Safe?

Chapter 34

The following day was spent on a field nearby and I was utterly exhausted when we got back to the log house.

We were supposed to have a game night around a bonfire but I was desperate to get some rest.

Coach was apparently happy of us and he was whistling while preparing the grill for tonight’s dinner.

I had just showered and I was thinking of getting some much needed alone time before the beginning of the evening’s festivities, when he called me.

“Little Sterling…” That was his new name for me.

“Coach?”

“Come here a minute…” He said while rubbing the grid of the grill with some newspaper.

I walked to him.

“Do you regret coming?” He asked.

I frowned.

“Not really, no… I’d have rather stayed home but I’m kind of enjoying some of it…” I said honestly.

“What parts are you enjoying?” He asked.

“I don’t know, getting to know the boys better and playing that scary ball game, I guess…”

I shrugged.

He smiled.

“That’s what I thought…” He mumbled, pleased with himself. “The rest will sort itself out in time, Lily…” He added before squeezing my shoulder gently.

I shrugged again, unsure of what he meant, and walked to a small pontoon nearby.

I sat down at the very end with my feet dangling above the water, put my earphones and my hood and started listening to Tom Odell.

As his low voice helped forget about the painful memories, I started paying attention to the way the sunset reflected on the lake, making the otherwise almost transparent water look dark and dangerous.

It reminded me of a horror film we’d watched the year before with Ben and Peter, where all these teenagers disappeared one after the other during a one week holiday together at a Lake.

The final ten minutes kind of wasted the whole movie, however, as this ridiculous fake-looking giant piranha was killed by the most handsome boy of the group with the smallest harpoon ever, and in only one shot, of course!

I chuckled at how disappointed the three of us had been. Ben had even thrown popcorn at the TV.

“That was such a crappy movie…” Ben said after taking one of my earphones off.

His ability to read my mind was spooky at times.

“Everything ok?” He asked.

I nodded. “Just knackered, that’s all…”

“Dinner’s ready, come on…” He helped me up and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

Once the boys had eaten the equivalent of a cow herd, Coach asked us to sit around the bonfire. It was game time.

Coach had asked each of us to complete a questionnaire containing pretty personal questions.

I had answered all of them but one, and hoped he wouldn’t read them out or something.

“The game you’re about to play tonight is not your typical game, guys…” Coach started. “I’m going to divide you up into two teams, for the sake of it, only…” He added. “Because, this is a game which, if you’ve followed my instructions, will help you know everything you need to know about all your teammates. Their weaknesses as well as their strengths so that you’ll know whether to pass him the ball or not on such or such a day…” He explained, and we all listened to him religiously.