bound to happen | complete

chapter nine | the game

M E L A N I E L E I G H T O N

HE ASKED ME if I was coming to the game. Why? Did he want to see me? Did he not want to see me? Did he want me here?

He asked for my help with homework, did he actually want me to help? Or did everyone else that he had asked say no?

Should I be going to this game? Yeah, Ben's playing, but I've been to loads of his games before, I don't even think he cares that I would or wouldn't go.

Am I only going because Carter asked if I was? I didn't even know there was a game on, I didn't even think about it until he had asked, and I said yes without even thinking.

It's too late now. I'm already in the car and and halfway back to school. Ben left about half hour ago, I don't even know what the rest of the kids are doing. I think Seren is out with Beth.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. My sister only had to go and make fucking friends with Carter's sister. Troy, well he's in a world of his own. And the four youngest, Eilonwyn, Owen, Leilani and Dewi are all locked up in the warm, because it is fucking bitter out here tonight.

January is always colder that December, yes. But no one ever talks about February nights. They're the worst.

Jess offered to meet me in the car park, so I am driving an unreasonable amount of miles per hour to get to the school so she isn't outside for too long.

It takes me about five minutes more to get to the school and parking, before pulling my coat from the passengers side and pulling it on.

As I walk through the car park I find Jess stood at the front of the school, and I quickly walk over to her, smiling I say a hello, as she pulls me along with her, and we walk throughout the whole school. People are in-front and behind us as we go down to the back fields, where people are gathered around.

The team are all on the field warming up, throwing balls between each other, while the other school's team is standing at around watching them.

I've seen this before. It's something like the team trying to intimidate them, showing that 'they're better' than them by showing they don't need to warm up. It's a really stupid tactic, because anything physical you have to warm up for, but each to their own.

Jess and I make our way to the very front, stood next to the other girls, and we just wait, not long after we arrive, the game begins.

And just like I said before, Carter is an incredibly talented player, he's fast, able to move around each player without even a thought. It's like seeing my father play. Even with Ben on the field, I see dad in him slightly, but with Carter. Carter is exactly like my father.

And as weird as this is, I both love and hate it. I didn't exactly get to see my father playing in his youth, at the very beginning, and I don't exactly remember the first few years of my life while he played, but I have seen photos, and videos, and recordings of the old games.

And from my memory of those games and pictures and videos, I can see Carter as him. He doesn't look like my father, don't get it twisted. But, he plays like him.

By half time, our school team is winning by 27 - 15. All the boys on the team look ecstatic, the other team not so much. You can feel that excitement and interest from the people around us and once again it makes me feel at home. The other teams family and friends who are on the opposite side of the field don't give off the same energy. They look quite grumpy and almost annoyed at their team.

Jess beside me has spent the last forty minutes shouting and screaming, and even calling out Iwan's name a few times. His sister, Libby, laughing every time she did.