Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Not A Hugger?

Noah

Tiffany leaned against the bleachers outside, watching the soccer practice that was taking place further out on the field. Her eyes followed the balls being kicked around, distant chatter and yells sounding from the team. The way she watched; always a focused look as she observed everything, careful analyzation of that which was in front of her as though she were engraving the picture to memory and ensuring not a detail was missed.

I wonder what's going on in that head of hers.

It was interesting, picking at my curiosity-that look she'd get in her eyes. Always watching so carefully.

"Do you play soccer too?"

She turned when my voice sounded from behind her. "What?"

I nodded out at the field where the boys were running through drills. "Charlie-he's always played. Do you?"

She resumed the stance she had before, looking out at the team. "I used to. I stopped playing when I was twelve."

Twelve.

"That's when-when your parents split up. Right?" I was hesitant as I asked, afraid one word would cause her to throw her walls up higher than they already were.

"Yeah." She didn't look at me.

I nodded slowly. "Was that why you stopped playing?"

Stop while you're ahead, Noah.

I knew I was stepping into dangerous territory, trying to learn more about the girl who very obviously wanted to keep everyone far, far away. Asking her these questions, initiating this conversation and prying-I was practically handing her reason to hate her more than she already seemed to.

"Kind of," she answered, seemingly unbothered by my intrusion into finding out who Tiffany really is. "I played with Charlie. Stopped when he left."

It surprised me she was telling me as much as she was-and though I knew it was best to stop before prying too far, I couldn't help wanting to know more, seeing as the opportunity was right in front of me.

"Did you only play because he did?"

Slowly, she glanced at me. Impassive as ever, her eyes distant. Her stare on me was dull but long. She didn't answer until looking back at the field. "It was something we did together. I was on the boys soccer team with him. When I transferred schools after Charlie moved with dad, the new team wasn't as welcoming." She paused for a moment, eyes following a ball being kicked into the neck. She winced when the goalie had caught the soccer ball. "The new team was giving me too much crap and Charlie wasn't there to-" she shrugged.

"To push you to stay on the team?" I offered, hesitantly.

Eyes flickering onto me for only a moment, her expression was straight. "Yeah. That."

I hummed in thought, watching her as she watched the drills being done. "Do you-do you regret quitting?"

She paused for a long moment. If I didn't know her, I would have sworn there was nostalgia lingering in those hazel eyes. "Things would have been different if I hadn't."

That was all she said, a cryptic answer that was hard to decipher. Somehow I knew, her words held more to them-but Tiffany did wonders to make herself appear as though there was nothing more than what was shown on the surface.

"What does that mean?" Stupid question, Noah.

Exhaling sharply, she finally turned to look at me. Her eyes momentarily flicked to my soccer uniform shirt. "Shouldn't you be out on the field?"

Shit. I do.

Glancing at the field, I winced internally. "Oh-yeah. I should be out there. Couch is going to give me extra suicide runs for being late."

It would be worth it, for the few glimmers of Tiffany light had surprisingly been shone on.

Scoffing, she looked away from me.

"What?"

She shrugged disinterestedly. "Golden boy is going to get in trouble."

"What does that mean?" My eyebrows drew together.

Her neck craned to the side, grimacing each time the goalie caught the ball. "I'm calling you a princess, Ace."

"Ace?" Ignoring her calling me a princess, the nickname was far more confusing.

Laughing, Tiffany turned towards me. She patted my arm-in a taunting manner before walking back towards the school.

"What the hell are you doing, Coates!" Coach's booming voice pried my gaze away from Tiffany. "Get your ass on the field!"

A heavy sigh followed Tiffany as she dragged her feet into the kitchen, walking past the group of us towards the refrigerator. "You guys don't have your own homes or something?"

The boys and me sat around the table with boxes of pizza stacked in front of us-a routine evening after long practices.

"Sunshine!" Luke bounced up from his seat and was quick to draw Tiffany into a hug, his arms wrapping around her smaller frame and squeezing tight. "There you are."

"Let go, asshat." Squirming, Tiffany wiggled out from under Luke's hold.

"Not a hugger?"

"No," she grumbled, turning back to the cabinets where she plucked out a box of cereal. The one she bought that day.

"Oh, she is a hugger." Ezra smirked at his cousin, slouching back in his chair with amusement in his eyes.

"Am not."

"Are too. Remember when you would just roll over and-"

Tiffany spun around, her glare on Ezra hard and shooting daggers. With her eyes, telling him to shut the fuck up, for his own good.

He snapped his mouth shut; Ezra and Charlie sharing a quick look with each other.

Pouring her cereal, Tiffany was making her way out of the kitchen when Luke stopped her. "Where are you going?"

"Let the girl have some peace, Luke." Leo rolled his eyes at the boy, stuffing his face with pizza. I think he felt for Tiffany-or more so, understood how pestering Luke could sometimes come off.

She stopped, glancing over her shoulder at the table where we sat. Her eyebrows furrowed. "My room? Do I have to worry that you'll follow me?"

"No, I'll refrain from doing as such." Luke laughed. "But just join us."

Tiffany's eyes squinted like she was having a hard time understanding what Luke had just suggested. "Why would I want to do that?"

"If it helps, the rest of us are more tolerable," Leo piped up, offering a sideways grin.

Tiffany fell into an internal debate, glancing between the group of us. She glanced down at her cereal, as if the bowl itself would give her an answer. Finally, she sighed as she walked over and took an empty seat at the table.

Tiffany silently ate her cereal as the rest of the boys fell into conversation about soccer and upcoming games. Her mind seemed to be astray, hardly noticing anyone was sitting with her.

"Hey," Charlie spoke, looking at his sister. "Have you talked to mom lately?" He asked nonchalantly.

Tiffany lifted her gaze, body tensing momentarily. Her eyes narrowed in her brothers. "Why would I have done that? Have you?"

Charlie spoke with nonchalance, hardly thinking of what he was saying-which massively contradicted Tiffany's expression; jaw clenched, clutching her spoon tight enough for her knuckles to grow even whiter. "Yeah. She wanted to check in. See if you're settling in alright."

Tiffany laughed dryly, shaking her head. Looking down at her cereal, she stirred the spoon around, a bitter little smile playing on her lips. "Ever-concerned mother."

"Tiff-"

"Checking in on me through you instead of directly through me." She slunk back in her seat, still staring at her bowl but dropping the spoon from her hand like her appetite had abruptly vanished.

Ezra looked between the two siblings cautiously, hesitant to cut between. He looked equally concerned, confused, and uncomfortable-as did the other boys.

It was obvious Ezra knew more than he led on.

"When's your next soccer game?" Ezra asked, diverting his gaze towards me and the other boys.

"In a few weeks," I answered. "Against Herbrooke. We might be screwed." I was still watching Tiffany warily. She seems so cold but perhaps, that's only a mask-when really, she's just sad.

"No we won't," Leo scoffed. "We're so much better than them. They stand no chance."

"They're our biggest competition," Charlie sighed. "The odds with them are fifty-fifty. They're good-as much as we don't want to admit it."

"And we are better," Luke retorted firmly. ""They didn't beat us last time. They won't this time either. We're working far harder than last years-thanks to captain." Rolling his eyes-at me, Luke chucked a water bottle at me which I easily caught.

I returned an eye-roll. "I only changed some of the drills."

"Changed?" He snickered. "You doubled the suicide count and make us do three times the drills we did last year."

"Work harder to get better-and the harder we work, the harder we play."

"Wise words from cap," Kai laughed. "This is why you're the boss."

Tiffany lifted her gaze, eyes narrowing on me. "You're captain?" She laughed. "Not surprised, Ace."

I glanced between my friends-who were all laughing. "What-what's wrong with being captain?"

"Nothing," she shook her head dismissively. "You just-well, you really do live up to your reputation. Total stereotype."

"My reputation?"

"Yeah. Goody-goody Golden Boy." She snickered amusedly. "Keep it up, Ace." Standing up, she brought her bowl to the sink before leaving the kitchen-not bothering another word or glance.

Luke sucked in a sharp breath. "Did that one hurt, Noah?"

"How am I a Golden Boy?" I looked at my friends, eyebrows drawn together. "What the hell does Ace mean?"

"Ace-little miss perfect," Leo laughed deeply, needing a minute to regain his breath. "Ah-she's calling you a goody-goody without actually calling you a goody-goody."

"You all suck." Flipping a finger to the boys, I got up to leave. Their incessant snickering sounded behind me as I left.

"Don't tell me your ego got so bruised by such a minor comment that you're leaving."

As I was slipping on my shoes to head out, Tiffany's ever-amused voice broke the silence from behind me. She leaned against the staircase railing, a little grin livening her face as she watched me getting ready to leave.

"Don't flatter yourself," I mused back. "I still haven't decided whether or not your opinion is relevant just yet." I paused, eyes narrowing. "I have to pick up my younger brother. Do you want to join?"

I surprised myself with my own offer.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You ask that question a lot." I bent down to tie my laces, peering up at the dark-haired girl standing in front of me. "It's called spontaneity, sunshine."

"Spontaneity could get me murdered."

I stood back up. "Or-it could give you an adventure."

"Why would I-"

Rolling my eyes, I cut her off. "I won't take you somewhere to kill you-and yes, you don't know me or my brother so why would you come along-yatta yatta. I presume you could spend all day questioning and arguing or you could just come along for the ride."

She hesitated.

My head tilted to the side as I offered my most darling smile. "What do you say?"

Surprisingly me, Tiffany pushed herself off the banister and walked out the front door without a word. Surprised, but glad nevertheless, I followed after her; taking whatever I was getting.

Clicking her belt shut, she tugged on it-as if checking for defects.

"You alright?"

She looked at me. "Where are we picking your brother up from?"

"His friends house," I told her as I reversed out of the driveway. "He doesn't like driving-which hassles my life but it's just as an older brother must do, right?"

"I wouldn't know," she mumbled quietly, looking out the window at the trees blurring past. "I'm not an older brother."

I couldn't help my smile, looking at her for as long as I could before having to look at the road once more.

"I can feel your smile without looking at you," she rolled her eyes. "Surprised the devil's got some wit?"

My fingers drummed against the steering wheel as I hummed, ever-delighted. "Surprised but also jubilant."

Ignoring my comment, she began fiddling with the radio buttons as she searched for a station to stop on.

Pressing the brakes abruptly, not having noticed the stop sign sooner for I was too distracted looking at her, the car screeched to a sharp halt.

"Jesus, Noah!" Tiffany chocked out, gripping her seat belt. Her face had gone paler.

My eyes widened. I hesitated to reach a hand out-but when I did, she flinched away. "I'm sorry," I sputtered. "I-I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Exhaling slowly, she nodded her head but didn't look at me. "Fine," her voice came out in a wheeze. "I'm fine. I just-" she lifted her gaze. "It's a stop-sign not a stoplight. Are you going to go?"

"You don't like car rides?" I asked, glancing at her for a brief second before looking back at the road.

I felt her gaze on me for a few seconds before she looked out the window again. "Why do you suggest that?"

"You seem on edge and you're never on edge."

"I'm never on edge?"

"No," I scoffed. "Not at all. You always seem unbothered and completely detached-unfazed as ever. Calm even if there's a storm all around."

"I don't seem calm right now?" She asked, almost challengingly. Her eyes narrowed on me.

Halting at another stop-sign-this time properly, my gaze fell from her eyes to her hands; gripping the sides of the leather seat tight enough for her knuckles to turn white. "You look about ready to kiss the ground as soon as the car is in park."

Jaw set, Tiffany stared out the windshield. "It's your driving I'm waiting to get away from."