String of Fate

Chapter Forty

The black haired guy stumbled back as I shoved into him. His bag slid from his shoulder and his glasses broke as the sellotape holding them together gave up. Just like the guys I had been walking with, I laughed. He was so comical. All his reactions were laughable. "Watch where you're walking, four eyes."

Instead of waiting until he scrambled out of the way like I usually did, I stepped around him and headed off with my friends, talking about the stuff that we usually did. Topics like rugby, the team we'd be playing against on the weekend, and our strings appeared in the conversation.

They were still surprised that I didn't have a string a month after my birthday, even though neither of them were even sixteen yet. I wasn't worried. There was still time. It could even be a couple of years until I got a string, so, there was nothing to worry about.

I was surprised when I woke up the next morning with a string on my finger. Even though I could have quite happily skipped school, I decided that it would be best to go to school and I would follow it after school. I dressed and headed to school, following the string all the way there. At least they went to my school, and that was a good thing. I didn't see whoever my string led to until I headed to the changing rooms to get changed for my after school rugby practice.

So, I was destined to be with another man. That didn't bother me anyway. I had never been bothered about whether or not I was going to have kids, and I wasn't bothered about what gender I was going to be with for the rest of my life. It didn't really make much of a difference to me as long as we were happy together.

I headed into the changing rooms, wondering who it could be. There was only one person in the room when I looked in. It wasn't surprising because it was the end of the school day and everyone else had probably already gone home in their gym clothes. I watched him as he pulled the shirt over his scrawny frame, spotting me a second later. We spoke at the same time. "No way!"

I was too surprised to say anything more as he pulled his stuff together and left, the rest of the rugby team came in to change. I couldn't follow him to say anything because I had to get to practice, but he had seemed angry. I didn't blame him, I had practically bullied him for the last five years.

I changed quickly because I had to practice and I joined the team on the field in my kit, not focusing on the game we were playing at all. I was too busy thinking about the geeky James who turned out to be at the end of my string. Of course he wouldn't be happy about this situation.

"Hey! Collins! Your heads not in the game! Go home and your head better be in the game when we play tomorrow!" The coach ordered, blowing the whistle very closely to my ear. He was not impressed with the whole situation.

"Yes, coach. Sorry, coach." I replied, rubbing my ear as I headed to the changing room to grab my stuff. I changed out of the kit into my school trousers and shirt just so I wasn't walking around in my kit and could leave it until tomorrow. I couldn't help but let my mind wander. This may have been the worst Friday of my life, and it was meant to be the best day of my life.

When I left the changing room, I decided that I needed to speak to James about coming to the game. That might allow for me to actually concentrate on the game. It would be selfish of me to ask him to come to the game since it was definitely something that he would not be interested in but the team needed to win the game.

I followed my string and ended up outside a little corner shop, James walking out of it, still in his school uniform. He tensed as soon as he saw me, his eyes widening. I walked over to him before he came to his senses and ran away from me, holding onto his wrist. "Come to the rugby match tomorrow, please. Don't ask questions. Just show up and wait for me when it finishes. See you tomorrow."