Forever Is Now

Her Realisation.

              Mackenzie | pov

It's been 2 weeks since the first day and today is the official beginning of sports season. In the first week, after achieving my position on the team, we've have netball practice every day since then and as usual my girls and I were on the same team.

The game goes well but in the second quarter, the ball comes at me fast and hard, that I can literally hear my wrist give out as a catch it. And of course, it had be the one person I disliked the most on the team: Amira. I will admit, the girl is an amazing player but she has such a terrible personality, it's like she doesn't know how to be a decent human being; even to her own friends. I'm not the die-hard type to stay in a game when I'm in pain, so I made the captain, Melody, aware of my situation and the game stopped to get me sorted me out. Sitting out for the 5 minutes left of that quarter, I could feel it get better, even while wrapped. "Mackenzie, are you ready to get back on that court?" The coach asked and I simply nodded, not minding the last 15 minutes of the game. Eventually, the whistle for the end of the game was blown and we smiled at having won our first game of the season.

I've seen New Boy around a few times but we didn't talk to each other. And for some odd and surprising reasoning, he is here with me and the girls, as we rant about the game. He is just standing next to us and laughing whenever someone said something funny. He seemed to be listening and we were so engrossed in the conversation that we include naturally included him. "Wayne, you should have seen Kenzie's face when she caught that ball. I could see all the different crimes she was ready to commit to that girl," Alliyah laughed and I was shocked to know that she knew who he was. I didn't even think that anyone in my close circle even knew who him. But on the bright side, at least now I know his name.

"Oh, so she's the dangerous type," Wayne said and I am now very aware of close he is to me and how good he smells. "Trust me, her bark and bite are not to be underestimated," Daphne responded and he laughed not believing her. Too busy looking at my friends with the widest eyes I can manage because it makes no sense that they are so excited to talk about me to him and none of what what they are saying reflects me in a good way.

"Hold on, you didn't see us play?" I  mastered the nerve to face him and ask. He looked down and explained that we basically played at the same time but their game started earlier than ours and now it makes sense why he looks so clean, he had time to take a shower. "Okay ladies, I have to go. Congratulations on your win by the way," Wayne is saying this, all while looking me. He gives me an unexpected hug but high-5s the girls. I look around to see what friends surely would say about this but everyone had already moved on, making their ways to the locker room.

▪▪▪

After showering, we decide to hung out a little to watch the tennis matches from the stands. All of the sudden there is movement next to me and I turn my head to see Wanye take a seat. Shocked, I put my attention back on the match happening in front of us and say nothing to him, my friends are sitting in the seats in front of me except for Noel who is on my right hand side but was talking to Ivan, who also just arrived.

"Does it hurt?" Wanye asked me in a hushed tone and looking at my wrist. "No, I can't feel that much right now but I have a feeling it's going to keep me up tonight," I said. He gently lifted my hand and I look at him, trying to decipher why he was doing that. Noticing that he has a few scars there, I tap my index finger with my not injured hand on one of his scars, "you look like you have stories to tell." And out of nowhere he moved closer to me and put his shoulder over mine. In a state of panic, I scan our surroundings to see if anyone was paying attention what was going on but no one seemed to notice how close we are to each other.

Wayne brought his hand up and inspected it as if seeing it for the first time. "Nope, just one story. Last year, some dude put all his weight on my hand and it was a big guy because I felt my bones broke. And I was right, I now have a few nails holding my hand together" he explained like it was the most normal thing in the world, he continues by telling me how that game ended in his favour even with the injury. "And you still walk on that field and score 3 touchdowns? I'm impressed?" I say to him, faking disbelief. "Well, you're taking your situation pretty well," he again picks up my hand and holds it like it's the most fragile thing he has ever seen.

How I knew there was trouble coming, was on a few occasions. One, he took my wrapped hand and gently put it on his thigh and I didn't make an effort to remove it. It was nerve  wrecking but eventually felt normal. Two, the world looked normal, like it was used to us together, this close. No one looked at us twice or made a comment. People occasionally spoke to us but didn't look surprised, it's like we've been doing this for so long, they didn't expect anything less or it would have been weird if we didn't. I am glad though, public attention was enough to make me want to flee. And lastly, I moved closer to him slightly because like I couldn't hear him but mostly because how of good this boy smells.

And like earlier, when it was time to go, everyone got handshakes and high 5s but I got a hug and this time, his arms were low and the grip was tight. The girls and I stood at the parking lot and I saw something I had completely forgotten about. Wayne was the one driving the beautiful car that was behind me during the first day of School traffic. It doesn't shock me though, it suits him.

▪▪▪

"Do we need to go for x-rays?" My mother asked as she examined my hand with worry. It was swollen now and the pain was enough to make me cry. " Nope, I'm willing to wait it out," I was sure I didn't want to go to a doctor or emergency room. I just want to sleep, today had my emotions all over the place and I'm exhausted.

I threw myself onto my bed after taking a variation of pain tablets and I could feel my body start to give up. Flashes of a certain boy keep coming into my mind but I can't keep myself awake any longer.

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Question: are you an introvert or extrovert?

I am both. I like company but sometimes I just want to be alone.