Even if the content has been mostly about the twins lately - as well as today, in this chapter - Bella and Edward will soon be the main characters again. In any case the end is currently not in sight yet!
So, I wish you all a lot of fun!
Sandra (Psy1980)
Chapter 114
Game Day
Leah
I felt indescribably good as the sun tickled my skin ...
Wait! That was not the sun. I heard rain pattering against my window.
I tore myself away from my feel-good dream and blinked ... until I saw Marcus' face over my shoulder. I was lying back against him, his breath tickling at my neck. I sighed happily and carefully turned to face him.
I didn't know what time it was, but I wanted to lie here as long as possible.
I snuggled up to him, slipped my hand under his T-shirt and gently threw one leg over his hip. I didn't fall asleep, but just zoned out with a smirk.
With the images from yesterday's attic in my mind.
Until I noticed that Marcus was getting restless. His arms around me seemed to unconsciously stretch a little and immediately tighten around me more firmly, his breathing became bumpy, his eyes moved under his lids and a smile became more obvious the more he woke up.
"Good morning, my little wildcat!" he purred dreamily and breathed a kiss on my forehead.
Mmm ... That's how I want to be woken up every morning now. Oh yes, I was awake.
"Good morning, grumpy!" I purred sweetly.
"WHAT?" he replied, aghast, letting go of me and looking at me disapprovingly. "How did I get THAT name?" he immediately asked further.
"Well, all you did yesterday was grumble all the time! You are afraid of me as an overgrown predator. Thinking I might bite you. Doubting I could catch up with Jake. Complain about unfairness. You think my family is scary. Refuse me the last cookie. You're afraid of rabies, and to top it off, you grumble at me as wildcat," I counted.
He guiltily dropped his head.
To me.
"Then I guess I deserved that one," he admitted dejectedly.
I chuckled as his arms wrapped around me again and pulled me close.
"But the wildcat wasn't a complaint, just a fact!" he whispered to me. "Maybe you'll think of something better," he still hoped.
"Unicorn?" I pondered.
He smiled incredibly ... offended. And dishonored!
"I will think about it," I vaguely replied.
He snuggled comfortably against me again, probably hoping that the unicorn would be off the table for good. It wouldn't be! Jake would remind him often enough of the totally masculine picture on his ass.
I gently kissed his lips.
"You're my caramel," I opined as I tasted another faint hint of burnt sugar.
"I can live with that!" he smiled and rewarded me with a soulful kiss. "But how did I get that name?" he dug deeper.
"You taste like caramel!" I smiled.
"And you're as sweet as honey," he noted, gently licking my lips. "How did I actually get into your bed?" he then asked. "The last thing I can remember is that we were sitting downstairs, and we were all still watching a movie on TV together. I apparently fell asleep during it."
"I don't know. I fell asleep too," I said.
There was a knock at my door, and I kindly admitted him.
Dad walked in and even before the door really opened, Marcus had moved a little away from me and sat up straighter.
"You all fell asleep on the sofa!" Dad declared, with two cups in his hands.
I smiled at my father.
'Then you brought us up!' I stated in my thoughts.
He nodded barely noticeably.
Like every morning, he sat on the edge of the bed and gave me a kiss on the forehead while wishing me a good morning and I hugged him, taking my cup. For a moment his gaze remained on me.
As if he were examining my face. As if he would interpret my carefree smile for himself. But what was there to unravel? 'I am happy, and I am totally in love!'
"I notified Maggie last night that you had fallen asleep and were staying here so she wouldn't worry. I hope I didn't offend you, Marcus, but I thought you'd probably be more comfortable without jeans and shoes," Dad's gaze went to Marcus.
"Yes, thank you," Marcus said a little sheepishly and took the cup handed to him.
"Middle door, on the other side," Dad uttered.
I bristled, but Marcus nodded and got up awkwardly from the bed.
Ah ... the bathroom. He's never been up here before. Just in general. He had never entered my room either. Fortunately, I had tidied up.
"You really need to talk to Marcus , please!" Edward then quietly said.
I choked up.
What was going on now?
"I don't want to hear or see why he calls you wildcat!" he said with a rather serious look.
Wow ... suddenly it got hot in my head.
I lowered my eyes in embarrassment and put my free hand in front of my face awkwardly.
"Don't be ashamed, there's no reason for that. But please don't let me in on it too! I already get more than enough from Jake and Becky," he gently lifted my chin again.
"Seems to run in the family!" I said evasively, of course continuing to glow red. After all, I had to watch Jake and Becky do that often enough when we were out as wolves, too. "Thanks, Dad!" I said and gave him a hug. Who knows if Marcus would have contacted me without his idea to visit him with Becky and Jake.
"I'm sure you do, little one!" he returned my hug.
Before Marcus was back, Edward was already at the door.
With an indistinct gaze, Marcus wanted to pass him by. But Edward stood in his way.
I wasn't sure if he was really voicing what was going through his head.
"You're welcome here anytime, Marcus, and you can feel right at home with us," Dad put a hand on his shoulder.
Marcus thanked him more warmly, and more emphatically than I thought necessary. They hugged very briefly, and Edward disappeared while I sat there with what was probably a very befuddled face.
Had I missed anything?
While I was running with Jake - I felt full of energy today - I guess Mom had been there and told him the same thing again.
It was a cheerful morning and a cozy day.
Our friends had decided during our absence on Saturday night to do a 'The Lord of the Rings' marathon. Because of the announced bad weather, this was probably the best decision. After Emmett heard about it from Brandon yesterday, it was moved to my grandparents' movie room.
At 11:00 a.m. sharp, the first film was to begin.
Everyone was there. All our friends and the vampires also kept us company at times.
And yes, Brandon and Lisa really couldn't deny being together.
In between movies, we let off some steam after sitting for so long, and Esmé and Mom whipped up an impressive dinner for everyone.
Marcus didn't stay with me overnight, which my parents had expressly allowed him to do, but he did want to drop in on his mother.
Late in the evening, however, he called me again.
Becky also slept at home for a change again.
A day later I had an away game in Scarborough after school and Marcus didn't have to work. A small town located directly before Portland.
When I named the city, a strange expression flitted across Marcus' face.
Only fleetingly. No evil look, just kind of surprised.
He didn't say anything about it, but he wanted to get there directly, because he wanted to drive by his parents' house with Jules. Consequently, he didn't know if he would make it in time for the kickoff.
I was sitting in the locker room with my team.
Becky wasn't allowed to play yet, but she sat with us before joining the other spectators right away.
Becky was missed from the team. Definitely. Of the three games we'd had since her rape, we'd lost one and won two only with a hell of a lot of luck.
"No!" Carlisle sternly decided, looking adamantly at Becky, who was once again trying to persuade him to be allowed to play after all.
He was officially our team doctor now. After he had looked after Becky medically at our first game, well, as far as Becky had let herself be looked after and he wanted to watch all our games anyway, this had been foreseeable.
The first set went well, the second miserable.
I sat on the bench at the edge of the pitch during the short break and thought about how I could still change tack.
It was only a small gym, where the stands were directly behind the players' benches and the staircase was right in the middle. In this respect, there were people constantly walking around us during the breaks.
I closed my eyes to better block out the hustle and bustle around me.
My teammates were now already completely finished. The game two weeks ago had weakened us as a squad. We had lost to a team that had taken advantage of our initial arrogance and not let us get back into the game. This defeat gnawed at each individual and still sat deep within us. And now we were facing the favorites and they finished us off. Each of us made stupid rookie mistakes, played our own game ...
"Little wildcat!" someone suddenly whispered against my ear.
I smiled, while gentle fingers rested on my neck. I turned around and saw the most beautiful eyes and the most beautiful smile in front of me.
"Hey, Caramel!" I replied, reaching into his sweatshirt and pulling his sweet lips towards me.
We almost fell off the bench.
"How long have you been there?" I inquired, when I did manage to tear myself away from his lips.
He knelt in front of me, between my legs and his hands lay at my waist.
"Shortly after the set started ... If you keep playing like this, you will lose!" he stated.
I sighed in frustration, because he was absolutely right.
"I know," I said dejectedly.
I asked about Jules, who hadn't seen me officially yet. He pointed to the stands, and I waved to her as the referee whistled us back onto the field.
We stood up, whereby he pulled me to him once again.
"Remember our training!" Marcus gave me a conspiratorial hint and kissed me before making his way back to the stands amidst the last of the spectators.
A bit heavy handed, I followed my team and we lined up while Marcus went to my small private fan group.
Not everyone was always there when we played away. So, the only people sitting up there were Jake and Becky, my parents, Lisa, Brandon, Esmé, and Emmett.
I closed my eyes for a moment, banishing everything from my consciousness, and opened them again, fully concentrating on the game, when the whistle sounded.
I was determined to fight for the win, but I just couldn't get my team going.
A player now seemed to have it in for me. Maybe it was a coincidence. It didn't start until after that break, when I scored the first point of the set by spinning along, which Marcus had practiced with me. With her eyes she sprayed flashes of anger, provided she had me in her sights. It was not a collective decision to attack me, as in our first game. Only this one did. It was definitely not a pure sporting or tactical fighting spirit that drove her either. When we met at the net, she threw some insults at me. Meany. Snipe. Bitch. I didn't really care, I could easily ignore it, but my team couldn't do anything with these insults and became visibly more erratic.
They asked if I knew her somehow, if she had a reason to attack me, but I didn't know her.
She did not react to questions about what that was about. Whether I addressed her or the girls of her team did, she remained silent.
Slowly, this spitfire was getting on my nerves.
In addition to her simple vexatiousness, she then began to become aggressive.
She scratched me when she came near me at the net. On the way to serve, I got a ball to the head that sent me crashing to the floor. Then I jumped up to block at the net. When I landed, I was knocked backwards with a blow to the chest.
Final whistle of the third set.
I shook myself briefly to clear my head and picked myself together. On the way to our bench, I got another ball thrown between my legs, which made me stumble. Again I slapped the floor.
I became angry.
"Janet!" a dark voice shouted spitefully through the gym, but it made my body quiver rather pleasantly.
I immediately looked around.
Marcus stood behind the opponents' coach's bench and fixed his eyes on the small spitfire that was targeting me.
He knew her?
Carlisle somehow appeared by me and helped me to my feet, but I paid little attention to him.
I just looked confusedly at Marcus.
This bitch Janet literally ran towards him, beaming with joy and with her arms wide open, but Marcus grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her through a door of the gym opposite from the actual entrance. Another one of them also ran through the door.
I broke free of Carlisle and ran after them.
"... She kissed you ... that bitch ... I'll scratch her eyes out ... What kind of bitch is she ..." I heard an indomitable scolding.
I followed the yelling, turned a corner, and saw Marcus shove the girl into a classroom. The other girl on her squad followed them through the door.
I quickly ran towards the door as well, but only peered into the room through the small window.
"Hello, Marcus. It's nice to see you again," the girl who had joined them said and took Marcus in her arms for a moment.
They squeezed each other once and let go.
"What's got into her?" she then asked, pointing at the fury, which could not be disturbed in its clamor.
"She saw me with my girlfriend earlier," was all Marcus said.
Okay. He obviously did not deny me, but I did not understand this at all. Lily. He had told me about her yesterday. His last girlfriend, but she had moved to Japan.
"The girl she tried to flatten on the court?" she inquired.
Marcus nodded.
"Slight overreaction!" she stated dryly.
He shrugged his shoulders and smirked.
Uh ... slight? The picture that presented itself was somehow grotesque. Marcus stood casually leaning against a wall with his arms folded in front of his chest, the calm girl sat on a table a little apart, while this Janet was shouting around, walking back and forth, stepping in front of walls and trash cans ... I didn't know what to make of it and just stopped in front of the door and watched.
"Are you almost done?" inquired Marcus, bored.
"What do you want with HER?" the hellcat then asked, charging toward Marcus.
His eyes narrowed angrily as he grasped her wrists to keep from being struck by her.
She said nothing more, but waited quiveringly for an answer.
"Did you say everything you wanted to get off your chest?" inquired Marcus.
The girl nodded doggedly.
"Well, then ..." Marcus took a deep breath. His voice calm, but determined. "HER name is Leah! I'm together with her! And it's absolutely none of your business!"
"Yeah right!" she riled back. "You're cheating on my best friend!"
"Janet! Lily and I haven't been together for eight months! She's in Japan, damn it!"
The shrew swallowed and suddenly seemed to have tears in his eyes.
Marcus pulled her comfortingly into his arms and he spoke softly.
Hurray for my wolfish senses.
"You miss Lily!" he calmly stated.
She nodded and cried.
"When I saw you with that one earlier, I thought it couldn't be. Everyone has forgotten about Lily. It's like she was never here. As if she had never been a part of us. Even you forgot her!" the little beast stammered and lifted her head to look at Marcus through teary eyes.
"I will never forget Lily! None of us will forget Lily! But I can't spend the rest of my life mourning her. It took me long enough to accept that she was gone. Just as Lily struggled with not being here anymore. But we're both over it ... Lily has had a new boyfriend for weeks and I have finally found Leah," Marcus said.
"Lily has someone else?" she asked, as if looking for new ammunition, about to start yelling again.
"Yes. I skyped with her last week. She couldn't reach you, so she tried me without further ado. That's when she told me about him."
"And it doesn't bother you at all?" was asked.
"Why should it? I'm done with Lily. I will always remember her fondly, but she no longer rules my life. Today I am happy! ... That is, as long as you don't keep harassing Leah! Do you realize that you could have seriously hurt Leah?" he now accused her.
"I know. I'm sorry," she murmured.
"You apologize to her!" demanded Marcus.
She nodded with her head tilted guiltily.
Time to show myself, I thought. "Marcus ..." I said as I pulled open the door.
Marcus came hurriedly toward me. His arms wrapped around me.
"Leah, honey. Are you all right?" he asked.
"Sure," was all I said, freeing myself just a little from his arms so that I could look at him.
"Stupid question, hmm ...?" he smiled softly.
I nodded and ran a finger over his scar on his eye.
"Honey?" I asked though. That was new to me.
"Just popped into my head in the spur of the moment. Wildcat is so long. But you're as sweet as honey," he explained in a whisper and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips before detaching himself from me a bit again.
With an arm around my waist, he pushed me toward the girls.
"Leah, this is Amy and Janet. Friends of my ex ... And this is my girlfriend Leah," he immediately introduced us.
Amy smiled kindly at me and held out her hand. Janet still hesitated.
She had to be ashamed of her behavior. I probably wouldn't feel any different.
"Hello, Janet!" I said, extending my hand.
She shook it and now looked me in the eyes for the first time. She murmured an apology, which I accepted nodding.
"I would suggest we head back. The break should be over soon," Amy remarked.
We agreed to that.
The two girls walked forward arm in arm, while Marcus held me back a little longer. He let the door fall into the lock.
"You listened?" he stated questioningly, with a dazzling smile. "That's why you so generously accepted her apology. Because you noticed why she went off on you!" he further stated.
"She's not mad at you or me, she's mad because her friend that everyone has already forgotten in her eyes is gone," I explained in summary.
"Yes. Janet is like that. She projects her anger onto that which is not necessarily logical, but vulnerable," he explained to me.
I nodded and we went back into the gym after I received a gentle kiss.
Both for the stands and my team, we had to pass the opposing team.
Amy and Janet had obviously already broken the news that I was Marcus' girlfriend. They all looked at us. Grinning.
"Please don't listen to the stupid comments that are about to come!" Marcus forewarned me.
I raised an eyebrow curiously. He put his hands on my waist and we balanced between the benches.
"Uh ... Marcus! There's a booty pattern emerging!"
"Volleyball player again!"
"Pretty thing!"
"Marcus is off the market again!"
"Hold him tight, girl. He's something special!"
We were almost past the bench, and I grinned to myself. Then the last one in line stood up and got in our way.
"How could you! With an opponent!" she said adamantly. Then her hard face disappeared, and she smiled. "I'm happy for you!" she then said and gently made her way past me into his arms. "It took you long enough to leave Lily behind," she said, and Marcus just nodded. She casually introduced herself to me as 'Mel' and also told me the names of the rest of the girls on the bench, who nodded respectively or waved briefly.
Not that I would memorize them right away, but without a net between us, they made a nice impression.
We continued walking until we came to the stairs. He put his arms around me and looked at me, waiting. But I only looked curiously prompting.
"I was with Lily for one year, who went to their school and on that squad. So, I know the whole team. And also the associated boyfriends of the girls. They are a group that knows everything about each other and does a lot together. Similar to your group of friends. And with Lily, I was a part of it ... There they sit, by the way!" he said and pointed to a row in the audience.
The guys waved at me, overly adorable, grinning insolently.
Marcus laughed at their behavior. So did I.
"If you were such close friends with them, why do you say 'they'. Don't you count yourself among them anymore?" I inquired.
He put his hands on my cheeks.
"The thing with Lily has taken more out of me than I admitted yesterday. Mel advised me afterwards to withdraw from the group so I could let go of Lily ... If you want, I'll tell you the whole story. This evening."
I nodded.
Maybe he needed that. For his conscience. That he told me everything about his ex-girlfriend and didn't feel like he was withholding or hiding something from me. Okay. I was curious, too. However, I wondered how much Lily had meant to him when he already admitted that it had taken along a lot out of him.
"But THAT is behind me! YOU are important to me today. And I have never felt for anyone like what I do for you! I love you, Leah!" he whispered soulfully and kissed me so that cold and hot shivers went down my spine.
From the players' bench, a collective, "Uuuhhh ...!" rang out.
From the row of spectators of the associated guys, a spurring, "Yeeaaahhh ...!"
"There's a reason they're the favorites!" Marcus whispered to me even still. "Besides the school's normal training, the guys train with them. Like I used to, which is why I've mastered this game. So, they have no problem taking harder or faster balls than would be expected for a girls' team. You can only outplay them through a technique that doesn't require them to use sheer force."
I nodded and he smiled conspiratorially.
The referee's whistle interrupted our kiss.
I had to concentrate on breathing for a moment before I followed my team.
We lined up.
I still saw that Marcus did not go to our friends, but to his old gang. He was received with cheers. One of them shouted amusedly through the hall that if I wanted Marcus back, we would have to lose the game.
"Then let's show Marcus' girlfriend what volleyball is all about!" Amy then shouted across the court.
I swallowed.
This is going to be fun.
Luckily, Janet was sitting on the bench listening to a punishing lecture from her coach.
It was a tough fourth set, but with this challenge and Marcus' tip, my girls were back in the game. It worked better and better to use this technique with the spinning along. So, we won the exciting set, and it was a tie.
I saw Marcus getting playfully slayed by the guys every time he cheered for us and chuckled about it.
However, one of us had somehow gotten caught in the net and sprained a finger. During the break we sat together. We only had one substitute player with us, and she wasn't feeling well since she had eaten a fish sandwich on the way here.
Oh great.
I looked at Carlisle.
"Becky!" I said straight up.
"No!"
"It's just one more set!"
"The scar on the left hand hasn't healed yet!"
"She's right-handed!"
"She hasn't practiced!"
"That's what YOU think!"
"Excuse me?" he now asked in surprise.
"Of course Becky has been practicing. Do you really think you can stop Becky from exercising just because she has a little injury?", I insisted.
After Becky and Dad joined in the discussion, Carlisle finally gave up.
Quickly she changed her clothes.
Becky and me. Together on the playing field.
We gave each other a high-five and yelled at our team, "Now we play volleyball!"
Our female opponents swallowed.
Rightly so. Becky played better overall than I did and figured out the thing about the extra ball rotation pretty quickly, even though she didn't have private training like I did.
We hardly let the others get a point and finally won the set and with it the match.
After the final whistle, the field was quickly filled with people, but Marcus didn't show up.
The other guys he had been sitting with were also nowhere to be seen and were also missed by their girlfriends.
They would probably be having reunion. Boys!
"Congratulations, little sis!" Jake arrived by me, with Becky already in his arms, of course. "Have you met Jules yet?" he asked after giving me an exuberant hug.
So now I greeted Jules personally for the first time and chatted with her.
Really nice girl. And pretty. Seemed a little forward, but in a cute way.
The others also arrived by me and congratulated me.
The minutes passed and slowly I wondered where Marcus was.
"Come with me. I think I know where they hid Marcus!" Jules pulled me along by one hand and I pulled Jake behind me.
Just to make sure! Because I also no longer saw the other team.
"With them you can really think you're in kindergarten!" complained Jules, shaking his head on the way through the aisles.
I smirked.
Yes, I had already had that impression.
We went through a door and stood outside. We heard a lot of laughter and many voices.
"Do you really think that your Leah is coming to get you?" someone asked.
"If she even wants you back?"
"Maybe she is glad to be rid of you!"
We crept a few steps further and I couldn't help but chuckle as I peeked through some bushes.
Marcus was tied to a pole with a bare torso. He had to be cold - at these temperatures. The word 'Traitor!' was emblazoned on his belly and his chest was covered with thick lipstick prints of kissing mouths.
He smiled in anguish.
An enchanting smile.
"Don't you think you're exaggerating?" one of the girls asked.
Marcus nodded vigorously.
"Sweetie, we're just avenging your defeat!" she immediately got a kiss.
Probably from her boyfriend.
"Surely the pen is waterproof!" the girl then stated.
"He brought it on himself, after all!"
"How's Jules?" one asked in a chatty tone, leaning casually against Marcus.
"Good. The somersault is working better and better," Marcus replied, just as casually.
"Super. That little one's really got it going on! And how are things with Maggie and Ethan?"
"Good, too. He's planning his marriage proposal."
"About time this immoral life came to an end."
"Coffee party, or what?" the nice conversation was ended.
"Any last words?" one stood right in front of him.
The two stared at each other combatively for a moment.
"Leah will avenge me!" Marcus then announced contemptuously and condescendingly.
I was still wondering, by the way, whether he would be right about that.
"And you think she'll survive this?" someone asked.
I swallowed.
By survive, he didn't mean THAT survive, did he?!
"I think Becky called out!" muttered Jake, wanting to beat a retreat.
I pulled him back while Jules chortled.
"We are wolves! We are not afraid!" I reminded him softly.
"Oh, yeah," he simply meant.
Then they began to slap with small rulers on Marcus' skin. Not really firmly, but that would sting quite nicely on his bare skin, which became increasingly red. In addition, they had the ice cubes from the team's drink box with them, which the girls helped themselves to and annoyed him. His beautifully defined caramel-colored muscles twitched again and again. I could watch it all day long. At least, as long as my boyfriend was not being tortured.
I took a deep breath and turned the corner.
"Sorry. You have something that belongs to me!" I said clearly.
The beating stopped and everything turned in my direction.
Was Jake actually standing behind me?
"Ahhh ... there she is!"
"Leah! Run!" Marcus meant.
"I'm not afraid of your little playmates!" I said pretentiously.
He narrowed his eyes.
I had probably said something wrong. Was it rather the little or the playmates?
"She's got a lot of guts!" someone next to me remarked. "She has the gift of gab, that little one!"
"Who are you calling little?" I inquired and stood right in front of him. He was shorter than me. Considerably.
He swallowed as he looked up at me.
The troop laughed.
"What do I have to do to get Marcus back?" I inquired.
"Do you even want him?" I was asked.
Someone was already standing next to Marcus and lifted his face in my direction.
A face full of provocative lipstick prints.
"You bet!" I clarified.
"Kiss him free!" said the girl, who had introduced herself to me as Mel.
That was easy. Too easy!
I walked up to Marcus and looked at him. Until I was standing directly in front of him.
"Don't do it!" whispered Marcus. "They put something on my lips that fucking burns."
I said nothing, but kissed him as if both our lives depended on it. I felt the burning on my lips, but the fire inside me blazed much higher. Some time passed before I felt his arms tightly around me, but this all-consuming kiss only grew fiercer.
At some point, voices behind me penetrated my consciousness.
The gang had noticed Jules and greeted her.
And Jake. And Becky with all the rest of us in tow.
The vampires and Mom soon drove home, but the rest of us stayed on. We all sat down in a Diner and had a lot of fun together.
Marcus was made to promise to show up more often. He still belonged to this crazy group.
However, the letters on his belly remained with us for a few more days.
Thanks for reading!
