"Okay, girls come on in!" We all put away the balls and hurdle around the coach.
"As you should all know, Riley is the new captain. Congratulations." Ten other 'congratulations' are thrown my way from everyone on the team.
"Thank you." I thank everyone while my curious eyes scan the gym for Kirsten. She was nowhere in sight.
"I also have some other news. We all saw what happened last game against the boys." She sighs," Mark admitted that Kirsten made him do it so that she could become captain by default. At first I didn't believe him and Kirsten wasn't admitting to it either. Heath, the captain of the guy's team, said that he heard Kirsten talking to Mark about something like this, but he had no idea they were something that serious. The point of me telling you all this is that Kirsten has been terminated from the team. Heath on the other hand has been suspended from the first game for their season."
Heath stepped up for me? What is he trying to prove?
"So we only have eleven players on the team now?" I ask. Larsen sadly nods.
"That's why I need all of you guys to stay healthy and don't overwork yourselves too much. We can't afford to lose anymore players." Everyone nods. "Now Riley start with the warm up."
"Okay. Let's start with ten laps around the gym!" I yell and everyone starts running including myself.
*********
"Hey, Riley." Kat smiles vaguely sitting next to me while I change out of my shoes.
"Hey." I smile, but Kat looks a little lost in thoughts," What's wrong? And don't you dare say nothing."
She laughs," Riley, like you know I've been acting off a lot lately and I did show up late for the game. I promise I didn't want to. It's just that." She stops to think," My parents are getting a divorce, and after our parents told us this Jarred, my brother, ended up in jail for beating this kid up." Her voice cracks.
"Kat. I really don't know what to say." I admit. "I truly don't know. I've never cared enough about my parents relationship to know how it feels when something like this happens, and I'm not being selfish by saying that either."
"Did you not have a good relationship with your parents?"
"My mom died when I was fourteen and my dad was a drunk."
"How do you do it?" She asks tears slipping from her eyes.
"Do what?" I ask confused.
"Stay happy? You don't even live with them. My parents are just getting a divorce they still care about me and they'll still both be here. Why does it hurt so much?"
"To be truly honest. I don't know. I don't even remember the last time my dad actually cared about me. I don't remember being loved, so I can't really be hurt by losing something I didn't even have. You on the other hand have been loved by both of them your whole life. You're just scared that maybe they won't love you as much as they use to, or that things will be really awkward between all of you. Let me tell you, things only turn out awkward or bad when you let them. You have to take control of the situation to make it work out the way you want it to. If your parents want a divorce it's their choice you should support them. When they're divorced it doesn't mean that you still can't have family nights every Friday. You still can the only difference will be that your mom won't be known as your dad's wife anymore. That's it." Kat wipes away her tears.
"I wish I was as strong as you." She admits.
"I'm not strong Kat. I just know how to hide my weaknesses. Anyone can learn to do that." I hug her. "Now stop crying, and let's get our asses up. How about we go watch a movie or something?" I suggest.
"Yeah." She laughs," How about the new Fantastic Four movie?"
"That sounds great. But you're driving." I add which causes her to laugh.
"We should really get you a car." I nod as we both get up and walk out.
*********
"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off in front of the girls dorm?" Kat asks sitting in her car.
"No, I'll be be fine I just need to talk to him." I assure.
"Okay then, message me and tell me what happens."
"Sure thing." I smile and she drives off. I walk
up to Heath's room.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The door squeaks open. "Ah Riley?" Dylan asks half naked.
"Um is this a bad time?" I ask looking away and holding in a laugh.
"Ah no-"
"Dylan who is it? I thought you said Heath wouldn't be back until like three." I hear Kylie's voice.
Oops.
"Ah, you know what? I'll just go. I was here to talk to Heath, but it seems like he's not here. I'm really sorry." Dylan blushes," And by the way you should really put up a do not disturb sign on the door." I wink, teasing him, and he shuts the door in my face.
I laugh turning around," Such dirty people I live around." I mumble walking back to the girls dorm.
I walk through the dark night and the only lights were the street lamps. I see a figure through the night's darkness walking closer to me," Heath?" I ask as he comes closer revealing his face.
"What are you doing here?" Heath asks as we stop in front of the park's bench.
"I came to to talk to you." I honestly state. "Where were you?"
"I went over to talk to you," he laughs. My mouth forms a 'O' shape.
"What did you want to talk about?" I sit down on the bench and he does the same.
"I had something that belonged to you." He brings my phone out towards me.
I take it from him," Why are you giving it back?"
"Because I heard you're going out with Luke tomorrow. You might need it." He says not holding back the truth; no matter how much it annoyed me. I look down at the solid concrete underneath my feet. After a couple minutes of complete and awkward silence, Heath adds," What did you need to talk about?"
"Oh ahh I just wanted to apologize for being so harsh this morning."
"Oh." He says and we come back to the awkward faze," I ah," He continues after a couple of minutes," I hacked your phone." I look down at my phone being fidgeted by my fingers. "I mean I read your notes." He adds quietly.
All of sudden everything seemed so much more depressed and tiring. My heart started to increase it's rate, and everything around me froze. "I stopped after I read the first one." He adds.
"My nightmares?" My voice cracks. I look up at him through my teary eyes. He nods sadly.
"Riley -"
"No Heath. Just listen to me for a minute." I fight back the infuriating tears," What I wrote and what I write was and is only for me to see. I know you probably didn't mean to read it and if you knew that how close these things are to me you wouldn't have." I take a long and deep breath," You read it and it's okay. The only thing I want you not do is judge me or treat me differently because of what you found out." I look away from him as the tears fight their way through.
"Riley." His hand creases the side of my face. I close my eyes taking in the warm feeling and look up at him," I only read one paragraph. To my curiosity I wanted to read more, but I didn't. I understood that you wouldn't want anyone to so I didn't." He wipes away my tears. "I wish I knew what you went through. All of it." He says not being able to look at me anymore.
"So do I." I say. Jen must've never told him about my life back home. He'd understand my notes better if he did. Heath stares at me shocked and almost horrified. I see his eye's trying to see beneath my dark brown eyes trying to find answers that might be hidden deep in them. I look away not being able to take his curiously searching eyes on me anymore. I let out an emotionless laugh wiping my tears away," You called me Riley. I thought you didn't even know my name."
"I do. I just prefer princess."
"Why?" I ask.
"You'll find out one day." He says getting up and I follow him. "Hey, just take care of yourself, okay?"
"That's what I've been doing my whole life." I send a smile his way. "Thanks for giving my phone back."
"Yeah, no problem." He says not sure of what to say. We stand there and I stuff my hands into my hoodie's pocket.
"I'm sorry you got benched for the first game."
"It's okay, it's my fault. I should've told you the moment I found out about it." He accepts. "Riley, ah who's-" Heath's phone rings. He brings it out of his pocket and the moment he see's the caller ID his face turns hard as stone.
"I-I'll see you later." I say, seeing that he was hesitating to take the call in front of me. He nods and genuinely smiles. Smiles! Heath Levers smiles. Where's my a camera when you need one. I think to myself walking back to the dorm.
I open the door to my room revealing Jen's sleeping figure on the bed. I quietly get into my bed and snuggle in. "Heath came to talk to you." Jen's voice was groggy. I look at her, she was talking with her eyes closed.
"Yeah. I was just talking to him. He gave me my phone back." I respond. After a couple of seconds," Why didn't you tell Heath about my past?"
"Because it's your story to tell, and just like you he has his own demons to fight against." She says. What demons? Is she talking about him not getting over his parents death?
A/N:
I'm starting to dread the fact that schools starting ugh!!!! So that's why I've been writing a lot. I won't be able to update much when schools on. I'm so sorry in advance.
Thanks for reading!
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