Ty lay in bed, curled on his side. The cool morning air from the open window washed over his bruised cheek. Devon hadn't come home last night; Ty's cheek burned with the memory of their fight. He waited until the twins rushed off to breakfast before getting out of bed.
Ty retrieved a deflated football from under his bed. He'd learned young that a normal piggy bank wouldn't cut it, nor would any usual hiding place. So, a hole carved into the side of a football, the lid easily replaced, was his best bet. Though his stash hadn't been pilfered, he was still disappointed after opening it.
The odd notes and loose change might've added up to twenty bucks if he was lucky. He didn't know why he was expecting more—when was the last time he'd got an allowance for doing his chores?
He should've gone out and mowed other people's lawns over the summer. Or followed in Meg's footsteps and tutored other kids or did their homework. He could've, but all of that would've been a distraction from football, and it's not like there'd been anything he'd wanted to buy.
After showering and changing into some baggy black cargo pants—hand-me-downs from Devon—and his "new" jersey, he stuffed his cash into his pocket then ventured out into the hall.
Checking through the house, he saw the twins out in the front yard, Meg playing with them. Vicky and Precious could've been sleeping in, and there wasn't any sign of anyone else … except Father, who was still in his chair, snores reverberating through the house.
He looked like he hadn't even moved since the day before. More empty bottles were strewn around his chair, one held loose in his grip. But signs of life weren't the only things Ty had looked for on his quick search through the house. He'd also been looking for Father's wallet, though the place he found it was in Father's bulging pocket.
Ty didn't consider himself a thief, even as he contemplated what he was about to do. It wasn't stealing; a normal father would gladly buy their boy a suit. Besides, he deserved an allowance, so if his parents wouldn't give him one, he'd take it.
Everyone broke the rules a little. EVERYONE. It wasn't different from a CB getting in an extra bump or a little tug of the jersey where the officials couldn't see. Receivers did it too, little whacks and pulls where no-one but them and the CB could see.
Ty slunk forward, crouching low. In and out, nice and easy. Slow was smooth, and smooth was fast. It was like getting your hand between a Receiver's, plucking the ball right from their grasp. If you did it without contact, it was perfect. Ty had a lot of practice in that regard, so picking someone's pocket should be easy.
He reached forward, fingers stretching towards Father's pocket. They slipped inside just as a heightened squeal from the yard pierced the walls. Ty froze. Father's snoring hitched … but his eyes remained shut. Ty clenched his jaw tight to stop his teeth from grinding, and delved deeper into the pocket, pinching the wallet.
He retrieved the wallet without a snag. Opening it revealed a fifty-dollar note along with a few smaller bills. Though a Benjamin would've been preferable, Ty wouldn't complain. He slipped the fifty out and stashed it in his own pocket.
Planting the wallet back in Father's pocket was too risky, so he placed it on the floor by the chair, careful not to disrupt any of the bottles there. He left with calm haste, and nothing stopped him as he stepped out of the front door.
Meg looked up; the twins were busy terrorising a butterfly that had made the mistake of fluttering into their yard. 'One of my coaches is picking me up,' Ty said. It was an effort to stand still instead of pacing back and forth as he waited.
Meg looked him up and down—he wasn't wearing his usual workout attire. 'What are you doing today?'
'Training,' Ty said faster than he should've. The lie was obvious, and even he didn't know why he was lying. Going shopping with his coach, for a suit of all things, was a stupid thing to be embarrassed about, even so he couldn't bring himself to admit it. Thankfully, Meg didn't challenge his lie.
'Have fun,' was all she said.
Thankfully, Ty didn't have to wait long, and the twins didn't pester him before the taxi arrived, a minivan pulling up to the curb. As Ty approached, Coach Hoang pulled open the sliding door. 'Morning, Samuels. Get in.'
Ty strode over, looking within. The back of the van was spacious, giving plenty of room for Coach Hoang to manoeuvre about in his wheelchair, and Ty saw a small mechanism by the door that looked like a little elevator platform.
'Good morning, Coach Hoang,' Meg said, waving. The twins stared at the vehicle and the wheelchair-bound man.
'Good morning, Megan.' He smiled at the three. 'Don't worry, I won't hoard your brother for long.'
Only after Ty grunted did Coach Hoang move back and give him room to climb into the van and take his own seat. Coach Hoang settled back and switched his brakes on. Once they were secure, the taxi pulled back into the street, the driver already knowing their next destination.
'Do you ever smile outside of football, Samuels?'
'I will when you get out of that chair … Luke.'
Coach Hoang quirked a brow. 'Excuse me?'
'You heard me. You're not coaching me on anything today.'
Ty was lucky Coach Hoang couldn't get out of his chair; he would've slapped some sense into the boy. As is, Coach Hoang still looked like he was contemplating throwing himself at Ty, but then he sighed and relaxed. 'Fair point, Sam— Ty.' Coach Hoang almost choked on the word. 'We don't have to be formal today, but we shouldn't be disrespectful either. We're friends, aren't we?'
Ty looked as if he'd been slapped. His mouth hung open as he fumbled for a response before settling on: 'You're right. Sorry.'
Luke's expression remained stern. 'What happened to your eye?'
Ty reached up, touching his cheek, flinching at even the gentle contact. 'It's nothing. … Just brothers playing around or something.'
Luke's frown only deepened. 'Looks pretty serious, Sa— Ty. You sure you—'
'I said it was nothing.'
Luke held his hands up and backed down, trusting that if it was something serious, Ty would tell him. Though the ride was dominated by an awkward silence after that. Eventually, they arrived at the mall and got out after Luke paid the fare.
The silence carried over as they entered the mall. Even as the general noise of the other shoppers and pop music filtered through the air, their silence was like a cloud that followed them. Reaching the store and browsing through the selection of suits didn't help matters.
None of them really caught Ty's eye; rather, they blended into one another. But it was the prices that caused him to wince and scowl. Luke watched closely, occasionally offering suggestions, though each time he was shot down. It didn't take long to figure out what Ty's real issue was.
Luke moved closer, looking at the pinstripe navy blue suit Ty was checking out. Looking at the price tag elicited a huff from the boy. 'I'm sorry,' Luke said, leaning in.
Ty tensed, frowning down at him. 'For what?' he said, moving on to another suit.
'We can go someplace else. I know a good thrift store. We should've gone there first. You can find stuff just as good as any of this for a much better price … or, uh, I think they let you rent one even.'
The hairs on the back of Ty's neck prickled. He growled at the price tag in his hand; was nothing under one-hundred dollars in that store? 'It doesn't matter,' he said, roughly swinging the suit back into place. 'I can just wear my normal clothes.'
'Don't be like that, Ty. Look, this is important. Your first impression at that party is going to be important. You know that. You need to stand out. Come on, at least let me show you a better place.'
Ty fists shook as they hung by his side. He couldn't face Luke at that moment. A worker approached, asking if they needed a hand. 'We're fine,' Ty snapped. 'We were just leaving.' He turned and stalked out of the store, leaving Luke to apologise for him and offer an awkward smile before following.
'Thanks, Ty. I promise the stuff in this next place looks just as good. You'll look great.'
Ty didn't stop his teeth grinding then. But as they walked through the mall, Luke pushing ahead to take the lead and show Ty the way, a glimmer in the corner of Ty's eye halted him. He stopped opposite the window front of a jewellery store.
It took Luke a few seconds to realise Ty was no longer following. He wheeled back around. 'Hey, hey. Don't get distracted by these ugly baubles. Come on, you balk at the price of a suit, but you're gonna buy a chain?'
'It's not a distraction, and that's… I'm not an idiot who wastes all their money on jewellery and shit.'
Luke followed Ty's gaze. 'Could've fooled me. You look like you've been hypnotised.'
'Fu— shut up. You said I had to stand out, right, Coach? This is how I stand out.'
Luke opened and shut his mouth, stumped. If that was how Ty was going to stand out, it was his choice to make.
Ty strode towards the jewellers, and Luke followed. What had caught Ty's eye was a display case in the window, framed by a picture. The display read: "Lock down that special someone with a key to their heart" and showed an image of masculine hands linking a necklace around a woman's neck, her head cut off just above her artificially bright smile. The necklace was simple and thin, short too, but the pendant was the part that had captured Ty. It was a small, glittering lock, encrusted with jewels in picture and display alike. Sitting next to it in the velvet-cushioned box was a matching key.
Ty stared down at the necklace for half a minute before he went inside. Luke went with him. Ty quickly found an employee and gestured over to the display. They smiled brightly at him and quickly retrieved one of the key-lock necklaces from the back. Though the price of the glittering pendant was well out of Ty's range.
'Do you have one without any diamonds? Just the silver?' Ty asked.
The employee's grin wavered, and they went off to check. Luke moved closer, frowning at the necklace.
'You know, there are better ways to make it up to a girl than spending all your money on jewellery,' he said. 'Trust me, you don't want a girl whose affection you have to buy.'
'Huh?' Ty looked at Luke like he'd just said the sky was purple.
'Is this about Bella?'
Ty blinked, confusion deepening. 'What? No, this is about me. It's a message, that little padlock. It's a chain to represent me and how I'll lock up anyone and everyone.'
It was Luke's turn to blink with confusion as the two stared at each other. 'Oh.' He didn't know which option was worse. On one hand, relationship troubles were the last thing Ty—and the team—needed, but on the other … 'That is the cheesiest thing I've ever heard.'
'Fuck you. Like gold watches and diamond necklaces aren't cheesy, anyway. It doesn't matter how corny or cheesy you or anyone thinks it is as long as I back my shit up, and I WILL.'
The employee returned, bringing with them a simple plain version of the lock necklace and its key. The price tag was much more manageable, but still sixty dollars. Ty clicked his tongue but forked over the cash. Luke watched the exchange with a furrowed brow and shook his head as they left the store.
Ty slipped the chain on and locked it into place, fiddling with the lock. 'You just spent all your money on that, didn't you?' Luke said.
Ty frowned. 'So what if I did? This'll make me stand out more than any suit could.'
Luke sighed. 'Come on, you still need a suit. Just let me help you with that.'
Ty stopped mid-stride. Luke turned around, frowning at him.
'Don't be stubborn, Samuels. I know better than anyone how it can feel to accept help from others. But just because someone else supports you, doesn't mean you're helpless or lesser.'
Ty's eyes widened. 'I didn't mean to—'
'Of course you didn't, Ty, but that's what it is, isn't it? Not every offer of help comes from a place of pity. When your teammates pick you up after you fall, they're not pitying you, they're supporting you. Now I know you don't always take those hands, but the statement stands. Take mine, Ty.'
Ty shuffled his feet, looking away.
'If it makes you feel any better, think of this as a Christmas present.'
'I can't give you anything,' Ty muttered.
'You don't have to give anything back.' Luke sighed then chuckled. 'But I'd say we're even if you bring me that National trophy.'
Ty smirked and faced Luke again, a confident glint in his dark eyes. He held out a fist. 'Deal.'
They bumped fists, then continued on their way. They had to head out of the mall, but the thrift store wasn't too far away. And as Luke had promised, the quality was practically the same for a much better price, even if the store only offered second-hand options.
Finding something that fit Ty well was a different challenge altogether, but that was always going to be an issue thanks to his skinny frame and long arms. However, they finally decided on a suit and shirt—all black, no tie.
Luke paid for most of it, though Ty chipped in the rest of his cash. The man running the store—an older, friendly gentleman with a touch of a southern accent—even offered to adjust the fit to be more comfortable for Ty, free of charge. After assuring them he'd have it ready before the gala, Ty and Luke agreed and paid before leaving.
'That wasn't so hard, was it, Ty?' Luke said. Ty sat next to him on a bench outside of the store as they waited for another taxi.
'Thanks again, Coach.'
'Cut that out. You can still call me Luke. There's no coach bullshit going on here.'
Ty's black eye regarded Luke. It was true, he didn't feel like a coach at that moment, it was something more than that. Beyond friendship too but not quite … Luke was young, perhaps only ten or eleven years older than Ty. "Is this what an older brother is supposed to be like?"
'Thanks, Luke,' Ty said.
'Don't mention it. You were right, Ty.' His eyes lowered to the chain around Ty's neck. 'You need to find your own style. And if you're gonna be the best, you have to look the part. When you step into that party, everyone's gonna know they're looking at the best player in the world.'
Ty grinned. With a smile like that, those dark eyes, blacker than his suit, and the statement hanging around his neck, he would stand out. By the time the new year began, everyone would know his name.