CHAPTER FIVE: REASON

My best definition of a nerd: someone who asks you to explain an aphorism. 
-Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Keagan's

There's a soccer game right after school for Rylie and Benji, and then right after that Benji has a football game too.

Meaning I might be there for four hours, then I have to help them with homework, make dinner and get them to bed before I even do my own homework.

This is something I'm skipping football practice for- -even if Friday practices are usually the worst one to skip because we have a game the next day- -but it's not something I'll regret doing, mostly because I don't have a game tomorrow because the other team pulled out last minute.

Doesn't mean coach won't be mad.

I'm not going to be the reason nobody shows up for the triplets or make them think they're not worth it.

"I can't study with you guys today." I tell them, making Nell raise an eyebrow.

"We're studying?" She glances at her best friend. "You said this was work for a class."

Giving her a small, confused look I glanced at Robin too. "No...we didn't have to do work after class since the second week. This is just studying. Birdie said Mister Jael suggested that we study with partners so that we don't fail any tests."

"Anyway." Robin clears her throat, seeming to be a bit flustered for a reason I can't think of. "Do you have a party to go to or something?"

Fuck it, if she's going to stereotype me I'm going to at least enjoy it.

So I shrug, smirking as I look her up and down. "What do you think?"

"It's a possibility, um..." The nerd gulps, blue eyes wide. "Can you work on Monday?"

My smirk widens as I wink, "You'll find out on Monday."

I might be having a bit too much fun with this.

But if everyone thinks I'm a douche-bag at first glance then I might as well act like one- -respectfully, I hate the guys who treat women like shit because they think it's hot- -and get her to blush a few times.

"Hey Birdie," I wave to her on my way out, knowing Benji told me his boyfriend is coming to watch the game. "See you later."

She just stares after me, confused.

During the entire time from the end of school to the start of the game, I was anxious about seeing Robin again.

Mostly because after getting yelled at by my coach because I can't take time off from my personal life- -he knows I'm raising the triplets, and I know he's more mad about that than at me- -my anxiety's higher than normal.

It's actually her little brother, Joey, who recognized me first.

That made things better.

Him and Eli are standing on the edge of the field in matching hot pink jerseys, but unlike Elijah's who has both his sibling's numbers on them, Joey only has Benji's number on it.

"Hey guys," I ruffle their hair, making Eli scowl at me. "If either of you get cold, I have blankets in the car and if Ry or Benji start to get cold let me know, I brought extra jackets and shit for them."

Elijah rolls his eyes at me, "We're fine, Dad."

Instead of meaning it this time, he's teasing me, but the jolt in my chest at being called it remains the same.

Snarky little shit.

"Are you a fairy?" Joey asks me, blue eyes blinking up at me like it's an honest question.

Not pausing to think hard about it, I nod and say, "Yes. But if you tell anyone the Unseelie court might come after you, so shh."

Sending him a wink that makes him giggle before turning back to the game, I look for his sister who I know is somewhere around here.

Finding her reading while sitting in front of Nell, who's actually watching the game and raises her hand to flip me off.

Grinning, I wave in reply and quickly make my way over to them.

It's a chilly day, the ground's almost frozen because it's fall, so Robin's sitting on a blanket while her best friend is on a lawn chair, a Red Bull in one hand, a butterfly knife in the other. They're way off to the side, probably to avoid any parents and because I doubt the little nerd cares about the game.

Realizing Robin's too stuck in her book to notice me, I'm able to creep up and say "Boo!" which does make her jump but then she smacks me dangerously close to my no-no spot with the book. 

I jump back just in time, but my foot gets caught on the blanket and I end up collapsing next to Robin.

"Ugh." Rolling onto my back, I glance over to her and try to smile but I bet I just look complicated. "Hey Birdie."

"Jerk." She snaps, smacking me in the stomach with her book. "You scared me."

The nerd goes to jab me in the side but the skater kicks her best friend before she can, making Robin sprawl across my chest.

"You know, if you want to cuddle with me you only had to -ouch!" My smug comment gets cut off when Robin throws her book at me. Before she can take it back, I grab it and hold it out away from me. "Jokes on me, this is mine now."

We both watch, frozen, as the wind ruffles the pages and makes the poem I know I stuck in there earlier fall out and start to get carried away.

I catch it.

And don't even have five seconds of contact with the damn thing before Robin is scrambling to sit up on me just to try and yank it out of my hand.

"Give it back!" She shouts, grabbing my wrist to try and release my grip but I hold it tighter and sit up -raising it above my head. "Keagan, you jerk -argh!"

Nell kicks us both this time, making us land on my side. 

Without giving pause, Robin shakes my wrist at me, trying to sit up again. "Seriously, give it back."

Using my other hand to grab both of her wrists, knowing I'm stronger than her by far, I tuck the note into my front pocket -also knowing there's no where she's sticking her hand in that to get out something as stupid as one of those poems.

The nerd turns red up to her ears.

I smirk. "Tell me what it is and I might give it back.

"Might?" She seethes.

"Don't blame me for this, you're the one who got my hopes up about cuddling, only to assault me." I point at her book. "This is your own fault."

Robin pouts angrily, glaring at me over the rim of her now heavily smudges, lopsided glasses. "It's a poem, alright? That's it."

"Just a poem?" More like a love confession. "I'll keep it then. There's a thousand of those on Pinterest, let alone the whole ass poetry books you can buy for less than a dollar. That's it." My mockery makes her red blush deepen, taking over her freckles. "At least it's not something irreplaceable. Also, don't you get these all the time."

"It is irreplaceable to me, you dumbass." Robin's hands fists and this time, her glare turns real. "I've kept every single one I've gotten and that's not going to change just because you feel like keeping one. So give it up."

She keeps them all? Like, every single one since I started.

Every single one?

Holy fuck, that's -that's really cute and sweet. Oh no, now I love her more.

"I'll, um," Suddenly, I feel all to flustered and realize a flush is creeping up my neck. "Give me cuddles and I'll give them back?"

"What?" Robin's lips part in shock.

I gulp. "You heard me."

"Awh, Bambi," Nell teases me, leaning over to ruffle my hair. "I'll cuddle you if she doesn't, don't worry."

Grinning at her, knowing she's most likely joking but either way, it's nice to have friends.

In no way was I prepared for the nerd to wrap her arms around me, head pressed into my chest as she slides back next to me.

"Woah, seriously?" Robin nods, not speaking. I can feel her blush through my shirt. "Nice."

Glancing at Nell, who gives me thumbs up before cracking open the Red Bull, I lay back to get more comfortable -letting Robin shift as well.

After a few minutes of listening to the scores, Robin goes slack against me and I can tell she fell asleep.

That's adorable.

"Keg!" Eli shouts, bouncing over to me. "Can I get the blankets?"

Holding my finger to my mouth, I dig in my jacket pocket and pull out the keys. "Get them all."

After all, the football game is after this one too.

He comes back and Nell goes up to the front line with Joey, so he's not alone. And she has another chair with her, so I think she was just holding out on me.

My little brother sits on the other side of me without hesitation, laying a blanket down and letting me use another for a pillow before he cuddles into my other side too.

There's at least one other parent taking another nap on the field too, and even if someone else wouldn't do it, there's no way I'd pass up the opportunity to nap with my crush and get quality brother time too.

It's rare I get to do soft things like this.

A shifting on my side made me groan, arm tightening around the blanket.

Blinking awake, it takes me a few minutes to realize what's going on around me. Robin is now tucked into my side as I lay on my stomach, arms pinned between her chest and my side as I hold her to me with an arm around her. 

On my back, laying sideways as he uses my waist for a pillow, Eli is curled up and snoring softly like the dork he is.

Nell is back sitting behind us, with two empty cans of Red Bull and another opened.

Curled up in a mound of blankets, Joey is sitting in a chair that's situated over my feet wearing a hoodie I know damn well is Benji's.

Well, I brought extra for a reason.

"Hey kid." I say, making Joey perk up and peer over the edge of blankets to look at me. "Is the soccer game over?"

"Yeah! Rylie scored the winning point, she's getting popcorn right now though. She took your wallet." That sounds like her, honestly. "Ben's team is winning, I think."

"What are the numbers under the two big signs on the board, that say 'Home' and 'Visitor'?"

"Uh..." Joey makes a face. "Eighteen for home, and fourteen?"

"Then yeah," I nod, grinning. "They're winning. Also, do you know if either of them are mad I fell asleep?"

Joey shakes his head but it's Nell who answers. "Your sister was salty until I told her I took videos." She shakes her phone at me. "Your brother is just happy his boyfriend's here. Oh, also, since you have the van, you're in charge of getting us all home safely because Roby's parents took off. They said it's okay with them if any of us want to spend the night at your house if it's allowed, since they know it's easier but also don't know if your parents will be okay with it."

If my parents are okay with it?

She says that like my parents will even be there.

Not about to ruin the mood with that, I just say, "Yeah it's fine, and I can stop at your guy's houses if you want to pack bags."

"Ask Robin when she wakes up." Is all the skater says, not about to make decisions for her best friend.

I yawn. "Well, until that time comes, I'm going back to sleep."

God knows I need more of it.