Henriad (History Plays, Book 5)

8: he is pure air and fire

Harry

I sleep a full four hours which shocks me. I get a few hours work in before Rey wakes up, and we take turns showering. The game isn't until the evening so we still have the rest of the day to recuperate. That's for the best of my team, who are still sore from last night's rigamarole.
Rey showers first, then stumbles back to watch TV. He dresses in sweats and doesn't bother to brush his hair. I take a quick cold shower and put on black jeans and a black turtle neck, my usual silver cross necklace, and the same running shoes I wore on the plane. The rest of the team is dressed similarly to Rey so I kind of look like I'm kidnapping them, but I decide I don't care.
The hotel breakfast is disgusting and I persuade Coach Bill and the team purchase card to take us to a local eatery where I can procure some decent Lox and a cup of herbal tea. The rest get bacon, eggs, and all other fat-filled things they can find to replace last night's burned calories. We're tired, but more boisterous than last night, and the men happily discuss our win.
Rey, blessedly, does not mention my late 'walk' nor does he ask me more about it. Being unusual is the habit of my lifetime, so I suppose he's conditioned not to be too concerned.
Coach Bill consents to drive us to a mall to get whatever basic necessities we may have forgotten. The press catch up with us so my plan of splitting up is spoiled and we are forced to go everywhere as a unit refusing to talk to them. My brothers are well trained and say nothing, Warwick and Fluellen are a bit less used to the attention and turn and look the cameras more often.
We get it done though, mostly the team wants various snack items for their rooms, Coach Bill and I monitor that for healthy snacks largely successfully. Then we pick up lunch on the way back to the hotel and we convene in Coach's room to eat while he takes us through last night's game. He has a video of the Tempests to go over, as well as critiques of our own technique. We run through our strategy for tonight, and then finally he disperses us for a few more hours rest before we have to be at the stadium.
We take that surprisingly gladly. Jon brought video games to hook up to the hotel TV so Fluellen and Warwick join him and Thomas in playing those. Rey prefers to remain in our room and read his current book (Dune), while I risk a call home.
I use my blackberry to call the house phone, praying that no one will answer. I don't want to talk to anyone I want to pretend that last night is all that's ever happened to me, and I want to lie on the bed and think about Kate for a few more hours.
Yes, anyway, Joan answers.
"Hey, we saw you won last night," she says, nicely, by way of greeting.
"Yeah, you remind the girls I'm capable of staying in one piece?" I ask.
"Something like that, they might have reminded me as well. Your brothers doing all right?"
"Yeah, they're fine, is Skander being good for you?" I should ask to talk to him.
"Yes, we're all good, he's being suspiciously good while you're away."
"Ah, I see how it is," I say, lying back on the bed.
"Are you having fun?"
"Yes—yes actually," I wasn't prepared for the question or the resolute affirmative.
"Good, I'm glad. You and your brothers, it's nice you're doing this together—whether you win or not. I'm—you're nineteen, you only get that once."
"I'm fairly certain we only get everything once."
"True enough. Anyway, make sure you do have some fun with the team, all right? I know not everyone is as smart as you and all that but, give us a chance, sometimes we can be worth it?"
"Noted," I say, finding myself smiling.
"Are you smiling, Harry?"
"No," I lie, rolling over on the bed, "I'm allergic, along with happiness and desires of the flesh."
"If you want to be silly, I'll go," she says, "But do have a good time? You're on a bit of a vacation. The girls and I are having a good time, Skander's being good. Edmund even came and woke me up after a nightmare."
"Did he? Good, what'd you do? I usually read to him," I say, rubbing the scars on my face.
"We listened to some music he now knows who the Clash is, you're fucking welcome."
"Ew, no wonder you liked my dad and his aversion to the classics," I say.
"I have heard you listen to Bruce Springsteen, child."
"It's not my fault I'm a messy drunk or a sentimental one; it's why I don't drink anymore."
"You don't drink since last Friday when you took my wine and said you needed it more than I did?"
"Oh good, you remember, yes since then, by now, I think we're breaking up—"
"Enjoy yourself—"
"Can't hear you, I think you're going through a tunnel—" making static noises with my mouth, "give the little ones my love I absolutely hate you witch-woman—bye—"
Apparently Coach Bill was standing in the doorway for the end of that.
"Do I tell you what a prick you are often enough?" He scoffs.
"Okay, you laugh, but I've found her practicing black magic," I say.
"That's a thing. I actually think it's kinda cool," Rey says.
"You're not allowed to think anything she does is cool shut up——yes, Coach?" I ask, innocently.
"Fifteen minute warning, be down in the lobby, ready to go," he says.
"Yeah, can handle it," I say, powering up my laptop. Fuck it. I can't help it. I have to email her.
Most beautiful of adversaries,
I hope you're prepared to destroy me. I shall be looking forward to being taken apart piece by piece.
Your enchanted rival
There I hope she likes that.