The torrential downpour left the stands empty. Only the band, the cheerleaders and the parents were left supporting the team. Yet Kerass was there hiding inside his letterman’s jacket. Realizing that wasn’t working, he held it over his head, but the jacket soaked through and little droplets fell onto his head and it didn’t prevent his jeans from getting completely soaked through.
The season opener was a travesty. Oak Stream’s team was even worse than he had imagined, although admittedly it was hard to see anything through the rain, let alone hear as it pounded against the metal stands. Kerass had no desire to be there, but he couldn’t force himself to leave. He had chosen to let this go. There was no one else to blame but himself for that. Jeremy had made the team as a wide receiver and he was terrible. He constantly dropped the ball, consistently got knocked down, and he couldn’t even run fast. How he made the team created total bewilderment for Kerass. It didn’t make any sense, but it was possible that they didn’t have enough interest so they had to take what they could get.
At least Jeremy was doing something. What was Kerass doing other than sulking and avoiding everyone? He knew he had entered into a time of depression, but he didn’t know how to get out of it. He couldn’t feel anything except pain and the only way he knew how to release pain was putting a blade to his arm and forcing it to come out. He had to hide it. The only way he could do so was by wearing long sleeves regardless of how hot it was. Luckily he didn’t have that problem in the rain.
The game itself didn’t take away the pain, it only added to it. The rain began to subside, but even that didn’t make things any more comfortable. Everyone in the stands was miserable. The cheerleaders, fully drenched, had gone inside to leave. The band had left already because they couldn’t get their instruments wet. Only the parents remained and they were miserable enough. It was enough of a reminder of what he no longer had that it forced him to stand. Ironically enough, the sky was completely clear by the time he walked alongside the chain-link fence heading out of the field. The coach gave him a disapproving look as he walked past. Through his periphery vision, he could tell Mr. Baganz was looking at him, but he couldn’t force himself to look back. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t have to watch any other game this year. This was a whimpering send off to his time on Oak Stream’s football team and he couldn’t bring himself to even care what the outcome would be for the remainder of the season.
Cadence held her breath before she built up the courage to knock on the door. This was a big deal and considering she and Gus were going through a rough patch it gave her a lot of encouragement that he was willing after several months of dating to introduce her to his mentor, Mr. Baysinger, the comic book storeowner who had to close down shop the previous year. It meant a lot to him what Mr. Baysinger thought, so she’d have to do her best to make a good impression, but she was pretty good with authority figures, so she wasn’t too concerned about it.
The sound of Gus’s laughter filled the hallway bleeding out through the cracks in the door before Gus walked up opening the door, welcoming her in. He was smiling with the giddiest grin on his face. This was a side of Gus that not even she had been blessed to see, but he didn’t change his composure when he saw her at least.
“It’s great to see Cadence,” Gus said pulling her into his arms and kissing her.
They hadn’t kissed in a while and it still enthralled her. “Happy to be here,” she replied unable to come up with anything better.
“We’ll be chatting on the back patio, I hope you don’t mind,” Gus said.
“I’m sure she won’t,” the sound of Mr. Baysinger’s voice carried through the outdoors into the house.
Mr. Baysinger pulled out the lawn chair as Gus led her to the patio. Without saying a word, Mr. Baysinger gestured for her to sit down.
“I’ll just be a second,” Gus said as he walked away from the two of them doing who knows what.
The simplest pleasantries were exchanged before an awful silence dispersed between them. She knew Gus was completely comfortable with the storeowner, but she wasn’t. He couldn’t even get past ‘how are you’ when they were sitting alone together. Was it possible that he felt things weren’t going well or even that it was just as awkward for him as it was for her to be alone?
Gus gently patted her on the back, as he finally planted himself in the chair beside her. “It’s ok, you can speak openly here.”
“Speak about what?” she asked. She continued saying that a topic simply hadn’t been chosen yet. “Why don’t you tell me how you two met?” she inquired realizing that the question was better obtained to Gus and her seeing as they were the ones dating and by the look on Mr. Baysinger’s face when his eyes popped out of his head, it became evidently clear that it wasn’t a proper question.
“I’ll share the full details with you someday,” Gus promised. “It’s just a little too unpleasant to talk about now as we’re sitting down for lunch. Besides, this is a time for him to get to know you, not the other way around.”
“I do apologize for my composure,” Mr. Baysinger replied. “It’s a valid question. I just wasn’t expecting you to ask that.”
“Why not?” Cadence asked.
“He thought I might have already shared that with you,” Gus spoke for him. “I’m sorry,” he continued turning to his mentor, “I just feel that it’s a private matter between us. I’ll share it with you eventually,” he tacked on looking back at her.
“Well, you don’t have to share anything you don’t want to share. Isn’t it odd when the tables are turned?” she couldn’t help herself snidely asking him how it felt.
“What is this all about?” Mr. Baysinger asked trepidatiously.
“Why don’t we change the subject?” Gus glared at her.
“Tell me how you two met,” Mr. Baysinger prompted.
“That’s technically up for debate,” Gus said under his breath.
“No it’s not. We met in English class,” Cadence said feeling upset that he couldn’t even remember their first meeting. “How could you not remember? That class was really important to me. You saw me in a way that no one else could.”
“You’re the one who doesn’t remember, Cadence. I remember that class vividly. Properly we met in English class, you’re right about that. But in terms of our first genuine meeting, although we never said anything to each other, well that happened the summer before.”
“The summer of London,” Cadence found herself whispering. Somehow Gus had done it again. He had brought London into every conversation they had ever since the summer had begun. They hadn’t been able to share the summer love her mind imagined. The tragedies around her had gotten in the way. On her way over she had wondered why they had grown apart, why they weren’t spending a lot of time together. The most obvious answer was right in front of her. There was a conversation he felt they needed to have and she was determined never to speak of London and he couldn’t let that go. How he even knew about it was a mystery and she desperately hoped that he had gotten the details wrong, but anything was possible.
“Well, I’m sure you two will figure the story out eventually,” Mr. Baysinger said aside, not looking at either of them.
The rest of the lunch continued in silence. Not one word was spoken while everyone ate their meals in peace. Cadence knew this was a disaster, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave. The thought of staying together with Gus was dreadful, his incessant pestering about that conversation that would never take place, yet the thought of leaving him was even worse. She couldn’t bear to stay with him and she couldn’t force herself to leave. The moment they decided to commit to each other was the most beautiful, wondrous moment of her life and all of that was ruined by one single word.
As she left saying her goodbyes, she listened to Mr. Baysinger say to Gus right after the screen door shut, “I’m starting to understand why you’re considering breaking up with her.”
“Can we take a break?” Kerass asked as he followed Lyra up an incline on an untraveled nature trail road.
“It’s just 5 more minutes to the top,” Lyra snickered. “Then I promise you can see higher than the water tower.”
“Yeah, well, I think I’m going to pass out,” Kerass panted. He continued pleading with her for a water break.
“All right, but I thought the athlete in you would be able to handle these conditions.”
As Kerass sat down swigging water, wiping the sweat off his brow, he looked over at Lyra. He found her shaved head oddly attractive. He couldn’t take his eyes off of it.
Lyra slapped his arm, “I told you I don’t like you staring at my nonexistent hair like that with your goggling imaginative eyes of what was.”
“I think you’re beautiful,” he slipped out. Internally he was challenging her to look at him, but she avoided eye contact.
“We need to keep pushing if we’re to make it back downhill before nightfall.”
“May I ask you something?” When she didn’t reply, Kerass felt it was ok to ask anyway. “Why did you ask me to go on this hike?”
“Why did you say yes?”
“Because I wanted to spend time with you away from everyone else. You don’t ask questions. You accept where I’m at.”
“That’s where you’re wrong Kerass,” Lyra replied. “I don’t accept where you’re at because I believe you’ll grow, but you need to desire it first.”
“I need you to listen to me. You and Gus are the only two people I trust. Will you help me grow?”
“I can’t do that for you, not right now at least.”
Kerass, feeling deflated, responded, “I don’t want to go to the top anymore.”
“You’re not ready for it.”
Kerass stared at her unwilling to reply.
“Fine,” she stated. “Let’s head back.”
Jay glanced up as he saw Jeremy driving away after having dropped him off at his home. Jeremy was doing it again, Jay noticed. His eyes weren’t on the road, they were on his phone as he was texting. It was disgraceful watching him act so dangerously on the road and not giving a shit. Jay had told him repeatedly that it would eventually catch up with him, but Jeremy deflected any criticism about his driving habits by stating he was the best driver ever.
Two doors down from Jay, the neighbor’s dog began to walk across the street. Jay tried to yell out but not a single sound came from his mouth. He closed his eyes a second before he heard the life-ending screech of the animal. Tires squealed to a stop. When he opened his eyes, he saw a mixture of blood and fur flowing down the street.
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