Grey Skies

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Nine, that's how many calls I've ignored. They came right after one another but after the ninth one they stopped coming. Now I keep glancing toward it, not sure what to do.

On my way to grabbing my laptop, my dad and Max walk out of the living room. Dad grabs his keys and wallet.

"Where are you guys going?"

"Mall," Max says. "I'm buying new cleats for tryouts in a few days." He smiles at me slightly and despite the fact that I barely have anything under control in my head, I manage to smile. I wanted Max to do something for himself, and not because anyone else was forcing him or he felt like he needed to do it. He would never enjoy Soccer if he was forcing himself to play. It would be a chore instead of a hobby, a burden instead of an escape.

I was even more glad with the fact that it meant I'd have the house to myself for at least a few hours. Things were swarming my mind and if I continued to ignore them eventually it would crash like the Stock Market in 1929.

There is so much to sort out. First I hadn't really even come to terms with actually making the team, actually getting Soccer back again. I should celebrate it, should enjoy it, but the last time I tried to celebrate with someone it turned into a kiss. I couldn't handle any more unexpected kisses. Which then brought me to the next dilemma: the kiss. What was Davis thinking doing something like that? It brought so many complications and unraveled things that should have stayed tightly wound.

What about Meg and Austin? Meg was his girlfriend of seven years, seven years, and there he was kissing me of all people. They had history and what did we have? A soccer ball and a few choice words between us, and apparently, now a kiss, too. Then there's Austin. Austin who is funny. Austin who I have history with. Austin who tells me I look like Christmas morning and manages to make that cliche even sound special.

We'd both be giving something good up. I didn't like Davis like that. I think it's because we know each other too much. There won't be any surprises. He knows and has seen things of me that I may not have wanted to show him right from the start if we were together. I wanted a choice, I didn't want to be transparent, but with Davis that's all I'd ever be. He knows when I am lying. He knows when I am holding something back. He knows me, maybe more than I want to be revealed.

Then again, I am blowing this out of proportion. It was just a simple kiss. A simple kiss didn't justify or foreshadow a relationship. We were both already invested in other people and like I said, I'm not interested in Davis romantically.

I still needed to talk to someone about this, talking to myself wasn't nearly enough. I log into my skype and send a video chat request to Sarah. It rings for a while and she finally answers and for once I'm glad that her laptop is attached to her hip and her fingers are glued to the keys.

"At your service," she says with a salute. I roll my eyes and manage to smile.

"Are you alone?" I ask, noticing the familiar posters on her dormroom wall. I didn't particularly like her roommate who would sometimes drift into our conversation with what she thought was sound and genious advice.

"Aye aye captain."

I let out a sigh, doubting if I should tell her. Especially when she's acting like this, but if I can't confide in Sarah of all people, who do I really have left? Davis was clearly off limits. "Okay I have news, not good news but news."

"Oh gosh did someone die? Shoot, I probably shouldn't have said it like that! Are you okay?"

I crack a smile, thinking about how I had to tell her about my grandmother. "No one died. Well, first I want to say that I made the team." She squeals and I laugh. "Then I, um, I went to go tell Davis the news."