Loving Lola

Broke

Picture is of Zed Benedict !
-Mikki x

Three weeks into the semester and high school had proved to be mostly fun, apart from the strange feeling Noah gave me. What was his problem? And why did he have it with me? I tried to shake it off- too much else was going on to worry about my accurately nicknamed Wolfman.

"Activities day next week- juniors can choose to go rafting," Alfie told me one Thursday morning. "Wanna come?"

I wrinkled my nose. "But I'll get wet."

Neil sighed and ruffled my hair. "That's what happens."

"Rafting- do you have to build one?"

He laughed. "Kenz, this isn't the Boy Scouts of America- no, I'm talking white-water, white-knuckle, high octane excitement on the Eyrie River. Imagine an inflatable boat with room for seven. You've got the main man on the rudder at the back, the rest of us at the sides paddling, barely holding on as we plunge through the rapids. It's great fun, you'll love it."

"They have a beginner's level?"

"Of course, Kenz. They're not gonna send you down the trickiest run with no help or no knowledge of what to do, are they?"

I shook my head. "Ok then." Big mistake. I knew I was terrified of water, as my former experiences with it had not been brilliant.

"Hey, I don't suppose you know whether, um, Jasmine would like to come in our boat?"

"Why? Do it yourself. Ask her."

"She'll think I'm coming on to her."

"But you are, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I'm taking it slow with her."

"Wise move."

The whole year group- all one hundred of us- were told to report to the coaches out on the bleachers on Monday. The computer selected a random collection of a team. Mr Joe, in an misguided attempt to settle in the Texan girl, crowned me captain of team B, which meant we were first to play team A. And guess who was their captain?

"Ok, Noah. You win the toss." Mr Joe tucked the coin away and blew his whistle. He had really entered the spirit of the game, even having one of those notebooks in his top pocket. "Fifteen minutes each way. Good luck."

I risked a peek up at Noah. He was staring down the pitch, easily able to see over my head with his six-four height, compared to my five-nothing. His hair was lighter, almost blond in the sun, and his eyes were the same electric blue as mine. Suddenly, his eyes swooped down to rest on mine. I looked away hurriedly, embarrassed to be caught staring. Despite himself, I could feel him smirking at me.

Major humiliation. Duffy began begging for mercy on my internal soundtrack.

"Ok, captain. Where do you want us?" Alfie grinned at me.

The only positions in soccer I knew well were centre forward and goalie. I put Alfie up front, and me in goal.

"You sure?" Jasmine asked. "Aren't you a bit short for defender?"

"No. I'm best out of the way. The rest of you, share out the positions. Do what you do best."

After kick off, I found I had seriously miscalculated. I'd forgotten we were up against a player who makes minced meat of your defence line, and then the goalie suddenly has a very busy time indeed.

We were 5-0 down after ten minutes. Five of those goals were down to Noah Hamilton.

At half time, we were fifteen goals down. I'd let in sixteen, but Alfie had achieved a miracle and scored one. My team surrounded me, unhappy and embarrassed.