The First Game
Being the girlfriend of the star quarterback of the school was no easy feat, that Kelsey Harrington can easily tell you. She didn't like football. No, scratch that, she didn't understand football. But after your boyfriend has pleaded with you to attend the very first game he'll be playing at since you had gotten together, especially with those broody puppy eyes and brunette locks framing his face... well, it was hard to say no.
Yet now, Kelsey was inclined to change her mind. Especially considering the fact that as she sat in the bleachers of his first game of the season, and it felt like a thousand daggers staring at the back of her neck.
"What was that again?" next to her, Megan whispered furiously. They had always spent school game nights tucked at home, either fiddling with Seeley's XBox 360, or on her computer on some new game she had bought off Steam. Megan had had to be bribed with copious amounts of chocolate milkshakes to agree to accompany Kelsey, and the blonde was now seated with a thoroughly confused expression, staring at the field of high school boys running around with gear so thick, Kelsey wouldn't have recognized which one was Declan had he not reminded her multiple times, what his uniform number was.
Then again, maybe it wasn't a good thing, because she had completely missed what Megan was asking her about, her eyes busy following the number '9' uniform. Megan rolled her eyes when Kelsey gave a sheepish look. "You've got it bad, Harrington. Are you sure he's worth it?"
Kelsey pursed her lips, and then felt herself flush when she saw Declan on the field, his eyes zooming directly on her figure. Before she knew it, he had fisted his hands, placed them on his chest, and then used the same hand to point his index finger at her. The glares at the back of her neck intensified, and even the cheerleaders turned to stare, but Kelsey shrugged, and gave her best friend an amused look. "I think he is, Meg, I think he is."
---
During the time when I had been going through the break up, Seeley liked to tell me that everything happens for a reason. It had sounded cliche then, so cheesy that I barely heard him, but after a year, I see why he said it. People often change, so we learn how to let go. Things go wrong so we can appreciate it when the world is right, and we get caught in lies so we eventually learn to know who we can trust. And sometimes, the best things fall apart so better things can fall together.
Often, that was the phrase I used to comfort myself, that things had fallen apart between us so something better could come along. Yet with circumstances the way they were, I couldn't help but wonder now, if everything happened for a reason, then why was he back?
Watching as he whirled around to face me with a victorious smile on his face, neither of us realized just how close we were until he turned, and suddenly he was right in front of me, so close I could see the bronze flakes in his eyes, a sight so familiar to me every time before we kissed. With my arms still around his waist, only the thinnest slice of paper could've fit through us, it suddenly felt like that moment. You know the moment in movies when time froze, the camera zoomed in on the hero and the heroine, lights seem to intensify and the romantic background music comes on? Yeah, that moment.
So if everything happened for a reason, what then, was the reason for this?
The moment was broken, when the guy manning the store cleared his throat, and when I looked over Declan's shoulder, snorted a laugh at the funny looking llama plushie he was waving around. "Your prize, manly duck-fisher." I motioned to his back, and the laughter escaped when I saw Declan's face as he set eyes on the glaringly purple, oddly misshapened llama plushie.
He groaned as it was shoved in his hands. "For Christ sake, you would think they give nicer prizes." he muttered, flipping it over in his hands in distaste. I pushed his crutches back at him, and took the plushie away.
"What do you have against him? He looks nice. We should call him Chuckles. Look, he looks like he's constantly chuckling!" I turned and grinned, holding the purple thing up at Declan, who immediately made a face. We made our way away from the tent where people were fishing ducks, weaving our way through the crowds till we finally found ourselves on the edge of the funfair. Helping him into the passenger seat of my car, I threw Chuckles into the backseat, and got in the driver's seat myself, starting the engine to make the drive back to our town.
Expecting it to be silent, considering our close encounter earlier, his voice caught me by surprise. "Kels, I... I'm sorry."
I frowned, chancing a brief look at him before turning back to focus on the road. "What for?" I asked, feigning ignorance and smiling in case he wasn't referring to whatever I assumed it was. "Mr. Chuckle's doesn't look that bad, really."
He laughed, but it sounded hollow. "No, I... I was an ass when I broke up with you."
Silence. What was I supposed to respond to that? 'Yes you were, thanks for breaking my heart?' Hell no. What the hell was he trying to do now anyway?
"I... I never could forget you, Kels. I was horrified when Professor Hastings announced to me that a very familiar Miss Kelsey Harrington was to be my tutor. I tried avoiding you, but it just didn't work. After we broke up, I tried to get as many girls as possible to get you out of my system... nothing worked, Kels, nothing."
That explained the Charlotte, Mikayla and Cammie that came after me, all in quick succession of one another until we finally finished that horrific last few months of our senior year. Prom was a disaster, one which I never went for because I simply didn't trust myself to see someone on his arm. I had stayed in the diner that night, helping Seeley and Dad. While my peers went home, some drunk some not, I went home smelling of burgers and cakes. We neared his place as he spoke, and as I drew to a stop, he continued. "I couldn't stop wanting you. They were nothing like your laugh, your genuine love for life, you-"
"Stop." I internally winced at how my voice cracked when I spoke, but my heart could no longer take it. I had pushed those memories to the back, the furthest corners of my mind, and he just had to dredge it up again. "Why is it always about you, Reed?" I couldn't even bring myself to look at him, yet something told me he was looking at me. Not that it mattered. Not even looking at him, my voice was shaking. So I kept my gaze focused solely on the way my knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel, as I spoke.
"It's always about you. Your game. Your life. Your wants. I... I can't do this. My life can't revolve around you and your wants. But..." I laughed, a hollow sound that sounded foreign, even to my ears. My brunette hair fell as I leaned back in my seat. "The funny thing is my brain wouldn't let me. You forget so easily, but... I don't. Even after you left, I still couldn't. He tried to bring me out, but I... I couldn't do it, Lan. Because of you."
"Who was he?" He immediately asked. I had to stop myself from laughing. What right did he have to sound so jealously protective?
"None of your business. Because we're done." I spat, turning to glare at him. Ignoring the way his brown eyes blazed with a possessiveness that had once struck joy in me, I turned to the back and grabbed the plushie, shoving it into his chest. "Get lost. You passed your quiz. I'll tell Professor Hastings you'll be fine."
"Kay-"
"You lost that right to call me that the day you said we were done, Declan. Leave. Now." My tone broached no argument, and when I turned away, it was a reinforcement of the fact that I didn't want to speak nor see him. Because I had promised myself I was well and thoroughly done with Declan Reed.
---
"Are you sure you'll be fine here with these rascals?"
I laughed when I saw how worried Ayah looked as she turned to me. I was seated in the passenger seat of her family's pickup truck. She had called me in a panic that morning, saying she needed immediate help for babysitting. Her mother was at work as usual, but her elder brother had bailed on her saying he had to pull a late shift at his job. Ayah had a make-up test for one of her classes that afternoon, so I had agreed to babysit her 6 younger siblings for her. She had sounded immensely grateful as she picked me up, but now she just looked beyond worried.
"I'm quite sure. They won't burn the house up, will they?" I asked with a raised brow, unbuckling myself.
"They are a handful, but Estelle and Harmony should be of some help making sure the twins don't get into any mischief." Ayah wrung her hands as we ascended the steps of her farmhouse. Her last words had me staring at her.
"Twins?" I echoed in surprise.
Before she could reply however, the door swung open and two red indian cries were the only thing I heard before Ayah disappeared in a pile of limbs and bodies, followed by two blonde younger girls running out, dragging the bodies of what I now see was three boys off my rather dishevelled looking friend.
"Frank, Georgie, Hank." Ayah grounded out, glaring at three boys who were mischeviously looking at their elder sister.
Obviously, I had my work cut out for me.
Watching as Ayah admonished her younger siblings whilst simultaneously corralling them into position, a sense of admiration sprouted at how easily she handled them. "So, say hi kids." She finally turned to grin at me as a chorus of greetings came from her siblings. "Kelsey, this is Estelle and Harmony, the sane ones of this bunch."
On her right nearest to the door, the two strawberry blonde girls waved at me with a grin. The younger one had her hair up in a ponytail, with a pair of shorts and a serviceable t-shirt. A pair of glasses perched on her nose. The other had let her hair loose, and she had dressed in comfortable cotton shirts and a shirt, with a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. "And these three demons here are Georgie, and the twins Frank and Hank." On Ayah's right, the two younger ones bent their brunette heads together, whispering conspiratorially. Georgie on the other hand, who sported the same strawberry blonde locks as his two elder sisters, gave a smirk and extended a hand. Even at the young age he was, there was no doubt Georgie would grow up to be a handsome heartbreaker.
Much like another one I knew.
You've succeeded in ignoring him over the last two days, Kelsey, don't start now. My inner monologue scolded me. The last two days of the week had been full of me intentionally getting to class late and leaving early to avoid him speaking to me. Not that Declan had not been trying, but I've been known to be very stubborn when I want to. It was partially why I had accepted Ayah's request for my help to babysit. I know myself well enough to know that if I were to sit around all day, my thoughts would inadvertently turn to him, and that was a dangerous turf I did not want to cross.
So here I was, in my denim shorts and buttoned pastel yellow shirt, my shoulder length locks tied up in a ponytail, ready to battle the babysitting duties of 6 kids below legal age.
"Don't trust his innocent face, Georgie's just as bad as those two." Estelle's voice spoke up, just as Ayah nodded.
"Oh, don't worry. I've had my fair share of experiences to know." I smirked in return, internally cheering when I saw the surprise flash in Georgie's light golden eyes. I winked at him, and had to hold back my laughter when he yanked his hands back as if he's been burned.
"Bring them in you two." Ayah instructed her sisters, turning to me again. "They've had their lunch, so just make sure they don't burn the house down when I'm gone. The boys will end up napping in an hour or so, and I should be back before five, so just hold fort until they nap, could you?"
"Go on, I'll be fine. I promise." I grinned, shoving Ayah away as she casted one last worried look before waving and descending the steps. As her ignition fired up, I turned and stared at the open doorway of the Beckett farmhouse. 6 children, one babysitter. Can't be that bad, could it?
---
An hour later, I collapsed on to the sofa. The last time my body had felt so sore was when Seeley had forced me to go to a cycling class with him. I had swore at him for an hour straight during the class, and continued giving him dirty looks days after the class, especially everytime I tried to sit down.
This, was a different sort of pain. I didn't know five-year olds was a whole gym by itself!
"How does Ayah do it everytime?" I groaned out loud to the ceiling. Hearing laughing, I turned, and grinned at Harmony and Estelle's amused giggles. "Thank you for your help girls. I didn't know if I could've gotten Georgie down from the bannisters myself while stopping Hank and Frank at the stove at the same time."
"They are troublemakers, but they love our big sister, so all Ayah has to do is glare at them. They would never think of disobeying her." Estelle explained, as she meandered nearer to pick up some scattered throw pillows and sheets. "I have some homework to finish, and I'm going to help Harmony with hers. The demons won't be up for another hour. Do let us know if you need anything, alright?"
"Sure girls." I waved at them as they headed up the stairwell, before letting my head sag backwards again. The three boys had been forces of nature by themselves, that I would admit I was mildly terrified that they would wake up before their naptime. Closing my eyes in my bid to get rid of the dull thud behind my head, I suddenly remembered the piano they had in the parlor.
Music was always my balm for everything.
Making my way to the parlor and picking up random items which had been scattered in Georgie, Frank and Hank's helter-skelter dash for freedom earlier, my smile involuntarily curled my lips upwards as I opened the cover to reveal the ivory keys.
Someone once said, that music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it a rest, heals the heart and makes it whole. When I had heard that, it made so much more sense to me. I had grown up with it all my life, and nothing calmed me more then ivory keys. I had started off learning classical music, and then instrumentals of pop songs, and after I graduated high school, I had begun composing my own. But my favorite was still playing songs that resonated with me the most. Music was a core part of my life, and with the memory of last night still fresh in my mind, I couldn't help the automatic song choice I made.
As the music filled the space, the silence that had been so scarce just half an hour earlier before the siblings had went to bed, it was so easy for me to immerse myself, in my attempt to soothe the pain that was still raw from yesterday. Anger mixed with it, indignation at both him, and myself, and how I was still so easily ruffled by him, by Declan Reed. I could lie to everyone but him, and how he still manages to rile me up.
As the music faded away, the sudden sound of a slow clap behind me made me turn in shock, my eyes falling upon a brunette male standing in the doorway that led from the hallway. Dressed in beige slacks and a black sweater, his green eyes appeared amused, almost enraptured as he smiled, stepping in to the hall where I sat, transfixed, caught off guard.
"Sorry, did I startle you? I finished earlier, and my boss let me off early." his smile was crooked, familiar in a way that unnerved me. Realizing I was still sitting down, I shot up immediately, awkwardly grinning.
"Sorry! I had just put the boys to sleep, Harmony and Estelle are upstairs and I-"
"Thank you, for helping out. I knew Ayah had a test, so I'm grateful you came over to watch over our motley crew. You must be Kelsey. Ayah's spoken to me about you." the brunette male replied. His voice seemed genuinely thankful, a slight lilt of a laugh hidden behind his baritone syllables. Something about his boyish grin made me smile as well.
"It was no big deal. Although I'm now in awe of Ayah. Does she do this everyday?" I asked in return.
He nodded. "Ayah's amazing. She's a brat, but she's the more responsible one of the lot. I'm James Beckett, but call me Jamie. The eldest one of our crazy bunch. Not the most responsible, that's Ayah's calling."
I couldn't help but laugh. Jamie's easy-going nature, teasing manner, was too easy to warm up to. "And what makes you say that?"
"Well, considering I'm the one bringing Frank and Hank to the creek behind our house to jump in fully clothed in winter... yeah." Jamie replied with a sheepish grin, making me laugh.
Maybe Declan has yet to get out of my system. But it won't be from lack of trying. Because maybe one day, I can turn the page of my book and realize that there is so much more to the book then the page I was stuck on.