....................... The referee blew for half time we were down 1-0, and I was still wound up about the confrontation with Lilly
‘Tess is your head in the game” Coach said.
‘Yes coach” I said picking up my water bottle.
‘Really you could have fooled me You’ve missed 4 shots so far that a kindergartner could have made, miss one more in the second half and your benched for the next game” He snapped “Get your head in gear that goes for all of you for that matter” I threw my bottle down and grabbed my towel.
“Can I go practice shots” I asked.
“Yes go the other field” Coach sighed handing me a bag of the practice balls I ran off to the other soccer field and lined up the 8 balls from the bag at least over here I wasn’t going to get grief from my family, I took a step back from the first ball looking at the grass and took a deep breath closing my eyes trying to see the goal in my mind. I let out the breath and fired the balls all in quick succession each one ricocheting from the same point on the cross bar.
“Okay the last time I heard about soccer the idea was to get the ball in the net” Ben smiled leaning on one of the posts.
“Okay kick me the balls back and I’ll give that a shot” he walked in to the net and kicked them back to me I stopped them all and went through the same routine without even looking up I fired them all into the back of the net.
“Yay Tess” he laughed kicking them back he stood in the goal mouth I fired one above his head “You want to talk about it, before they start asking” he nodded to where Dad & Adam were standing talking with Skye.
“Yeah I got balled out by coach for sucking in the first half” I shrugged flicking the ball up and heading it to Ben he caught it.
‘Yeah and coach did that to your face didn’t he” Ben sarcastically said walking towards me. “To be honest I saw your fingers strapped, up it was Adam that noticed your lip”.
“Yay for snipers” I said running my hand over my face “Can we talk later Ben”.
‘Sure did you bring your truck” he asked.
“No Dad brought me in” I said.
“Okay I’ll tell your Mom and Dad that I’ll bring you home, I’ll call my Mom and see she made enough chili and you can come to mine for dinner” he smirked.
“I like the sound of that” I nodded as coach yelled my name I jogged back over as Ben went back to the bleachers……….
……………………………..“Is it okay if Tess comes back to mine for dinner” Ben said sitting back next to mom.
‘Sure” she smiled “Did she say what happened”.
“No she just said that she’ll talk to me later” he sighed, as Dad sat down.
‘Apparently she got into it with Lilly” Dad said looking at Ben.
“Well she’s her father daughter” Mom grinned.
“Oh how many fights with ex’s…” he stopped himself.
“This guy went to punch my ex boyfriend but he ducked and Logan hit the wall breaking his hand 3 weeks before he was deployed to Iraq” She laughed as Dad put his arm round her and kissed her cheek. Ben started to laugh they watched the rest of the game I managed to put two in the back of the net as well as 3 more goals from some of the others.
We ran off the field Coach patted me on the back.
“Nice job Tess”.
“Thanks coach” I turned as Dad grabbed me hugging me.
‘Your Mom said I’m not allowed to ask you about what happened till you get home so I’ll just say Nice goals princess” I grinned at him.
‘Thanks Dad” Mom kissed me.
‘I knew you would do it”. She laughed “Right we’re all heading out for dinner, have a good time at Ben’s”.
“Okay I’ll see you guys later” I watched as they walked away.
“Hey Tess come on” Skye yelled I held up my hand, as Ben walked up pushing is phone back into his pocket.
“If you want to leave now you can grab a shower at mine” he said walking with me.
“Yeah I think I’ll do that Skye’s all hyper” I smirked "I’ll meet you in the parking lot” I walked in the locker room and grabbed my bag.
"Where are you running off to" Skye asked heading for the shower.
"I'll grab a shower at home I'm wiped see you tomorrow" I walked out before she could question me I opened the main doors and headed for the parking lot I saw Ben waiting leaning on the hood of his truck messing with his phone. "Lets’ go", he jumped.
"Skye give you hassle about leaving" he smiled as we both climbed in.
"I didn't give her the chance" I laughed "and she thinks I'm going home".
'Why didn't you tell her you we're coming to mine for dinner" he said driving out of the parking lot.
"Because I didn't want to explain why I was ditching the celebration" I shrugged, I started to pull the tape form my fingers "Ow god damn it" I hissed.
"You think you should go to the E.R." He said looking concerned.
“No I think they are just bruised” I shrugged.
“Okay but the last thing I want is for your Mom to tear a strip from me for not looking after you” he sighed.
“I’ll take full responsibility” I giggled....................
............................We pulled into Ben’s drive he grabbed my bag and hopped out of the car I climbed out and followed him.
“Hey guys I’m home” Benn shouted as we closed the door behind us.
“In the kitchen” his Mom called back he dumped my bag on the stairs and we both walked in to her. “I hope your both hungry” I nodded not realizing just how hungry I was. “How’d the game go Tess”?
“First half not so good but then we managed to pull out 5 goals in the second half” I smiled.
“Excellent” she nodded.
“Hang on you scored 2 of the goals yourself” Ben said a slight bragging tone to his voice.
“At the end of the day it’s a team effort” I laughed “And I really need to grab that shower I feel dirty and sweaty”.
“Sure come one I’ll get you a towel” We walked up stairs and in to his room he dropped my bag on his bed “I’ll get the towel” he walked out while I grabbed my clean things and toiletries from out of my bag he walked back in throwing the towel over my head
“Hey” I pulled it off as he sat on his bed.
“Just go shower you stink” he grinned ducking as I threw a flip flop at his head, I went across the hall to the bathroom and showered I got out and started to get dry and dressed carefully as every time I used my right hand it hurt my fingers I put on my bra and tried to fasten it and groaned I grabbed the rest of my things and walked back into Bens’ room holding my bra to my chest he looked up from what he was reading and raised his eye brows.
“I can’t fasten it” I moaned “Any chance of a hand”. He put down the magazine and got up I turned around.
“People might talk you know” he laughed nervously I felt his fingers on my back I couldn’t be sure but I think they were shaking “How the hell do girls do this without looking” he said fumbling with the fastener.
“It’s easy” I laughed “You’re only practiced in getting them undone”.
“Oooo first dig of the day” he smirked.
“It can’t be a dig if it’s true” I pointed out as he finally managed to close the fastening I turned round to look at him I noticed he looked me up and down quickly before sitting back down on his bed as I grabbed my top.
“Okay you got me on that one” he laughed he caught my hand “I think these are more than bruised” he looked at my fingers that were almost twice the size they should be, we heard the front door close and the sound of Ben’s Dads voice, “Come on” he tugged me back down the stairs and in to the Living room where his Dad was looking through the mail.
“Hey Ben” he smiled “Hi Tess”.
“Dad Tess hurt her fingers and won’t let me take her to the E.R. will you have a look” Ben said holding on to my wrist as I tried to pull away from him.
“Sure” He nodded.
“It’s nothing I swear I think I just bruised them” I said looking from Ben to his Dad.
“Well why don’t you let the doctor in the house take a look first before we make a diagnosis” Mac laughed, I sighed and held out my hand so he could have a look, I flinched as he touched them. “Can you bend them at all”?
“No it hurts too much” I shrugged; he nodded and pulled out his phone.
“Hi it’s Dr. Anderson I’m sending my son down to you with his friend who looks like she’s broken at least 2 fingers and a knuckle will you get her X-rayed and sort A.S.A.P.” he paused “Yes she live on base Tess. It’s Tess James and she’s 17 Her Fathers is Mater Gunnery Sergeant Logan James” he put his hand over the mouth piece of the phone. “Go I’ll finish giving them the details and they’ll be waiting for you” Ben smirked and grabbed my hand pulling me out to his truck.
“You know that was mean” I grinned as we drove to the hospital.
“No it was being sensible like I said before I don’t want to get my ass kicked by either of your parents for not looking out for you” He shrugged “So you feel like talking yet”.
“After dinner” I sighed he glanced over at me “I promise”……………………………….
………………….. We walked back in to Ben’s house just over an hour later.
“Everything okay” Mack asked.
“You were right I broke both fingers and 1 knuckle and a bone in my hand” I said waving the bright blue cast. “Thank you” I smiled at him.
“See and you were going to wait” Ben said poking me in the ribs.
“I’m sure Amber would have taken her to the E.R. as soon as she saw it” Jess smiled “Now you two can go eat on the back deck if you like we’re heading out to friends for a while” we watched as they left we grabbed the bowls of Chili that Jess had ladled out for us and went outside and sat at the table, chatting and laughing about nothing much I pushed my bowl away and leaned back in the chair.
“I’m stuffed” I groaned. He laughed and got up to clear the plates coming back out and sitting down he lifted my feet into his lap.
“Okay it’s after dinner what happened this afternoon” he said looking at me, “Skye told your Dad and Adam that you got into it with Lilly”.
“Yep I was running late for the game and she just confronted me in the hall” I sighed.
“What did she say” He asked.
“That I was a boyfriend stealing bitch and I was just jealous that you’d taken her to bed and not me” I said looking at him he looked away. “So I pointed out that I wasn’t the reason your relationship ended on its ass, that she need to look at herself” Ben looked at me and smirked “oh and I think I said something about her legs opening faster than the stores on Black Friday” Ben burst out laughing when I said that “and if ever I hooked up with you “I wrinkled my nose a little he again looked away “that I’d treat you way better than she ever did. That’s when she slapped me” I pointed to the split in my lip.
“So what happened to your hand” he sighed.
“I told her that I didn’t care what she told people she could tell them I’d chased you and kissed you as long as I knew the truth I didn’t care” Ben looked at me and squeezed my ankle “then I landed a right hook on her” I grinned.
“Ah so your Mom was right you are your father’s daughter” he smiled, I looked at him “he punched one of your Moms ex boyfriends, well he went to punch and the guy ducked and your Dad punched the wall instead breaking his hand 3 weeks before he went to Iraq”.
“That would Joey” I nodded “He was dating Mom when she met Dad” I smiled “well they’d had a fight about something so Uncle Toby took her to Stay with Dad and Eric for a few days and Dad took a shot”.
“Paid off then” Ben smirked.
“Oh yeah she resisted at first but then gave him a shot. 5 weeks later he proposed, 3 weeks after that he went to Iraq for 7 months” I said looking at Ben “He came home and they got married in Tennessee 3 weeks after gettinghome and the day the got back from Honeymoon he got his orders for an emergency deployment” Ben raised his eyebrows.
“That’s rough” I nodded.
“He was sent there for another 7 months got home and I showed up a few weeks later” I laughed.
“Wow” Ben whistled. “It’s like some crazy soap opera”. I started to laugh.
“I guess so” I nodded “I just hope I can be half as happy as they are when I find the right guy”.
“Any guy will be lucky to have you” Ben said getting up he’d turned slightly red “Oh I found a box of things from when we were kids, wait there” he disappeared inside I leaned back in the seat listening to the crickets in the yard Ben walked back out and put a shoe box on the table he pulled off the lid there were movie tickets a couple of pictures from when we were in Japan I started to laugh one of them was from Halloween he was dressed up as Spiderman his little sister was in her stroller dressed like a pumpkin and I was standing next to him with Ollie and Nick I was Alice in wonderland and the boys were Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee.
“That was such a fun night” I grinned “Where is Katie”.
“She’s at some camp thing” he smirked “She gets back on Sunday” Ben’s Little sister was about to graduate middle school and I knew she liked Nick.
“We’ll have to all get together, I’ll bring Nick” I laughed Ben just looked at me “Okay maybe not” I went back to looking in the box O.M.G. I remember making this. I pulled out a friendship bracelet I’d made before we left to live in Germany I smiled as I ran my fingers over the 2 beads on it one with the letter T one letter B “I’ve still got mine in my jewelry box” I said looking at him he was smiling.
“I wore that every day till I think 7th grade when it go to tight” he smirked taking it from me.
“Same here I think mine actually wore through” I laughed.
“You should make new ones” he suggested.
“Would you wear now honestly” I asked.
“As long as it wasn’t pink and didn’t look cheesey” he said putting his hands behind his head “Then yeah”.
“I might just surprise you” I yawned “Okay I need to go home and hear what Mom and Dad have to say about this” I raised my cast “Oh god no swimming in the ocean for 6 weeks” I groaned.
“You’ll just have to lay in the beach and watch the rest of us in the water” he joked getting up and opening the door to the house for me before he drove me home, We pulled out front of my house, I turned to looked at him.
“Thanks for tonight Ben” I sighed opening the door “It was good to chat like we used to, even if you’re crap at fastening bras” I laughed.
“I don’t really think I should hear this Gunny bear” I jumped as Eric walked down the driveway. I groaned and Ben turned beet red.
“It’s not what you think” I said sticking out my tongue “I had a shower at Bens and couldn’t fasten it that’s all”.
“And why couldn’t you” Eric said leaning on the door. I held up my arm “Ah the fighting injury”.
“How did you know” I asked.
“Your Dad told me” he laughed pulling out the keys for his car “I’ll see you later, night Ben” he walked away .
“Oh that’s not what I need your Dad to find out that I was messing with your bra” Ben groaned.
“You’ll be good Eric knows what things to tell my Dad and what things to keep quiet” I laughed getting out of the truck “I’ll see you at school”.
“Okay Night Tess” I closed the door and he drove away, I went into the house.
“Hey Baby girl” dad said folding up the poker table in the living room “You have a good… why do you have a cast on” he asked leaning the table up the wall as Uncle Toby walked out of the Kitchen with a piece of pie.
“Where’s Mom” i said looking round.
“She got called into work she’ll be back tomorrow” he said with his hand on his hips “When we saw you at the game you had a bloody lip and two fingers strapped together, when did it turn in to a cast ? Who took you to the E.R.? And who or what the hell did you hit? And…” I held up my hands to stop him.
“Dad slow down” I smiled.
“It’s not a smiling matter young lady” he said so firmly even uncle Toby stopped eating
“Fine” I bit back “it turned into a cast about 3 hours ago. Ben took me to the E.R. after he got his Dad to take a look at it when he got home” and I punched Lilly Ben’s Ex for 1 calling me a bitch for 2 for being a bitch and for 3 because she hit me first where do you think I got the split lip from” I gasped for a breath.
“Fighting doesn’t solve anything Tess” he snipped.
“Really so why again did you hit Joey and I know you hit the other guy Greg” Dad looked stunned. “I was sticking up for myself Dad, I’m going to bed” I walked up to Toby and kissed his cheek “Night Uncle T” I walked up the stairs.
“Lo she’s not a baby anymore we don’t need to fight all her battles” Toby sighed Dad looked at him “And she had a point you have hit all of Amber’s ex boyfriends at some point” Dad sat down.
“I know, where the hell did my little girl go?” Dad sighed.
“She’s 17 dude” Toby said patting Dad on the shoulder “and with as much if not more of and attitude and temper that you and amber had” He smirked “She’ll be good”.
“I guess your right” Dad sighed “I’ll leave her to cool down till morning”.
“Good idea and don’t go in all guns firing okay”.
“Easy said by the guy with no daughters” Dad laughed as Toby walked out of the front door……………………………..
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