Fen and Mara - Open Novella Contest 2019 Short List

Chapter 7

Heavy rain has transformed the training field in a mudslide. Coach Fraser instructs his team to practice tackles and in no time every player is covered in mud. After a maul by his brother Fen even has mud in his ears and his long black hair is hanging from his head in dirty strands. Vic's hair is also caked in mud, just like every other boy on the field; they don't mind, it just adds to the fun. After practice the whole team makes a giant mudslide, splashing their coach with a wave of brown water.

Currents of brown and black water flow to the drains in the showers. Most boys don't bother undressing before they hit the showers; Fen also doesn't strip his clothes off until he is in the shower. The hot water slowly cleans him and gets rid of the chill in his bones.

"Hurry up, Fen! I'm hungry!" Vic calls out. The large blond team captain is already waiting by the door when Fen still has to get dressed.

"You go ahead. I have to pick up a book at Mara's house first." Fen twists his wet hair up in a small bun to keep it from dripping down his neck.

"Picking up a book? Is that what the kids call it nowadays?" Marc, one of Vic's friends, smirks at him. "Got yourself a girlfriend, Fen?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Fen mutters, but it's too late.

"He's found himself a rich chick!" Vic agrees with his buddy. "Mara's dad drives a slick sports car."

"Mara? Is that her name? Are you dating Prince's girl?" Marc wolf whistles hard. "She's pretty hot! How on earth are you able to tap that, Fenny boy?!"

Fen throws a shoe at his tormentors, though they easily evade the projectile.

"Have fun, Fen," Vic says with a wink when he leaves the locker room with Marc.

He'll never admit it to his brother and his friend, but the idea of Mara being his girlfriend is certainly appealing. That first day he mainly saw how beautiful she is and by now he has gotten to know her as a smart girl with a sense of humor. He had barely given it any thought before following her outside today, he just felt bad for her. He had noticed too how everyone keeps talking about her dad, it's easy to imagine how much that must suck. When he was standing next to her, listening to her talk a mile a minute, he suddenly had her in his arms. It had surprised him maybe even more than it surprised her; he never knew he had the guts to do something like that! It did work though, she calmed down pretty fast and she even hugged him back.

Fen slowly pedals through the street, a fancy lane with lots of trees on each side. Mara had already told him her home wouldn't be that easy to find. He's looking for a white house on a low hill, with a green gate and a silver coloured mailbox. This part of the neighbourhood is more forest than residential area, the houses are hidden behind trees and bushes; often there is not much more to see than a high fence and neatly sculpted hedges.

A few yards in front of him a black car comes speeding out of a driveway, Fen recognises professor Prince his flashy car. A green fence, a metal mailbox, this should be the right place. Fen slips through the open gate and follows the driveway up to the house. The path goes up to the front door and also around the house, presumably to a garage or something. The villa is a contemporary building, a white accumulation of squares with windows from floor to ceiling.

There's a scooter parked near the front door, a black box fitted to the back of it. The delivery guy has just rang the doorbell - his helmet shoved up on his head - when Fen puts his bicycle away.

"Hi!" Mara calls out cheerfully when she opens the door, ready to hand the delivery guy some cash. She gestures for Fen to follow her inside the house. He leaves his sports bag by the door and walks after her to the kitchen, where she puts the white plastic bag with food on the counter.