Chapter Text
Early morning jogs were what kept me sane, my therapy. The rhytmic pounding of my feet against the road, the sound of my breathing, no music to distract me from my surroundings or my thoughts. Quite frankly if anyone was the ask me what I thought about on my runs I wouldn't be able to tell them, it just feels like the worries are dealt with and I have a new perspective yet I have no idea how I resolved the problem, and in some cases irritations.
As I come around the corner heading for home I see a moving truck at one of the houses unloading furniture, I didn't even know the previous owners had left. I stop in front of the house I share with a teammate and the owner, I stretch before heading inside, "Did you have a good run?" "Yeah, did you see we have new neighbours?" "I was wondering when someone would move in this place was empty for almost a month" "Seriously?" "Yeah, how could you not notice that, aren't tou supposed to be observant Hope" "I'm observant of people not empty houses" "Eat breakfast so we can go to practice" "I'm eating"
Why the hell did my parents have to move us to Seattle, it's cold and rains most of the time, how the hell am I supposed to improve my soccer when I can't even play in my own back yard? When I look out my window I see someone running past, heading to a house close by, why would you go out when it's drizzeling it could start pouring at any moment, even the people here are crazy. I turn back to my boxes, man this sucks, I'm going to be unpacking all day, why do I have so much stuff, wow I'm actually complaining about all my stuff, this place is getting to me already.
"Kelley, lunch is ready!" "Coming Mom!" I run down the stairs jumping of the last three, "Don't do that you're going to hurt yourself" "Mom I'm fine, where are Jerry and Erin?" "They went with Dad" "Where to?" "The grocery store, we need a few things" "Aren't they eating with us?" "They already ate, you were still busy unpacking in your room when lunch was finished I thought you would have been done by now, but when you didn't come down I had to call you down" "Am I seriously the only one still unpacking?" "Yes, the rest of us have started with other rooms" "I'm sorry I'm almost done, promise." "It's alright, finish eating and get back to work" "Ok Mom" I ate my lunch and went back up to my room.
Practice was brutal, and Carli nearly snapped my wrists in half, or at least it felt like it, but there was no stopping or taking it easy, we were halfway through the season and we had a good chance of qualifying for the semi's if we kept winning. After practice everyone went to the lockers with their group of friends, I walked by myself, lost in thought and most people kept their distance anyway just because...well people think I'm a bitch. And truth be told I am a bitch, the only friend I have is Carli, that's why she's the one living with me nobody else wanted to.
"Carli, how long are you planning on being in the shower?" "Till I'm done" "I swear you use half the towns water to take a shower, hurry up I'm starving" "When aren't you starving?" "When I'm eating" "Smartass" I waited in the locker room for Carli to finish so we could go home and make dinner, it was my turn this week and I was looking forward to the chilli I had been preparing. "I'm done we can go now" "Finally, my stomach was starting to devour itself" "Stop exaggerating" "Just move your butt" we walked out to the car in silence "Are you ok" "Yeah sure why wouldn't I be" I said sarcastically "You'll get your chance to start, you're too good to just sit on the bench"
"Really them why is it the place I have found myself all season, you do realise that right?" "Yeah, but Scurry is like the number one goalkeeper in the country, and you're a rookie" "I know that, but giving me a few minutes in a match at the beginning of the season would have been great, now I have no chance of getting on the field" "It's not that bad" "Says the person that has actually played on the field during a match" "You never know you could maybe get to play" "You and I both know that's not going to happen"
The drive home was quiet, just listening to the radio, when we crossed under a bridge there were three homeless people huddled under it trying to stay out of the rain. My heart dropped and it felt like I was going to be sick, the whole drive I kept wondering,'Was one of those men my Father?' nobody knew he was homeless not even Carli. I was contemplating going back later to see if they were srill there and maybe bring him some food, if he was there.
I was outside juggeling the ball with my feet, there didn't seem to be any other kids in this neighbourhood, or maybe they were just out enjoying their summer, with their friends, somewhere away from the rain. I was juggeling in the garage because surprise surprise it was raining, not heavily, but still raining, man this place sucks. A car drove by with two women inside, they stopped at a house down the road, when they got out, the darker haired woman looked in my direction, before going into the house.
I went inside and helped my parents with some unpacking, Jerry and Erin were watching some TV, "How about I go start dinner Mom?" "That would be great, thank you" "Jerry! Erin! Move your butts and come help me" "With what!" "We're making dinner" Jerry came sprinting down the hall, "Can we make pizza?" "Yeah I guess, where is Erin?" "She went to the bathroom" "Ok, you start with the cheese and I'll make the dough when Erin gets here she'll make the sauce hers always taste the best" "Yeah!, today is awesome, I love this place!" "Seriously?" "Yeah, I mean look around you, it's so green, I'm not dying from the heat for once, there are barely any insects and best of all the beach!"
I made my chilli and discreetly put some away to take out later, I had to go back, I had to find out if he was still here, he wasn't in his usual spot I went there the first day I got here, now I had no idea where he was. "Damn Hope this chilli is good, I think you need to cook it more often" "Uhm thanks" "So what are we doing tonight?" "I was actually thinking of going for a drive" "Can I join you? It'll give me a chance to see the place" "Uhm I was kinda hoping to go alone, do some thinking" "Oh ok sure". I finished my food and made a quick stop at the kitchen to get the food I put away before driving off.
After dinner I was up in my room, the view was pretty nice actually with the lights from the city glistening in the distance, it was nice and quiet too until a car drove by with a blistering speed. Wow wonder what's happening there, looks like the car from up the road, but it's hard to say. Unpacking was pretty exhausting too, and there was still so much left to be done. I think I should go for a run tomorrow, get some sort of routine going, maybe explore a little bit, hopefully it won't be raining.
I went back to the bridge stopping beside the road before getting out, I looked around trying to see if they were still here, I couldn't see anyone so I started walking back to the car, when out of nowhere someone stands up out of the grass. I nearly had a heart attack, he was obviously homeless and he smelled pretty bad too "Uhm hi, do you uh maybe know a Jeffrey Solo?" "Now why would a nice looking girl like you be looking for that bum?" "That's my business" "That's fair enough I guess, I'm just a nobody" it made me feel a little bad for him "He...he's my father, ok" "Why didn't you say so, Jeffrey's usually down by the docks, I can show you where if you like" I was a bit aprehensive but for some reason I just had to find him.
"Ok sure, get on in" we got into the car "So where to?" "Last I heard he was down at Affinity Marina" "You sure?" "I don't know if he is still there, but he used to be there" "Ok" so here I was driving down to Affinity Marina looking for my father with a complete stranger in the car, what the hell is wrong with me? When we got there he took me over to where there was a fire, "Stay here ok? There are some shady people here" I could feel my heartbeat increase and I just nodded. He greeted a few people and stood around talking to them for a while.
When he came back I could see on his face he didn't have good news "They say he hasn't been here for a couple of weeks now, and they don't seem to know where he is now" "Oh ok, thanks for trying....uh, I'm sorry I don't even know your name" "The names Charlie, and yours" "Hope, my names Hope" "Well isn't that just a perfect name" "I wouldn't really say that, but thanks Charlie I appreciate you trying" "Don't give up now, you'll find him" I gave him a ruefull smile "Thanks Charlie".
When I got in the car I saw the food I bought I rolled down the window stuck my head out and yelled "Hey Charlie, do you need a ride back?" and I motioned him over, he came to me and said "No need, I'm going to stay here by the fire, but thanks" "Are you hungry?" "I'm homeless what do you think?" "Here I bought some food with me just in case, you can have it" "That's very kind of you". He quickly devoured the food and I felt bad for bringing so little when there was still so much left over at home. "You can come and see me anytime you want, amd feel free to bring more food" I smiled "I'll be seeing you around Charlie"