Dim-sighted

  – Let’s go listen to the next concert, babe – Terrence took Aly’s arm and looked at Briar, “burn” he mouthed

  Briar blinked a tear and decided to go to her room because it looked like Aly needed space since she seemed to be more sensitive than the usual when it comes to Bastian Turner.

  20

  Aly walked out of her room with Terrence’s helping hand as he led her to the kitchen.

  – Morning – she said forcefully as she took a seat next to Briar

  – Morning – Briar replied as she saw Aly taking the insulated vacuum to give it a sip and it was when she noticed what her sister had in her left hand –. Aly

  – What – she gave a short and forced reply

  – I know you’re mad at me and keep the cold shoulder if you don’t want to talk to me at all but you won’t get out of this place with that white cane

  – I don’t need your help – Aly roared, mom, dad, and even Terrence were taken aback by that answer and waited for Briar’s reaction silently

  – I know you don’t – she sighed trying to remain calm and wiping a tear with her thumb –. But we agreed that I was going to take care of you in school

  – Terrence will take care of me, won’t you bro?

  – I’d love to but I can’t babe, I’ll go back to school soon, remember? I need to get my supplies – he elaborated a white lie and she groaned

  – Fine – she took the vacuum as she stood up carefully leaving the folded white cane in the kitchen counter

  – Thanks for that – Briar said to Terrence as dad helped Aly to get in the car, knowing how much he hated to tell lies to Aly

  – I’m against that thing too but you better fix the situation, it is way too awkward

  – Agree – she sighed –. Later – she hopped in

  – Dad – Aly called when they were about to park in front of the school

  – Yes, darling?

  – Can I go out with a friend on Saturday? – She uttered innocently making herself forget the audio recording and if she could get away from Briar, better

  Briar pursed her lips as she clenched her hands in fists.

  – A friend? – Dad arched an eyebrow at Briar’s reaction through the rear mirror

  – Yea, he’s a kind guy

  – Sure, as long as Briar joins with… – he tried to remember, but couldn’t –. What were the names of the guys that went to the party?

  – Finn and Jesse – the twin sisters answered at the unison

  – Yea, as long as Briar join with Finn or Jesse – he completed

  – No problem – Aly shrugged regretting the second that question rolled out of her mouth as she cursed deep inside her

  Briar gave her dad thumbs up, luckily for her, their dad still thought they were too young to go out with guys alone.

  Now the entire school was talking about Bastian’s try-outs and their lack of action, it got to the ears of a certain lacrosse player.

  – Anthony will kill you, do you know that? – Tobias wanted his friend to understand the consequence of his action

  – He can’t touch me, the coach will take my replacement in during the lunch break and I’ve got a plan

  – What type of plan?

  – You’ll see, mate – he saw Aly walking past him on the way to the classroom –. But let’s just say that I have to clear things up

  * * *

  Bastian and the four selected guys met the coach in the field.

  Their defender skills were tested once again so the guy worthy of taking the place could be chosen.

  Luckily for Anthony and the bullies, Gregory Wood, a chocolate brown-eyed, muscular and tall fella from year 11 was set to be part of the team.

  The coach, apparently excited with his new acquisition, announced the presentation in the practice session.

  After the meeting with the lacrosse coach, Bastian ran to the principal's office and no one saw him the rest of the break.

  Out of nowhere; he walked in the classroom fifteen minutes late, interrupting the teacher's explanation, but with a justification signed by the principal himself. The teacher took the paper her student handed obliged and examined it.

  – Take your seat, Turner

  – Yes miss

  – Where were you? – Tobias whispered

  – With the principal – Bastian replied the same way

  – Doing what?

  – Part of the plan, can't tell you yet

  – But…

  – Shut the hell up, mate! She'll kick me out

  ***

  At the end of the last class, Tobias took his friend's arm before he could leave.

  – Now explain it all to me!

  – Later, I have to find Aly! – He ran out leaving Tobias standing there

  "He will never give up, will he?" Tobias sighed as he shook his head and walked to his locker in order to take his backpack so he could be on time for the practice of lacrosse.

  As he was walking to the classroom after the break, his phone vibrated with a text from the coach in their text messaging group, he typed something about an announcement. And Tobias had to admit he was pretty curious.

  Bastian ran towards the entrance to find the twins along with Finn in the sidewalk.

  – Hey Aly, can I talk to you?

  – Sure – she said and took a step forward but felt her sister didn't let her arm go –. Will you let me speak to him or you'll just keep my heart in a steel box forever? – She whispered but the guys could hear anyways, Bastian look questioningly at Finn, who just shrugged

  – I won't take long – he assured and saw how Briar loosened her grip –. Come, Aly – he entwined their fingers as they walked a little

  – So what's up?

  – Could you get the permission for Saturday?

  – Yea, I asked when dad was driving here but… – she broke off and shook her head

  – What happened? – He looked down at her amber eyes as he caressed her hand with his thumb

  – He said that Briar had to join the fun with Finn or Jesse – she sighed heavily

  "Are you kidding me, again? Then the protective extinct must run in the family" he thought as he rolled his eyes

  – Doesn't matter, we can figure something out – he tried to soothe since she didn't look so excited because of that condition

  – Like hiding and running?

  – Yea, we can do that – he smiled lightly and followed the impulse of running his knuckles across her cheek in the right side of her pretty face, Aly smiled at his touch and put her hand in his leaning in his touch –. I'm terribly sorry about what you heard from Finn, I swear I wasn't going to do that

  – At the moment it did hurt but then I heard about the try-outs

  – My replacement is injured so I couldn’t leave the team and trust me when I say that I tried several times, I had to find somebody with a bully face that can play for me and Anthony will have to accept that I'm out, of the team and of his school ruling chain

  – I believe you, I…

  – Raven! – Terrence called and Bastian jumped lightly

  – Do you want me to take you to the car or…

  – Let's go, Aly – Bastian turned and Briar was next to him

  "Or not," he thought

  – I'll explain it all tomorrow okay? – He kissed her cheek

  – You don't have to

  – But still

  – Okay, we talk tomorrow – she nodded and he took a step back so Briar could take Aly's arm

  He stood there watching the girls get in and then Terrence driving away, then he looked around and saw Tobias, Jesse, and all the others missing.

  As he didn't take the car, he made his way to his house and couldn't help but smile because of what was going to happen in the field.

  21

  The practice was about to begin and again, Bastian wasn't there which was strange because the bruises in his face were healing and Terrence didn't hurt him so badly.

  Tobi
as looked around and saw Jesse, thinking that he might know something, he walked to his teammate.

  – Hey

  – What's up?

  – Heard about the try-outs Bastian was making?

  – Oh yea, I saw the post

  – It seems that he really wants to get out this time – Tobias testified and Jesse nodded

  The coach presented Gregory, and it surprised all the team when they heard he was the new midfielder.

  Bastian was trying to send a message. Anthony understood and didn't like it one bit.

  ***

  The team was practicing with the new acquisition, even if there was a spare midfielder missing, the coach taught them well on how to rotate and play different positions.

  The principal's visit snapped them out when he showed up on the field walking straight to the coach.

  – If I call your names, you have to come with me – the principal said and lowered his gaze to the piece of paper he took out of his dress pants pocket –. Tobias Cross, Anthony Milner, Felix Milner, Dalton McConnell, Newton Stone, and Robert Sparks

  The mentioned guys followed the principal to the office.

  Jesse didn't know if he had to feel proud of himself or discouraged because the principal didn't call him.

  Those guys were bullies and players and that wasn't good and he didn't want to be like them but still, they had good grades, they may have won a sports scholarship for college, you never know.

  That day, the practice ended 15 minutes earlier because the coach didn't know what to do with four players.

  22

  Jesse sat down in the stairs in front of Tobias' locker wanting to talk to him as soon as he stopped to take his books.

  He was sitting down with his phone in his hands waiting for his teammate to get there.

  When Tobias finally opened his locker, Jesse ran to him.

  – What happened yesterday, mate?

  – Bastian really did it this time

  – Why do you say that?

  – Well, the principal didn't say it but I know it was him, the rat had to be somebody from the team

  – I don't understand

  – We walked in the office and he said that he was aware of our damages to school property, you know, the broken sink and the mirrors and the food fights in the cafeteria and that time when we scratched professor Green's car on purpose and our bullying to the year 8 guys, he literally had a list of the people we punched, dunk in the toilet and locked in the lockers – he closed the locker and gestured his friend to start walking to the classroom –. Then our parents came along with a judge and long story short we were condemned to community service after school until our second year of uni

  – No shit

  – No shitting – he shook his head then he saw coming Finn along with the twins –. Talk to you later, mate

  – Yea – Jesse nodded and walked straight to the twins

  – Hey – he took a seat next to Finn and decided to wait until the recess to tell Aly all about it

  ***

  The class ended and Briar wanted to go to her locker in order to have the laptop and keyboard in the backpack only, Aly turned around and grabbed Finn's wrist.

  – Briar, could you give me my lunch so they can take me to the bench? I'm starving

  – Sure – she replied resigned to the fact Aly didn't want to be close to her at that moment and then handed her the vacuum bottle and a turkey panini in a paper bag

  – We'll see you there, Bree – Jesse frowned and patted her shoulder lightly

  Finn took Aly's arm and led her to his locker.

  – I'm just going to take somethings okay? I won't take long – he said as he lowered his hand and made sure she wouldn't intrude other people's way

  – Sure, go ahead – she nodded and he opened the door carefully watching it doesn't hit anybody in the face

  – What's the matter with Briar? – he said as he opened his backpack zipper to take out the books of the first three lessons and then put them inside and then he saw his schedule to throw the other three books in his backpack

  – I want her to let me be, you know? She's too overprotective, it's like she wanted to keep me in a cage – she uttered as he took her hand again –. I need to make mistakes and instead, she pushes people away

  – Is this because of Bastian?

  – Bastian and everyone else, you know? I would have liked to know if he was really going to do what Anthony said, I'm not afraid of getting hurt

  – Well – Finn looked down, not knowing what to say –. If you want I can help you talk to her so she can understand what you want

  – That’d be wonderful – Aly considered his relationship to her sister and nodded –. Thanks, Finn

  – No problem – he didn’t want to begin the brainstorm on how the hell to do it because he loved Briar and didn’t want her to get mad at him if he tried to get in her business –. The bench is here, let me take your lunch – he took the bottle and the paper bag of her hand carefully to place them on the bench –. Now move two steps to your right

  – Alright – she took seat carefully with Finn’s help

  – Here – he handed her the turkey sandwich –. The bottle is here on your left – he took her hand so she could touch the bottle

  – Thanks – she unwrapped and bit the bread

  Bastian walked out of the cafeteria with his lunch.

  – How could you do it, I thought you were my friend! – Tobias exclaimed before Bastian could walk out of the building, Bastian turned around scared for a second

  – Oh, it’s just you – he waved off relaxed because it wasn’t Anthony –. Don’t be so dramatic and I’m sorry if you were implied but you see – he took a deep breathtaking air to tell him all about his reason –. When Anthony attacked my face he said “You belong to me until prom” when I tried to stay away from his mafia and he was told it was because of Aly and you know me, I wasn’t about to let him tell me what to do, absolutely not, even less with my motive

  – I don’t understand, I really don’t, why you seem to fancy Aly so damn much? – Tobias begged for answers

  – Because she’s the strongest person I’ve ever known! – He wanted to shout to see if Tobias could understand it with that explanation –. She lost her normal sight before she even turned a year but tells Briar to do her makeup every day so her eyes can look even more beautiful even though she can’t really see herself in a mirror, because she never looks down and no matter what happened to her, she smiles and is so warm and optimistic – he finished and still, Tobias seemed speechless –. I wasn’t joking when I told you that I’ve changed – he sighed –. Forgive me, mate

  He walked on the grass and saw Briar, Jesse, Finn, and Aly respectively sitting on the bench.

  – Tobias told me that a guy from the band of bullies went with the principal and told him everything they’ve done – Jesse saw Bastian coming and looked at Finn to nod at him discreetly

  – Do you know something about it, mate?

  – Yes, I was the rat – he shrugged and Briar looked at him dumbfounded

  – What did you just say? – She questioned to make sure she heard right

  – I went to talk to the principal right after the coach selected Greg

  – Why?

  – I wanted Anthony to leave me alone for once and for all, he punched me in the face for wanting to leave pacifically, I had to do something!

  – And what happened afterwards?

  – Their parents came and a judge condemned them to community service – Jesse reported

  – And if they mess with me once more, the punishment will get bigger – Bastian completed

  – Why you didn’t get a punishment as well? I mean, you did those things too

  – The principal had mercy on me because I went by my own feet to talk to him and confessed, I think – he shrugged –.So Aly, are you ready for Saturday?

  23

  Finn had to be Briar’s date once more since
Jesse had a lacrosse practice to attend. It’s not that Finn bothered to have time alone with the girl he fancied.

  The quartet agreed to meet in the Brighton house, Bastian decided to pick Finn up near his house in order to make it quicker, since he couldn’t really wait to get rid of Briar.

  – Ready for this, Finn?

  – Not quite

  – Why, are you having second thoughts about Briar? I can’t blame you, she’s kind of a psychopath

  – No, actually I want to ask her to be my girlfriend tonight, that’s why I’m a bit nervous

  – Sorry about that comment – Bastian’s eyes went wide –. Oh and congratulations in advance, I’m sure she’ll say yes

  – I hope so – Finn thought whether or not to tell him about what Aly said on her reason to be mad at her sister –. So you and Aly, huh? – He tried instead

  – I’m trying to be worthy, you know? A chance is what I want the most

  – I’m sure she realise that, leaving Anthony’s band was a big step but the fact you got yourself in all that trouble choosing another guy that played in your position and then going to speak with the principal makes me think this isn’t just for Aly