Celestial

TUESDAY IS THE ONLY DAY OF THE WEEK my mom is home for breakfast.

She wakes up as early as humanly possible and makes a big meal for the family. Though we usually have leftovers since it’s only my mom, dad and I now that my brother Kai is off to college.

She insists we eat together, since every other meal during the week we’re apart. Today she made banana pancakes topped with semi-sweet chocolate chips with a side of strawberries and over easy eggs for my dad.

I can’t explain why he likes to dip his pancakes in the egg yolk.

The dining room smells good, swirls of chocolate and fresh fruit in the air. My phone is placed face down on the table. Mom would kill me if I checked it.

She’s drinking her coffee black with no creamer. I know she hates it. She winces every time she takes a drink, but she’s trying to reduce her calories. Hitting forty has really taken a toll on her health and mindset.

My father doesn’t care too much about his health. When he was younger he was super fit and his side of the family has aging genes that are beyond this world. He’s trying to grow out a beard but being Hawaiian means it’s practically impossible.

They’re making small talk. I know their marriage is falling apart, but I think they’re trying to hold it together for me. It’s not like they fight, it’s more that I rarely even see them talk. Dad’s job is a 24 hour one and my mom spends most her time in the garden.

I can’t blame them though. Kai always said it was bound to happen. When he went off to college he made me promise to let them go their own ways naturally. We’re already prepared for their divorce. I’m a junior now, so they only have to make it work for another year and a half.

The sound of a car horn ripples through the air. It’s six thirty in the morning. Our neighbors aren’t going to be too pleased.

“Elizabeth is here,” my mom presses the mug to her lips. She can’t be. It’s too early.

I look out the window next to our front door, which I can see from the dining room table. My mom is right; her car is parked out front.

“Permission to go?”

“Granted.” My mom smiles, though deep down I know she doesn’t want to be left alone with him.

“Thank you.” I kiss my mom on the forehead and give my dad a hug before scraping what’s left of my dish in the trash and placing it in the sink.

After lacing up my dark grey tennis shoes, I pull open our front door and swing my back pack over my shoulders. Elizabeth is impatiently leaning on her car horn and is waving her hand out the window urgently.

The door slams shut behind me.

Beth has an older car that is slightly chipped and dented, but is perfect for a first car. It’s jet blue and compact and has great mileage. It doesn’t have a CD player and the stereo is absolute garbage, but she has a cassette adaptor that hooks up to her phone via Bluetooth, which totally makes up for it. She is blaring a pop song from the 90’s. That’s a classic Elizabeth move.

I slide into the front seat and throw my bag toward the back of the car.

“Why are you so early?”

Her blonde locks fall past her shoulders and a smile forms on her face reaching from ear to ear. “Because the boys are doing a scrimmage!” Her voice is ecstatic, way too cheery for this early in the morning.

“But it’s like forty degrees outside.” I pull the seat belt across my shoulders and latch it. I can’t imagine the weather being worth the view. Though, I guess having a crush as big as hers calls for a little insanity.

Beth and I haven’t been friends for long. I only met her two years ago when she stumbled into our small town with her hot-shot lawyer mother and elderly grandmother. She’s had a crush on Tate since her first day here.

“Tate is worth it.” I slide my phone out of my pocket. There are eight missed texts from the group chat and one new voicemail from Elizabeth. It’s not worth hearing, I already know what she has to say.

“Isn’t it early for a scrimmage?” It’s only October and the lacrosse season doesn’t start for another three months.

“Apparently they need the practice.” I can’t imagine Tate or Cameron needing it. They were the junior team’s best players last year. Cameron was even the first sophomore co-captain on the junior team because he was that good.

Other than Elizabeth, Cameron is my best friend. I’ve known Cam since we were six years old when he stole and broke my yellow colored crayon. We practically grew up together and he only lives a few streets down from me.

Tate and I aren’t too close, but he is Elizabeth’s ‘soul mate’ and Cameron’s best friend, so I don’t mind his company. He’s incredibly nice and an easy person to talk to. He always has something to say.

When we get to the school, there aren’t many cars parked in the student parking lot.

Yet that doesn’t stop Elizabeth from slamming down on her brakes violently as if she’s going to hit a nonexistent car. My body launches forward and my hands press against the dashboard, the seat belt pulling me back to the seat.

“Elizabeth!” My fingers are laced tightly around the safety bar above my head, my other hand on my chest. My knuckles are paling in color as my grip tightens around the handle bar. My heart is pounding heavily in my chest.

Beth has always been a questionable driver, but its either her or taking the bus and I’d much rather die alongside my friend then be stuck with the freshman in a dingy, smelly school bus.

“There was a squirrel!” It’s a good excuse, though I don’t believe her.

She pulls into one of the front spots and hops out of her car eagerly. I follow suit, leaning against the front of her car as she opens the trunk up to grab her bag. The paint next to her headlight is starting to peel so I pick a piece of the hanging paint off.

“Let’s go,” she ushers me toward the school and whips her back pack across her shoulders.

I groan back, following her as we walk past the front entryway.

The school is one level and small in stature with portables lined up on its side. Instead of the school putting their budget toward standalone classrooms like other schools would, they put it toward grand sport facilities, but that was with good reason.

We live in a small town so there aren’t as many kids here as the surrounding cities. I can probably name everyone in my graduating class.

An ivory banner hangs over the entrance of the building with an emblem of our school’s name, Mountain View High, next to a masked crimson crusader. The hallway stretches all the way to the other end of the building, passing the library and the commons. At the other end of the school is the path that goes down toward the sports fields.

Just like the parking lot, the halls are empty too. I’ve never been this early to school before. Without the swarming bodies of our classmates, we get to the end of the hall in record time and end up outside again.

It feels colder than it did before.

The lacrosse practice field is the first one on the right. The boys are hosting a small scrimmage and not many people are playing. There are only a few standalone silver bleachers at the practice field, which are going to feel cold in the crisp autumn weather.

Elizabeth and I sit at the top of them, our bags at our feet.

Tate waves at Beth, flashing her a cheeky smile. She waves back. I can tell It’s not an intense game because they’re not wearing helmets. Cameron has the ball in the net of his stick, and he whips it to Tate, who catches it on his left side and jets toward the goal.

They boys are geared up in their red practice uniforms and light padding. Tate is now standing in front of the goal in a squat position, his stick laced tightly in his palm. Another teammate launches the ball to the goal, but Tate catches it in his net before it makes a point.

Cameron yells something congratulatory as Tate passes the ball to him and he starts jetting off to the other team’s goal. He runs fast, the stick laying horizontally against the middle of his thighs. The black shorts he’s wearing sways with his movement. Before he gets the chance to throw the ball into the net, someone clashes against him and they tumble to the ground.

Elizabeth nudges me. “I see why they need the practice.”

I nod. Cameron’s goal is to be on varsity this year but if the scrimmage has been this way the whole time, I’m not sure he’ll make it.

The coach is strict on who joins the team. We have to uphold our record. The varsity team hasn’t lost a game in almost two years and we haven’t lost a championship in seven. It’s why the school needed the best facilities possible.

Cameron is still lying on the ground. I can’t tell if he’s in pain from where I’m sitting, but I’m used to lacrosse injuries and didn’t hear anything break, so I’m sure he’s fine.

Tate jogs over to him, lending him a hand as he pulls him off the floor. Cam dusts his hands off on his shorts and gives Tate a high five.

“Thanks man.”

“Wanna go?” Tate points his head toward us.

“Sure,” he waves at the other guys, before telling them it was a good game.

Tate swings an arm around Cam’s shoulder and he winces against the touch. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Just bruised,” he nods. Elizabeth and I rush down the bleachers.

“You guys are early,” Tate notes.

“What can I say? I love lacrosse.”

“There’s no denying that,” Cam smirks and glances at me. We both know it’s the lacrosse player, not the sport itself that she loves. Although Beth isn’t naturally girly, she’s never really had an interest in lacrosse until she met Tate.

“Hey, we need all the good luck we can get,” Tate remarks, patting Cam’s shoulder. Tate’s teeth are especially white against his dark skin.

“Well I can be the best charm out there,” Beth giggles. I roll my eyes. Cheesy girl. Cameron smiles at my reaction. He slides his hand through his dark brown hair which hits just above his shoulders. He’s growing it out and it’s finally past the awkward stage. It looks good on him, really good.