inhale, kevin day.

ii. alone with me

chapter two
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Awkwardness washed over them as Maeve took the seat beside Kevin Day, worldly known as the Son of Exy, for it was his mother to cocreate it. There was not a person who hadn't heard of all his misfortune, an accident that left him on the sidelines, fighting to cut off his final ties to his mother. Of course, Maeve didn't think of it that way, to her he was simply a manipulative man who was too arrogant for his own good. She often thought it was a wonder he and Allison didn't immediately get along after he wormed his way onto their court. Though, truthfully, these were all just assumptions of hers, for all she really knew of him was that he would never pick up a racket again... and yet, here he was now — beside her, a nobody girl from sunny California with (slightly) problematic anger issues and a knack for the game — as her teammate.

     Three excruciating hours passed between them in dead silence. She felt his eyes though... following her arm as it outstretched in reach of her disregarded sketchbook at her feet, looking up every time she decided she couldn't handle this and walked the extensive length of the plane, only stopping when Wymack claimed she was making other passengers uneasy and that he'd glue her butt to the seat if that's what it took for her to remain still.

     She guessed it was mainly Andrew who felt agitated by her, and on her final warning from Coach, she shot him a quick look. Not a concerned one, but also not her usual displeased one either. She gulped and finally buckled in again, trying to shove the restlessness down under.

     Beside her Kevin held her sketchbook in hand, one she hadn't even realized had fallen right into his lap the last time she'd tossed it aside to stand up. She didn't care if he'd looked, there was nothing to look at. Despite this fact, she snatched it from his hands and sent a glare his way. She couldn't discern the way he was looking at her, but if she knew one thing it was that she didn't like it one bit.

     "Can I ask you a question?"

     She almost immediately said no.

     Almost.

     Maeve side eyed him,"You just did, but ask away." He opened his mouth, words on the tip of his tongue when she added,"Though don't think that it guarantees you getting an answer."

     Kevin rolled his eyes. "Wymack says you've been playing Exy since you were eleven," he starts.

     "Just as I suspected— pretty and stupid, you and Allison sure have a lot in common." She smirked,"Not a question, all star."

     "And you said I likely wouldn't get an answer to it anyway." It was his turn to be smug,"Your compliment is appreciated, by the way."

     Her brows furrowed,"I didn't—"

     "Really?" He cut her off,"Because unless I heard wrong, you just called me pretty. And an all star."

     She rolled her eyes now, turning the other way with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest,"Let's not fail to mention the big ego you carry, jeez Louise, however do you manage?"

     His lips only quirked up further at that, then he remembered why he'd started this conversation with her in the first place and paused, allowing himself to become serious to pose the big question he hadn't been able to figure out for himself since the moment he'd met her,"Why'd you start?"

     She hated that she felt the need to answer, but she wouldn't make it easy. And like she'd said, she didn't guarantee him an answer, not a proper one anyway. "Start what?" She scoffed.

     "Playing the game."

     And this was where that feeling died. She was quick to shoot back,"Why did you?"

It successfully shut him up.

For the rest of the plane ride they were able to remain perfectly silent— leaving her, once more, caught up with meeting her past again after many years and him with his nose stuck in the boring History book he'd brought along for the hours long ride. Ten minutes out from landing, she'd turned to him in curiosity and when he caught her, she offered him a stick of gum to hide the fact that she'd been watching him. He surprisingly accepted. She stopped her staring.

Though she wondered... if she'd made him debate his entire life, even a little bit, for she hadn't stopped thinking about hers. But then they landed.

     And reality set in.

     They stood simultaneously, and it was in this moment Maeve made another horrifying realization, one not as bad, however still very embarrassing. She had tossed her carry on in the compartment above them, but fell short, now unable to reach it. Just jump for it, her mind told her, and she was going to do just that when a hand extended past her head and brought it down for her.

Standing at six foot two, Kevin held onto the disgustingly orange duffle. Their fingers brushed as she attempted to relieve it from his hands, but his grip only tightened around both her bag and her hand, still chewing slowly on her pink, sugar flavored bubblegum, voice low as she stared fiercely into his eyes,"Remember what we're here for— recruiting this kid is our top priority. It's a small town, you of all people know it. Just do your job and help ease his small minded brain around the fact that a Class I Exy team wants him on their lineup and we won't have any problems."

Maeve didn't give under his stare, just tugged on her bag to no avail,"Last I checked, this isn't a job. It actually really isn't even a hobby anymore."

He ignored that. "Are we clear?"

For a moment, she'd forgotten there were other people around them, the sound of Andrew's mocking laughter bringing her back to the plane as he looked from Kevin to her before actually jumping up high for his own carry on and promptly trailing after Wymack, who hadn't thought twice to wait for either of them. People cleared out after them, but they remained unmoving. So much so that the same flight attendant Maeve had had issues with earlier came over to ask if everything was okay.

Kevin looked to Maeve, who pressed her lips together and held back a roll of her eyes.

"Yes." She said, but she was no longer looking at the woman. She was back to staring at Kevin, holding out her hand in silent ask for a return of her possessions, only for him to drop his gum into her palm, shoulder her bag along with his own, and walk off. Her middle finger went up quickly, but he was long gone and she stubbornly popped the chewed up, now flavorless, gum into her mouth. She faced the flight attendant, name tag reading "Amanda".

She exhaled deeply,"Mandy, dear?"

The woman fought her twisted look off her face,"How may I be of service, ma'am?"

"Just a piece of advice," she placed her sunglasses back onto her face and popped a bubble with Kevin's gum,"You really oughta loosen up more often, take a vacation. Life is short, and full of assholes."

"Oh, don't I know it." Amanda responded with her forced smile.

Maeve smirked and patted her cheek twice,"By assholes I mean you— au revoir!"

And she finally left.