The Heart of the Team

Chapter Nineteen

Apparently something else no one told me is that I couldn't play baseball for a week after release from the hospital.

So once again I found myself confined mainly to my bed, bored out of my mind.

At least now I could move around my house.

I had just moved to the couch when I heard the front door open.
I figured it would be Alexander so I ignored it and opened my book.

And it seemed like it was Alexander until I heard the muffled giggling and shushes.

There was a whisper of "Okay guys, the coast is clear." That I identified to be from my brother.

I peered over the back of the couch to see all the guys trying to quietly move up the stairs.

Rolling my eyes, I laid back down and got comfortable.

From upstairs I heard a door open and then a loud yell of 'surprise!' followed by confused noises.

"I'm down here idiots!" I yelled.

They all thundered down the stairs and into the living room.
"Hey Lizzy!" Quinn, exclaimed, shoving my legs off the couch and sitting down.
"Hey Quinn." I sighed, closing my book as everyone took up spots around the living room.

"Uh, surprise." Ham did haphazard jazz hands.

"You're a little off on that one." I chuckled.
"To be fair we- no Alexander said you would be in your room." Benny pointed out.

"Hey! It's not my fault shes goibng against what the doctors said!" My brother protested.
"But, knowing Liz you should've known that would happen." DeNunez said matter of factly.

Everyone started talking, and yelling slightly accusatory things at one person or another.
I rolled my eyes as chaos started to unfold.

This was honestly inevitable.

So I stood up and headed off to the kitchen when it started to get too loud.

No one seemed to take notice as I slipped away, so it surprised me when, ten minutes later, Benny came into the kitchen.

I had been comfortably seated on the counter with my book when he came in.

"Hey."

"You disappeared." His tone was almost accusatory.

"Yeah, it was way too loud in there."

He nodded and hopped up onto the counter next to me.
"What's with you and Aelius?" He asked suddenly a moment later.

"What do you mean?"
He shrugged, "Like is he your boyfriend? Or something?"

"Oh, oh no he isn't. We're just friends." I said quickly.

"Seems like theres a bit more to it than that." Benny said.
I sighed, "So maybe I like him a little. What's the crime in that?"

"Nothing, nothing."

We sat in silence for a moment or two before I said, "You do have a problem with it don't you?"

Benny's face fell for a second before he laughed, "Well yeah, if you start dating I'll have to do a background check to see if he's good enough of My best friend."

Somehow, the words still stung.

So I sat there laughing.

Laughing through the pain.