Here it is.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
I walked across the driveway towards the house, stopping occasionally to pet and smother Ollie in hugs. He seemed to get annoyed after the third time of jubilant play and I just proceeded to the house, frowning as I noticed a car in the driveway. I didn't recognize it and began to walk faster.
"Mom? Dad?" I called, stepping into the kitchen. There was a new mess on the table my mom had cleaned. It looked like a bunch of paperwork, and when I turned a sheet of paper towards me I noticed it was all for the farm. I turned it back to its original place and proceeded into the living room. The curtains that usually hung free across the sliding doors were pulled open and I saw my mom and dad sitting at the table that was situated on the small deck. There was also a third person, a man with graying hair, talking to them with a business air. I squinted to see if I recognized him, and near screamed when Conner spoke from behind me.
"He's grandpa's lawyer." I turned to him and ushered him, by the ear, into the kitchen and out of view from the deck. I pushed him towards the table while I stayed near the doorway, peaking around and looking out at them.
"What do you mean? Why's he here?" Conner nursed his ear while glaring at me.
"How should I know?" I gave him a give-me-a-break look and saw his shoulders slump in defeat. "Okay, so maybe I eavesdropped a little."
"So?" I encouraged him to speak, to tell me everything he knew.
"Well I know that he came over like, ten minutes after mom and dad got home. Mom looked really excited about something and dad looked a little weary. Like he does when mom spends a whole bunch of money on a project." I grimaced. My mom had a different project every two months. One time it was interior decorating. Our whole kitchen was filled with cows. "So mom started babbling about how it would cost so much less than before, and how we would have money left over and me and you would get used to the idea."
"What idea?" my eyes widened in surprise.
"I don't know." I gave him a penetrating stare. "I swear!"
I sighed and put my arm around his shoulders, "I taught you well, little brother." I led him towards the table and sat him down in a chair, then rounded the table and sat opposite him.
"Do you think it has anything to do with the farm?" I asked, looking through the papers. There were bills and in-detail description of all the problems that had been fixed and things that needed to be fixed from years before.
"I don't know." Conner glanced at a sheet I handed him that showed how much the farm was worth in its dilapidated state. "Wow, this much and its not even fixed up!"
"I guess. I mean, maybe were going to sell it. Supposing mom inherited it." I leaned far to the right in my chair to peek out at the porch.
"Well, of course mom got it. She's all the family grandpa had left. Unless he gave it to one of us...or Lou." I laughed lightly at the thought of Lou running a farm. She actually lived in the town over, married to a vet, Scott Trewin. They'd met at Christmas one year when we were all down and Grandpa had a party. She'd given up her job and taken up a banking one down here. She married Scott two years before and they had a one year old little girl, Kiora (Kay). The only reason we hadn't seen her yet was because her, Scott, and Kay were on vacation and wouldn't be back for two more days.
"Maybe that's what she meant." Conner looked confused. "Maybe if we sell the farm and get the money, we'll be able to build ours back home, with money left over! Mom and dad have been saving for years, now they can finally do it."
"Maybe, but why would we have to get used to that? I mean, we want that too." The boy had a point. I sighed and clunked my chin into the palm of my hand and waited for my parents to come back in.
About thirty minutes later the sliding door opened and my mom came bounding in, practically clapping with joy. Dad stood outside and shook the graying mans hand, before they both followed my mom back inside.
"Conner, Amy!" My mom shrieked, hugging us both quickly and then suddenly stood still, hands clasped, all business.
"Guys, this is Mr. Horowitz, Jacks lawyer." I nodded politely and shook the mans hand. It felt like it had just been taking out of a pot of water after sitting in it for three hours. Pruny.
"Nice to meet you." I smiled at him, then looked to my dad in question.
"Well, thank you Mr. Horowitz. You've been a great help." Mr. Horowitz, obviously a man of few words, shook my fathers hand again, smiled at my mom, and left.
"Dad, what's going on?" I bombarded him right away, needing to know what was happening.
"Well kids, we have something to tell you." He grabbed my moms hand and squeezed it. Apparently this was something big. I just looked at Conner with worry. He shrugged and we readied ourselves for the news.
"Well, grandpa left me the farm!" Mom seemed both surprised and excited.
"I figured that." I frowned. "So how much are we getting for it?"
"Getting for it?" she now seemed totally baffled, before she realized and looked almost frightened. "Oh, Tim, they think..."
Dad patted their joined hands then looked at us, taking over. "Amy, what we're trying to say is were not selling." Now it was my turn to look shocked and confused. "We're going to movie to Virginia and fix up the farm." he paused. "It's what we've always wanted."
There was a long silence before I finally found my voice. "In England! What we always wanted it in England!"
"Honey, you have to understand. We would have to save so much more money to be able to build up a farm from scratch, but if we just fix up this farm we'll have enough money for all our supplies and maybe even enough for three more horses!" I just stared at her.
"Move here?" my eyes grew wide, "Start a new school! Mom I'm a Junior, switching schools in high school is suicide! I'll have to make new friends and start over and...mom!" I groaned and begged and pleaded with my voice.
"You both already know people! Amy, you know Soraya and her boyfriend...Matt. Conner you know Derek and Kyle. It won't be like starting over, not totally."
"But practically." I thought about building up the farm and having horses to help, without having to sneak out, and having my room here permanently, the room I loved. Memories of the farm flooded through me and my resolve broke down a little.
"Fine, I'll move here. Under one condition." I stuck up one finger to make my point.
"And what's that?" My dad asked.
"I get my car back." I'd gotten my car taken away the night Van and I snuck out...the night grandpa died.
"Amy, what you did was wrong and that is the only fair punishment." Mom stated, but I saw her bending around the edges.
"Mom, moving here should count as some sort of punishment. I mean I love it here but its not home with all my friends. Plus, I'm starting a new school. I can't be driven to school by my parents."
"She's right." I love my dad. "You can have the car back, but no more sneaking out."
"Fine. It's not like I have anywhere to go now." I looked over at Conner who hadn't spoken a word. "Con, what do you think about all this?"
"I think," his pensive face became excited, "I think I need to go call Kyle. He's going to die!" I smiled at him, happy he had friends here. Back home he had been popular but broke up with the most popular girl in school because she was a snob and then she'd spread rumors about him. This was only a month ago and was still bad territory for him.
"Well, I guess that's settled." I sighed, thinking of Savannah. She was going to be so devastated. We'd been friends for what seemed like forever. She had thought I was only coming down for the funeral, but now... "When's the funeral?"
"The day after tomorrow." My mom looked down, saddened by the change of subject.
I saw tears in her eyes and felt them welling in my own, so I headed out of the kitchen. I thought over what had just happened and slumped onto my bed. We were moving to Virginia to start a horse farm and I had to start a new school.
This was going to be fun.
The Next Day.
I stepped into the musty barn and automatically started coughing. Dust billowed up into my nostrils and into my throat, causing me to have an attack. The dust finally settled and I flicked the switch I knew was to the right of the doorway. Lights over five out of the eleven stalls flickered on, barely, and lit the long barn.
"Your dream come true, mom." I muttered. The barn was going to take a lot of work. Holes in the ceiling have to be filled. Walls and floors had to be scrubbed. Electricity had to be fixed. Paint had to be spread, and something had to be done to the smell.
I stepped over an old water bucket and then nearly tripped over an ancient grooming kit. I rolled my eyes when I finally gained some sort of balance and kept going down through the barn. I'd already been in the front barn, which was only in a little better shape. The farm had slowly dwindled down, and the last stalls to have been used were in the front barn. So the back barn was in worse condition.
I managed to get almost to the last stall when I tripped again. This time it wasn't so easy to keep my balance and I ended up on the floor, spread eagle on my back.
"Ow." I moaned, and sat up to look at what I had tripped over. Still rolling slightly, about eight feet away, was an old soccer ball. I was befuddled as to why grandpa would have an old soccer ball before I remembered.
I had played soccer since I was five years old but had given it up when my mom and dad bought Marco and Rosy, the horses that landed them their job in England for healing horses. We'd had them for a few years before I became truly interested in them. After too many missed practices I had given up trying to stay away. That was only three years ago and the sight of the soccer ball made my heart leap. I'd forgotten how much I'd loved the game. It had been my whole life up until horses.
I gingerly lifted myself from the ground and walked over to the ball. I nudged my toe underneath it and flung it up into the air, bounced it on my knee a couple times, and then caught it.
"I still got it." I smiled at all the old memories flooding my mind. I'd been good, real good. When I declined the offer of the team my Freshman year, and then my Sophomore, the coaches had been angered. One had actually confronted my parents on it. Like it was their choice.
I walked towards the barn door, still holding the ball and just playing with it along my arms. I didn't even think about what I was doing as I stepped out of the barn and headed towards the large field where the trail started. When I got there I set the ball down and just stared at it. I finally looked around and saw two trees that was a good a goal as any, and then I began to play.
I dribbled down the field, faking left and going right as I pretended I had an opponent. I got nearer and nearer the goal and then finally slammed my foot into the ball and watched as it flew right between the two trees.
"Score!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air and jumping up and down. I only stopped when I spotted someone watching about thirty feet away.
"Soraya?" I ran over to her and pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly.
"I can't breathe, Amy." I laughed and let her go.
"Sorry, I'm just so happy to see you!" I smiled at her and she laughed.
"I am too. Wow, I didn't even know you were back, I had to hear it from my grandpa." her face fell and she groaned. "I'm so sorry, Amy. How are you holding up?"
"I'm doing okay. It's been hard, but I'm fine." I smiled now, knowing she would be happy with what I said next. "Actually, I'm not here visiting. I'm moving here."
She gasped and this time she was the one to pull me into a hug. She jumped up and down and screamed like a little girl.
"Wow. That's great! I can't believe it." she laughed slightly and then smiled. "So, if your staying you should try out."
"Try out for what?" I brushed a piece of grass off my jeans idly.
"The soccer team. I saw you, you're really good." I stared at her in shock and then frowned.
"I can't. We're fixing up the farm and I won't have time. Plus I haven't played in years."
"Oh, yeah, because it totally shows." She rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"Seriously, I haven't. I could barely do that without getting winded let alone get through practices every day."
"Four days." I raised my eyes brows at her. "Not every day, just four days a week." She put her hands on her jean clad hips and looked me up and down. "I'm on the team and I think that your actually in better shape than I am." She poked my stomach and nodded solemnly. "Much better. I think I feel a pair of abs coming in." I rubbed at my stomach and frowned. I made an effort to work out every day, just to keep healthy, but I still got winded much easier than I used to. It actually sort of depressed me.
"Come on, Ames. You know your good and you know you could make the team. I know you could make the team." She shrugged. "Plus you totally want to. It's obvious."
I rolled my eyes. I wasn't that obvious was I? "Give me one good reason."
She chuckled. "I can give you more than one."
She held up one finger. "Number one: You'd kick ass."
Another finger. "Number two: The guys team has practice at the same time, and during scrimmages the teams are shirts and no shirt, and their greek gods." She paused and gave me a look. "Need I say more."
I just stared at her so another finger went up. "Number three: Soccer is almost as important as football in Jefferson. Actually... now it is. The star quarterback broke his leg. So we get all the great after parties and everything."
She sighed when I only laughed a little. Yet another finger. "Last but not least, number four: The bet between the guys and the girls teams."
"What bet?" I questioned, secretly intrigued.
"Oh, got your attention now, do I?" She paused dramatically. "Two years ago the guys team only lost one game of their season, but so did we. So there was a play-off between our teams and the guys won. But us girls don't take losing easy, so we challenged them to a rematch last year, and we won. So this year is the deciding year on who wins, boys or girls. Whoever loses has to throw a huge party for the winners and at some point, in front of everyone, kiss the winners feet and then strip for them Girls down to their bras and underwear...guys down to their boxers or tighty-whities."
"That's degrading!" I shrieked, imagining stripping in front of the whole school practically. Soraya only shrugged and smiled. I looked at her and shook my head. "No, I'm not joining."
"Come on, at least think about it?" She seemed like she really wanted me to so I gave in.
"Fine, I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything." I said.
"Whatever. Well, now to the reason I actually came over." She picked up the purse she'd dropped on the ground. "I'm going to pizza with some people, want to come?"
I knew I had to start meeting people, but it just seemed too soon. I mean, grandpas funeral was tomorrow. "No thanks, I'll pass. Maybe next time."
Soraya just stared at me, studying. "Maybe." She turned around and started to walk away. She waved over her shoulder. "Bye!"
The Next Day.
I stood, staring, as the coffin was lowered into the ground. The sun was shining and the dress I wore was beginning to bug me in the heat. Apparently the fabric didn't go well with sweat, but none of this was important as the corpse of my grandfather was lowered six feet under.
Tears welled in my eyes, for the millionth time that day, and I blinked furiously, trying to stop them. I had to be strong for mom and strong for Conner, who only pretended not to be hurting. Even he had shed tears today. Everyone must have thought I didn't care, for I had kept my tears in check.
I ripped my eyes away and studied the people standing around the grave. Some had left and others were readying to leave, while others looked planted to the ground. Like they were prepared to stay with grandpa and keep him company.
There were a few old men with whom I remembered from parties and lunches I had attended over the years. Sorayas grandfather was one of them. There was a large portion of people I didn't recognize, and then Ty. He was dressed in a suit and tie and stood with his hands clasped in front of his body, his head bent in sorrow. I studied him and realized he must have helped grandpa out much more than I'd thought.
As I stared at him his head raised a fraction of an inch and his eyes met mine from under a lock of brown hair. We just sat there, for what seemed like forever, and stared at each other. Only when my mom pulled my arm did I release his eyes. There was noone left at the grave except for us and Ty, and we had to get to the house for the after party. I grimaced at the word. It wasn't a party, at least not by my definition of one. If it was it could only be described as a death party. Celebrating grandpas life or mourning his death was what I couldn't decide on what we were doing. I settled on celebrating. That's what he would want, to be celebrated.
xxx
I rolled my jaw as I stepped out of the house. I had been smiling for a straight hour now and not one single soul had left yet. They all seemed ready to move in and mourn/celebrate for the rest of their lives. I had only just been able to slip out of the house for a break. It had been harder than I'd imagined, ignoring people and being on my own on this day. Especially when your avoiding someone. Ty, in this situation.
I looked around for a place to go and be alone for a minute and remembered the ball in the woods that I'd never retrieved. I headed towards the trail and when I got there I found the trees I 'd used as a goal and stepped into the foliage. After about five minutes I came across the ball in a bush right to the left of the trail. I bounced it in my hands and headed back towards the field. When I stepped out of the woods I saw Ty waiting, hands in his pockets.
"Hi." he smiled quickly and lightly.
"Hi." I glanced around, almost as if expecting the whole party to be there. "What are you doing out here?"
He nodded at the ball, "I could ask you the same." His face dropped and he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Sorry, that was wrong. You have every right to be out here. I mean, it's got to be hard on you."
"Like you wouldn't believe." I don't know why I admitted that to him when I had been struggling to keep cool the whole day. Why let him see me at my truest?
"Try me." his voice was soft and luring. I found myself wanting to tell him and squished that thought.
"I don't want to think about it, if that's okay with you." I glared at him for no reason. I knew that, but I did anyways.
"Of course. So..." he walked towards me and held out his hands for the ball and I placed it in them. "You trying out or not?"
"For all you know I can't even play." I kicked a stick on the ground.
"Ah, but I do. Soraya told me your practically a soccer goddess and that she tried to get you to join the team, but you were hesitant."
"She did, did she? I didn't even know you were friends." I looked at him another time. I didn't know they knew each other.
"We aren't really. We had lunch yesterday because our friends are dating. We were kind of forced into it. Plus we both play," he bounced the ball. "and we got into a conversation about it."
"Well, I'm not joining." I stepped around him and began walking towards the house.
"Why not?" he asked, not moving an inch, so I turned around.
"I haven't played for a while and I don't have time." I started to walk backwards, away from him.
"What if I beat you?" I just looked at him like he was crazy.
"What do you mean?" I had to know now.
"I mean, one game, you and me. If I beat you then you join the team. If you beat me then you don't have to." I thought this over. He had been playing, obviously, and so he had a better chance. But I was good and thought I might have a chance. Plus, I never turned down a bet.
"Fine." he set the ball down and kicked it towards me. I expertly stopped it beneath my heel, and looked up at him. "Now?"
"Yeah." he took off his jacket and hung it over a tree limb, then loosened his tie.
"I'm in a dress." he looked me up and down and I blushed.
He smiled as his eyes traveled back to my face. "I know. So what?"
"So what? So I can't play in a dress."
"Why not?" He rolled up his sleeves casually.
"Well, I mean, I can, I'd just rather not." I paused as I watched him bend over and slip out of his shoes. "I'm in heels."
"Take them off. We'll both go barefoot, that makes it even." he even took off his socks to match my bare feet.
"Fine. First one to five." I wouldn't let him think that I wasn't tough enough to play in a dress and with no shoes. I'd show him.
When we were ready we put the ball in-between us and he looked at me.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked him, needing to know.
"Because you want to play, you just need motivation."
Before I could speak he began to talk again. "Ready, set, GO!" we both went for the ball and I easily kicked it out from his reach and dribbled it down the field. He made a go for it and I kicked it between his legs and then rounded him to catch up with it. I made the goal easily and then looked over at him.
"One, zero." he had his hands on his hips, breathing hard. He smiled at me and ran at the woods, going to get the ball.
We had been playing for a while when finally we were at game point. We each had four points and were breathing hard. It had gotten harder to get goals between us. Every time I got the ball he'd somehow get it, but before he could score I'd get it back. It went like that for a while before finally one of us would catch a break and score a goal.
"Game point." He breathed heavily, as did I. The ball was between us again and we stood staring at each other.
"You remember the conditions?" he asked.
"Of course. Lets just get this over with." he shook his head at my impatience.
"Ready. Set. Go!" he let me get the ball, which confused me. I began to head for the trees when i felt him next to me. He stole the ball and dribbled it down the pasture. I ran after him but he'd put on a burst of speed and when I went to kick at the ball I tripped and fell when I missed it. I watched as only a second later the ball sailed through the makeshift goal.
He turned and looked at me before walking over and holding out a hand.
"I win." he pulled my up and I wiped off my dress.
I was joining the team.
Soooo?