Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

Interlude V - The Sister - III

  After waking up twice in the night, Alden managed to sleep in very late the next day.

  Meg was already up and feeling more than a little cranky, and slipped out of his room before their parents woke up. She packed away the sleeping bag, then hurried downstairs to eat some breakfast before she left for the day. She had a soccer game that morning, and getting out into the sun and kicking something really hard repeatedly for a while sounded like exactly what she needed.

  When she saw that Hailey had played soccer in high school, Meg had immediately tried out for the team over the summer. She hadn't made it, since their school only had one team, but she didn't let it discourage her. She hadn't played since fourth grade. So she joined a rec team, where she could play without all the pressure, and maybe she could make the team the next year.

  Of course, going to the game meant she'd probably run into Kelly. Kelly didn't play, but she always went to the games. Usually to see their mutual crush, who volunteered to referee for them.

  It was a friendly rivalry most of the time. They both liked him, and he was to-die-for handsome, but they'd both always insisted their friendship came first. Besides, he was a senior and they were both sophomores. He was never gonna look at them anyway.

  As Meg warmed up and saw Kelly sitting in the bleachers, and the referee talking to one of the coaches, she changed her mind. He's gonna notice me today.

  She played her heart out, but it didn't matter. The guy took no more notice of her than anyone else on the field. By half-time, she was exhausted from all the extra effort she'd been putting in, and she drained her water bottle in a second. She was about to go refill it from the big jugs behind the bench when she ran into Kelly, waiting next to them.

  "Hi," she started.

  Meg ignored her and walked past, filling up her bottle.

  "You're playing really well." Kelly joined her at the table. "Like, super well. I think you could really make the team next year."

  Meg gave her nothing but stony silence. She drank a bit more, turned and went back to the bench. Kelly looked annoyed and a little disappointed. Good. Serves her right.

  "Why are you being like this?" Kelly had followed her to the bench. A few other girls on the team glanced over curiously. Meg stared at the field without a word. Kelly wasn't there. She didn't understand what was really going on. Meg didn't need to talk to her.

  By the end of the second half, Kelly was gone. Meg's team won by a landslide, seven to one. That one goal slipped by while she'd been off the field, but Meg felt like she could have stopped it, so she called it a perfect game in her head anyway. She celebrated with her team a bit, but she was just eager to get home more than anything. She was still super tired from getting so little sleep the night before, and she wanted to take a nap for the rest of the afternoon.

  As she gathered up her stuff, she paused. Kelly's mom usually gave them a ride home from games, but Kelly was already gone. Meg pulled out her cell phone, meaning to call Alden... but he hadn't come home in his car the night before. It was still parked near the bar, miles and miles away.

  She thought about calling Kelly or her mom, but stubbornness won out. Meg pulled on her jacket, slung her water bottle and bag over her shoulder and walked all the way home, two miles and change.

  As she stumbled over the front step, Alden was just coming downstairs. He hadn't changed from the night before. His eyes looked glazed over, as if he was barely seeing anything in front of him.