Chapter 12.

"You'll be great out there don't worry." I reassured Blake.

"Thanks, i hope so."

"You will, I promise, now go kick some Ranger butt." I shoved him onto the pitch.

I turned back around and sat back down next to Emma who had come with me to the match.

"So are the rangers any good?" I asked her. "Yeah I mean they're pretty evenly matched like but I think with the new additions our team has, they have a good shot at winning."

"Good, I hope they do."

Just as I said that the whistle blew and the match began.

Chaos erupted on the pitch as people ran in every which way.

To be quite honest I couldn't even really tell which team was which considering how similar their jerseys were. To say i'm not exactly the biggest fan of football, would be an understatement. I hated it and the only reason I was even here was to support Blake.

Looking around the crowd I saw the seats were completely packed. Me and Emma came a half hour early to get a good seat and so were seated right by the pitch in a row of about 15 people.

I noticed that beside us a few feet away was a little boy sitting by himself. He was looking intently at the pitch as though it were a puzzle he couldn't figure out how to solve while subconsciously fiddling with his fingers in front of himself.

Nobody was sitting with him and I wondered who in their right mind would leave a kid this young by themselves. He looked only five or six.

I turned to Emma, "hey I'm gonna go talk to the kid over there, just to see if he's alright. He's sitting there all by himself. I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay sure, i'll just wait here." She waved me off, barely paying me any attention as her full focus was still on the match.

I shuffled along the bench till I was a foot or so away. I didn't want to startle him.

"Hey there." I said trying to use my friendliest tone to not come across as some creepy stalker person.

It took him a few moments to reply before he said, "hi, miss." Aww.

"Oh you don't need to call me miss," I laughed lightly. "I'm Mellie. What's your name?"

Another few seconds passed. "Theodore Johnathan Quinn." He recited as though he'd practiced thousands of times before.

“But you can call me Theo.” He said chirpily.

"Well it's nice to meet you Theo." I smiled over at him but he refused to make eye contact.

"So what are you doing here all by yourself?" I asked. ... "Um...Col said I'm not allowed to talk to strangers." He mumbled under his breath as he looked down at his lap. I noticed that the more he talked the more I picked up a slight American accent.

Col? As in Colby?

"Well... now you know my name and I know yours so I suppose we're not strangers anymore."

He processed this for a few seconds before his mouth curved into a small smile.

"Yea i guess, 'can we be fwiends now?"

"Of course." I laughed. "So Theo, what're you doing sitting here all by yourself then?"

"I'm not here by myself silly, Col’s here, he's my big bwover."

"Oh , well is Col playing?" He looked up from his lap bringing his attention back to the pitch.

"Yea.. he's right there." He pointed out a familiar figure that also currently had the ball. It was indeed Colby.

"Oh i know Colby, he's my friend too." I said in my voice reserved for little kids.

"Rweally?" He asked, surprised.

All of a sudden he looked down, clearly upset as his lower lip trembled.

“I fought I was Col’s only fwiend.”

“Oh sweetie no. Don’t worry, you’re Col’s bestest friend because you're his brother. We can all be friends.”

“I actually live right beside you and your brother, we just moved here." I added.

"Yaay! That meens we can play all the time."

"Sure we can." I assured him with a smile that he still couldn't see as he still hadn't made any eye contact. I wonder why?

The crowd suddenly erupted in a chorus of screams and shouts.

‘Yeaaaaaa!” “Go on laadds!” “Woooo!”

“Look! Look Col got da ball in da net. He did it!” Theo screams as he bounces around full of energy.

“Yeah he did!” I said matching his enthusiasm.

“Theo do you wanna come sit with me and my friend, we can all watch it together?” I asked.

“Otay. But Col say I have to stay cwose so he see me.” “Okay I’ll just bring her here.”

After I returned with Emma and she was introduced to Theo we all sat and watched the match together.

Time flew by and in what felt like minutes the match came to a close. We won!

Colby ended up scoring yet another goal much to Theo’s delight and Blake managed to get a goal in too, making them win 3-1.

Emma darted off to congratulate Carson and Colby headed straight to us.

As I see him come over my heart rate does flips inside my chest as I struggle to regain control back.

“Hey Teo you alright?” He asks Theo first, as he crouches down to his level.

“Yup, look! look! i made a new friend and she our next door neighbour so we can pway all the time!” Theo exclaims pulling on the arm of my jacket unable to contain his excitement.

“Hey, slow down bud.” Col laughs.

“I thought i told you not to talk to strangers when I’m not there.” He scolded. “You’re lucky it was only Mellie and not a bad person.” He looks up at me with a smile, that sends me blushing.

“I sowy Col.” Theo says ashamed.

“It’s okay bud, just be sure not to do it again. Okay?” “Otay Col.”

“Hi Daisy.” He finally says to me.

“Hi.”

“Why were you sitting with Theo anyway?” He asks.

“oh, i just saw him sitting by himself and he looked so young... So I thought I'd just see if he was okay.”

“oh, well thanks.” Col says. “No problem.”

Theo tugs on Col’s arm impatiently. “I'm tired.” he yawns.

“come here bud.” Col lifts Theo into his arms as Theo clung to him like a panda.

“Well we should probably get going now then.” Col sighs.

“No! You can't weave Mewee. She come too!” Theo shouts.

“Bud i’m sure Mellie has to do other things she can't come.”

“Yea she can! can’t you Mewee?” Theo insists.

“Umm...are you just walking home?” I ask. “Yeah, you don't have to come honestly, it's okay.”

“No its okay i can come i'm going that way anyway.” I laugh.

“One minute i just need to go congratulate Blake first.” I said before i ran off to say well done to Blake.

After giving Blake many well done hugs, congratulating him over and over again and telling Emma I no longer needed a lift, I ran back to the patiently waiting Colby now with a sleeping Theo nuzzled in his arms.

“Ready to go?” He whispers.

“Yea, lets go.”