Biology||Josh Richards

4.0

As I make my way downstairs I see my mom in the kitchen taking a few white pans out of the oven.

Austin and Hailey went to the mall for an hour so hopefully, they'll be back soon, they wanted to get "Canadian merchandise".

"May you please set the table?" I nod, "also Aunt Pam and uncle David is coming along with your cousins so behave." I had always loved my cousins they had three kids, all boys. Seth, James, and Dylan, Seth was twenty, James was my age, and Dylan was fifteen.

We always go to the park and play tackle football or soccer, sometimes Mario cart in the loft that no one ever uses. We are buds but they live on the other side of Canada and only come once or twice a year, Thanksgiving being one of them.

I grab placemats, silverware, napkins, plates, and wine glasses before individually taking each utensil to the dining room and setting it accordingly.

As soon as I hear the doorbell ring I hear my phone vibrating in my back pocket indicating either spam of texts or a call.

I feel myself flush when I read the contact and pick it up.

"Hey, hows your thanksgiving going?" I hear Josh on the other line ask.

I make my way to the backyard and lean a bit over the deck. "It's going, how about you?"

"My mom is freaking out about thinking she doesn't have enough potatoes." He laughs and I bite my lip to silence my giggle. "What're you doing after dinner?"

"I'll probably be playing football or soccer with my cousins in the field at school," I explain and I hear him make a weird sound. "Maybe I'll see you there?"

"Maybe," he trails off, and I purse my lips. "You're cousins play football?"

I nod, even though he's not here to see it, "yeah, they'll love you. They are very.... athletically inclined." I tell him before I hear my name being called by a masculine voice yell.

"I gotta go, I'll see you later?"

"Maybe, bye."

"Bye," and the line goes dead.

I make my way inside so be greeted in a group huge of three hard chested boys to the point where I've been thrown on the couch.

"Hi, guys!" I screech. When I'm finally stable enough to stand, I'm face to face with three—well, two Black haired tallboys and one with blonde hair.

"What did you do?" I ask Dylan, "did you... bleach your hair?" I lift up my hand to feel but only get a quick touch before my hand is swatted away.

"Don't touch it!" Dylan orders but I jump on the couch to get high ground and place my hand directly on top of his head before I feel two arms grip around my knees as I'm thrown onto the couch.

"It feels like string!" I yell, not caring about the assault.

After a few more minutes of everyone tackling each other and me slowly backing into the kitchen, dinner is finally out as a buffet. The smell of sweet potatoes and turkey fills my nostrils.

I grab my plate and make my way to the kitchen and picking my choices of food.

The seating arrangement at the dining table was off, my father on one end, my mother on the opposite, I was across from Aunt Pam, Dylan, and Uncle David, Seth, and James next to me. Although, we added more chairs as soon as Hailey and Austin were back and introduced to the family.

The dinner was filled with a chat about James basketball season, Seth's football at UBC, and Dylan's football team at his high school, he was lucky to get in especially since it's his freshman year there, and my volleyball team which was a quick conversation because the season has just started. Some talk was about Hailey and Austin's home life too.

After everyone is stuffed, Austin and I go upstairs and change into athletic clothes, that being black Nike running shorts and a very comfortable black sports bra along with a spake white scrunchie on my wrist in case I decide to put my hair up.

After being changed into workout-ish clothing, I slip on my grey Adidas tennis shoes. We all make our way through the garage to grab their skateboards they brought or borrow a bike along with a football and soccer ball.

We ride bikes and skateboards to school before setting in the middle of the football field and doing a few warm-ups.

After playing a game to 36 between me and Seth against Dylan and James, we won 36-24 which was a close, I probably got a few bruises while tackling Dylan for the ball. Hailey was sat on the bleachers FaceTiming her boyfriend that I wasn't aware of while Austin kicked around the soccer ball.

We were close to winning into another game when I hear the name being yelled from across the field. I look over to see Josh and Anthony both wearing basketball shorts and t-shirts.

I pass the football to Seth and jog over to them, my hair swaying around in its ponytail.

"Hey!" I slow down my jogging as I approach them with a grin painted on my face. "Want to play?"

They nod, both removing their shirts right as James comes running up behind me and gripping my waist, pulling me to the ground.

"Fucking-" he was hovering over me as I was trying to kick him off, with luck, I slap the back of his head and he stands up with a pointer finger at me before putting his hand out for Josh and Anthony.

"I'm James." He introduces after a rough greeting.

"Josh, this is Anthony." They shake each other's hands in a friendly way before all of us make our way to the middle of the field and line up.

As the game begins I'm running with the ball in hand about to pass it to Anthony, who was now on my team, but feel a hand gripped onto my shoulder and before I know it, Josh is hovering above me with his legs on each side of my hips