C H A P T E R E I G H T

☆☆☆

The hockey season had commenced a few weeks back and our school team had an unbeatable streak. It felt amazing to walk away from each match with a win next to our names and this week, I hoped we would achieve the same victory.

One of the large private club recruiters were coming to our game today, so we had to do our best. I was adamant on getting into a club so it could make national-team entry easier.

I was confident that we'd accomplish what we set out to do because whenever our team stepped out in the field because magic happened between the six of us.

As usual, we were excused from our last class twenty minutes before the final bell on Friday to change into our uniforms.

Our opponents were a team from a private school a few kilometres away and although Coach told us to be weary of them because they were quite formidable, I wasn't scared of them. We would win.

My suspicions were proven right when ninety minutes later, our team scored the winning goal. I was high on the feeling of euphoria from the moment we left the field and on my way home.

Coach had said that it was our best game yet and I was inclined to agree with her. If I kept up at it, then I my chances of getting into one of those clubs would be a definite possibility.

Today was one of those hot, sticky afternoons that were almost too unbearable to endure. As soon as I got home, I charged up the stairs and yanked my hot, smelly uniform into the laundry hamper.

I wore my favourite purple bikini, grabbed a towel and sunscreen and headed downstairs to the swimming pool. It had been a while since we'd use the pool, but luckily it had been cleaned last week.

The water was cold and pleasant on my skin and for a while, I floated on my back and stared up at the sky. A foliage of clouds had begun to form and soon there'd be some much needed shade.

I swam a couple of laps until my entire body had been immersed in water and I was as cool as a cucumber.

I got out soon after and went straight to my towel. I dried my body off as best as I could and bunched my hair into some sort of almost-bun and immediately, the strong smell of chlorine on hair stung my nose.

I loved swimming but I hated the chlorine smell that clung to my swimsuit and hair.

Once I was satisfied with my bodily dryness, I entered the house.

The smell of food cooking on the stove was the first thing that hit my senses. My dad hadn't told me he was coming home early today and I certainly didn't hear him coming in...

I made my way to the kitchen in a few short paces. Anna was bent over a large pot, stirring the contents with a wooden spoon. She was still in her dishevelled work attire.

"My dad didn't tell me you were coming over," I said.

Anna's shoulders tensed and she turned around, "I didn't hear you coming in, Paiten," she said with a nervous chuckle.

I thought that it was a cute sound.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Were you swimming?" she asked and her eyes raked over my body.

I nodded, "yeah."

Anna's eyes lingered on my body far much longer than was necessary and I felt... hot under her gaze. She blinked furiously and snapped her brown eyes back to my face and licked her lips.

"Well, I offered to make dinner for tonight. Your dad said that he should be home in the next forty minutes."

"Oh, well, that's very nice of you. Do you need some help?"

Anna nodded, "yeah! That would be really great. I need you to chop an onion and dice the peppers."

I nodded and made my way to a cupboard where I pulled out two aprons. I handed one to Anna and she sighed in relief and donned it on. I did the same.

We worked in silence. I continued to chop things for her while she stirred the pots and later, I loaded the dishwasher while she finished up.

"I'm going to do my homework now," I said to Anna.

"Okay, thanks for helping," she said with a genuine smile.

That smile was beautiful. Damn her.

After a quick shower I changed into more comfortable clothing: a sweater and leggings and worked on my Math and Business homework.

After forty-five minutes, I was bored of my work and decided it was time for a break. Dinner had probably started, even though I hadn't heard my dad enter through the front door.

I made my way downstairs and found Anna in the kitchen, leaning over the counter while she scrolled on her phone screen with a dejected look on her face.

"Anna?"

Her gaze immediately snapped to mine, "oh, hey. Uhm, your dad got delayed by another meeting, he won't make dinner."

I could see the disappointment on her face and I felt kind of bad for her. She'd worked quite hard on this dinner and it sucked that she couldn't share it with the person she'd primarily made it for.

"I can spend dinner with you," I found myself saying.

"I'd really like that," she said and she softened all the way to her eyes.

I was trying to make the same effort Anna had given me since Valentines' Day.

We went to the living room after dishing up. I grabbed the TV remote, "is there anything you'd like to watch?"

Anna shook her head, "I'm not a TV person."

"Oh okay," I said.

"But you can switch it on if you want to, don't let me stand in the way."

"None of my shows are playing today," I said.

"Alright," Anna nodded. I switched the TV on anyway and navigated to the radio channels and left it on a channel that played soft rock instrumentals.

We sat in silence for a while, indulging in Anna's (undeniably) good food.

"This is amazing," I said, gesturing to the food on my plate. One of the pieces of lamb from the delicious, spicy stew she'd made had settled into my stomach with a trail of spice lingering in my throat.

"Aww, thank you," she said.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"My mom. Her food is amazing," Anna said.

"Yeah? Did you only live with your mom while you were growing up, or was your dad in the picture too?"

"My parents divorced when I was nine years old actually so it's just been me and mom. Oh, and Noah, my little brother," she said.

"Do you talk to your dad?"

She chuckled, but it was a dry, mirthless sound. A bitter, ugly sound that had no place in her mouth.

"He disappeared as soon as the divorce was finalised. He could be living in Botswana with a completely new family, I'll never know."

I nodded. Anna was yet another person in seas of millions who had no idea where their other parent was. I was tempted to high-five her with a 'welcome to the club sister' but I refrained.

"Well, uh, that sucks."

"It used to bother me, but I'm so over it you know? I can't lose sleep over someone who doesn't lose sleep over me."

I stared at her while the words processed in my brain. Anna's eyes widened, "oh my god, Paiten, I wasn't trying to insinuate anything about your moth-"

"I know, Anna," I told her calmly. "But enough of all these mommy and daddy issues. Let's talk about other stuff. Tell me about your job. What do you work as?"

"I'm an accountant," she replied. She took the last bite of her food and placed the plate back onto the table and turned her folded one leg underneath the other.

"Numbers? Eww," I said and crinkled my nose.

Anna playfully rolled her eyes, "what subjects do you take at school?"

"Business Management, Life Sciences, History and Maths Lit. I can't do none of that 'find x' nonsense."

"Yeah? It's actually not that bad."

"Well obviously you'd say that, because you chose a career in numbers."

"Touché," Anna said and raised her arms in mock surrender, "but if you ever do need help with any of your Math you can let me know, I'll help you."

"Maths Lit is totally different to pure Math though, you know that right?"

"I used to tutor Maths Lit at grade twelve level and pure Math at university level, I'm just saying."

"Wow, really?"

Anna nodded.

"Okay, well, I might have to take you up on your offer because Math Lit is kicking my butt too," I said.

"I'm your girl," Anna said with one of her contagious smiles and it all began to make sense then, as to why my dad was dating someone like her.

Anna's energy was infectious. She was easy to be around, easy to talk to, pretty to look at - the whole damn package, really.

Anna and I continued talking long after we'd eaten dinner and had eaten a makeshift desert of plain yoghurt with sliced fruit pieces in bowls.

My dad eventually did get back and I greeted him with a hug and a kiss to his cheek before I headed upstairs to finish off my homework.

I finished with my homework and curled up under my sheets with my phone in hand, ready to scroll through all of my social media accounts before bed.

My eyes grew heavy with fatigue not long after and just before I gave into the strong wave of sleep, I realised that for the first time in weeks, my chest felt light, devoid of any worries or burdens.

I was certain it had something to do with the blonde-haired, brown-eyed woman I'd left downstairs.