Every Story Matters

12

♚ Austin ♚

What happened at the Café is way beyond my understanding. I was taken by surprise by what I started to feel when our faces were so close together. So I tried to play off what I was feeling with a smirk hoping she wouldn't notice. The racing beat of my heart at the time felt just like the time when I was with her after the first game of the season. But I really don't know what any of that meant. Or if it meant anything to her.

But after our little "moment" I waited till Scarlett's shift at the Café was over since I wanted to take her to the park. It was a nice day for once with the sun actually showing instead of hiding behind the dark gray clouds that usually greet everyone in the morning. Once we arrived at the park, we were greeted with a handful of screaming children running and playing with toys while their parents lay on blankets taking in the warmth of the sun.

"So, why did you take me here?" Scarlett questions looking up at me.

I shrug my shoulders looking back down at her. "Since I was no help with any of your interviews, I figured I'd take you to the place to where it all started to...uh, get things in motion" I say gesturing to the park.

"Where what started?" She asks furrowing her eyebrows.

I smile sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck. "This is where my dad first took me to teach me how to throw a football"

She excitedly gasps as her eyebrows raise and a delighted smile makes its way onto her face. I stare down at her, amused. I haven't seen her like this before. Her demeanor is usually calm and laid back. Never ecstatic. Nevertheless, I continued to watch her, a smile making its way onto my face. I open the backseat of my car and took out the blanket I had tossed in before leaving my house. After locking my car, I shoot Scarlett a grin nodding my head toward the park. She rolls her eyes unamused as I start to lead the way to a spot on the grass.

We get situated on the blanket and enjoyed the sun for a while, consumed in our own silence. Next to me, I hear clicking of a camera and realized that Scarlett was snapping a few photos of kids running and catching frisbees. After scrolling through a couple of them, she looks up and asks, "So football. Has it always been your dream?"

I stare down at her and squinted my eyes up in thought. "Yes...and no" I say tilting my head black and forth. She furrows her eyebrows confused at my answer. "I love it, I really do. I don't know what I'd do without it. But no, because it was sort of chosen for me. I didn't really have a say on what I wanted to play when I was younger. So I didn't...or wasn't able to participate in other sports that interested me. And at first I didn't like it, but as time went on, I actually found a love for football".

A small smile plays at her lips as she listens to me finish elaborating my answer. I return it by giving her a small smile of my own. "What about you, huh?" I say nudging her shoulder with mine. "What?" She asks laughing. "You obviously love taking pictures and writing. What's the dream here?" I question.

"To become a writer" she answers. But then, there was a sudden moment of hesitation shown in her eyes. She purses her lips together and hesitantly continues. "But...first, I have to actually get into the college I want to get into" she finishes shortly.

I furrow my eyebrows at her wondering why she would doubt herself. "Why would any college not want to take you?" I ask her.

She lightly laughs looking into the distance, not really focusing her attention on anything in particular. "The getting in part I'm not worried about. Actually, yeah I am worried about that" she pauses laughing, "but I'm most worried about the cost" she finishes with pursed lips.

"What do you mean?" I ask in a low-almost whispering- tone.

"I'm afraid my parents won't be able to afford the college I want to attend. Or any college for that matter" she says looking down taking in a deep breath. "That's why...uh, I couldn't graduate early" she tries to explain with a now quivering voice. Instinctively, my hand reaches out to hers and squeezes it for comfort. The contact of our skin immediately sending tingles throughout my body. But I try my best to calm my erratic heart so that I could continue to listen to what she has to say. She looks down at our connected hands and gives me a closed lipped smile. "I had to stay another year for this scholarship they only offer your senior year in high school. I uh, I have to write a story about something big at school because they want to see how well we can report a story and well, you know the rest" she says looking back up at me.

As I give her an apologetic smile, my eyes widen, realization dawning on me. "This is what you meant the other night, wasn't it? When we were on our way to my place?" I ask her in a low voice. As her only response, she only nods her head slowly, looking down. I tighten my grip on her hand making her look back up at me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" I start to apologize.

"It's fine" she interrupts shaking her head. "You didn't know"

I also shook my head and stared right into her beautiful eyes. "Still doesn't make what I said right" I say. She stares back at me with the same intensity and then...smiles. "And I really am sorry" I finish. Deep down, however, I know there's no amount of "I'm sorry" to show how much I actually feel.

After I finish, she looks at me through an unreadable expression, which has me wondering what's going on inside of that head of hers. But she offers me yet another breathtaking smile, and just from that, I know we're ok.

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