Four

 

 

riday came and I wasn’t sure exactly what this after school stuff with Cole was going to be. We’d gone back to just smiling oddly when we saw each other and not really speaking.

“Right, I’ve gotta go find Ben,” I said, checking the time on my phone as we stood in the courtyard.

“We’ll see you about six, yeah?” Rachel confirmed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there about six. Ben and I have some things to do, so if I’m a bit late, don’t stress.”

“What’s more important than seeing us?” Cassidy chastised me, only partially joking.

“Just stuff.” I smiled.

“Jaime will be pleased to see you.”

I looked around at Declan and Mike. “You boys are coming, too?”

They both gave me a smile and nodded.

“Right, okay then. Well, I shall see you all there, apparently,” I said, trying not to look freaked out. Maybe it was becoming some kind of group date?

God, I hoped not.

I looked around at them all. Everyone was smiling, so I had no choice but to smile as well. Maybe I’d just text them later and say I got sick or something?

“See you then.”

“Hannibal!” Cole called from the building and smiling got a hell of a lot easier.

“What does he want?” Jaime asked from behind me, an arm going around my shoulder. I hadn’t even realised he was there.

I sighed. “Sometimes we walk over to get our brothers and talk English assignments.” I am also apparently ridiculously attracted to him and going to hang out with him, even though the sensible parts of my brain scream at me to run the other way, I did not say.

Beat gave me a look that told me she thought there was more to it, but I shot her a return look that told her to shut her mouth, and she smiled.

“Fair enough,” Cassidy replied. “Right, well off you go then. We’ll see you in a few hours.”

I nodded, slipping out of Jaime’s grasp and hurried off to meet Cole. He gave the others an arrogant smirk over my shoulder, and then nodded to me. We walked through the building, heading across the sports fields to the back path. He didn’t say anything until we found Ben and Matt waiting for us outside the Middle School buildings, passing a soccer ball between them.

“Where did you guys get that?” Cole asked.

“Ben borrowed it from Missus Chamberlin,” Matt answered, smiling. “He offered to help me with my passing.”

“Well, Ben better take it back to Missus Chamberlin so we can head home,” I said with a pointed smile at my little brother.

Ben nodded, jogging inside with the ball to give it back to the Sports teacher. He was back in moments and the two younger boys led us in the direction of home, in a way that seemed to be becoming a habit.

“So, your friends didn’t seem pleased to let you go,” Cole said as he scuffed a shoe along the footpath.

I looked up, hoping it wasn’t going to rain before we got home, and still not sure what we were going to be doing for hanging out after we dropped Ben and Matt home.

“No, but they’re like that. They think they’re entitled to my Friday afternoons.”

“Even Jaime?”

I looked at him. What does he think of Jaime? “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Wouldn’t matter to me what he thinks he’s entitled to.”

“Then, the two of you aren’t dating?” he asked with a smirk.

“What? No.”

“Hm,” he mused as though he knew some secret I didn’t.

“Hm, what?”

“That’s just not what I’ve heard.”

“And what, pray tell, have you heard?” I asked, pulling my blazer closer round me, not that it did anything against the cold.

“Well, word is you and Jaime are dating.”

“Whose word?”

“His.”

“Well, I’ll have to set him straight when next we meet.”

“You’re going to the dance with him.”

“Doesn’t mean we’re dating without any discussion.”

“Interesting.”

“Ben! Will you two watch where you’re walking, please?” I yelled as they looked about to walk into the street. I turned back to Cole. “What’s interesting?”

“So, a guy has to have a discussion with you before you’re dating?”

“Is that not how they do it where you’re from?” I laughed, wondering what England must be like.

He shrugged and smiled, but didn’t say any more.

We walked on, pausing when we got to the corner of our block. Ben waved back to Cole and headed for our door. Matt stopped.

“Bye Aura.” He waved as I stopped next to him.

“Bye Matt. Have a good weekend.” I smiled.

“You too.” He looked at Cole, who seemed to make a shooing motion with his head. Matt smiled at me and headed off towards their place.

“So… I’m thinking I should change – I’m freezing – and I’ll meet you out back in ten or so minutes?” I asked.

He nodded. “Sounds good. You know the big willow?”

I smiled. “I expect I’ve known the big willow longer than you’ve known the big willow. I’ll see you there in a bit?”

He smiled and we parted ways.

Once in my room, I changed into my jeans, my longest socks, shirt, jumper, jacket, scarf, and warm boots. I debated if I was going so far as to throw on the beanie, and then decided what the hell. If a friend can’t deal with me in a beanie, then they didn’t deserve to be my friend.

“Mum, Dad, I’m heading out back for a bit,” I called.

“Okay, sweetie, make sure you rug up.”

“Already done.”

“Where you going?” Ben popped his head out of the lounge room.

“Just for a walk.”

“You’re going to see-”

“Shush!” I interrupted with a sisterly thump before Mum or Dad could hear. “We’re just friends catching up.”

Ben nodded and smiled as though he didn’t believe a word I said, but kept his mouth shut. When had Ben become so interested in my love life?

I closed the back door behind me, heading out into the communal park that backed onto all the buildings on this block. It was nice out there at any time of year, with sections of trees, open spaces of grass, and winding paths dotted with benches joining it all together. I shoved my hands into my pockets, bent my head against the chill, and headed towards the big willow in the middle of the small forest-like section. At least, it had seemed like a forest when Ben and I were little, now it was just a copse of trees.

When I got there, Cole was waiting, the smoke from his cigarette mingling with his puffs of warm breath on the cold air. I’d never seen him out of uniform before and I let myself admire him before he saw me.

He wore blue jeans that sat on him nicely, black shoes and a thick brown coat with the collar turned up. He put his cigarette out then seemed to notice me. He almost beamed as he saw me.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” I replied, smiling back.

“How are things?”

“About the same as when I last saw you, except Ben thinks we’re meeting for some secret tryst,” I laughed.

He smiled crookedly and his eyes flashed. “Really? We wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”

I smiled and felt my cheeks heat. “Of course not. Shall we walk, or sit, or-”

I stopped as it started pouring with rain. Even under the trees where we were, it was heavy. Without thinking, I grabbed Cole’s hand and pulled him under the willow branches and out of the deluge. There was less space under there than I remembered and I turned, coming up against Cole’s chest hard. The hands that were holding came up, our fingers interlacing. His other hand went to my waist and mine went to his arm. It was almost like he was about to twirl me around a dance floor.

“Sorry,” I laughed. “There’s less room under here than I thought there was.”

He smiled. “You come here often?”

“I used to, when Ben and I were little.”

We were close, the buttons on our coats touching. I smiled at him, seeing something shining in his eyes.

“What?” I asked.

His gaze seemed to search me. “Nothing.” He stepped back, breaking contact and putting his hands in his pockets. “So, you’ve got coaching in the morning, then your own game…?”

I put my hands in my pockets as well. “At twelve. It’s a good break when I need to travel between them but, like tomorrow, it sucks when both games are at home. Not really worth going home, nowhere much else to go.”

“We could grab a coffee?” he said, looking down. “If you like coffee?”

“Are you kidding? I love coffee!”

He looked up, seemingly startled by my exuberance.

I smiled. “Sorry, I’m serious about my coffee.”

He laughed. “Coffee is no laughing matter.”

“All right, we can go to the place next to school?”

He nodded. “As long as Beatrice won’t miss you?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Beat? No. She’ll be there no earlier than eleven fifty-eight, I guarantee it.”

“Okay.” He smiled. “Uh, so…” he looked around, and then decided on sitting down against the trunk. “So, Frankenstein assignment’s in and some mushy Jane Austen’s next.”

“You want to talk school?” I joined him on the ground.

He shrugged. “Why not? It’s something we have in common.”

“I’m sure we have more stuff in common.”

“Okay, like what? What else are you passionate about besides coffee?”

“Blue vines!” I said immediately. “Well, actually anything blue.”

“Blue?”

“Yep, Blue. It is the best flavour!”

“Blue? What flavour is blue?”

I looked at him as though he were crazy. “Blue, of course.”

“Of course,” he replied, as though it was the strongest argument in the history of fact. “Blue tastes like blue.”

I nodded. “Yes, it does.”

“Okay, and when you’re not eating blue-flavoured things or playing soccer, what do you like to do?”

“I read, I listen to music, watch movies, and TV, I hang out with my friends. Usual teenage stuff, I guess. What about you?”

“Much of the same, minus the friends thing.”

“Because you’re such a cool loner,” I laughed.

He grinned. “It’s all part of my mysterious charm.”

“Well, I won’t deny that.”

I felt him looking at me, but kept watching the willow branches sway against the rain.

“So, what’s your favourite book, then?” he asked.

I looked at him then. “Are you sure you’re ready for this conversation?”

He laughed, but nodded, and we spent ages talking about all our favourite things. Surprisingly, we had a decent amount in common; bands, television shows, movies, even some books. I, of course, didn’t have a musical bone in my body so couldn’t compare to his love of music, just the same as he couldn’t quite grasp my love of sports, or of doing well at school.

At some point, I’d taken his hand…or, he’d taken mine, and we sat leg against leg, our feet just shy of the bottoms of the willow branches.

“There’s nothing wrong with doing well at school,” I said.

He shrugged. “It’s just not my thing.”

“It’s a shame. I know you’d do well if you tried.”

He shrugged again. “If you say so.”

“All right, it’s a secret I shall take to my grave.” I crossed myself.

“Do you promise?”

I laughed, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Yes, I promise.” I picked up his hand, inspecting the ring on it. It looked like a crest of some kind. “This is nice.”

“Grandma’s family crest, she gave it to me years ago. Matt doesn’t wear his.”

“Your grandma has a-”

My phone’s ringtone seemed ridiculously loud in the confined space. I smiled apologetically and answered it.

“Where are you?” I heard Beat say.

“What do you mean?”

“Where are you? It’s like seven.”

“Shit, really? Sorry, I lost track of time.” I smiled at Cole. “Listen, I…won’t be able to make it, I’ll see you at the game tomorrow, okay?”

Beat made a strange noise on the other end. I heard the others talking in the background, asking where I was. “Nah, she’s not coming.” Beat told them. The others sounded unhappy, but Beat just shushed them. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

Before I had a chance to put my phone back in my pocket, I got a text from Beat.

Beat: Details tomorrow!

I smiled, deciding I’d reply later.

“Sorry.”

“No worries.” Cole had his phone out.

Before he put it away, I grabbed it on impulse, waving away his exclamation, and typed in my number under ‘Hannibal :P’ before I handed it back.

He smiled as he looked at it. “Thanks.” He stood up and pulled me to my feet.

“Well, I assumed you were never going to ask me for it.”

“You’re direct. I like that.”

“You seem to like a lot of things about me,” I said, then looked down in an effort to hide my embarrassing flirtation attempt.

If he noticed, he said nothing. “That I do. Look, I’d love to stay, especially after you blew off your friends, but I should probably get back. I told Matt I’d be home for dinner. He was just wondering where I was.”

“Yeah, no worries.” I smiled, actually not minding at all and glad I had an excuse not to go out and see Jaime.

We stepped out of the willow, finding it only lightly raining. The lamp outside proving to be the reason I hadn’t noticed it was so late.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Cole smiled.

“Tomorrow.”

He nodded and turned to leave.

On another impulse, I caught his hand, pulling him in for a quick hug and kissed his cheek. When he pulled back, he looked a little surprised but was smiling. He nodded again and we both turned for home.

As I walked through the back door, I got another text.

Unknown: Hannibal, good chat :)

Through dinner, the rest of the night, and at least an hour after I got into bed, we exchanged texts, chatting about random things. Finally, I told him I really had to go to bed or Matt would be furious with my coaching skills in the morning.

The last text I got from him that night was;

Cole: Night, Hannibal, see you soon.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face, having no idea how I was going to explain any of that afternoon or night to Beat. I’d told her there were no details to give… But, I knew she wouldn’t buy it.

 

¢

 

When my alarm tone sounded, I was sure I’d set it too early. I reached over to turn it off and saw, no, it was the right time. I groaned, deciding to lie in bed and listen to the rain falling for a few minutes.

There was a soft knock on my door and I heard Mum call my name. “Aura, what time do you need to leave?” she said in a stage whisper.

“Ugh, about 8:30,” I replied, sitting up.

She smiled at me. “Just toast?”

I nodded, stretching and trying to hide a yawn. “Thanks, I’ll be down in a minute. I need a wake up shower.”

“I’ll fill the thermos too, then.”

“Thanks, Mum.”

I tried to shower and dress quickly, and not worry about what I would say, or do, when I saw Cole. I didn’t know why I felt so nervous about it and I chastised myself constantly. I finally barrelled down the stairs at twenty-five past eight, dressed to coach and packed to play.

“You look lovely this morning,” Dad said as I started shovelling my toast into my mouth.

“Do I?”

“Your hair looks a lot neater than usual.”

“Does it?”

I checked through my bag that I had everything I needed for both games, swallowed the last of my toast, and shoved the proffered thermos in my bag – that coffee was going to be needed. I stood up, shouldered my bag, and smiled at the family.

“Wait up, I’ll come with you,” Ben said, wandering off with his piece of toast.

“You’re not even dressed! And, I’m going to be late,” I called as he took the stairs two at a time.

“Ben’s got a bye today, love,” Mum said, coming to the door. She was wiping a plate, looking for all the world like it didn’t matter that I should have been out of the house five minutes ago.

“Well, what’s he doing now, then?”

“Going with you for support and encouragement.” Mum smiled blissfully. Sometimes, I wished I could be the mum; it seemed so easy…sometimes.

I checked the time again. “Ben, come on! I’m leaving so you either come now or-”

“I’m here, I’m here.” He jogged back down, rugged up against the cold.

We said goodbye to the parents and hurried out into the cold. I walked briskly; he would keep up or I’d see him there. Finally, he caught up. We walked in silence until it seemed he’d caught his breath.

“So, will Cole be there this morning?” Ben asked with that singsong voice he’d adopted whenever he mentioned Cole.

“I assume so.”

“You seemed quite distracted last night. Lots more texts than usual.”

“So?”

“So…?”

“Ben, drop it, now is not the time.”

“Fine, I’m sure I could just ask Matt.”

I scoffed. “I doubt Matt would know anything even if there was anything to know.”

“We’ll see.”

I rolled my eyes and walked quicker, wishing I had the ability to drink coffee while walking quickly and not spill it all over myself.

We got to school without me having to deal with any more of Ben’s incessant yabbering. Most of my team hadn’t arrived yet, so I started those few that had on warm ups. They were going to need it that morning with such a chill to the air. Maybe it would snow for once?

By nine o’clock, all the team had arrived, were warm, and the game kicked off. I was on my third cup of coffee, as I paced the sidelines, when I realised Matt had turned up alone. I hadn’t seen Cole or their aunt or grandmother. Ben appeared at my side, but said nothing. I drained my cup and was about to get another when one of my team went down.

I shoved the cup at Ben and hurried onto the pitch, the child’s parents hovering at the sidelines with my brother; I had to give it to these parents, they took school sport seriously and let me deal with all in-game issues.

I slid into the kid, a girl called Jess, heedless of the dirt on my track pants – they’d had just so much worse. She looked a little dazed.

“Jess, hun, you okay?” I asked as the referee knelt beside me.

“It wasn’t a dangerous tackle, Daniels, just unfortunate. She’ll get a free, if she’s up to it?”

Unfortunately, I agreed with him. I nodded. “Give us a second.”

The referee stood back up and shooed the other kids away. I helped Jess sit up.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just winded myself as I went down,” she breathed.

“You want me to sub you?”

She shook her head, already looking over it, and smiled.

“All right.” I helped her to stand. “Play on, ref!” I called before jogging off the field and over to Jess’ parents. “She’s fine, little winded. Keep an eye on her this afternoon just in case, but she should be fine.”

Jess’ dad smiled and shook my hand. “Thanks, Rory, will do.”

They left me to my job. I turned to Ben and found him holding a full cup of coffee out to me. I took it with a smile of thanks and turned back to watch the game.

“You’re really good at this, you know.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Benny.” I sighed as I watched an unmarked winger make a break. “Man up, guys!” I called.

There were only so many times you wanted to yell things out to them since, more often than not, both team’s members would stop and turn to look at you to see if you were talking to them. But, sometimes, you just had to give them advice.

We got through the rest of the game with little incident and a nil-one loss, which, for us, was something to be pretty proud of. I shook hands with the other coach, waited while my team shook their opponents’ hand, and then got them in a huddle.

“All right gang, good work today. You’re all improving heaps.” I got them to all throw hands in the middle before they started dispersing to find their adults. “Matt!” I called.

He turned, smiling. “Great game, Aura! Hey, Ben.”

I really envied this kid his optimism at times.

“It was, Matt. Your passing is getting a lot better,” I said. “You okay to get home? I noticed you’re on your own today.” I made no mention of Cole, but Ben shot me a look.

Matt’s face clouded a little, but he smiled. “I’ll be okay.”

“Ben could walk you?” I gave Ben a pointed look.

Ben, thankfully, nodded and Matt brightened.

“If you want?” Matt asked.

“That’d be great! Aura’s game doesn’t start for ages and I could do with the walk to warm me up.”

“Great!” Matt led Ben off and I could see they were talking animatedly.

I texted Beat.

Me: If you turn up in the next hour, I have details, but my offer’s only good until 11:45. Caffeinated beverages have taken me hostage.

With that last sentence, she’d know where to find me.

I detoured past the locker rooms at the senior school to dump my bag, constantly checking my phone. I told myself I was waiting for a response from Beat, but really, I knew I was hoping for an explanation from Cole. Maybe he’d forgotten? Maybe something had come up? Maybe he didn’t want to hang out? Maybe I should stop worrying about things I a) couldn’t fix and b) didn’t need to be worrying about?

As I finished my coffee, sitting and staring out the window, my phone buzzed and Beat came tearing into the shop.

“It’s a miracle, I know, but I’m here and I want details,” she said, slightly out of breath.

I smiled. “Coffee’s on you first.”

She nodded and went to order and I checked my new message, but it was just Mum saying Ben was home and they’d see me at the game.

Beat sat down, her bag thumping onto the floor, and leant forward, obviously ready to hear all sorts of sordid details. I laughed, despite myself, and started telling her about the day before, then the not-even-cancelled plans.

“So, he didn’t turn up? No text, nothing?”

I shook my head.

“Did you ask his brother?”

I scoffed. “I’m not asking Matt where Cole is! And especially not in front of Ben who’s already too nosey for his own good.”

Beat nodded. “Fair enough. You like him though?”

I could only shrug at that point. “I don’t know. I thought so? But…maybe not now?”

She laughed. “Don’t ask me.”

“He’s frustrating and annoying.”

“But, you had a great time talking to him last night?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

“Well, it’s fate,” she stated simply.

I came dangerously close to snorting my coffee out my nose. “That it is not, he’s just a super-hot guy whose great to talk to, but bad news and unreliable.”

“If I didn’t agree with you, I’d wonder who you were trying to convince.”

“So, you do think he’s bad news!”

Beat sat back. “Let’s say he doesn’t exactly exude the same sort of airs most of the guys at our school do.”

“And, that makes him bad news?”

“It makes me wonder why he’s at our school.”

“I never took you for such a snob, Beat,” I laughed.

“I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em.” She shrugged. “We go to a private school where most kids, even the laziest, are over-achieving knobs. He’s just…”

“Not an over-achieving knob?”

She nodded. “Exactly.”

“And, that’s bad news now?”

“No, I suppose not. I just don’t think he’s really your type, or what you want this year.” Beat looked at her watch, swore, and drained her mug. “We gotta go, Daniels.”

I finished mine and followed her out.

I thought about what she’d said through the game – which we won, hooray! with no help from me – the rest of the afternoon and all of Sunday as I constantly checked my phone for a text from Cole, but not having the guts to send one first. I realised, to a point, Beat was right. I wanted to focus on getting through the year with minimal distractions, whether my friends would consider them a good or bad influence.

Truth be told, Cole was the kind of distraction I hadn’t planned for this year. I didn’t much care if he was a slacker who never applied himself or was gunning for school dux; he distracted me from the million other things I should have been thinking about. And, I realised that it didn’t matter if I was thinking of him in platonic or romantic terms, I was still spending too much time thinking about him than was necessary – for both my sanity and my grades.

On Sunday night, I was finishing my latest read-through of Pride and Prejudice when I got a text from Beat.

Beat: Anything?

I smiled, replying with a negative.

I hadn’t even had the guts to take a walk with Ben in the park in case we ran into Cole; I had no idea what to say or how to act now and I’d spent so much time ruminating on it that I’d built it up into this ridiculously awkward thing.

I got into bed after deciding I would suffer no more distractions. There were about twenty-five weeks left until final exams – not that I was counting. I could keep my focus until then.

No more distractions, I repeated until I fell asleep.