Page 36 of The Alternate Captain
I grab our bags from the trunk, and we follow Bettsy inside. I’m a wreck. I can feel my body trembling. Is she here? What will I say? What will she say? What if...
“Mam and Kelly have gone to see Stacey. Something about wedding planning or whatever.” We follow Bettsy into the kitchen where he stops at the fridge to grab a few beers.
“Who’s getting married?” Ffordey asks, saving me the job.
“Stacey. The guy she’s seeing is a dick though. I can’t even believe Dad said she could marry the guy.”
“It’s not the nineteen hundreds, dude. I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing anymore,” I say.
“I think it’s proper. I guess I’m a traditional guy.”
Ffordey almost chokes on his beer. “Traditional? You? You realise back in the day, most people didn’t have sex before marriage.”
Bettsy rolls his eyes. “I’m just saying. The guy is a prick.”
“Who’s a prick?” Bettsy’s dad, Tony, steps into the kitchen from the patio. He’s wearing an apron that says ‘Prick with a fork’ which coaxes a snicker from me and Ffordey.
“Who do you think?” Bettsy says.
“Ah,” Tony says.
“See. Say no more.”
“I hope you boys like steak,” Tony says, rummaging in the fridge. He pulls out a tray of meat and gestures for us to follow him outside.
We gather around the barbecue, chatting about the upcoming season and Bettsy’s incident. Once Tony serves the food, our conversation flows so smoothly that I completely forget about my concerns for Kelly.
I’m relaxed. Until a distant car door slams, followed by the front door opening and closing, accompanied by a musical call, signifying someone’s return.
Shit.
Bettsy’s mom, Judith, appears at the patio door, waving at us before asking if we’re good for drinks.
“How was it?” Tony calls.
“Don’t ask.” Judith waves her hand dismissively, disappearing back into the kitchen. There’s a clattering of kitchenware, then she returns, carrying a tray of fresh drinks into the yard. “But that aside, Kelly had an email when we were driving home, Tony. It’s not good news.”
“What email?” Tony asks, wrinkling his brow.
“Kelly, love. The music college emailed to say she didn’t get a spot. She’s upset, as you can imagine. I’m going to take her a cuppa now.” Judith disappears again.
Bettsy exhales. “That sucks. I bet she’s gutted.” He pulls his phone out and taps the screen a few times, then holds it to his ear. “Get your arse down here, Kel. Come and have a beer.”
My pulse thunders in my ears and the nerves kick in. Without fully understanding the situation I’m putting myself in, I excuse myself to use the bathroom, hoping I can have a moment alone.
Judith points me towards the washroom, and as I round the corner, I lock eyes with Kelly, who’s making her way down the stairs.
My heart practically falls out of my chest.
She smooths the front of her sundress, and I can see she’s been crying. Her face is red and blotchy, and her eyes, big and green, look puffy.
“Johnny—” She wipes her eyes, stopping at the last step.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Stupid really, because obviously she’s not.
“Yeah,” she says, giving her face another pass with the back of her hand.
