Oh Zoe

15 | LOST

"I don't even want to go," Zoe grouses as she sits at the counter eating her cereal.

"Well, you don't have much choice," Mari bit back quickly. She was fed up with her grumbling daughter while she was trying to focus on remembering everything she had to do before work.

"Can't I just . . . mm." Zoe had nothing. There was no one to babysit her now that Nana Lou wasn't staying anymore. It was either enduring an entire day in a ragged, cramped room that was out of the way at her mum's work or surviving a few hours with one of her elder siblings. She chose the latter but that didn't mean she had to be excited.

"Hey," Leon said as he walked into the kitchen and sat next to a sulking Zoe. "It won't be that bad. You get to hang with your big brothers. Isn't that cool?" Leon punched Zoe's arm playfully to get her engaged.

"No." But she was smiling while she said it. Mari had organised with everyone yesterday that Zoe was going to college with Leon and Luca for a few hours. Then, once training was over, they would come back home and watch her from there.

Luca slammed his hands down on Zoe's shoulder and she squealed in fright. "Maybe we'll even let you kick the ball a bit. Sound good?"

Zoe couldn't stop her smile. She loved the idea more than anything. The enjoyment for sports and physical activity ran through her blood line strongly and – been deprived of recreation all her life – when was Zoe was offered to participate, a refusal never left her mouth.

Mari gave her boys a firm glare. "Make sure you look after her. You are not to go anywhere until I see her inhaler in your car."

Luca waved away his mother's demands like it was a pesky fly. "We will, mum, promise."

They left soon after when Zoe had finally finished her breakfast. Leon had noticed that it was only getting more difficult to get Zoe to eat as the day's passed.

The drive was short to the college, just around the corner compared to where the hospital was situated. Zoe felt as alive as she ever had, her window down, her two brothers chatting away in the front seat. Maybe today wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

The ground was still damp from dew when Zoe jumped out of the car. Now that she was here, she was bursting with energy and eagerness. Zoe saw Leon dump her inhaler in his sports bag and she cringed. She had to make sure that never came out of his bag. Zoe knew there was nothing more embarrassing than having a little sister who was choking on air half the day.

Leon had called his coach earlier about bring his little sister along for the session. Mr Hadley was a special friend of their father's and was more than delighted to have another Taylor on board.

When they walked onto the massive soccer field, Zoe noticed a group of boys huddled around in the centre, muttering to each other as they stretched. Zoe could hardly even call them boys; their towering heights and compacted builds were all to intimidating for little Zoe. She snuck closer to Luca.

"Greetings, boys. Three laps for being late. Again." A stiff man said. He was middle-aged, looked like he had been raised by the army but had kind, wrinkle lines beside his eyes.

Leon groaned and chucked his bag further toward the centre before taking off for his unscheduled run. Luca, however, had a different idea.

"But, coach, we had to-"

"Four." The same man interrupted. Luca grumbled but started following his brother around the field.

"You'd think they knew by now not to be late," Mr Hadley said to his new member. "You can call me, Lorre, squirt."