Author's Note: Told you I'd have a new chapter posted soon! Hope you like it :)
Chapter 10: Boys
Upon opening her eyes Faith is faced with the unsympathetic red light of her digital clock. Noticing the time, she realizes that she should be getting out of bed to get ready for school, but… Ms. Nelson, as my legal guardian, said I didn't have to… Rolling over onto her left side, Faith pulls the covers over her head and falls back into a peaceful sleep.
When she wakes for a second time she throws back the covers and they land in a heap on the blue-carpeted floor. She stretches as she stands and runs a hand through her tangled hair. Her mind feels tired from the information she has absorbed in last night's training lecture, but in contrast her body feels energetic. There is a unique force flowing through her veins that has only been known by her predecessors.
After a failed attempt to make pancakes, Faith is starving. The clock shows that it is almost time for lunch and she decides to go somewhere to eat. As she stands in front of her closet she searches for something to wear but as she pulls out a few things, she finds that nothing is right. Finally, she puts on a pair of dark jeans and a black tank top and sits on the edge of her bed as she slips on her boots. She is about to reach for a jacket from her closet when she remembers a leather coat her mother used to wear.
Dropping her hand to her side she turns and looks in the mirror, imagining herself in the black leather coat. Smiling, she races into her mother's room, opening a door that has been collecting dust, and opens the closet. Rummaging through the various articles of clothing, she realizes that her mother owned some very expensive things. She had been under the assumption they were on a tight budget, but her mother had obviously been holding out on her. Why? She asks, Why did I have to go so many years without birthday presents or Christmas presents? So she could have designer clothes?
Finding the leather coat, she tugs it from its hanger and slips it on. The sleeves are a little long, but other than that it fits her perfectly. As she closes the door to her mother's bedroom, she makes a mental note to return and see what else the women had been hiding.
It's noon before Faith finally leaves the house. She heads straight to the bay, knowing some store or restaurant will be open. She fondly remembers the day she and Nick had been here, and suddenly she realizes it has only been two days.
Has so much really happened in only two days? It has, and her head spins with this awareness. Her life has been completely altered in the course of only 48 hours.
Needing to sit down and think, she walks into the next place she sees. As she enters, she pays no attention to the clientele or the establishment itself. Unaware, she takes a seat and rests her head in her hands.
She hears a voice and realizes that someone is speaking to her. Looking up, she sees that the bartender is looking at her.
"You gonna order something?" he asks her. She looks around, just noticing that she is in a bar. "Hey, how old are you? 19?"
"Uh, yea." She lies. "I'm just…"
"No problem. We're not so uptight about underage drinking here. I'll cut you some slack." He motions towards the array of alcohol displayed behind him, "Choose your poison."
The only alcohol Faith has ever tasted is beer, but she is curious to try more. She says the first thing that comes to her mind. "Strawberry margarita, please."
"Ah, a lady with taste." He smiles at her. "I'm Kenny." He points to the badge on his chest.
"I'm Faith." She answers as she watches him prepare her drink. He has dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and really white teeth. She wonders how he keeps them so white.
"So, Faith, are you from around here? I haven't seen you before." He places the drink in front of her and leans on the counter.
"Yea, I live a few blocks away. I just don't get out much." She sips at her drink, immediately dizzy from the alcohol. She tries not to show it. "What about you?"
"I've got a place just outside of Boston. I spend my days working here and I spend my nights playing with my band. That's actually the only reason I took this job, so I could talk to the owner about letting us play here. We've got a gig coming up this Saturday."
"That's cool. What's the band's name?" she asks.
He laughs, "We haven't actually decided yet. Any ideas?"
She laughs with him and continues to sip at her margarita.
When she finally leaves the bar an hour later, she has Kenny's phone number and he has her promise to come back on Saturday to watch his band play. She still can't believe he thinks she is 19, three years older than she actually is. She attributes part of it to the leather coat.
Walking along the waterfront, she remembers that today is Nick's first lacrosse game. A pang of guilt hits her as she wonders if Nick is worried about her. Deciding to go to the game, she daydreams of Nick as she walks along the boardwalk.
At four thirty she steps foot on school grounds. Walking through the parking lot, she can hear cheering. The first and last games of the season are always the most populated. Turning the corner, she sees that the game has just begun. As she comes closer to the field she searches for Nick but cannot pick him out of the crowd of players.
She stands at the edge of the field and watches the game for a while when suddenly a hand touches her waist. Startled, she spins around and comes face to face with a boy with unkempt black hair and a skateboard held loosely at his side.
"Ronnie." She addresses him coldly.
"Faith," he replies. "It's been a while."
"It's been a week and a half. If you weren't so stoned you'd be able to tell time like the rest of us."
"Ouch." He grabs his chest, as if wounded. "You burn me."
She crosses her arms in front of her chest and shifts her weight from one foot to the other.
"Why haven't you called? I've missed you." He steps closer and she moves out of the way, putting more distance between them.
"I broke up with you, last week at the funeral. Don't you remember?" At her mother's funeral he had showed up late, clearly inebriated, and tried to corner her in a broom closet. Disgusted, she broke up with him on the spot. She was currently wondering what she ever saw in him to begin with.
"You didn't mean that." He moves to touch her again and she jerks away. As she backs away she says one last time, "We're over, Ronnie. Leave me alone." She turns and jogs to the bleachers and seats herself near an elderly couple that has come to cheer for their grandson.
A booming voice comes over the loudspeaker, announcing the presence of the team's newest player: Nick, number seventeen. She whistles loudly and spots Nick looking up at her, laughing. For the rest of the game she cheers and claps with the majority of the crowd, more enthusiastic than she has ever been at a sports competition.
When the game is over the home team has barely won but it's a celebrated victory. Parents and friends rush to greet the players but Faith waits until the crowd thins before approaching the field.
She finds Nick talking to some of his teammates, musing over a particularly great play. Nick sees her walking over and immediately waves good-bye to his other friends. She can tell he's thrilled and she shares in his excitement. As they meet in the middle of the field she throws her arms around him and congratulates him on an awesome first game.
"I can't believe it!" Ronnie's voice reaches her ears and she releases Nick from the embrace. "You've been cheating on me!"
She sighs as Nick looks between the two of them. "You're dating him?" he asks confused and hurt. She rushes to explain.
"No, I broke up with him but he won't leave me alone." Nick sighs in relief, but Ronnie persists.
"You dumped me for him?" Ronnie shouts.
"I've only known Nick for a few days! I broke up with you because you're a jerk!" Faith shouts back.
"You've only known this guy for a few days?" Ronnie says, "You little slut!"
Before she knows it, Ronnie is on the ground clutching his nose as blood pours over his hands. Nick stands above him. "Watch your mouth."
Faith grabs Nick's arm and tugs him away from Ronnie. She keeps pulling him until they reach the locker room doors.
"Nick…" she begins to say.
"I know. You can take care of yourself. You don't need me to fight your battles… but he really ticked me off." Nick stares past Faith at the field where Ronnie is slowly getting to his feet.
"Actually, I was gonna say thanks." His gaze leaves the field and he looks at her. "No one's ever stood up for me before."
He smiles warmly at her. "Any time."
The coach calls to him, breaking the moment. They say their good-byes and after he disappears into the locker room she turns to see Ronnie still stumbling around the field.
He sees her and yells, "I'm the best you ever had!" She ignores him and turns towards the parking lot. He calls out again, "Actually, I'm the only guy you ever had." He begins to laugh hysterically, practically falling over in the process.
As she walks away she holds up her hand, giving him the finger.