I guess good news really travels fast, by the time I got back to the dorm everyone was talking about Charlie and Fulton quitting the team. Riley thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Without their captain, enforcer and leading scorer (whom we were so kindly holding hostage), there was no way the Ducks could play good enough to keep their scholarships. So Kyle Riley would get to play, yay. Pardon me for not wetting myself with excitement. I didn't understand why his brother being on the team was so important to Rick anyway. I mean he wasn't even that good, the Ducks were definitely better. Not to mention the fact I'd talked to Kyle about it and he'd told me it wasn't that big a deal to him.
"This is so great, my father won't even have to come up with a reason to retract their scholarships." Rick gloated
We were sitting in our room watching TV and for the last forty minutes all that I heard about was the JV. It was getting to the point that if he said the word one more time I was going to quack at him. *Smiles imagining what Riley's expression would've been* That would have been priceless.
"You know Rick, watching a bunch of kids having their future ruined isn't funny." I deadpanned, pretending the Real World/Road Rules challenge was interesting me.
"Sure it is, besides we both know they don't have any futures anyway."
"Yeah, whatever. I'm going for a walk." I got up from the chair in the corner and left the room.
This time however it wasn't tree hours after curfew, so I was permitted to wander the grounds if I wanted to. I even had time to leave campus if it struck my fancy, which it did. I didn't know where I was going, but away from that damn school seemed like a good destination at the time.
I wound up at this little coffee house a few miles up the road, it wasn't one of those places that Eden Hall kids normally hang out. Not sophisticated enough for most of them, snots. It was alright with me though, I wasn't looking to run into anyone I knew. But remember what I said before about wanting to be alone is the best way to find company? It stood true that day as well.
In the corner of my eyes I caught sight of a young, athletic blonde. Guess what, this time it wasn't Banksie. Julie, she didn't look to happy, she appeared sort of lonely and depressed. It was the chance I was looking for, the opportunity to talk to her and apologize for the whole diary fiasco. All I had to do was avoid having her coffee dumped on my lap.
"Hey Gaffney." I stopped at the end of her table, where she was staring out the window at the passing cars.
She turned her face to see who was talking to her and her reaction was an immediate scowl.
"I'm not writing in my journal Scooter, so you can go away."
"I didn't think you were, this isn't really the type of place to do that in. You just looked like you could use some companionship." I stuffed my hands deep in my pockets and shifted uncomfortably. Never in my seventeen years of life had a girl made me feel so weird inside, especially one that had hardly said a word to me.
"What do you care?" She snapped
"I dunno, I just thought maybe you could use someone to talk to. I'm not really that bad of a guy you know. Well with the exception of hanging out with Riley and Cole and umm eavesdropping on you." I smiled
"What makes you think I believe a word you say?"
"I don't lie, I hate liars. But if you wanna be alone that's fine too. I'll just go site over there." I gestured to a nearby booth and turned to walk away
"Alright," Julie threw up her hands in defeat "you can sit here."
I hid the Cheshire cat grin that was threatening to split my face in two as I went back and lowered myself into the seat across from her. She was so pretty, a little ill-tempered but not to bad. Fiery was good and like I said, I love a challenge.
We kept the conversation away from things about school for most of the night. Talking about things that were really important to us like, family, friends and hockey. I learned she had a little brother named Mikey, a dog named Bear after the team she played for in Maine and two loving parents that were still married. It seemed to me she had the perfect little suburban life, but then I remembered the other things she'd mentioned in her diary that night, about not being as she seemed. I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, however I didn't want to push her, that was in fact the first discussion we'd ever had.
I told her about hating my father and step mother, and wishing I could live with my mom and step father in Manhattan. Mom married this other guy when my twin brother Chris and I were like two and she and David whisked Chris away to New York, where David adopted him. I got to stay with my dad, his new wife Sky and later my new little sister Bailey. I really want to go to New York.
Not that things are great there either though. Mom and David split up and Chris picked David as his guardian. I don't think Chris thinks about our real dad much, not that I blame him, I'd rather be an Anderson then a Vanderbilt.
*Scooter, remember that no babbling agreement?*
Hey give me some credit, I haven't gotten side tracked in a while. Anyhow, after the family debate, which I thoroughly disheartened myself with, we got into the fun stuff. Hockey. Jules had played since she was eight and by the time she was twelve and joined team USA, she'd won the state championship three years in a row. That was really impressive. Gorgeous, smart, talented, was there one single bad characteristic about this girl? Not one I could find. Before we knew it, we'd been sitting there talking for two and half hours, leaving one thirty minutes to get back to the dorms.
"Crap, we gotta go. How'd you get here Julie?" I stood up and threw some money on the table to cover my coffee and her hot chocolate. I also learned that night that she didn't drink coffee, the smell made her nauseas.
"I walked." She pulled her lips into a diminutive smile as paid for her drinks
"How long did that take?" I raised my eyebrows
"About forty five minutes."
"That'll get you back fifteen past curfew, I guess you getting a ride back from me." Was that to pushy? It may have been.
"Oh really, you think so?" She crossed her arms and I was wondering if I'd hit a nerve or she was joking.
"Well, you could go back late and get suspended from the team for a week, if that's what you want."
"Good point." With that she followed me to the parking lot.
I'm not sure if she was daunted by the fact I drove a Mercedes or disgusted. Most girl instantly squeal
'Oh my god that's you car?' With Julie there was nothing. Oh well. It was all good in the end. I walked her to her door. She said she had fun and I flew back to my room with an ear to ear grin.
"This is so great, my father won't even have to come up with a reason to retract their scholarships." Rick gloated
We were sitting in our room watching TV and for the last forty minutes all that I heard about was the JV. It was getting to the point that if he said the word one more time I was going to quack at him. *Smiles imagining what Riley's expression would've been* That would have been priceless.
"You know Rick, watching a bunch of kids having their future ruined isn't funny." I deadpanned, pretending the Real World/Road Rules challenge was interesting me.
"Sure it is, besides we both know they don't have any futures anyway."
"Yeah, whatever. I'm going for a walk." I got up from the chair in the corner and left the room.
This time however it wasn't tree hours after curfew, so I was permitted to wander the grounds if I wanted to. I even had time to leave campus if it struck my fancy, which it did. I didn't know where I was going, but away from that damn school seemed like a good destination at the time.
I wound up at this little coffee house a few miles up the road, it wasn't one of those places that Eden Hall kids normally hang out. Not sophisticated enough for most of them, snots. It was alright with me though, I wasn't looking to run into anyone I knew. But remember what I said before about wanting to be alone is the best way to find company? It stood true that day as well.
In the corner of my eyes I caught sight of a young, athletic blonde. Guess what, this time it wasn't Banksie. Julie, she didn't look to happy, she appeared sort of lonely and depressed. It was the chance I was looking for, the opportunity to talk to her and apologize for the whole diary fiasco. All I had to do was avoid having her coffee dumped on my lap.
"Hey Gaffney." I stopped at the end of her table, where she was staring out the window at the passing cars.
She turned her face to see who was talking to her and her reaction was an immediate scowl.
"I'm not writing in my journal Scooter, so you can go away."
"I didn't think you were, this isn't really the type of place to do that in. You just looked like you could use some companionship." I stuffed my hands deep in my pockets and shifted uncomfortably. Never in my seventeen years of life had a girl made me feel so weird inside, especially one that had hardly said a word to me.
"What do you care?" She snapped
"I dunno, I just thought maybe you could use someone to talk to. I'm not really that bad of a guy you know. Well with the exception of hanging out with Riley and Cole and umm eavesdropping on you." I smiled
"What makes you think I believe a word you say?"
"I don't lie, I hate liars. But if you wanna be alone that's fine too. I'll just go site over there." I gestured to a nearby booth and turned to walk away
"Alright," Julie threw up her hands in defeat "you can sit here."
I hid the Cheshire cat grin that was threatening to split my face in two as I went back and lowered myself into the seat across from her. She was so pretty, a little ill-tempered but not to bad. Fiery was good and like I said, I love a challenge.
We kept the conversation away from things about school for most of the night. Talking about things that were really important to us like, family, friends and hockey. I learned she had a little brother named Mikey, a dog named Bear after the team she played for in Maine and two loving parents that were still married. It seemed to me she had the perfect little suburban life, but then I remembered the other things she'd mentioned in her diary that night, about not being as she seemed. I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, however I didn't want to push her, that was in fact the first discussion we'd ever had.
I told her about hating my father and step mother, and wishing I could live with my mom and step father in Manhattan. Mom married this other guy when my twin brother Chris and I were like two and she and David whisked Chris away to New York, where David adopted him. I got to stay with my dad, his new wife Sky and later my new little sister Bailey. I really want to go to New York.
Not that things are great there either though. Mom and David split up and Chris picked David as his guardian. I don't think Chris thinks about our real dad much, not that I blame him, I'd rather be an Anderson then a Vanderbilt.
*Scooter, remember that no babbling agreement?*
Hey give me some credit, I haven't gotten side tracked in a while. Anyhow, after the family debate, which I thoroughly disheartened myself with, we got into the fun stuff. Hockey. Jules had played since she was eight and by the time she was twelve and joined team USA, she'd won the state championship three years in a row. That was really impressive. Gorgeous, smart, talented, was there one single bad characteristic about this girl? Not one I could find. Before we knew it, we'd been sitting there talking for two and half hours, leaving one thirty minutes to get back to the dorms.
"Crap, we gotta go. How'd you get here Julie?" I stood up and threw some money on the table to cover my coffee and her hot chocolate. I also learned that night that she didn't drink coffee, the smell made her nauseas.
"I walked." She pulled her lips into a diminutive smile as paid for her drinks
"How long did that take?" I raised my eyebrows
"About forty five minutes."
"That'll get you back fifteen past curfew, I guess you getting a ride back from me." Was that to pushy? It may have been.
"Oh really, you think so?" She crossed her arms and I was wondering if I'd hit a nerve or she was joking.
"Well, you could go back late and get suspended from the team for a week, if that's what you want."
"Good point." With that she followed me to the parking lot.
I'm not sure if she was daunted by the fact I drove a Mercedes or disgusted. Most girl instantly squeal
'Oh my god that's you car?' With Julie there was nothing. Oh well. It was all good in the end. I walked her to her door. She said she had fun and I flew back to my room with an ear to ear grin.