back into the locker rooms. A couple of the cheerleaders ran after her.

"Should we be worried?" I asked Jarred, who was pulling on his goalkeeper gloves. "Tyler's never missed a game, right?"

"Yeah, it's not like him," Jarred admitted grimly.

The first siren sounded, allowing the teams to divide into their positions. Reid jogged back to the bench, unzipping his Adidas jumper and shrugging it off, revealing the iconic number 7.

The stadium roared as the captains met in the middle for the kick-off.

"Number fourteen," said Kayley, yelling over the cheering of the crowd. "If he keeps bumping Dennis, he's going to get a red card."

I looked for Dennis on the field and just as Kayley pointed out, he was being closely tagged by an opposing midfielder. Dennis was around six-foot but number fourteen was at least another head taller, baring his teeth like some sort of animal.

The game started and Reid took possession immediately, getting to work as everyone chanted his name. He was fast and meticulous in his movement up the field but his pride was his downfall as he goaded a defender for too long and was intercepted. This was usually when Tyler would masterfully cut off their ball movement but he wasn't here and his replacement, Will Jefferson, was too slow. However, Jarred was as trusty as ever and stopped them from scoring.