The Boy in the Jersey ✔️

27

Chapter 27

It's been almost  a week since Josh's grand gesture in my kitchen, and since then he has been leaving presents by my locker or my seat at lunch everyday.

Monday it was a pink ballon bouquet tied to my locker. Each ballon had something he liked about me written on it in glitter sharpie.

Tuesday was a small stuffed panda that was holding a heart that said "you are bear-y awesome" placed on my desk in my first hour.

Wednesday was a giant stuffed teddy bear that was bigger than me and a box of chocolates that he put at my lunch table.

Thursday was a bouquet of white roses sent to me in the middle of my fourth hour class.

Today was Friday and he hasn't given me anything yet. I couldn't help my wandering mind as I was thinking about it.

"Kelly are you even listening to me?" Thalia asks as we walk in to the cafeteria.

"What did you say?"

Thalia rolls her eyes at me.

"I asked if all this stuff made you forgive him yet?"

"I don't know"

"You don't know? Kelly he's trying so hard to win you back. I talked to him earlier in chem and he is so hopeful that all of this is working."

I grab a red Gatorade and a bowl of grapes and set them on my tray before I answer her.

"I mean I get that he's trying but what he did really hurt me Tali."

She sighs and grabs me a bowl of pasta as we make our way to our table.

"I know he did Kel. But have you seen him? He looks like crap. He hasn't slept or ate since the game."

I knew that. But I didn't think it was because of me. I don't know what I thought it was because of.

Before I can say anything else Logan and Ezra join us at our table.

"Hey Kel." Ezra says scooting next to me.

I smile at him before popping a grape in my mouth.

I see Logan give him a look as Ezra clears his throat.

"Kelly I need to ask you a question." He says turning his body to me.

I glance at Thalia who just shrugs her shoulders.

"Um okay."

Ezra takes a deep breath and rolls his shoulders before clearing his throat again.

"Do you maybe wanna hang out with me sometime this weekend?"

My hand stops halfway to my mouth as I look at him.

"Like as a date?" He clarifies for me.

A date? With Ezra? I hadn't ever thought of him that way before. He was always Logan's friend. And I sure as hell didn't know that he felt that way about me.

"Um"

I really didn't know what to say to him.

All eyes were on me at our table and I didn't like it. I didn't like the attention from them. I couldn't believe that Logan was actually okay with this either. This whole situation with Josh screwed me up enough as it is and now adding Ezra to the plate just messed me up more.

My dad approaching our table saves me from giving him an answer. His eyes were red and his hair was unruly. His tie was off and the top few buttons of his dress shirt were undone.

"Kelly, Logan, can I speak to you guys?"

We share a look with each other before we grab our things and stand from our table and follow him out into the hallway.

"Do you guys have all of your stuff?" He asks as we pass by the lockers.

Logan and I nod and we keep walking through the school in silence.

The sweat smell from the locker room burned my nose as we walked towards his office. Dad had a grim look on his face as he pushed the glass door open and took a seat at his desk.

This was all to familiar for me. I didn't like this at all and I knew it was bad news. I just hoped it wasn't what I thought.

Dad leans his elbows on his desk and runs his hands through his hair again.

"I'm trying to figure out how to tell you guys this as easy as I can."

"Just tell us dad" Logan presses.

"Grandma- she uh- she died early this morning."

My heart stopped beating as the words left his lips.

"Dad called me an hour ago. He said she died in her sleep."

I watched as his mouth moved but nothing he said made it to my ears. And nothing was registering with me. I had become numb yet again. I couldn't feel anything in my body or my brain. Everything shut off on me. I had no control of my body.

Logan was talking to me but I didn't hear anything that he said. Grandma couldn't be dead.

"Kelly?" My dad says as he kneels down to my level.

"I-I need a minute dad. I'll meet you guys at home"

I don't give either of them a chance to respond to me. I just stand up and leave his office. My feet lead the way as they take me to the football field. I go to the bleachers and climb up to the top before taking a seat.

I still didn't feel anything. Yes my heart was hurting, but I couldn't get any tears to come out. I had cried so much in the last few days that I didn't have anything left in me.

"Kelly?"

I look up to see Thalia standing in front of me. She takes a seat next to me and wraps her arms around me.

"Why aren't you with Logan?"

"You need me more right now Kel."

I squeeze her tight and lay my head on her shoulder.

"Thank you." I mumble

Thalia rubs my arm and lays her cheek on top of my head.

"The funeral is next Tuesday." She whispers to me

I sit in silence with my head rested against her. I felt weak and I didn't know what to do with myself.

My sanity was hanging on by a loose thread and I was so close to losing it. I was so close to breaking. I was so close to going back to how I was last year.

Thalia keeps her hold on me for what felt like hours. She was holding me so tight I felt some of my pieces slowly put themselves together again.

This is what I needed, but I was to afraid to let myself heal. I knew if I healed fully it would be easier to break me again.

If I was always broken I wouldn't have anything else to lose. I wouldn't have anything else of me to break.

And I was starting to be ok with that.

•

So sad! Poor Sandy! She was one of my favorite characters to write. The funeral is going to be a very emotional few chapters!

What do we think about Josh's attempt to get Kelly back?

Is Logan ever going to find out about them?