Moonstar

In Too Deep - Sum 41

I'm still high on adrenaline as I step out of the arena, the sky a beautiful canvas of grey and gold and red. The game was brutal today but we won by a hairline, and our team's celebrating the win up at the rooftop deck later. Politely, I begged off and sprinted out the moment I finished showering and changing which my mates may have found peculiar since I don't normally say no to anything or anyone. Dad says it's a shit trait of mine-being always agreeable. I got it from mum, and I've had no problem always saying yes. Until I found a reason to choose no this time.

Scouring the outside perimeter of the arena and not finding that said reason, a.k.a. my petite and tattooed best friend, I take my phone out of my pocket. Seeing no text from her, I pull her number up and call. It rings four times before she finally picks up.

"Hey, I just finished. Where are you?"

"I left."

I swallow the bitter taste coating my tongue and maintain the light tone in my voice as I say, "Yeah. One moment you were sitting at the stands and the next time I turned to look at you, you disappeared. I don't blame you though. Not everyone finds polo entertaining." But it would've meant a lot if you stuck around to see me play.

For a moment, she doesn't speak but the background noise filters through the speaker. Cars honking, some distant chattering and laughter. "That's not it, A," she says in a voice tinged with exhaustion.

"What was it then? Did you change your mind about the flat? Are you off meeting with Spencer?" With my head cast down, I start to walk up the path leading around the clubhouse, kicking non-existent rocks on my way and ignoring the discomfort in the pit of my stomach.

She sighs loud enough to make my own breathing hitch, the skin on my neck puckering with goosebumps as if her breath actually fans there. I shut my eyes, ignoring the stirring that now takes place from the discomfort just moments ago. What are you doing to me, Luna?

"It's just... not my scene, okay? I felt uncomfortable sitting there among all those people who're blatantly staring at me like I'm some sort of extraterrestrial being or shit. I needed to get out of there and ground myself."

"Did someone say anything to you? You know you can tell me, right?" I ask, my jaw clenching and my fingers tightly curling around the strap of my bag. I'm not a particularly violent person but I feel unusually enraged at the thought.

"No," she answers. "I mean no one said anything, and if they did, I'd deal with it myself." There's a hint of annoyance in her tone which confuses me. Then, as if changing her mind from almost saying words she'd be unable to take back, she sucks in a breath and say, "You know what, Apollo? It's fine. I'm heading to The Garage for band rehearsal. I'll see you at the studio."

"Will you be ho-back late?" I catch myself almost using the word home. I don't know why but somehow it'd feel too intimate.

"Maybe. I'm not sure. I gotta go. Bye."

"Take-," the line goes dead, "care..." I pull my phone away from my ear and stare at it for a few seconds before sighing and slipping it into my pocket.

Well this bloody sucks.

Not only because she left unannounced, but also the fact that she's on her way to meet her ex. I hate the idea of her constantly being in a space as the guy who treated her poorly after everything I've learned about their relationship. But it's not like I can do anything about it.

Continuing my trek to the parking lot and my car, I wrack my brain for something to do for the remainder of my Sunday. Usually, I'd drive home to the manor on weekends but making the four-hour drive to and from for a Sunday dinner doesn't sound quite appealing after more than an hour of physical activity I just had. I fasten my seatbelt and drum my fingers on the steering wheel.