Lia
I sit with my legs crossed. Everything from my hips to my knees are sore. I mean everything. Colton sits next to me on the couch his arm resting on the back of the couch. He is very relaxed whereas I seem a little tense. Maria sits on the other side of Colton.
"Where did you two go?" My dad asks.
"Pizza Shop." Colton says.
"There's a game coming up this week Davis. You better be ready. It's a big game actually." My dad says.
"I know sir. I'll be on top of everything don't worry." Colton flashes my dad a smile.
"Lia still needs to tell me wether or not she's back on the team." Maria says leaning forward a little so she can look at me.
"I'm still thinking about it." I say honestly.
"Seems like you're pretty popular with lacrosse around here." Raquel's husband says.
"Yes because she's good." Colton leans his chest foreword. I bring my arm up and gently push him back into the couch.
Colton's arm moves from the back of the couch to around my shoulders and he pulls me to his side.
"For a small town player." The husband-who's name I've figured out is Albert-says.
I sit there and let him insult me. Because he probably is right.
"Hey bud my son made it to the NHL with my coaching." My dad says. Not sure exactly how that is supposed to defend me.
"Yeah but you don't coach her in lacrosse." Albert shrugs.
"Excuse me?" Maria says. He basically just insulted her.
I stand up pulling Colton up with me. I don't want to hear anymore of it.
I drag Colton upstairs to my room with me. I'm still in very much pain so I hope all the arguing is distracting them from the way I'm walking.
We make it to my room and I shut the door silently. I jump onto my bed and the mattress presses into my aching back making me sigh.
"How about a movie eh?" Colton asks laying down next to me.
"Why not." I say scooting closer to him.
_____
"You're going to be fine." Colton says for the hundredth time.
We both are standing by my vanity waiting for Ellie to show up. I'm going to preform at Izzy's today.
"What if there's a lot of people?" I say my heart beating so fast I can feel it in my throat.
"So what? Just imagine that you're the only person there." He puts his hands on my shoulders.
I look at him and we hold each other's gaze. If this was last month I would be freaking out.
Colton's eyes switch between mine.
"You're going to be absolutely great." His voice is low. He breaks eye contact and looks past me at my vanity mirror.
"I really hope so." I lick my lips and bite nervously on my bottom one.
Colton lowers his lips to my ear.
"You also look so fucking gorgeous." He pulls his head back and there's a smile spread across his face.
I smile too.
I'm wearing light jeans with a white distressed sweater. My hair is as usual in its natural state. It's not all that much really.
"Thanks babe." This is the first time I've called Colton 'babe'. It feels exciting coming out of my mouth.
There's a knock at my door.
"Come in!" I say. Colton drops his hands from my shoulders.
Ellie pokes her head through the door.
"Hey!" She says walking in all the way and leaving the door open. Logan follows behind her.
"Hi." I smile.
Colton and Logan greet each other with a handshake. Colton sits down on my bed.
"I'm so excited!" Ellie says bouncing up and down.
I cross my arms and smile nervously.
"I'm so nervous." I breath out. I bring my hand up and rake my fingers through my untangled hair. "This is my second time singing in front of people."
"And you're going to do great just like the first time." Ellie's blue eyes light up looking at me.
"A girl who isn't afraid to kick her ex in the balls is too scared to sing in front of people?" Logan says.
"Yes I'm the girl." I shift my weight onto one foot.
"So lets go start your road to stardom." Ellie says turning around.
"Don't be so cheesy!" I say following behind her and Logan.
I grab my ukulele before exiting my room.
_____
I stand next to Izzy looking at all the people in the coffee shop. A mix of old couples, college kids, and a few high schoolers scattered over the small place.
There really aren't a lot of people here. But enough to make me want to shit my pants.
"I know you're going to do great." Izzy smiles at me. Her eyes forming crinkles at the corner showing her age. She looks very young.
"I hope so." I roll my shoulders back in an attempt to boost my confidence.
"I know so. Anyways if you do mess up there really aren't a lot of people." She Scans her shop.
Izzy steps from behind the counter and walks up to her makeshift stage.
"Hey everyone!" She begins grabbing everyone's attention, "I have a performer today. Some of you might've seen her all over your socials, some of you this would be the first time." She looks at me.
There's a nervous buzz in my stomach. I clutch the neck of my ukulele and the strings sting my fingers.
"Welcome Merlia." Izzy says and motions for me to walk onto the makeshift stage.
My heart is beating so fast it feels like it could beat right out of my chest. I take a deep breath.
I introduce myself and the song I'm singing. Before I start my eyes zero in on Colton who is looking right back at me with a small smile. His blue eyes bright.
_____
"That was amazing!" Colton greets as I walk back to the table.
I sit down next to Colton and he takes my shaky hands in his.
Toby has joined us halfway through my song which really made me excited and almost forget a lot of eyes were on me.
"I love Stand By Me." Ellie says swaying side to side in her seat.
"Man that was scary." I breath out. I squeeze Colton's hand and he squeezes back.
"I know you're going to be famous one day." Toby says with a mouthful of cookie. "And I can tell everyone that you're my best friend!"
"Yes of course. Just not with a mouthful of cookie." I joke. Toby gives me a playful glare.
"Hey Ellie." A familiar female voice says.
My heart falls to my ass. I keep my eyes glued on my melted iced coffee in front of me. My hand goes limp in Colton's but he keeps squeezing mine.
"Colton, Logan, Toby." She continues to greet everyone. Everyone except me.
"What are you guys doing here?" Logan asks.
"We saw Ellie's story." Lilly says and then she places a hand on my shoulder which makes me flinch but nobody else seemed to notice. "Can I talk to you?" She asks. For the first time since she's walked in I look at her.
I give her a nod and she averts her eyes to Colton.
"Sure." He says. I let go of his hand and we both stand up.
Mike, Lilly, Colton, and I walk just outside of the coffee shop. I feel extremely uneasy but then find comfort in the fact that if anything goes wrong Colton will be with me.
"I really don't want to be mean at all." Lilly begins. Mike standing next to her with his arms crossed. "Am I like not a good enough friend? I thought we were best friends." She says.
"Yeah do you know the shit you've put her through the past few weeks?" Mike chimes in. Mike has never acted like this so it really surprises me.
"I felt like you couldn't trust me with anything. I felt terrible. I didn't even know you were in the hospital. I don't understand why you didn't just talk to me." She says sounding genuinely hurt.
"I tried reaching out to you." I recall my text I sent her the morning after Colton and I had our fight, "you cut me off."
"Yeah and so did you." She accuses.
"Me? I needed you the most the past few weeks and you didn't even bother to answer me back. What did you want me to do show up at your door and beg for forgiveness? For something that I didn't realize was my fault?"
"You know you can tell me anything. Anyone of your secrets and trust me with them. But you kept your little fling from me and it truly did feel like you couldn't trust me. It hurt. Because I feel like I tell you everything."
"You really made her feel like a shitty friend, Lia." Mike says.
"So that makes me a shitty friend, right?" I say a little loud.
"Making her constantly worry about you all day everyday and not even uttering a word to her kinda does make you a bad friend." Mike shrugs.
"Yeah cause Lilly wasn't the reason Mer was afraid to function." Colton scoffs.
I turn back to Lilly the same time she turns back to me.
"I don't want to blame anyone for my own actions. I don't want to say that it was just you." I tell Lilly. I'm also being honest.
"Pretty sure the main reason was you by what Logan told me." Mike bites back at his best friend.
"Yeah but I never hated Mer ever. I was there for her at the hospital. Where was her supposed best friend?" Colton takes a few steps toward Mike but Mike doesn't cower.
"Colton." I say trying to get his attention but that doesn't work.
"She was crying in my arms because her supposed best friend made her feel like she couldn't breath the same air as her." Mike says as his hands curl into fists at his sides.
In a quick flash Mike's head snaps to the side and he stumbles backward with his hand covering his face. Lilly's hand shoot up to cover he mouth and muffle a gasp.
"Colton!" I yell but it doesn't seem to stop him.
Colton brings his fist up and strikes Mike again. This time Mike falls to the ground and Colton jumps on top of him and continuously punch him.
"Colton stop!" I yell running to the two boys and trying to pull him off of Mike. "Colton! That is your best friend!" I yell the fear noticeable in my voice.
At those words Colton stops. I wrap my arms around his torso and pull him off of Mike.
Mike sits up with a bloody face and Lilly kneels next to him.
"Do I even know you?" Mike says wiping blood from his nose.
Lilly looks at us with wide eyes. I unwrap my arms from him and step in front of him.
"What the hell Colton!" I yell.
"Don't Look at me as the bad guy Merlia." He says as his chest rises and lowers. "I was defending you." There's not a scratch on his face.
"You don't have to fucking fight. That's your best friend!"
"So what? You're fighting with yours!" He gestures to Lilly.
"Yeah I may be in a little bender with her but I would never actually purposely physically hurt her." I huff out, "ever."
We both switch between each other's eyes. Fire fueling both of ours. Colton then looks behind me at his best friend that he just beat up. Color drains from his face.
"I just need a minute." He says turning around.
"Colton." I call after him. I reach out and grab his arm which he doesn't resist. He turns and looks down at me. "Don't act like this please." My voice is soft.
Colton shakes my hand off of him.
"I just need a little space right now Merlia." He says turning back around and walking to his car.
My full name. I feel a pang of hurt flash through my body.
I turn back around to see Mike and Lilly still in the same position.
I walk over to them and reach my hand out to Mike. Lilly stands up next to me and does the same. Mike grabs both of our hands and we pull him up.
"Sorry." I say to the both of them, "on behalf of Colton and myself." I look over my shoulder to see Colton driving off.
"He's such a bitch." Mike says.
All I do is nod before I make my way back into the coffee shop.
Ellie, Logan and Toby all look at me expectedly.
"Where's Colton?" Toby asks as I sit down.
So I tell them everything.
__________
•End•