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“Sorry about her, she’s still getting used to people again.” The café waitress joked as she topped off my cup of coffee.
“Ah, it’s alright, people suck anyways. So, is this your place?”
I asked, trying to sound somewhat interested, but I could feel this weird pull, as if I wanted to run after Kimberly and ask if she was ok, which would have been weird and very stalker-like.
“You don’t remember me do you?” The waitress leaned against the counter, and I tried desperately to remember who she was.
“Sorry, not a clue, love.”
“Crystal, Crystal James. You and your so-called friends used to beat up my little brother, Jamie.”
“Ah, yeah.” Lowering my eyes, the flashback instantly hit me. And I felt ashamed for how much of a dick I was in school. “Jim-Jam, yeah, eh – sorry about that.”
What kind of parents named their kid Jamie with the last name James? They were just asking for him to get bullied and well, I wasn’t a nice guy back then, and a lot of kids had to deal with it. Karma did always manage to get me back though, and now I was trying to make up for my mistakes and apologize whenever I could.
“I’m sorry I was such a jerk back in high school. You were friends with Kim as well weren’t you?”
“Still are and it’s alright, it was a long time ago now.”
She turned away and began to clear the table her and Kim had been sitting at, the café was seemingly as quiet as the town. It felt as if everyone had already gone to bed even though the night was still young. It was strange, I was used to much busier and noisier cities.
“Where is everyone by the way? Walking here, I barely bumped into anyone.”
“It’s Wednesday, most folks are either at church mass or I think the school is having a football game tonight. Other than that, I have no idea.”
Wednesdays, the busiest time on the town's weekly calendar. I had forgotten that football was on a weekly basis against the other local schools in the district, and church, well church was always being held no matter the time of day or year.
“That makes sense, well thanks for the coffee and the pie, maybe I will become a regular customer.” I smiled, downing the last drop of coffee, and stood to take my leave.
“I’m sure Kim will ‘love’ that.” Crystal said, sarcastically as I opened the door and headed back out into the cold.
* * *
Unable to find a decent bar on my journey back to the B&B, I stopped at a little supermarket that was still open and stocked up on as many snacks as I could possibly carry as well as a couple of beers. Heading up to my room, I was hopeful the owner wouldn’t spot me sneaking in anything.
I knew if I went home, I would have an endless supply of beers and all the food I wanted. Mom being the feeder she was, but I just didn’t want to face the disappointment in dad's face when I told him why I am on leave.
It wasn’t part of the plan he’d say, I should have done better, worked harder, worked until I was bleeding if it meant being at the top. A retired coach wasn’t always the best parent to have, and poor mom just had to grin and bear the arguments and fights we’d get into.
I knew as soon as I left, Jane, my baby sister would have had to deal with his abuse and I tried so many times to reach out to her, to help her. After mom phoned me that night to tell me, Jane had run her car off Steel Bridge Road and didn’t make it out of the water, I stayed away, kept myself busy, always blaming dad for putting his crap on Jane and me.
I should have been the big brother; I should have protected her. I didn’t even attend her funeral, knowing full well I’d have killed him. Shaking my head of the thoughts as if they were still recent, but that was over five years ago. I just had to keep my head down, teach these kids and get back to my people, my team and away from him. Away from this town for good.
Throwing back my third can, I continued to flick through the TV watching the sports news as my team won another match against the US Giants and I felt sick when they mentioned that I was off with an injury, which of course was a lie. I had done all this to myself, and got too big for my boots. I’d heard my father’s voice through my head when I hit Jason’s face again and again, and again. He didn’t deserve my attack, even if he did get in a number of punches himself. I should have known better and took care of my team, like a good captain.
I needed a break.
On a beach somewhere, in the sunshine with lots of girls in bikinis. Not in a shitty little town during fall. But again, here I am, painfully watching the interviews of my team's ‘temporary captain’. Hearing my phone buzz gave me some small enjoyment until I started reading the notifications, not only had Jason, the temporary captain, taken my job, but he has also decided to take my locker room space, wear my jersey number ‘22’ and was hitting on the girl I had been seeing, before being shipped off to this hellhole.
Tossing my phone across the room, it luckily landed into the armchair across from the bed, and did not break, thankfully. That would have just been another thing to piss me off for the day.
Rolling over and turning the TV off, I switched off the bedside lamp and tried to close my eyes. Sleep was always my only constant and of course, it is nowhere to be found now. Tossing and turning, back and forth for what felt like hours just got me riled up even more, but eventually sleep caught up with me and took me away.
CHAPTER 3
Kimberly
Training officially began and over the next few days, classes consisted of working on the girls' balance, spins and speed. And on how to work as a team and look after one another. It was interesting to say the least and even I was a bit rusty when I would show a move as an example. As the days went on, I didn't bump into Samuel, which was good. I didn’t want to have any sort of conversations with him.
