Love Sucks

Chapter 10 - The Hill of Weird

( Another new cover by mattbenfly75 thanks xx )

*Chapter Ten – The Hill of Weird*

Let’s just say my mam went absolutely furious when she heard about my having detention and saw red when she found out the reason for it. That was the reason I was sitting in on a Friday afternoon, stalking my (new and improved) Facebook newsfeed. Everyone seemed to be doing something; meeting up with friends, getting ready for a disco, watching a new episode of some tv show… But what was I doing? Nothing. The only entertainment I was offered by my mam was coming to the hairdressers with her, I politely refused.

It was when I saw the lady who lives across the road from me trying to leave her house with her son Daniel that I saw an opportunity for an occupation. I often babysit Daniel for April, his mum, when she is busy but I guess she presumed I wasn’t around today to do that for her. I decided to make the first move, it would be a good outcome all round; I get some money and something to do, April gets to go shopping in peace and Daniel doesn’t have to be dragged around the shops. In my opinion it was a fool-proof plan.

I quickly ran over to April and made the various arrangements so soon enough Daniel and I were out my back garden, kicking around a football. He soon decided that wasn’t enough though and that he wanted to go play football in the field behind our estate.

We went around to the field with our football and jackets on and were amazed by how crowded it was. I knew it was the only green area for two estates but usually you could be the only person here. It was nearly black with people playing all sorts of sports or just sitting on the grass chatting to friends or walking dogs.

Daniel and I started kicking our football back and forward between us, both of us were totally un-aimed and un-skilled in the game. Me because, I just suck full stop at any sort of sport and Daniel because he was only five, who can blame him?

The bad thing about us both being epic fails at ‘The Game’ was that it involved a lot of running to retrieve the ball to take our next shot and lots of bumping into people who aren’t paying attention to the fact you’re running right towards them. It was all going fine and I had to admit I was actually having fun with Daniel, he was just so cute!

Then things climbed to the top of the hill of weirdness and went on a steady slide on down again.

It all started when Daniel actually kicked the ball with surprising force but in a totally opposite to me. . . I ran after it as I knew it would be too long for him as it went a good distance away, it was fine though until I walked past my neighbour who lives three doors down from me.

Peter Ennis had messy light brown hair, he was short and not on the skinny side of life… We used to be like best friends when we were younger, we would be in each other’s houses day after day until a fight we had ended that. It was when we were seven and he called me ‘Stinky Sarah’ so in retaliation I called him fat. I couldn’t help it; I was a mean little child!

After that he practically ran out my front door and we haven’t had a proper conversation since. We were civil to each other and would say hello and whatnot but it wasn’t overly friendly, just enough for the on looking neighbour’s to know ‘The battle of Deer Lawns’ wasn’t about to begin anytime soon. So they could put away their pitch forks and torches and stop betting on winning and losing sides, yes my neighbours were strange people.

I simply ran over to where our football had landed, coincidently right beside him and sent a fleeting “Hey Peter,” in his direction. I didn’t have time to notice any sort of reply as Daniel had started to wander off, a sprint on my part saved the day. As I glanced back over in Peter’s direction I couldn’t help but notice the slight smirk he had on his face while staring in my general direction until his brother whacked him on the arm and he got his head back into the mini hurling match he was playing.

Half an hour or so passed and I had exceeded my average exercise quota for a month with Daniel’s bad aim and tendency to fall over and wander off. I couldn’t blame the kid for any of it though, he was just so darn cute!

I couldn’t help but notice that the Hurling match was now over, and all of the players were starting to scatter. I gazed around for Peter, but didn’t see him anywhere. It was only when I saw a hand waving in front of my face that I registered that Peter was standing right in front of me. Talk about hiding in plain sight?

I was about to snap at him and ask what he wanted, he was distracting me from babysitting I mean! But he decided to speak up for himself first. It sounded a little too rehearsed for my liking.

“Um, Sarah. . . Can I have your number?” He started out awkwardly but then grew a backbone and said the rest of his request more confidently.

I went through an omnibus of reactions to that one statement, it was strange; at first I wondered why he wanted my number, it struck me I didn’t actually have my phone, and I contemplated giving him a fake number so he couldn’t stalk me.

I ended up replying “Well, I don’t have my phone with me today, so you’ll have to text me so I can get your number and uh, please don’t stalk me!” It all came out in one big jumbled rush, wait to keep your cool sweetheart!

“So, yeah you give your number and I’ll text you later kay?” He said, more confidently now, obviously glad to have made the first one move in our second attempt at friendship.

I rattled off my number to him and received a satisfied grin before he ran off to his celebrating friends, I guess he had won his match then. I still hadn’t decided if I was an idiot for giving him my number but I guess time would tell, doesn’t it always?

***

More time passed and eventually Daniel got tired of kicking the ball around and watching me run after it so he decided he was going to try kicking it over the wall that separates the field from Deer Lawns. From where I guessed we were standing, if there was no wall I would be looking into Jack’s sitting room right now. I wondered if he had forgiven me for being so presumptuous about him.

I had no worries about having to run up the top of the field, go out of the gate and run back down again to retrieve the football as it was a high wall, and he was a small boy. I had no worries until he asked me to try, and if I do say so myself; I’m actually considered joining the Irish team as it was such a good kick I gave it. The football went soaring over the wall and into Jack’s front garden. Any other time I would have given myself a pat on the back but right now I just wanted to scream.

Now if it had been my football I would have left it there and gone home, save myself the awkwardness but I knew this couldn’t work in this case. Daniel would only kick up a fuss and then April would get mad at the fact I did a rubbish job of child-minding. Basically, I was going to have to face my demons.

As Daniel and I walked through the gate and started on our journey down the road of the estate I didn’t see anyone around Jack’s house thankfully but I still made sure that we rushed up and down just in case.

At seven o’clock I brought Daniel home as that’s when April said she would be back from shopping, he gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek when I was leaving and I wanted to melt at the adorable little gesture. I walked home slowly as I nothing more to do today as baby sitting was done.

When I walked my bedroom I could hear an incessant beeping coming from my phone telling me I had a new text waiting for me, I presumed it was just Peter giving me his number.

Eventually I found my annoying phone under a pile of school books and clutter and saw there was in fact two texts waiting for me, from the same person. They read;

Hey Sarah, It’s Peter.

Do you maybe want to go out with me? If you do text back a :) if you don’t text back a :( ...

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Hey peoples, thanks for reading and i hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thoughts on Peter??

I'm going to be gone for the next three days and probably too tired to upload on Friday so yeah early upload !! haha

Please COMMENT and VOTE !!