Memories

IV

SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW

'You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad it was over'

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Moving into the Spear household was tough for Thalia. Every time she arrived at a new foster home, she was already planning to run away. This time, though. She couldn't. Not with the risk of going to juvie hanging over her head. She didn't want that anymore than she wanted to stay in the same place for too long.

Cass had been comforting and welcoming, not getting upset when Thalia came home later than expected. She didn't care that Thalia always took her food to her room and only came out to go to school or the bathroom.

Richard was always at work, and generally harmless, so there was nothing for Thalia to worry about. Until their son come home. Drake wasn't kind to Thalia. Around his parents he'd act brotherly, but when they were gone, it was a whole different story.

The first few weeks Thalia didn't put up with his shit. She hid away and did her own thing, but then Drake knocked on her door one afternoon and she didn't have any choice but to let him in. Drake was a big man. He'd find a way in with or without Thalia's permission.

"Hey kiddo," Drake cooed, a grin on his face. "Want some?" he held up a bottle of vodka from behind his back. Thalia grinned. Things were finally getting interesting and worthwhile. Drake took that as a yes and came to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Thanks. But don't call me kiddo," Drake laughed at that. Thalia took the bottle and opened the cap, taking a swig. "Oh yeah. That's the good stuff." he laughed again, taking the bottle from Thalia.

"Yeah. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something." Drake said. Thalia put away the homework she'd been doing, an indication for him to continue. "I'm starting up a business. Trying to get away from the Marine stuff. I wanted to know if you wanted to join. You could be co-CEO or something." Drake laughed again.

Thalia frowned. She hadn't been expecting this from him. Though she hadn't known Drake or his parents for long, Thalia had picked up on the fact that he wasn't exactly the businessman type. She also found the fact that he was laughing a lot alarming.

"Um, I don't know. I was thinking of going to an art school or something after I graduate. Not business." Thalia said, inching back toward the wall. She was beginning to get nervous, and Drake could tell. He stood and headed to to the door.

"Yeah, I understand. No, it's alright." He said, taking the vodka with him. But instead of leaving the room, Drake put the vodka on Thalia's dresser and closed the door, locking it from the inside.

Thalia had been thankful for the lock those first few weeks, having her own privacy was nice. Now, though, she felt like a rabbit cornered by a Fox. And she didn't like that feeling at all.

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"That's our court." Renee said as she finished the tour. She turned to Thalia with a smile. "Any questions? Comments? Concerns?"

"If I'd had questions comments or concerns, I would have voiced them earlier." Thalia said with her arms crossed.

Truth was, Thalia had been amazed by both the size of the stadium and the facilities it offered. There wasn't much, but the locker rooms and all the gear that had Thalia's name and number eleven printed on it had made her ecstatic.

"Okay. Well, do you want to come practice? Or would you like Andrew to take you to the dorms?" Renee asked, still hopeful to create a friendship with Thalia. All the younger girl did was walk back into the locker room. Renee didn't follow, and Thalia was thankful.

The orange shirt over her armour and padding made Thalia well with pride. Everyone but officer Higgins had never believed Thalia would amount to anything. Not even she had believed in herself, and now that she was here, standing in her uniform, about to join her team for the first time, Thalia chest swelled with pride and gratefulness for Higgins for not giving up on her.

Thalia stepped into the court with her helmet and gloves in hand to see the team once again at practice. She took a moment to watch them. They moved seamlessly together in the middle of a scrimmage. 

Allison and Dan were acting as strikers on one team, with Matt as their only backliner and Andrew in goal. Kevin and Neil together were on the other side of the court, Aaron and Nicky behind them, and Renee getting back into her position at the goal.

Wymack was standing outside the box, watching his team, but heard Thalia's approach and hit his hand against the glass, getting the players' attention before walking over to Thalia. "Hey kiddo, you ready?" Thalia tensed all over, remembering the last time someone had called her that. 

"Yeah," she choked out, along with a minute nod. Wymack smiled and led her to the closest door, which Renee was holding open. Thalia looked at the other girl who was smiling through her helmet and gave a short smile in reply.

"You go up to half-court. Switch with Dan. She'll go back with Matt." Thalia nodded at Wymack's words. Then Renee closed the door behind her and it was like all the air was sucked out of the glass box. Thalia stood in shock for a few minutes, before Renee's voice cut her out of her haze and she walked away, not replying to the girl's questions. 

Dan walked backwards and got into the backliner position, while Thalia stood opposite Nicky and next to Kevin. "You better not screw up this season for us," Kevin said grumpily, which Thalia didn't reply to. If the best striker in exy history was going to badmouth Thalia, she was going to show him how good she could be.