The Big Fish by Madison Henley (best free e reader .TXT) 📕

“Oh, well since you’re sorry.”

She spat back before turning back around and disappearing into the distance. Gabrielle stood outside of Keliah’s classroom staggered. What the fuck had just happened? Meredith wouldn't even talk to her? Gabrielle shifted her eyes to the floor letting two warm tears fall and stain her shirt. How in the world did she get herself here?

***

Keliah sat Georgia’s tea on her desk and tried to muster up a smile but it was a thin one. Her body still coursed with venom as she  didn't know whether to be angry at Georgia, Meredith or both of them.

“Hi there.”

Georgia smiled warmly at Keliah.

“Hi."

Georgia drank her tea with gratitude slowly as she focused her eyesight on Keliah who was gazing back at Georgia. Georgia finished sipping her tea and a complete silence had become thick in the air.

“I was just talking to Meredith about the game against Stanford Friday. You did fantastic.”

Keliah pulled her phone out of her back pocket and pretended to be engaged in a text message rather than Georgia.

"Thanks."

"You're one hell of a player."

"Mmhm."

Keliah finally looked up.

"So that paper that was due. My computer crashed and it didn't autosave. Can I turn it in to you today?"

Georgia furrowed her brow, searching in Keliah's eyes for any sign that she had

Keliah rocked back and forth on her heel and grinned widely.

“You came to my game?”

“I mean, yeah... to see the whole team. Soccer is a very entertaining sport…for me.”

Georgia shook her head and sipped her tea this time out of awkwardness not understanding the shit that had just came out of her mouth. Why couldn’t she have just left it at going to see Keliah play? She had to mess everything up and make Keliah think that she didn’t come just for her when really that’s all she came for.

“Yeah, yeah. Of course… So Meredith tells me you went to Stanford. I didn’t know you played soccer…at all.”

“Well I did. I was a forward my freshman and sophomore year but somehow or another I became a goalkeeper.”

“That’s a huge change. I don’t think I could handle switching my position like that. I think I’m pretty good as a forward right now. “

“Yeah you really are. I watched you and you have great speed and amazing control with the ball. And that goal was beautiful!”

Keliah blushed. It was a fabulous goal. Her defender had made a gorgeous pass up the field and she got her head right on the ball, sending it pass the keeper’s hands. Keliah was extremely happy that Georgia got to witness a little bit of her awesomeness. Maybe she wouldn’t think she was so bad now.

“Thanks. I’m glad you came. That was a good game for all of us.”

Except Meredith.

***

Gabrielle talked with the school’s coach, as she would be in charge of the soccer team’s practice for the next couple of days. She got to the field early so she could set up necessary drills. Gabrielle placed cones in the needed areas, and had a full day of practice planned ahead of her. Soon, the girls showed up on the field, still high off their win from last week. Meredith walked up to the field, with her dark shades on and headphones in her ears nodding to the beat of the current song. She sat her duffle bag down on the bench with the rest and put on her cleats before jogging over to the field where Keliah was doing her stretches.

“She’s staring at you, you know?”

“I know. It’s so awkward. I don’t know what to do.”

“Just see what she has to say. It can’t hurt.”

“Uh, it actually can, Keli. Just because I don’t go around wearing my heart on my sleeves, doesn’t mean I’m not damaged.”

Meredith rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth, remembering all that happened on Friday.

“You know, I can’t believe how I played on Friday’s game. Did you see me?”

“I did…you weren’t that bad, Mer.”

“Keliah, I was so bad. You don’t have to try and make me feel better. I know I sucked ass.”

“Well you can blame Gabrielle for that. You haven’t seen her in two years, the love of your life. I didn’t expect you to necessarily be at the top of your game.”

Meredith shrugged her shoulders not knowing what else to say but agreeing with Keliah before Gabrielle blew her whistle and called everyone in a huddle around her. As she spoke, Meredith’s eyes fell to her feet again but this time she listened. Her voice was raspier than normal and wasn’t so high pitched. She sounded so mature and here was Meredith being a little young college student. Suddenly Meredith felt small and her ego seemed to shrivel. For some reason Meredith’s eyes decided to look up and she immediately made contact with Gabrielle’s icy blues. Fuck. Meredith hadn’t meant to do that, she didn’t even know why she looked up in the first place but she did, and now she was staring at Gabrielle and couldn’t take her eyes off of her. Neither could Gabrielle. After what felt like an eternity when really it was only five seconds, Meredith darted her eyes in another direction. For a nanosecond, Gabrielle had forgotten her trace of thought but with the look at the other girls, she retrieved her memory. Gabrielle demonstrated the drills they were going to do and then said have