String of Fate

Chapter Thirty Four

I had no idea why I was here. Well, I did know. I had to keep my brother company while he practiced for the football match tomorrow. Meaning, I sat there and read while he kicked the ball around the pitch with the team, including the star player, Jaspar. Then I'd probably be made to clean up while the boys changed, which always happened even though I wasn't a part of the team. It was luck a group of men couldn't clean up after themselves.

I hated the fact that I was here. I had never got on with Jaspar anyway, even though he was my brother's best friend. I always got really angry at him and I didn't even know why. I just sat at the side lines, reading my book and minding my own business. I didn't even want to be here but it's not like I could

Then the coach decided that I could be useful, his voice actually making me jump since I was so engrossed in my book. "Hey, girl, make yourself useful and tidy up. Empty the bins or something. Start with the changing room!"

I didn't reply, just slipped my book in my bag, going into the changing room to collect the bin before the guys came in to change. It wasn't the first time I'd emptied the bins in this place but I still hated the job. I pulled the bin bag from the bin in the changing room and noticed a second bin bag. I grabbed that, too, and headed from the room and to the back of the sports hall, noticing that I had picked the right moment because the bin men were emptying the bins and they took the bags from me. I felt a little pity for them to be working in the rain. Hopefully, they'd be home before the thunder started. Then I went back to the indoor pitch where they were practicing, hoping that the storm wouldn't affect the game since they always liked to play actual game on the outdoor pitch.

Since I couldn't clean the pitch while the guys were still practicing, I sat back where I had been and waited for the practice to end. Finally, their training session ended and I went back to my book when the guys when to get changed. The coach went to collect the footballs to put back in the cupboard, the guys messy enough to just leave them all about the room. Then Jaspar came out of the changing room, shirtless and angry. "Coach, have you seen my bag? It's gone from next to my locker."

Did he mean the bin bag next to the bin? The one that was also next to the lockers? The one that I had thrown out? I hid my face in my book. I did not like the way he sounded. If I had thrown it out, there would probably be a huge argument. The coach turned from the cupboard. "It was on the floor next to the bin in the changing room."

There was silence between the two of them while Jasper seemed to be getting angrier and angrier. "Well, it's not there now. Do you have any idea where it could have gone? Alice, what about you?"

"I may have accidentally thrown it out." I admitted, squirming a little. Jasper was not good when he was angry. Then again, he wasn't really good when he wasn't angry, either.

"What?!" Jaspar roared. He turned to me. He really had a bad temper and he looked extremely scary.

"Just go and get it back from the bins out back." The coach told him, waving him off.

"Um, the bin men have emptied the bins." I explained. Jaspar looked a mixture of distraught and anger. He walked over to me, towering over me. "I'm sorry! It was just a bin bag next to the bin, so, I assumed that I was rubbish. I'm sorry! I'll replace whatever was in there."

Then there was a thunder clap that meant the storm had arrived a little earlier than anticipated and Jaspar immediately became scared. He suddenly hugged me, surprising me. He held me tightly, and he was visibly shaking. I was so confused. "What are you doing?"

"He's not good with thunderstorms. That's why he had a pillow in his bag because it was the only thing that could comfort him. You threw that out." My brother told me, coming into the room. He was already changed. Thank goodness. I could get out of here and go home. Jasper had actually had a pillow in there! Why had he bothered to bring it to his training session?