Becoming a Scott

Chapter 15

"Don't swing the waffle into the bushes! Do you think I enjoy having to dig through those things just so that we can keep playing! I'll end the game right now while I'm still in the lead, Scott!" Ander let out, his voice echoing through the open field of the house. With one last grunt, he walked off towards the trimmed bushes behind him.

Christina sat in the shade and cringed. She was sure that all of the neighboring mansions had caught wind that the men were playing badminton at the Scott estate today.

"If you're going to complain about it just tell me so that I can fetch myself!" Michael ran under the net and towards Ander. The two of them continued talking just out of ear shot.

"Ander likes to call the shuttlecock a 'waffle'." William explained as he glanced over at Christina.

"It's a better name for it anyway." Riley responded dismissively.

The three of them were seated at a table on the grass with a wide umbrella above them, keeping them from the relenting sun. One of her grandmother's butlers was standing on the terrace, waiting for them to order more drinks and food.

"How about you stay put, Michael! There's no need for both of us to look like idiots!" Ander shouted as he pushed Christina's cousin out of the bushes and onto the grass.

"Haha!" Michael laughed from where he lay in the sun. "It's only been what, fifteen minutes, and you've already become a bratty little girl!"

"A bratty little girl who is winning!" Ander responded, his voice slightly muffled as he searched for the shuttlecock.

"Ander seems..." Christina searched for a word, "very competitive."

Riley fanned herself with her hand, "He hates to loose."

"And you don't play with them because?" Christina glanced over at William. He was still as handsome as she had remembered him at the tennis court and when he turned his green eyes down to her she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

"Eh, it's just a bunch of shouting and jumping like it always is. Ander and Micheal rile each other up like no other, all I can do is try to catch up." William said with a laugh. "But I would love to play, if one of you chose to join so that we could even out the teams."

Christina was fully ready to give a firm no, the last thing she needed to do was sweat in her dress and rival Micheal and Ander in their screaming match. But then Riley let out a breath of laughter and said, "I wouldn't be caught dead playing badminton."

"How about you, Christina? I swear Michael and Ander shout a lot less if a lady is playing with them." William spoke eagerly, as if the idea brought him joy.

"I don't really believe that." Christina said with a frown.

A few minutes later Christina found herself barefoot on the grass hoping that the shades of her grandmother's study were still closed. "I don't know why you decided to have me on your team. I still don't understand what I'm supposed to do."

Micheal stood up straighter and loosened the grip on his racket. "What do you mean? I just explained the whole game?"

"That was all gibberish as far as I was concerned."

Shaking his head, he yelled over the net to the others. "Hey guys! Take it easy!"

"Of course!" William smiled back.

"No," Ander answered "She can play as well as the rest of us!" Christina cursed under her breath, this was a dumb idea. "Just hit the waffle! That's all you have to do!" Ander yelled after a moment.

"Thank's for the breakdown, gold medalist of badminton Ander Vivaldi!" Micheal teased.

"Ey!" Ander took a step forward "Watch yourself Scott! I bet the first hit of hers goes straight into the bush!"

Christina reeled back, not at all used to Ander's competitive side and finding it more annoying than his usual self. William chuckled but shook his head. "Just start already!"

Christina missed her first couple of swings before getting the hang of it. In one swoop she managed to get the shuttlecock over the net. It felt as if angels had descended upon her when she realized Ander couldn't move fast enough to dodge the trajectory of her hit. She turned away before anyone could catch the smile that appeared on her lips, "Oops.

Michael let out a loud laugh and dropped his racquet. Running up to his cousin, he gave her a high-five before running to the other side of the court. William grinned and watched his friends with admiration. But Ander stayed silent and his brown eyes rested firmly on Christina as Michael pestered him.

"Are you okay?" Riley asked as she stood up from her seat.

"I'm fine," he answered simply before dragging his gaze away from Christina.

"Ugh, my genius cousin was waiting for the perfect opportunity! A true Scott waits in silence to strike!" Micheal shouted in excitement.

After that the game had steadily progressed into a one on one competition between Ander and Michael. The two of them were eager to one up each other and forgot that William and Christina were still standing there.

"It's odd to see them like this, Ander gave me... a very different impression." Christina said to William. 

William let out a breath. "Sometimes you need to be able to express yourself after having to hold it all in. They know they mean no harm towards each other so they feel most comfortable screaming at one another and getting into..." At that moment Micheal had run under the net and tackled Ander to the ground, yelling something about grandmother being a better player. It was a mess of punches and kicks as they yelled insults at one another.

Christina furrowed her brows. They look like children, she thought.

William walked off and started to call for them to break up the fight. He reached down to drag Ander off Michael but seemed to be struggling.

"Christina, go help him out!" Riley shouted from where she sat, drinking her lemonade.

Christina turned to her with a look of disgust, "You want me to do what?" Riley only answered by nodding her head. "Willaim can do it by himself-" Christina's words were cut off as she realized that William actually could not do it himself.

"God! I thought I told Isabela to throw those things out!" Aunt Matilda shouted from the second story balcony. She was wrapped up in her robe, her hair a mess, with a sleep mask pulled over her head. "Stop that fighting right now!"