Torn Hearts

Chapter 3

I woke up to blaring loud music and the smell of proper breakfast. I could smell pancakes, eggs and bacon.

I pinched myself just to make sure I still wasn’t dreaming, but the giggling sound of Emily and other familiar voices reminded me of my environment.

‘Hey girl!’ Emily screamed from across the room as soon as I walked into the living room. She was sprawled across Derek’s legs and she almost fell over when he turned around to look at me.

‘Hey Grandma,’ he also screamed at me. They were both drunk and he was calling me grandma because I had refused to go clubbing with them the night before. They were out celebrating the end of our final exams after Derek wrote his last paper. We are all officially graduates already. I should have gone clubbing with them but knew it was Friday night and Michael and his friends would be there.

‘Morning Tes,’ Becca said while flipping pancakes. It was her making breakfast. Becca had to be the best morning person I had ever come across. She would show up on campus at 7am with a full face of makeup and a positive attitude when we were all still grumpy and trying to stay awake. She was the mother in our clique. She would come with coffee for everyone while telling us about how productive her morning was. I really wasn’t surprised she wasn’t drunk, she took being responsible very seriously, which made me wonder what exactly she does at the club.

What surprised me was Logan, who was sitting on the counter staring at me with a lustful smirk on his face, wasn't drunk either. I had known Logan for years but the s****l tension between us had always been there, that it had already become an inside joke in our clique, but why was he looking extra hot in those black jeans and no shirt? I don’t remember his chest being that hot and toned. He must have been training shoulders a lot lately, because why do they look so broad?

Logan bobbed his chest at me and said ‘Like what you see?’

I was embarrassed and quickly turned around to hide my nervous blush. I can’t believe I was just drooling over my own friend.

‘Hey Becs, aren’t you a darling?’ I said as I reached for a pancake from her neatly arranged stack.

‘Hey,’ she shouted and glared at me. I jumped and ran straight into Logan’s arms. I didn’t realize he was right behind me. Logan picked me up and placed me on the counter with my arms on those shoulders. I can’t even deny how my stomach jolted when I looked up at him. He’s a lot taller than all of us. At a solid 5’9, I still had to throw my head back to look him in the eyes.

‘Those shorts are riding higher than they used to, those cheeks must be growing,’ he winked.

‘Eww, get off me,’ I said, slightly pushing him away, which was just an excuse to touch his chest and it felt just as hard as it looked. My goodness.

My attempted push didn’t even move him an inch. With his hands still on my waist, he buried his head between my bonnet and shoulder, breathing into my neck. I tilted my head back and heard him whisper in my ear, ‘Your morning breath stinks Tes’.

‘f**k you!’ I held his face and started puffing my breath into it.

‘You two get a room,’ Derek said, waltzing towards the fridge to get a drink, followed closely by Emily, who looked a complete mess with her hair looking like a nest and her mini skirt worn wrongly and her arm out of her mesh crop top exposing the tank top underneath. She still had her boots on and was limping. She climbed onto the cabinet and sat next to me with her head on my shoulder.

As i rubbed her head trying to tame the mess it had morphed into, Logan pulled her boots off.

‘You all might have to take all this mess out of where our food comes from please,’ Becca shouted in her frustrated mother's voice as she dished our breakfasts into plates.

‘Eww, this milk has expired.’ Derek gulped from the fridge and rushed to the sink to throw up.

‘Are you guys coming to the game next Saturday week?’

Logan asked while we were all stuffing our faces with pancakes and eggs. That explains why he wasn't drunk. He always stayed off alcohol whenever he had a game coming up.

‘What game?’ I asked curiously.

We always attended every one of Logan’s games.

‘It’s against the Richmond club. It’s a really big game and the last time I'll be playing for the college team. You all need to be there and watch me beat those asses,’ Logan said, gloating with pride. He was no mid player. We had attended every single match he had played since our sophomore year and I’ve lost count of the number of goals he had scored for the team.

‘Sure,’ I said, matching his excitement.

‘That’s my girl,’ he said, winking.

I rolled my eyes and continued eating, totally ignoring Emily who was glaring at me, knowing Richmond was Michael’s team, but I really didn’t care and I wasn’t going to miss my friend’s big match because of him. It’s been a whole week and he has neither called nor texted. I was lowkey hurt but still didn’t care that much anymore.

‘There was this guy at the club yesterday, he was all over me yesterday,’ Derek said with a very sassy voice. He did that whenever he was talking about a guy and didn’t want us to think he was into them, but we all knew Derek would not bring up a guy if he didn’t like them at least. ‘He mentioned being a Richmond player, so, of course, I’d be there

‘Thank you for giving a f**k about me Derek,’ Logan glared at Derek, who just continued eating with a devilish smirk on his face.

‘We’ve never missed a match, we wouldn’t miss this one,’ Becca said.

‘Yeah, and you’d be wearing my number and cheering in front like a high school girl, OK?’

‘Why do I have to do that?’ I frowned at Logan.

‘Because you owe me for that match you missed in our sophomore...’

‘I had a test,’ I interrupted.

‘...and you’re my girl,’ Logan finished, ignoring me.

‘You wish,’ Becca, Derek, and Emily murmured together.