Chapter fifteen - Soccer lessons and cocktail dresses
Saturday morning came to quickly, Kathleen decided as she was rudely woken up by fist pounding relentlessly on her door. She groaned and burrowed further down into her bed but the noise would not stop.
"Go away" she muttered, throwing the covers back and sliding out of bed into the cold morning air. She caught sight of herself in her mirror and rubbed the sleep out her eyes, brushed her hair and padded over to the door.
"It's 7:30 am, this had better be an emergency" she grumbled, opening the door to a lively looking Charlie, a perky Neil and a long-suffering Todd Anderson.
"That is exactly what I said" Todd growled, folding his arms. He shot a glare at Neil who just smiled in amusement at the rare sighting of grouchy Todd. It was almost as if Neil had done it on purpose, Kat thought as she mirrored Todd and glared at Charlie with folded arms.
"Why on earth are you dressed like that?" she asked wearily, taking in his sports kit, football boots and the whistle hung around his neck.
"Because" he smirked, leaning against the doorframe, "you have a training session to attend."
"At 7:30 on a Saturday morning?" she repeated.
"Why not? You're awake now" he shrugged.
"Because of you."
"And you can't go back to sleep once you're up, right?" Neil chipped in.
Kat's eyes narrowed, "which you are fully aware of, Perry."
"I could" complained Todd.
"But you're not allowed" sang Neil.
"As much as I appreciate the sight of those pyjamas, get dressed Murray" Charlie winked playfully at her, "we have another one of Keating's lessons on Monday to prepare for."
"Be quick" Neil added, "we'll be waiting out here."
Kat looked down at her nightdress and rolled her eyes, "give me five minutes" she said and closed the door. She washed her face, applied light make-up and swept her hair up into a pony-tail secured by a white ribbon, and then went to her wardrobe. She opened the doors and wrinkled her nose at the sight of her gym suit. She hated the thing. Instead, she chose a pair of white Bermuda shorts paired with polo shirt under a navy jumper instead. She then put on her white socks and sneakers. Ready in record time, she went out to meet the three boys in the corridor.
"Finally, "Charlie exclaimed, picking himself up off the floor, "you said five minutes!"
"I was fifteen minutes at maximum" she replied before turning to Todd who was looking a bit more awake, "have they given you coffee yet?"
"No, but I was promised it."
"I always keep my promises, Todd" Neil patted his roommate on the shoulder "come on, let's get some life into you." The group followed Neil downstairs and into the dining hall which was almost empty. Two teachers were seated at the staff table and only a few other students were milling about.
"I've never seen it so empty" marvelled Charlie, looking around the vast room.
"You should see it in the holidays" Kat poured some cornflakes into a bowl, "the school is empty and meal times are a teacher's banquet."
"What did you do?" he asked, pouring two glasses of orange juice.
She thanked him and took her glass, "I dined with them and it was torture. Keating didn't turn up until the last day of term, so I didn't meet him before the first lesson" she explained.
"Do you reckon you'll stay here for the Christmas holiday as well?"
"Probably" she replied, "Nolan wants to bring my family over here instead of sending me back."
"And what do you want?"
"To go back, alone" she laughed. They sat opposite each other and Kathleen watched Neil fumble around with the coffee as he tried to follow Todd's instructions to the letter.
"So, you're definitely leaving? After...you know..."he trailed off.
She looked back to him, "that was the agreement."
"Do you want to?"
Kathleen tore her gaze away from his, "I don't know." At that moment, Neil and Todd arrived laden with food and beverages; saving Kathleen from a path she didn't want to go down. "What's the plan for today, then?" she asked Neil as he sat on the opposite side of the table, leaving the spot next to her open for Todd.
"Well, Keating told us that we're playing soccer on Monday. So, we figured that we would start there."
"Sounds good" she nodded. The four finished their breakfast, conversing about the rules of soccer. Once they had finished, Charlie was sent to smuggle out some snacks whilst the other three went to procure a ball from the PE cupboard.
They met up again at the pitch. Charlie handed the food which he had wrapped in napkins to Todd, who they had appointed as referee. Which really meant that he was spectating, although nobody commented on that, or the fact that Charlie had kept the whistle.
"Okay" Neil began, "first we're going to teach you to kick the ball."
"I can kick a ball, Neil" she cocked an eyebrow.
"Well. He meant teaching you to kick it well" Charlie amended.
She glared.
"Maybe you need coffee to" Todd grinned into his mug. The boy had become his usual self after his first cup, but he was ecstatic after Neil managed to swipe second for him to take out onto the field.
Kathleen shook her head, "just tell me what to do."
The next couple of hours were spent kicking the ball back and forth in a triangle before progressing into a mini-game once her technique had been perfected. They had just started to tire when it happened. Neil who had aimed to take the ball from Charlie slipped, his limbs flailed like Bambi on ice as he tried to regain his balance but he went down and slid through the mud. He landed on his backside and the impact sent mud flying, splattering the other two. Charlie extended a hand to help his friend up, Neil took it but yanked him down to, catching Kathleen in the crossfire which resulted in all three of them laying in the mud, breathless with laughter. Todd got up to help but backed away as he caught the mischievous look on Neil's face.
"No,no,no" he held his hands up nervously, almost clear of the danger zone but Neil kicked out; locking Todd's ankle with his own and taking him down too. That was how Knox found them ten minutes later, sat shivering in the mud munching on pastries and grinning like fools.
"Nancy called to confirm the details for Sunday" he said sitting down on the grass, away from the mud, "is it worth asking what happened?"
"Neil fell over" Kat laughed, "and took us all down with him."
"Alright" Knox shook his head at his friend's antics, "I was sent by Cameron to get you in for lunch. You should probably clean yourselves up a bit first," he said taking in the sight of them sat in the mud, covered from head to toe in mud and grass stains.
"Knox is right" Neil said standing up "I'm cold. Let's hit the showers."
The other three got up, brushing themselves down as best they could before be gathering their belongings and starting the journey back to the main building.
"So, what did Nancy say?" she asked Knox.
"She told me to bring flowers for her aunt and uncle, to dress nicely and not to stare at Chris too much" his cheeks coloured slightly at the last instruction, "but she demands that you wear the red dress. She said you would know which one."
"I do" Kat replied, "I'm just not sure about it."
"She also said that Chris is in pink and she is wearing the 'Purple Marilyn', and if you don't wear it then we can't let you leave."
"What the hell is a 'Purple Marilyn?'" exclaimed Charlie.
Kat rolled her eyes, "a purple version of the white dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in 'The Seven Year Itch'" she replied at the same time as Knox.
"You knew that?" asked Neil.
"She yelled it at me, so now I do" he grumbled.
"That sounds like Nancy" Kat laughed.
"Hey, no distracting from this mysterious red dress!" Charlie interrupted, raising an eyebrow "why is there a drama over this dress?"
"There is no drama" Kathleen corrected him. "We went through my wardrobe while she was here, she wanted me to wear it tomorrow night. I said no, she obviously disagrees."
"Why don't you want to wear it?"
"It's not that I don't want to, I love that dress" she shrugged, avoiding his gaze "It's just a little to bold and showy for small dinner party."
"Sorry, Kat. But I don't think we can let you leave without it on" Neil said breezily, "an order is an order, right Charlie?"
"Right" he nodded but he seemed distracted.
They arrived at the doors and were about to go in when Charlie paused, "Neil? Do you think that you and Knox should go in first?"
"What?"
"Just to...you know...make sure Kat isn't caught doing sports?" he said, staring at Neil.
"Oh! Yes. Excellent idea. Todd, Kat, you two stay right there. We'll be five seconds, come on Knox!" Neil garbled, grabbing Knox's arm and dragging him into the school before he could protest.
"Weird" Kathleen turned to Charlie.
"Not as weird as you lying about a dress" he countered, signalling at Todd to help him.
"Charlie, I do own a red dress."
"But you're lying about why you don't want to wear it. Obviously, Nancy thinks the real reason is ridiculous."
"Todd?" Kat spun around to face her other best friend.
"Sorry Kat" he sighed, sitting on the wall, "he's got a point."
"Is feeling uncomfortable not a justified reason?" she folded her arms.
"I would be, if it was true" Charlie said.
Kathleen cursed internally. Why was he so perceptive? She hadn't exactly lied. The dress was a little bit bold and showy but she didn't care. Besides, nothing could be classed as 'too bold' next to Nancy Turner. That girl had never cared for boundaries or social norms, the very reason why Kat loved her so much. Couldn't he just leave it alone? No, she decided. It was Charles Dalton, the more she shut it down, the more persistent he would get.
"Can we talk about this later? It's cold."
"Fine" he said, holding the door open for the other two "I'll see you at lunch."
"Thank you" Kathleen entered the school, sent an apologetic look at Todd- who she knew hated tension and arguments - before going back to her dorm to shower and change for lunch.
xxxx
Once Kathleen had disappeared upstairs, Charlie turned to Todd. "You cannot tell me that this isn't weird. It's not the dress but something to do with it that's bothering her."
"There's something she's not telling us" Todd agreed, glancing at the spot where she had been a few seconds ago, with concern.
"Just-just try again later, okay? Even if you can't involve me, be there, Todd."
"Why wouldn't you be involved? You're important to her as well" he asked, confused by this side of Charlie Dalton. Welton's rebel king was the cocky one, the resident joker. Charlie wasn't supposed to be worried or stumble over his words. He was.
"There are only three people who make her angry, and I'm one of them!"
"So is Mr Nolan. And she wasn't smiling at him five minutes ago, she was smiling at you. "
"But she still won't tell me anything!"
"I promise to talk to her after lunch, Charlie" he said earnestly, "and you talk to the third person...I guess that's Fraser."
"Correct. I swear, if that slime ball has said anything to Kat, I'll-"
"D-Don't do anything" Todd stuttered, looking anxious, "you'll m-make it w-worse."
"Fine" he relented, "let's catch up before Neil comes looking for you. I don't think he trusts me not to scare you."
"You don't scare me" Todd looked up, his forehead creased, "why would you think that?"
Charlie shrugged.
"I know I-I can't do things like everyone else, th-that I get anxious. But you don't scare me, none of you do" he admitted, lifting his eyes from the floor and risking a look at the other boy's face, surprised to see a him smiling softly. "And Neil trusts you with his life, Kathleen would too" he said firmly.
"Thank you."
The boys headed back to their dorms in silence. Once they were showered and dressed, they went down to meet the others with a new, silent understanding bonding them together.
Apparently, girls used to call gym suits, 'monkey suits'. I can't blame them. Google '1950s gym suit' and '1960s gym suit' and I think you will understand.