Post by silent.lullaby on Jun 16, 2010 19:57:08 GMT -5
//We Run This Town//Chapter 023// Games
“Where is Max?” I wondered out loud as we sat on Lucia’s blankets and nibbled on the cracker snacks Blaire had brought. I had overlooked the field, our school- the Rochester Renegades were in red jerseys with black lettering and numbers along with black tights.
“Haven’t seen him today,” Gemma respond unfolding her legs, stretching them out and taking her sandals off with her toes.
“He’s not on the field.” I responded panic rising, my stomach clenched and my throat felt like it was closing, moments moving to fast and my mind reeling to catch up. “He’s on the team, why isn’t he on the field Gem?”
“Chill Lil,” Gemma put her hand on my shoulder, “I’m sure he’s fine.”
I thought to the voice that had played over my phone. Brushing off my cousin I stood and looked around trying to find him, maybe he was just running late. “I can’t get him on his cell,” Preston said getting up slowly before standing over me. “Maybe he’s still in the change rooms, the game hasn’t started yet Lil.”
“Yeah,” I responded trying to breathe.
Preston took me by the shoulders and turned me toward him, I still scoured the field with my eyes, trying to find the jersey that read Lombardi. “I’ll check the school if it will make you feel better,” he said after looking around.
I nodded, “would you please?”
He nodded and looked down to Gemma, “all of you stay here. Right here, got it?”
Gemma nodded, “we had intentions of watching the game in the first place.” She reached up and pulled on my hand, “come on, sit down, you know Max, he’s probably fixing his hair before he deems it perfect to be put into a helmet.”
Blaire laughed, “that’s our Max.”
Lucia appeared beside me, “you okay Lil?” she said quietly while Kaper came over and sat next to October, the two of them creating a lot of background noise. “You look pale.”
“After Serge...”
“Understood,” she responded. “Gem, I’m taking Lili to get some water.”
“I’m not supose to let you guys leave.”
“We’re using the buddy system,” Lucia argued, “besides it’s Preston, he’s not going to drop the gavel at us.”
“No but he is an incriminating witness,” Gemma argued. “And her dad might drop the gavel, he’s the one who wanted Preston to watch over her tonight.”
“It was mom actually.”
“I don’t know if that’s less scary, or more. Aunt Tessa would...” she stopped herself since there were people around, and when we say someone might kill someone else, even jokingly, people pay attention and start to worry. She shrugged, “you know.”
“I need some water, if you see Preston coming back, text my phone.”
“Fine whatever,” Gemma said in her laid back style. She feared nothing, and even with someone stabbing Sergio, her cousin, she didn’t seem to fear it happening to her. “I’ll text you if I see Pres, just hurry back you’re going to miss the kick off or whatever it’s called.” She took a bite out of two crackers stuck together with peanut butter from one of Blaire’s ziplock bags.
“Thanks,” I said after we were nearly into the school.
“For what?” Lucia asked pushing the door open, and holding it for me.
“Getting me out of there, Max is okay... right?” I looked to her.
Lucia studied me for a minute before sighing, “I don’t know Lil. He should be here, and he isn’t. Maybe he’s stuck in traffic, I mean this is New York. Maybe he’s just in the school somewhere, or maybe he’s off with Faith, I mean it wouldn’t be the first time those two hooked up and made one or more of them late.”
“I hope it’s one of those,” I responded.
She studied me a little while longer before stepping over to me and draping her arm over my shoulders, “come on, lets get some water, you look like hell. Have you been sleeping?”
I nodded, “yeah, sure.” She looked at me and stopped for a minute and I stopped along side her. I stared at her a while longer before sighing, “no, no I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“You want to talk about it?” Lucia asked in that genuinely concerned voice that made me want to just hug her tight and blab all my troubles to her. She’d let me too, she’d hum and respond in the appropriate places, she’d wipe my tears if I started to cry. She’d rub my shoulders and comfort me with honesty and she’d share in my fears and try to give me advice and her opinion.
But I shook my head. “No, I can’t.” She looked hurt. “Not yet. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I’m here when you are ready.” She tilted her head slightly to the side, “you know that right?”
I nodded, “yeah, I know Lucy, I know.”
My phone vibrated and I flipped it open. “Gem?” Lucia wanted to know. My heart thumped, froze a second and then started back up.
“No,” I closed the phone, and lied to the one person that had never lied to me. “Wrong number.”
I pushed open the door to the washroom and went into a stall. I could hear Lucia slam the buttons on the hand driers as one of us always did when we went to the bathroom as a group. Instead of sitting though I pulled out my phone and re-read the message.
Football, great game. Gemma looks stunning today.
I text back.
Stay away from her.
I tried to take a calming breath but it only made me feel more nauseous. I wondered if I could really handle this alone. My phone vibrated in my hand, and I stared at the screen.
Why? Maybe she likes me.
Breathing hard I responded.
Because she’s protected. I won’t let you get near her.
I ran my hand through my hair and Lucia’s voice made me jump, “you okay in there?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I responded and hit the flusher with my foot as the phone vibrated again in my hand. I shut my eyes for a second breathed deep and read the response.
What if I already am?
My heart slammed against my rib cage as I flew out of the washroom. I heard Lucia shout at me before I heard her footsteps hammering behind me. “Find Preston!” I yelled over my shoulder and she skidded to a stop. I knew she trusted me, my judgement, and if I was panicked and I told her something, I knew she’d listen.
I burst through the doors. I could see someone unfamiliar sitting beside Gemma, talking to her, she laughed. What if I already am? The text taunted me. He wouldn’t hurt her. I wouldn’t let him, running full speed I dove in a tackle that would have made my brother’s proud. Connected with his upper chest, people were yelling, my fist connected once before someone grabbed my arm as I drew back to swing again. I looked up snarling to see Kaper. “Stop it! That’s my brother!”
“Where is Max?” I wondered out loud as we sat on Lucia’s blankets and nibbled on the cracker snacks Blaire had brought. I had overlooked the field, our school- the Rochester Renegades were in red jerseys with black lettering and numbers along with black tights.
“Haven’t seen him today,” Gemma respond unfolding her legs, stretching them out and taking her sandals off with her toes.
“He’s not on the field.” I responded panic rising, my stomach clenched and my throat felt like it was closing, moments moving to fast and my mind reeling to catch up. “He’s on the team, why isn’t he on the field Gem?”
“Chill Lil,” Gemma put her hand on my shoulder, “I’m sure he’s fine.”
I thought to the voice that had played over my phone. Brushing off my cousin I stood and looked around trying to find him, maybe he was just running late. “I can’t get him on his cell,” Preston said getting up slowly before standing over me. “Maybe he’s still in the change rooms, the game hasn’t started yet Lil.”
“Yeah,” I responded trying to breathe.
Preston took me by the shoulders and turned me toward him, I still scoured the field with my eyes, trying to find the jersey that read Lombardi. “I’ll check the school if it will make you feel better,” he said after looking around.
I nodded, “would you please?”
He nodded and looked down to Gemma, “all of you stay here. Right here, got it?”
Gemma nodded, “we had intentions of watching the game in the first place.” She reached up and pulled on my hand, “come on, sit down, you know Max, he’s probably fixing his hair before he deems it perfect to be put into a helmet.”
Blaire laughed, “that’s our Max.”
Lucia appeared beside me, “you okay Lil?” she said quietly while Kaper came over and sat next to October, the two of them creating a lot of background noise. “You look pale.”
“After Serge...”
“Understood,” she responded. “Gem, I’m taking Lili to get some water.”
“I’m not supose to let you guys leave.”
“We’re using the buddy system,” Lucia argued, “besides it’s Preston, he’s not going to drop the gavel at us.”
“No but he is an incriminating witness,” Gemma argued. “And her dad might drop the gavel, he’s the one who wanted Preston to watch over her tonight.”
“It was mom actually.”
“I don’t know if that’s less scary, or more. Aunt Tessa would...” she stopped herself since there were people around, and when we say someone might kill someone else, even jokingly, people pay attention and start to worry. She shrugged, “you know.”
“I need some water, if you see Preston coming back, text my phone.”
“Fine whatever,” Gemma said in her laid back style. She feared nothing, and even with someone stabbing Sergio, her cousin, she didn’t seem to fear it happening to her. “I’ll text you if I see Pres, just hurry back you’re going to miss the kick off or whatever it’s called.” She took a bite out of two crackers stuck together with peanut butter from one of Blaire’s ziplock bags.
“Thanks,” I said after we were nearly into the school.
“For what?” Lucia asked pushing the door open, and holding it for me.
“Getting me out of there, Max is okay... right?” I looked to her.
Lucia studied me for a minute before sighing, “I don’t know Lil. He should be here, and he isn’t. Maybe he’s stuck in traffic, I mean this is New York. Maybe he’s just in the school somewhere, or maybe he’s off with Faith, I mean it wouldn’t be the first time those two hooked up and made one or more of them late.”
“I hope it’s one of those,” I responded.
She studied me a little while longer before stepping over to me and draping her arm over my shoulders, “come on, lets get some water, you look like hell. Have you been sleeping?”
I nodded, “yeah, sure.” She looked at me and stopped for a minute and I stopped along side her. I stared at her a while longer before sighing, “no, no I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“You want to talk about it?” Lucia asked in that genuinely concerned voice that made me want to just hug her tight and blab all my troubles to her. She’d let me too, she’d hum and respond in the appropriate places, she’d wipe my tears if I started to cry. She’d rub my shoulders and comfort me with honesty and she’d share in my fears and try to give me advice and her opinion.
But I shook my head. “No, I can’t.” She looked hurt. “Not yet. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I’m here when you are ready.” She tilted her head slightly to the side, “you know that right?”
I nodded, “yeah, I know Lucy, I know.”
My phone vibrated and I flipped it open. “Gem?” Lucia wanted to know. My heart thumped, froze a second and then started back up.
“No,” I closed the phone, and lied to the one person that had never lied to me. “Wrong number.”
I pushed open the door to the washroom and went into a stall. I could hear Lucia slam the buttons on the hand driers as one of us always did when we went to the bathroom as a group. Instead of sitting though I pulled out my phone and re-read the message.
Football, great game. Gemma looks stunning today.
I text back.
Stay away from her.
I tried to take a calming breath but it only made me feel more nauseous. I wondered if I could really handle this alone. My phone vibrated in my hand, and I stared at the screen.
Why? Maybe she likes me.
Breathing hard I responded.
Because she’s protected. I won’t let you get near her.
I ran my hand through my hair and Lucia’s voice made me jump, “you okay in there?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I responded and hit the flusher with my foot as the phone vibrated again in my hand. I shut my eyes for a second breathed deep and read the response.
What if I already am?
My heart slammed against my rib cage as I flew out of the washroom. I heard Lucia shout at me before I heard her footsteps hammering behind me. “Find Preston!” I yelled over my shoulder and she skidded to a stop. I knew she trusted me, my judgement, and if I was panicked and I told her something, I knew she’d listen.
I burst through the doors. I could see someone unfamiliar sitting beside Gemma, talking to her, she laughed. What if I already am? The text taunted me. He wouldn’t hurt her. I wouldn’t let him, running full speed I dove in a tackle that would have made my brother’s proud. Connected with his upper chest, people were yelling, my fist connected once before someone grabbed my arm as I drew back to swing again. I looked up snarling to see Kaper. “Stop it! That’s my brother!”