He Shoots, She scores

Chapter Twenty-Four: Weston | Late Night Talking

Our team lost. A fact that surprises nobody. A fact that makes Coach Evans oddly happy. The drive home is somber. Nobody talks much. I drop Madison and Sage off at the motel and pay for their room, despite the many protests from my sister.

We're all exhausted following the game that we retreat to our respective rooms. I'm sure RJ and Eli pass out the second their heads hit the pillow. As for me, I'm lying wide awake. I know for a fact I won't be getting much sleep tonight. So instead of tossing and turning, I accept my soon-to-be sleep deprivation and head downstairs, towards the one spot where I can think in peace.

I head downstairs and out the sliding patio doors. The fresh air instantly calms my pounding headache. But when I see the soft silhouette in front of me, my heart patters faster than normal. Turns out I'm not the only one wide awake at one in the morning. Gracie, leaning over the balcony, looks over her shoulder and flinches. Her hand flies to her heart. "Geez! You scared me!"

"Sorry." I slide my hands into my pockets. "Couldn't sleep?" I ask.

"Nope." Gracie keeps both hands on the railing while angling her body towards me. I take in her appearance. The wind sways her hair, which I've noticed is still curly, and suddenly my mind is taken back to earlier when I made a comment on it. It was uncharacteristic for me to compliment her, and she knew it too. But I don't regret it. I resist the urge to reach out and touch her hair again. "You?"

"No." I eye her up and down. She's wearing a tank top and pink pajama pants with music notes all over. The golden porch light casts an angelic glow on her. There are goosebumps on her arms. Without thinking, I unzip my sweater and drape it over her shoulders.

Knowing Gracie, she's about to protest, but a breeze cuts our way, and she ends up tugging the sweater tighter around herself. "Thank you."

We both have our elbows on the railing and take in the sights. The view is nothing too pretty, but being out here in the dead of night, I feel invincible. It's why this is my favorite spot. Our arms end up pressed against each other. I don't move away and neither does she. The moon is full tonight. It reminds me how quiet the world can be.

I glance at Gracie through the corner of my eye. "What's on your mind, Lavergne?"

Gracie locks her gaze straight ahead. "Nothing." I elbow her gently, and she blows out air. "Just nervous for my audition tomorrow."

"You'll get the part" I say automatically. And I believe it wholeheartedly.

"You think?"

"I do. And hey, if you end up getting sick, I can be your understudy."

She gives me the side eye. "You know my lines?"

"Please. I've heard it too many times through the walls. I think I have tinnitus now." I tug my ear for emphasis. Now it's her turn to elbow me. I grin.

"Okay, okay. Your turn. What's keeping you up at night? It wasn't the game, was it?"

I rub my jaw. "No." She doesn't press me which I appreciate. After a lengthy pause I let out a long sigh. "I haven't seen my father in ages. I'm going tomorrow to visit him."

"Ah." Another pause. I study the clouds in the distance, mesmerized by how the world continues to revolve while everything else stands still.

I don't expect her to give me advice or consolation, nor do I want her to, but this doesn't stop her from saying, "It doesn't seem like you're too excited about it. I take it you don't want to go?"

I pause for a long moment before I respond. "I don't have a choice." 

"But you do." Her finger begins tracing letters on the railing before us. "Just because he's your father doesn't mean you owe him anything."