Sawyer.
The shrill ring of my phone pulls me away from my sleep, but not without a fight. And after a few more rings I can't ignore it, I blindly reach for it on the nightstand, swipe left and bringing it to my ear.
"What?" I snap into the phone.
"Is that how you're answering your phone now, sawyer? I don't approve." The smooth and firm voice of my mother wafts through the phone and into my ears. I sit up on the bed and stretch lightly.
"What do you need?" I ask with a deep sigh, she always has ways to make me sweat. Whether it's setting up charity benefits or solving family problems, she always calls me.
I know it may not make sense, but I do want her to call me. To tell me her problems. She's been through so much shit and I don't want her to handle any more than she has to.
"No, this is just a wake up call. Get up and do something productive. Don't spend the whole day in bed." She says and I can practically hear the smile in her voice.
"I do have a life, y'know?" I retort, rising off the bed and stepping towards the window. This place is so different from Florida.
"You just got there, Saw'. How do you say that?" She says sarcastically.
"I don't really know but it seems I'm very sociable." I say. I hear her scoff in disbelief.
"Sawyer, I squeezed you out of my body. I would know that you're the most anti-social boy I know." She says.
I release a chuckle and silence takes over the atmospere, even if we're hundreds of miles away.
"Where are you off to now?" I ask her, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides.
"New Orleans. I got the grant for the new shelter. I'm signing the papers for the site so the construction can start. And don't worry- I'll be back by next Wednesday." She says.
I can only hum in answer. She keeps moving, going forward. She hasn't dealt with anything and honesy neither have I. I look at all the poster I hung first thing after I move in here. All the pictures I had taken with me somewhat neatly hung on the wall. My dreams of playing soccer, getting into a good school and getting drafted seem like a cartoon sketch now.
My dad used to say it clearly. 'To be a great football player, you'll need more than great technique and ambition. To become a great soccer player, you'll also need game intelligence, physical fitness, and a proper mindset.'
I had all of that. The technique. The ambition. Intelligence and physique. But that all went down the drain when I lost my proper mindset. When I lost him.
"-Saywer, honey. Are you still there?" My mothers voice rings through once more.
"Yeah, sure." I reply, shaking off all negative feelings. "I'll call you later, alright?"
"Okay. I love you, honey." She says, her tone sounding sad from our chat being cut short.
"Love you." I say then cut the phone, tossing it on my unmade bed. I run a hand through my hair, sighing loudly.
I wanted a fresh start. Why couldn't I give myself a fresh start when I could. So I decided to move hundreds of miles away into a new place, which I would have shared with my mother if she could just stand still for a moment.
The phone buzzes from where I tossed it on the bed. I glare at it for a moment, not like I know why but I just do. And few moments later I move across the room to pick it up.
Lores:
Hanging out at the mall. Stocking up on the kit. You in?
Luca is a bit of a wild cannon. I haven't seen much of him but I can tell that he's a crazy fucker. I've been here for two weeks now and he truly welcomed me. It's a new year anyway so I'm not that completely lost.
I shoot off a quick reply.
Me: I'm in.
_
Thirty minutes later, give or take, I meet up at the parking lot with Luca and a few others, Brian and logan, our very own Wonder Twins, and Reed. Reed seems a little rough around the edges and a bit shady but in the end, aren't we all?
Luca offers me a handshake in greeting. "You made it!" He exclaims. This boy is too hyperactive for his own good.
"Sure, I did." I reply. I nod at the others and the all nod back and kick off the hood of the car they were leaning in.
"Let's get moving. The sooner we finish is the sooner I can get something to eat." Brian-or is it Logan- grumbles as he stalks his way towards the entrance of the large mall.
"Yeah, same here." Says Reed and trails after Brian. We all move in to the mall and stop at a Sports shop every now and then.
"So, Emily and her crew invited us over for lunch by the pier. You guys in?" Luca pitches as I try on a pair of Nike cleats.
"Emily's the tall one right? Your girl?" I ask half-heartedly, still feeling around the soccer shoes.
He scoffs and releasing a bark of laughter. "She's not my girl. We're just friends who bone." He says suggestively. "A lot." He adds for emphasis and Logan releases a short snicker while looking at his phone.
I roll my eyes and look back at him. "And are you so sure you're the only one?" I question.
Girls as pretty as that can't be having just one place to hit. I've seen it and he knows it.
"That's the best part; she keeps herself only for me." Luca boasts like a cock in a henhouse.
It's even worse than I thought then. The girl is attached but he doesn't see it. I guarantee it will end in flames but I'll let them figure their own shit out.
I take off the shoes and put them back in the box, finding them a little uncomfortable. "Let's try someplace else." I say and trail out of the shop.
We walk around the large mall for a while and find another shop that Luca quickly stalk into.
The guys move ahead of me while I stray behind, my eyes locked on the soccer banner, above the entrance. If I could-
I'm cut off as something smacks into me and veers back, headed for the ground. My arms shoots out to grab a limb, any limb, to stop the tiny figure from hitting the ground. I get a brief moment of recognization but not able to pinpoint it.
The shorter figure I have a hold on is a girl, atleats I think it is. Her breathing comes out in chopped pants, as if trying to regulate it. This isn't the first time she'd smacked into me.
"You know, If you're going to be walking that fast, you should really watch where you're going." I say, my voice filled with mild amusement.
"I know.-and I'm sorry," she mutters and tries to move away. She manages to break free fron my hold and squirms away, rushing for the door.
Her eyes are downcast and I can't see her face below that obnoxious hoodie.
"If we're gonna keep seeing each other like this, I'd like to know what you look like." I say and listen for more of her caclulated breaths.
She looks up with mild confusion and I almost reel back at seeing her face. It's nothing special, except it is pretty special. Big doe eyes that widen in shock when she see's me. Smooth, pale skin that contrasts perfectly with her auburn hair. Her light cheeks are dusted with a few freckles and a shade of pink, representing a blush. Her light pink lips are full and parted as barely audible breaths slip out.
"So you do have a face..." I say, finally recalling my ability to speak. "Do you have a name?"
I watch her breathe a little more, a thousand emotion and thought filter through her doe-like eyes, and I swear I could keep looking all day, trying to see more.
"April... April." She all but whispers breathly.
"Yo, Sawyer! You coming, man?" A distant voice rings from a few isles down the sports shop. Luca.
"I'm coming!" I yell back. I then look down at her. "Guess you know my name now. I'll see you around, April." I say and pull away, and striding up to join the boys.
When I join them, Luca plops down into one of the round chairs placed around the store. "You're trying out for striker, right Sawyer?" He says, leaning up to look at me as browse through more pairs of cleats.
"Uh, yeah. I guess." I reply half-heartedly, still not picking a pair.
Usually I would pick the first pair that fits, but I find myself procrastinating. What if I buy the kit and not even have the guts to step foot on the field? Would've been a waste of time and money.
Logan suddenly grins excitedly after looking at his phone briefly. "Dude, Callum's throwing a party tonight." He says.
"Really? How did I not know," Luca muses as he pulls out his own phone.
"We're going. You in, Forster?" He asks.
Booze, music and possible chance at a screw?
"I'm in." I say and I guess I must have a weird look on my face because they release a cackle of laughter.
_
Lunch with Luca's girl was... I don't really know. Emily is a complicated girl. I've known her for a week and I know as much. Her friends are cool, especially the one the one with the sarcastic humor, who I have learned is Cami. Evan listens for the most time but does drop her opinion once in a while. And Finally, Claire-
Claire is currently doing something considered as giving my left arm a massage or trying to scratch it off with those sharp nails.
Cami notices this and only smirks at my expence. I glare at her in reply and she mery shrugs in reply.
"So, Em, why isn't April here?" Evan speaks up after introductions dies down. Turns out the group only started merging after Emily and Luca started 'boning', as they call it.
April?
"You know how she is. Said she'll see us at school on monday." Emily says after swallowing a bite of her salad.
"Who's April?" Asks Brian, finally lookibg up from his pile of food
"A friend of mine." Emily replies.
"I swear that girl is the most dramatic person in the world." Says Claire from beside me, her hand still lactched unto my arm, squeezing every so often. "What lame excuse did she give this time?" She says sarcastically.
"No excuse. She just didn't wanna come," Emily answers her coursely, a glare washing over her features.
"Why do you even put up with her? You like begging her to go out with us and she says 'no' every single time. She's attention thirsty..." Claire says.
All this time, Cami was quiet but her head slowly rises from the table and a stormy glare is fixed on Claire. "Shut the fuck up, Claire." She says icily.
Claire hand clutches tighter against my arm, those nails threatening to pierce my skin, so I reach over to pry it away. Reed notices this and snickers lowly.
"You can't talk to me like that-" Claire begins strongly but is cut off by Cami.
"The hell, I can't. Stop giving April shit, she didn't do anything to you." Cami says coldly and a silence washes over Claire's face.
Bottom line-girls are dramatic, but Cami is a badass in my books. I'm well aware that thet could be talking about the same April that I met today. I'd never noticed her in school but hey- I've only been here for a week and a half.
"So Callum's throwing a party tonight..." Emily starts from next to Luca, who has his snaking s arms around her shoulders. How can they say they're just friends when they're clearly boo'd up or whatever.
"Of course I am! Best way to start the school year." She says in a 'duh' tone. "Cami, you're going, right?" She says twisting to look at cami, who was fully immersed in her phone.
Cami nods twice and raises her head, her face painted with excitement. "Yep. Along with Trenton, too." She says.
"That guy who's on the the team right?" Reed asks and Cami nods, a proud look on her face. "That fucker is fast in the field."
"He is." She says warmly and goes back to tapping on her phone.
"I'm coming too. My dad's on a work thing in LA, so I'm pretty much all by myself this weekend." Says Evan, puling off her glasses and laying them neatly on the table.
She said it lighty and no one probably noticed the hint of malice in her voice, I almost didn't notice but I did. And I know there's gravity there.
Claire been quiet for most of the time, her hands now digging into my thigh instead of my arm, which I have to pry off every few minutes.
"Is April coming?" Evan asks, not worriedly but in a need-to-know.
Cami lifts up her head once more, grabbing another fry and stuffing it into her mouth. "Nope. We'll be seeing her Monday at school."
Evan visibly sulks and pushes her now empty plate away. "Well is she okay? Kinda miss her..."
"You've known her for years, Evan. She's fine." Cami assures Evan.
Evan only nods and picks up her phone. Cami suddenly grins widely and gives a hug to Evan and a wave to all of us around the booth.
"Trent's here somewhere. I'll see y'all tonight." She says as she slides out of the booth and pulls on her jacket over that very tight black shirt she's wearing.
"Aww, why?" Evan and Emily groan sadly as Cami stands up.
"I have to. Haven't seen him in a while..." She says and winks at them before twisting around and strutting out of the La Pier.
"They're practically married. It's sickening when they're together." Claire mutters beside me, finally finding her voice when the girl who put her in her place is gone.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out and swipe left. A text from Mason blares in my screen.
Talk to Ryan. Make him fix his shit.
Blunt and straight to the point. You could always depend on Mason to be that way. The problem with having seven or-so male cousins, conflict always seem to slither it's way around us. I'm closest to Mason, even if we live far apart.
Straight to the point, huh? Must be really pissed off. I reply. And a second later his reply appears.
I swear that fucker is just asking for a beating.
I scoff and quickly type a reply. Don't kill your brother.
Then tell him to get his shit together.
I'll talk to him, Mase.
Thanks bro.
"Who are you texting?" Claire muses beside me, trying to peek over my shoulder to look at my screen.
"A friend." I say simply and shut my phone, placing it in my pocket. She visibly sags at the lack if information and I only lean into the leather booth, trying to tune into Luca, Emily and Brian's conversation.
Even though it wasn't planned, the move from Florida does feel good. Fresh start and new faces. I'm starting to feel normal but I know it won't last for long. The past always finds a way of creeping in. Always.
-
Fin.