14

Lauren Hart
It was already evening when we came back from the grocery shopping, in an awkward car ride might I add. By the time, Ryan wasn’t tired, in fact, he was enthusiastic than ever and wanted all of us to play soccer. Looking at his interest in the sport, I wished for him to pursue it as his career; only if he wanted.
We were on the front lawn where Ryan stood with the soccer ball in his hands, dividing the rest three of us into a team.
“Ryan, son, I’m tired. Please exclude me from the game. I’ll just sit and watch you all play.” Grandma said as she sat on the cushioned swing chair on the wooden deck.
“Huh! Now, how will I divide the team? We are only three.” Ryan pouted.
As I, who from the start had no interest in playing, proposed, “Ryan, why don’t you play with your uncle, one on one? I’ll too watch you play.”
“No!” He said almost instantly. “You can’t leave. I have to teach you the game as you don’t know how to play it.”
I blushed when I heard someone chuckle who standing at two hands distance from me and before I could react further Ryan jumped to his uncle. “Uncle Sean, do you know how to play soccer?”
“Yes, champ, I know.” He replied with the same enthusiasm as Ryan.
“Then we both must teach Lauren. It’d be fun and she’ll learn quickly.”
Mr. Peterson turned to face me. “You don’t know how to play soccer?”
My insides ruffled and my face heated up. “I…I know.”
“But the kid says otherwise.” He lifted his eyebrows, looking at me in amusement.
“He thinks so… but it doesn’t mean I don’t know,” I replied, not directly to look at him at all.
“I doubt it.” He muttered while shaking his head.
I gritted my teeth. He was doubting my worth and I needed to show him, prove to him that I was not what he thought I was. Whenever someone questions my worth I feel provoked.
“Ryan, give this to me.” I literally snatched the ball from his hands and stood face to face with Mr. Peterson.
“Why not clear the doubt with the game? One on one. You and me?”
“N-” I knew he was going to deny but Ryan didn’t let him do so. “Challenge? Yay! It’d fun to watch.”
Grandma, who was sitting a little farther to butted in by sitting there. “Yes, it’d fun. I want to see who wins. Ryan, come to me, we’ll watch them play.”
Ryan ran to her and I kept my gaze fixed on the one I challenged, who in return was looking at me with challenging eyes. He gritted his teeth and snatched the ball from me. “Fine. Let’s see how much of a player you are.”
“Let’s show you then.” I lifted my chin before walking to the center of the lawn. He followed and placed the ball on the ground. My goal was at my back and his goal was at his back; grandma and Ryan were sitting perpendicular to us so they had a good view of the game.
For a few seconds, we stared at each other challengingly, showing how determined we both were to with the game. Narrowing my eyes, I raised my hand and started, “on the count of one…two…three.”
I had just lifted my foot and in the blink of an eye, the ball was taken away from under my foot. My jaw dropped at his lightning speed move. In utter shock, I ran after him, and before I could catch him, he had already kicked the ball, and there, he did the goal effortlessly.
“Thought you know how to play.” He mocked and I trembled in anger. “You didn’t even give me a chance to react, to make a move” I retorted.
“Well, what’s the meaning of challenge if I give you a chance to make a move? Thought you were smart.” He again mocked.
I was left speechless. Did he mock me twice? The one who spoke occasionally opened his mouth to mock? Wow, Interesting!
But that wasn’t important, the game was. I eyed him before walking past him after the ball and dragged the ball towards his goal with him running after me. As he was just behind me, I thought it would be hard for me to reach the goal so, after doing a quick mental calculation I kicked the ball, taking the risk. Surprisingly, the ball crossed the line, marking my first goal.
I squealed and jumped in excitement. “Goal!” The cheering of my two supporters filled me with confidence.
“You are shouting like you’ve won the game. Don’t forget it’s just your one goal.” My opponent grumbled but I didn’t care as I was busy celebrating my goal.
After ten minutes, I found myself gasping, panting, and drained of energy with only one goal in my name. My arrogant opponent had five goals by now. After every goal, he teased me with a sarcastic comment and that annoying smug look.
I glanced at my supporters to find Ryan enjoying the game and grandma busy talking with someone over the phone call.
I was losing and I knew I couldn’t win as he was a pro player but I couldn’t lose brutally. I had to at least achieve three goals against him. And to do so, only one option came to my mind. Cheating.
Yes, that’s what I was gonna do to win. If I could manage to drop him on the ground then only I’d be able to do at least one goal. With that idea in my mind, I ran after him, he was dragging the ball to my goal. He was about to kick the ball but before he could do that I raised my right foot to tangle against his from behind but as if he had sensed my trick, he jumped aside which made my foot to fall on the ball, making it slip from under my foot which twisted my leg and I fell on the ground.
“Ouch!” I cried in pain as I held my ankle with my hands.
“You were trying to cheat.” Instead of giving a helping hand, he threw an accusing remark.
“I wasn’t! I was just trying to take the ball from you.” I whimpered.
“You clearly were cheating. I sensed it.” He pointed an accusing finger at me. At this particular moment, I mentally threw every colorful profanity I knew at him.
“Lauren.” Ryan came running to me. “Are you hurt?” He asked as he touched my ankle.
“Yes, buddy, I am.” I whimpered. My face twisted in pain.
“Oh, goodness, Lauren.” Grandma too came running to me. I tried to stand up with the support of my hands but failed and landed on my butt. I moaned in pain again.
Grandma, who was worried for me, threw a disbelieving glance at Mr. Peterson and snapped. “Sean, what are you doing standing there? How you be so mannerless? Help her get into the house. Come on, pick her up.”
My twisted face straightened and my eyes turned wide.
What? No!
Sean Peterson
What? Why me?
I gave grandma a puzzled look. Grandma accused me of having no manners but she failed to accuse this crazy woman, of trying to cheat. I wanted to argue but when grandma heard a loud cry from the overdramatic woman, she again snapped.
“Sean! Pick her up now!”
Groaning, I kneeled and face her. “You better not be heavy.” I gritted my teeth and slipped one of my hands under her knees and supported the other at the back of her neck and lifted her up. “God, you are heavy,” I grumbled lowly. She wasn’t heavy even a bit but I had to rub it in her face for putting me in this situation. She scowled but I didn’t pay heed to her and marched inside the house and brutally dumped her on the couch.
“Ow, be careful.” She moaned. Ryan was quick to settle beside her on the couch and hugged her. “You’ll be alright, Lauren. Grandma says hugs treats the pain.” He exclaimed loudly.
“Aww, buddy, you are so sweet, unlike others who don’t know how to show care.” She narrowed her eyes at me. The audacity!
“Well, you should have thought of it before cheating.” I snapped, glaring at her.
“This is not the time to fight like kids.” Grandma came after us. “Sean, go and bring ointment.”
I again wanted to argue but knowing grandma, she would skin me alive if I don’t listen to her. So, I went into my room and brought the first aid box and passed it to grandma.
“Why are you giving this to me? Apply the ointment on her ankle.” She muttered, giving me a disapproving look.
Sighing, I knelt in front of her and held her ankle to examine it. “Ow, it hurts” She winced.
“Don’t be overdramatic. Stay still.” I glared up at her. I rolled my eyes when grandma and Ryan began consoling her by rubbing her arms. Shaking my head in annoyance, I examined her ankle. It was struck at one side and if I twist it the other side it would surely give her relief. With that thought in my mind, without informing her I twisted her ankle.
“Aaaaaaaa!”
“Aaaaaaa!”
“Aaaaaaa!”
I couldn’t help but cover my ears with my hands when three of them screamed loudly. “What the heck is wrong with you all. Grandma, Ryan, why are you two screaming?” I shouted as I stood up abruptly.
“Because she screamed.” Both of them replied in unison, pointed their fingers at her.
This woman! She herself was crazy and now had turned my family into maniacs too. Great! Just Great!
“God, you should have at least warned me!” She cried.
“If I had informed you then you wouldn’t let me do it.” I snapped and again knelt to apply ointment on her ankle. I then wrapped a crepe bandage. “Don’t apply pressure on this foot. You’ll be fine by next morning.” I said and stood up.
“You’ll be fine, Lauren,” Ryan assured her by patting her arm.
“Ryan, go and bring water for Lauren from the kitchen.” Ryan did what grandma said, he ran into the kitchen to bring water.
“You’ll be fine, Lauren. This isn’t much.” Grandma consoled her. Ryan came back with a water bottle and a glass and passed it over to her. I passed a pain reliever tablet to her which she gulped with water.
“You should rest in your room now,” Grandma said to her then looked at me. “Sean, help her reach the room.”
What?! Not again!
I knew I couldn’t pull myself out of the situation so, scowling, I nodded my head in agreement and this time I gently lifted her in my arms. Hesitantly, she circled her hands around my neck for support. I turned and sauntered towards the stairs.
Knowingly or unknowingly, my eyes landed on her face. Her eyes were tightly shut as if she was gaining strength to endure pain. Though pain-stricken, her facial features caught my attention. I couldn’t help but gaze at her beautiful face. Yes, she’s beautiful, without any doubt.
I had failed to notice her features before, but now, I couldn’t avert my eyes. Her attractive features had held me captive. My eyes traveled from her closed eye to her pointed nose then to her pink lips. My eyes lingered at her lips for too long. She had her lower lip under her teeth. Tempting. The sight was tempting to me. My lips dried when she released her lip from under her teeth and licked them. I licked mine too in anticipation. The anticipation of tasting those luscious lips.
She still had her eyes closed and I didn’t know when I reached upstairs and kicked open her room. I wondered how I managed to travel up without stumbling on the stairs when my eyes were trained on her face all the time. I moved to her bed and slowly bent down to put her on the bed.
I had just placed her on the bed when suddenly my focus from her face faltered as she groaned in pain while rubbing the left side of her head.
“Ouch. Mr. Peterson, I don’t think you’ll let me leave this house in one piece.”
Shit! I had mistakenly banged her head on the headboard. Almost quickly, I sat on the bed beside her turning her face towards the right I rubbed her head. “I…I didn’t notice. I…does it hurt bad?” I couldn’t but ask in worry.
“Yes, it does. I shouldn’t have played the game with you. I shouldn’t have agreed to help you. I shouldn’t have come to live at your house. It’s all your fault.” She rambled in pain.
I hadn’t stopped rubbing her head with my palm and now I applied a little more pressure. In all the hurry to give her relief, I failed to notice that our faces were close…too close.
My hand stopped on its own when my focus again shifted to her lips which were just inches apart. The forgotten anticipation came flying back to me. I again flicked my eyes back to her eyes; she was scowling and still hadn’t noticed our closeness.
I didn’t know what came to me and I slipped my hand from her head to her cheek and caressed it with my thumb. She still was unaware, rubbing her head. Her eyelashes were lowered.
“I know you don’t care for me. I know I’m nothing but an employee to you but that doesn’t mean you’ll hurt me intentionally. You are cruel.”
Her words felt like a punch on my face. She had been thinking that I had hurt her intentionally and I did not care? Well, she was wrong. I did feel bad for her.
I suddenly cupped her face between my palms and raised her head to look at me. When she did, I saw the pain in her eyes.
“I do care,” I whispered. Her eyes turned wide and then I realized what I had said. “For everyone around me; be it my employees, my friends, or my family
I do care.” I added for her not to interpret my words wrongly.
“And…I am sorry. You are hurt because of me.” I sincerely apologized.
Our eye contact didn’t waver until her lips parted and my eyes again flicked to her lips. Her hot breath fanning my lips, increasing my heart rate, and arousing feelings and certain parts of my body. In another second I found my head inching closer to her.
“Lauren. Uncle Sean.”
We both jerked and I quickly pulled away from her, standing on my feet. Ryan ran into the room.
“Why are you shouting buddy?” She asked him quickly.
“Lauren.” He jumped on her bed. “Grandma told me to shout for both of you before entering your room and she has also sent this hot pack for you in case you need it.”
I exhaled in relief and cursed myself for again going close to her, for losing my attention, for losing myself in her eyes and her lips.
Shit! Shit! Shit! I was going insane.
I mentally thanked Ryan for coming over otherwise I would have done something that I’d have regretted. I would have crossed the boundaries.
“You…you take care of your ankle. I’ll be going now.” I didn’t wait for her reply and without looking at her I left the room.