Just A Weirdo ✓

~ 11 ~

I squinted in the sunlight as I adjusted my visor cap. I'd never been to the sports centre before. It was all a new experience for me. Zeke and I went to the tennis courts and there I saw the two families. They were unintentionally matching, dressed in grey, black or blue. I thought of my outfit and realised the only thing I had in common with them was my blue hat.

So much for being a part of the outing.

The only thing that surprised me was that there was no sign of Robyn anywhere. Call me selfish but that made me feel a little better. But I didn't want to hope too much.

"Good! Debbie, you are here," Mrs Rivera said happily when she sighted us. She actually had a pretty great body for someone who had an eighteen-year-old son. Her statement caused everyone else to gaze at us.

She stood up from the bleachers and came to hug me. "Good to see you."

"I'm pleased to be here as well, Mrs Rivera," I said truthfully. This meant a lot to me. It wasn't something my family would go out of their way to do.

"Thanks for noticing me too, Ma," Zeke said sarcastically.

"Oh, keep quiet. You saw me this morning. Act like this and I won't let you taste my creations ever again," his mother answered him with the same tone. Their interaction was really amusing and sweet at the same time. Especially the way they looked at each other. Was that how a mother should act towards their child?

"Who's she?" I averted my gaze from the pair and looked at the owner of the voice. It was Sophia, Levi's undeniably beautiful older sister. I guess the good looks ran in the family because their mother looked beautiful too.

"This is Debbie. She'll be spending the day with us today. I invited her," Mrs Rivera introduced me to the rest. I'm referring to the two middle-aged men, Sophia and Taya.

Wait, what?

Taya? What was she doing here?

My mind told me not to think about it but I just couldn't help myself. And she was giving me the same look of shock. I was avoiding Levi's gaze because he had been looking at me the whole time. As for the two fathers, I could tell them apart because one of them was the exact replica of Zeke.

Sophia stood up and gazed at me with a smile. "So you're are the great Debbie? The girl whom Zeke and Levi have been arguing about yesterday. I'm Sophia, Levi's sister. You look great with your split ends. You must be brave," she said. Did she just compliment and insult me at the same time? At least I knew what Levi meant.

"Nice to meet you," I bowed ninety degrees and immediately regretted my action. She was weirded out by my strange behaviour.

After the introductions and Taya admitting to knowing me, we got ready to play tennis. Taya was cold towards me and you could say the same for Mrs Hansen. She never acknowledged me or even bothered to smile at me. I don't know what wrong I did to her. Zeke told me she was bothered that Robyn couldn't make it.

She really liked Robyn but she didn't even bother to get to know me. Anyway, like I always said, it was normal for me.

We were currently seated under the sun umbrellas, watching the mothers and fathers play against each other. They were all smiles as they played. Zeke was the chair umpire without the chair!

"Mum, you can do better than that! Dad, you better win this game! Auntie, don't disappoint me! And Uncle, you need a better tennis grunt. That sound you keep on making isn't working. Like... at all!" Sophia shouted as she put down her bottle of sparkling water.

"Whose side are you on?" they all shouted simultaneously.

Taya laughed serenely while ogling Levi. He wasn't noticing and was constantly glancing at me, annoying Taya. I pretended to search for something in my backpack.