Ellie's POV:
I hate when my parents fight, it's always so horrible. The yelling and the sound of things breaking can go on for hours. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but no. As soon as it starts I run out my back door and walk to the park. I always go to the park further away from my house; it's probably only eight miles. However, today it seems like eight hundred. I'd go to the park closer to my house, but last time I was there some guys tried to get me to go into the woods with them. Thankfully, Officer Jacob Hernandez drove up and they scattered. Having parents that are alcoholics, I'm on a first name basis with most of the cops in this town. I haven't gone back after the incident. Instead, I go to the safer part of our town which is literally, over the train tracks. The town is divided between those tracks. One side is middle to upper class and the other side, where I live, is the struggling lower class.
I always walk to the same place, the swings and sit for hours. Just hoping when I go home both of my parents are passed out. Sitting at my usual swing with my head down, I try not to draw attention to myself. I make sure I don't look around, I don't want to see the happy families, laughing and enjoying the sunny day. If I watch them I know I'll cry. I'll cry because I'll never have what they have - loving, supportive parents who actually care where their kids are during the day.
I see Lacey and Julie, two girls from high school running the path around the park. I look down hoping to God they don't see me. I check my watch it's only eleven in the morning. I have seven hours until I can walk home. I always make sure I'm back before dark, but not a minute sooner. I sway on the swing listening to the children laughing and dogs barking. When the swing next to me moves I keep my head lowered.
"I swear you're here every day." I can tell it's a boy by his voice. It's deep, husky almost.
I shrug hoping he'll take the hint that I don't want to talk and go away. He doesn't, he stays quiet and sits on his swing. "Can you talk?" he asks, seriously. I look over to him amused. I intimately recognize him; we went to the same high school. He was the quarterback on the football team until last year when he graduated. The Bulldogs won state all four years he played. He just finished his freshman year at Ole Miss and must be home for the summer.
"I'm Knox Hendrix." He introduces himself.
I nod. "I know who you are." I look back to the ground and I can feel his eyes follow my movements.
"And your name is?" he asks. I can hear the laughter in his voice.
"Ellie Coleman." I reply.
"Did we go to school together?"
I nod, "I was a year behind you." I answer, before he asks. "I just graduated."
"Why are you always here? At the park."
I respond before I think better of it. "I have nowhere else to go."
"You can't go home?" He questions, intrigued.
"I don't want to be there." I state, looking away from him again. I don't know what it is about his eyes but they are soft and kind. I feel like I can talk to him and he won't judge, he'll just listen. I'm not sure if I like it.
"Why?"
I shake my head not quite believing that I'm spilling my guts to one of the former high school jocks. "My parents fight a lot." I reply, not explaining any further.
I keep my eyes away from him; knowing that he'll look at me with pity like so many of the adults in this town do. Even if they pity me, they make sure their kids stay far away from the Coleman girl. Everyone in this town knows my father. He's been arrested multiple times for domestic abuse, drunk driving and public intoxication. I hate pity, it's worse than the teasing and bullying from the kids at school.
I hear someone call for Knox, but he doesn't respond. When the shouting comes closer, I glance at him confused. He's watching me intently, like I'm a puzzle he's trying to piece together.
"Are you going to answer your friends?" I ask, as I hear them come closer to the swings. He looks to the running boys and stands up, walking to meet them. I don't look at the gathering of boys. I know they're here to play football. It's summer, the soon to be junior and senior football teams play each other for fun. I guess Knox has nothing better to do or likes helping them out with plays. I watched them scrimmage on Monday and Tuesday, it's Thursday now. Knox must have seen me on one of those days. If they're playing it also means Lacey and Julie will be hanging around. I've seen them everyday they've played.
I do love football; it's something my father and I used to do every Sunday. We still watch games together, if they're on early and he hasn't started drinking yet. I'm lost in thought when I hear Knox's voice beside me.
"Wanna go for a walk?" He asks. I look over, startled by his invitation.
"Aren't you going to play football?"
"Not everyone is here yet, we have time. They won't start without me." He replies, taking my hand and pulling me up from the swing. I really don't want to walk with him. If any of the girls from school see me with him, they'll tease me relentlessly. I know because when Jake St.Clair asked me on a date two months ago they followed me around calling me trailer trash. Jake is considered off limits because he's Lacey Thorpe's ex-boyfriend. When the head cheerleader and queen bee at Benjamin High doesn't want you to date someone, you don't. When Jake found out what they did he apologized, but talking to me again made it worse. By the end of the day I was covered in paint and my locker was full of maple syrup.
When we start walking I pull my hand from his and cross my arms. I look around and don't see Lacey or Julie. We walk to the paved path that goes around the whole park and I can feel Knox looking at me so, I drop my head even lower. I know he probably can't see my face anyway. He's 6' 6" which, compared to my height of 5' 3" he'd have to be on his knees to see my face.
"Did you go to the games? Is that how you know me?" He asks, breaking the silence.
I scoff, at his ridiculous question. "You're the pride of Sanford; everyone knows who you are."
"Yeah, I guess that was a stupid question." He comments, slightly embarrassed.
"Yep." I agree.
He chuckles, "Thanks for the honesty."
I laugh with him. "No problem. I'm sure you have enough people kissing your ass, you don't need another one." This earns another laugh. As we round the corner I see Lacey Thorpe and Julie Winters, the girls who will now make my life hell, great.
"Hey, Knox!" I hear Lacey's flirtatious voice and I start making more space between Knox and I. He notices and looks at me confused.
"Lacey, Julie." He nods to them.
"What are you doing, trailer trash? Trying to land the top bulldog? Please, you're so pathetic." Lacey says, looking disgusted. I hate standing by her and her minions, they always look so perfect.
"Don't be such a bitch, Lacey." Knox states irritated.
"I wasn't talking to you, Knox." She snaps rudely, glaring at me. "You remember what happened last time you thought you could climb the social ladder?"
I nod, "I'm not with him. We are just talking, that's all." I explain, weakly.
"I don't like you talking to anyone I know. I warned you last time." She sneers.
"I didn't want Jake to ask me out, it's wasn't my fault." I respond, defensively.
"That's beside the point, stay on your side of the tracks and under my shoes, or you'll regret it." She threatens.
"It's not her fault you can't keep a guy interested." Knox states, sounding bored.
I suck in my breath as I see Lacey and Julie turn red and shoot daggers at Knox. He takes my hand and moves us past them, not saying a word until we are out of hearing range from them.
"Are you okay?" he asks, sympathetically.
"Well, besides the fact that I'll probably have my eyes gouged out by either them or one of your many admirers, I'm fine." I reply, sarcastically. I knew this would happen, it's not worth it. I should have been a bitch to him and refused to talk.
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen."
I roll my eyes, "You'll just make it worse." I start to walk faster trying to get away from him, but he easily keeps up.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know they'd be like that." Knox apologizes.
I let out a sigh, I'm not sure how to get away from him.
"I'll take care of them. They won't touch you, I promise." He states, grabbing my hand and pulling me to a stop. "I want to be friends. I have a lot of dirt on them, I'll talk to them later and if they do anything to you, we'll get them back." He smirks. I nod and cross my arms, not truly trusting him.
"Why do you want to be friends with me?" I ask, suspiciously.
"Why not? I could use a friend and so could you." He points out.
I agree not quite certain it will work out. We continue to walk the rest of the way. When we get to the field where the boys are gathered they come to greet us. I see Jake as he walks towards us, looking surprised as they rest of them that I'm standing with Knox. I start to shuffle my feet, getting uncomfortable with all the stares. Knox puts his arm around my shoulder to comfort me I think, but he only makes me more nervous.
"This is Ellie, guys. Be nice, she just survived an attack from the biggest bitch in town."He announces as I try to hide my smile.
"Again! Dammit, I'll talk to Lacey." Jake says, irritated and looks at me sympathetically.
"I'll take care of it." Knox states, as one of the guys tosses him the football.
"Are you playing?" Jake asks me. "We need another QB and I know you have a mean spiral." He comments, smiling at me. I shrug and Knox tosses me the ball. I grip it.
"I love the feel of a football." I say, quietly, earning a few chuckles. Jake starts running and when he's about 15 yards away I throw the ball. My aim is spot on and it lands in his hands perfectly.
"Nice throw, El." Knox says, impressed.
I raise my eyebrow, "El?"
He smiles at me, "It's either a nickname or I'm going to smack your ass every time I see you." He teases.
I laugh, "El, it is then."
"Damn. Oh, well. Let's play. You're on the juniors' team." He points to the other group of guys as he walks to his.
********
We are on our last play before we lose to the seniors and I'm irritated with Mark, one of the wide receivers. He keeps getting covered and won't run behind the defense. I grasp his shirt after another close interception that could have been prevented.
"If you don't pull your head out of your ass and get behind those defenders, I'm going to staple your balls to your chin!" I yell, shoving him and taking up my position. I hear Knox laughing with the other offensive players on the sidelines. I ignore them as I take the snap and watch the player's file down the field. Finally, Mark listens and I throw him the ball. He catches it and runs about five yards before he's tackled. We lost by two touch downs which is pretty good. However, I think the seniors were taking it easy on us. As we walk off the field I feel hands slapping my butt and the boys telling me 'good game'. I shake my head and continue to the path. Knox smiles at me when I get closer.
"Staple his balls to his chin, huh?" he asks, chuckling.
I laugh, "I can't believe I said that, sorry Mark." I apologize, grimacing.
"I'm just happy you were thinking about my balls." He teases and I roll my eyes.
"Alright, let's get outta here it's fucking hot." Knox complains, throwing his arm and my shoulders. I look up to him, confused.
"Where am I supposed to be going, exactly?"
"To my house for lunch and to hang out. That way you don't have to spend all day here." He explains.
"I like it here. I'm fine. Thanks for the game; it was fun." I try and shrug his arm of my shoulders but he doesn't budge.
"You have to keep me company, for the rest of the summer at least." He states, looking at me. "As my new best friend, it's your duty."
"Wouldn't your real best friend have something to say about that?" I question.
"Doesn't matter. You're better at football then he is anyway." He says, as he pulls me along with him. We stop at his black trail blazer and he unlocks the door and opens it for me. I slide in and put my seatbelt on. Inside the car it's really hot so I'm happy when Knox gets in and starts the engine, putting the air conditioning on full blast. We pull out of the parking lot and the boys in the other cars honk and wave. I wave back laughing at their antics.
"I think they like you." Knox jokes.
"They're good guys, I'm surprised."
"Why?"
"I've never talked to them. I guess I expected them to be like Lacey." I admit.
"Lacey thinks she can control everyone, she's delusional. If anyone messes with you, tell me right away and I'll deal with it." He states, seriously.
"You're my first best friend. Is that part of the duties? Protection and tattle-tailing?" I question, jokingly.
"Yep."
We pull up to a big two story Victorian house with a wraparound porch. It's white and pristine looking. I love it instantly. I open my door and follow Knox up the steps and through the front door.
He leads me to the kitchen, its white cabinets and black granite countertops are sparkling. When Knox opens a door I'm surprised when I see it's the refrigerator, it just looks like a cabinet.
"Soda or water?"
"Soda, please." He hands me a can of coke and gets one for himself. He also brings out turkey, lettuce, tomato and mayo. I watch as he makes three sandwiches and puts them on two plates then adds a handful of potato chips to each.
"You're going to eat all that?" I ask, pointing to the two thick sandwiches and pile of chips.
"Of course. I have to keep this body in peak condition." He smirks. I roll my eyes and he laughs. "Carry the soda, I have the plates." He orders as he takes a plate in each hand, walking out of the room and down the stairs to the basement. The basement is made into a theatre with a huge sofa that could easily be mistaken for a bed if not for the throw pillows. There's a large flat screen on the wall and a rack of movies. Knox sits and I follow him. He hands me my plate and I give him his coke. I wait for him to turn on the television but he doesn't, he leans against the arm rest and faces me.
"Tell me about yourself, El." He demands, taking a bite of his sandwich.
I bite my lip, he knows too much about me already. "Um...my favourite color is red and I want to be a sports writer at ESPN one day."
"Nice. What else?"
I think about what else to say, "I don't have any brothers or sisters..." I shake my head. "I don't know what else to tell you."
"Where do you want to go to school?"
"Ole Miss would be my dream but only because they have a great PR program and I want to have that as my minor while I major in journalism. Plus, Drew Richards is one of my favorite NFL players." I don't tell him that I didn't even apply. He'd ask too many questions.
"You know about Coach Richard's? Most people forget he played, his career was cut so short."
"My dad went to high school with him, he followed his career. We have all of his games on tape, even his last." I reply, sadly, thinking about the horrific knee injury that ended his career.
"Ole Miss isn't too far from here. It's about three hours, it's where I go."
I nod, "It doesn't really matter anyway. I'd never be able to afford to go there."
"What about scholarships?"
"Well, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not a football star. Plus, I wouldn't qualify for any academic scholarships I only have a 3.4 GPA." I start eating my sandwich hoping he drops the subject. I don't tell him I can't apply to any schools because I have my parents to take care of. I don't know how I'll do it, but I will make it to ESPN. I will write for the publication or television news pieces. I just have to wait.
I think he sees my unease and asks, "What's your favourite movie?"
"ET." I answer, "How about you?"
"Great Outdoors or Braveheart."
"Two very good choices." I reply, seriously.
We finish our lunch and watch 'Taken' I'd never seen it before and it was awesome. Definitely my new favorite movie. The credits are coming on when a women's voice calls for Knox. He stands up and holds out his hand to me, helping me up. "Come meet my mom. Ah, just so you know. She's going to freak out that I brought a girl home."
"What do you mean? Was I not supposed to be here? I'll hide." I panic.
"No, it's not that. You're just the first girl I've ever brought home. Relax, it'll be fine." He smirks. What does he mean the first girl he brought home? He doesn't give me much time to think about it before he pulls me upstairs. When we enter the kitchen I see a women with dark brown hair not quite as dark as Knox's, but they do have the same shade of blue green eyes.
"Well, hi there. I'm Leila." She greets me with a smile holding out her hand. Knox was right she's almost jumping up and down.
I shake her hand, "Hi, I'm Ellie." She cocks her head to the side, looking at me.
"You look very familiar, Ellie."
"I work at Leo's." I reply; the local diner is the only place I think I've seen her before.
"That must be it. Hank and I go there after church every Sunday." I nod, I work Friday, Saturday and Sundays. I try picking up any shifts I can, but it usually never happens. After an incident with my drunken father coming into restaurant demanding food one Saturday, I've been called off repeatedly. Not that I blame Leo, the owner. I still hear people talking about it.
"I'm making El my new best friend. She's going to be here a lot." Knox states, eating grapes out of one of the grocery bags on the counter.
"Best friend?" Leila asks, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I'm sure your brother will have a field day with that." She laughs and Knox narrows his eyes.
"I'll kick his ass." He warns for some reason.
"Well, is your new best friend staying for dinner?" She asks, smirking.
"Yep." Knox answers. I watch two guys come into the kitchen with their hands full of grocery bags. The older of the two I know is Hank. I don't know the other guys' name, but I'm sure it's Knox's brother; they look alike. Knox is taller and more bulky, but they have the same facial features.
"Hello, beautiful. Please tell me she's my birthday present." He begs, looking at his Mom and Dad.
Ignoring his comment, Knox introduces us, "This is my older brother Ben, Ben this is Ellie." Ben hugs me and kisses my cheek.
"Nice to meet you Ellie. How did you meet my baby brother?" He asks, trying to pinch Knox's cheeks.
"The park." I answer, smiling at Knox, who repeatedly knocks Ben's hand away from his cheeks. "Happy birthday, by the way."
"Knock it off." Knox demands hitting the back of Ben's head.
Hank scoffs, "His birthday is five months away. Hello, I'm Hank."
"El-" I start to say, shaking Hanks hand but Ben interrupts.
"Mom, Dad, Knox." He nods to each making eye contact, "I have an announcement. I'd like you to meet the future Mrs. Ben Hendrix." He says, putting his arm around my shoulder pulling me away from Knox, who glares at Ben.
"You have the Hendrix part right." Knox mutters.