It's you I'm thinking of > Patrick Feely

Ruby

     "That's it, keep your eye on the ball, son."  Daddy clapped at Rian, who was standing way down the garden with his Hurley in his hands, whacking the sliotars dad threw at him.

I was sitting on the step at the back door, twirling a dandelion between my fingers. Rian said I couldn't play because dad gets too rough, Daddy said I couldn't play because I was just a little girl. Which I think is ridiculous because I can run just as fast as Rian can.

"Watch out!" Rian yelped. I watched as the ball went right up to the neighbours second floor and hit the wall about two inches from the window.

Dad threw his head back in laughter, "That's how you know you're getting good, when you smash a window with your sliotar."

A gush of wind came suddenly then and blew all the clocks off of my dandelion.

"Come on, throw another one."

I skipped over to where the grass met the cement, where all the dandelions were growing and picked out a fresh one.

I closed my eyes to make a wish. And repeated it over and over in my mind before while I blew the clocks of my new dandelion away. I stood up and followed them as they blew through the wind.

I was standing at the edge of the garden as I watched my wish float into the sky.

It was then that something hard hit me on the back of my head. And everything went black.

My wish repeated over and over in my mind as everything else faded away.

Make them believe in me.

Make them believe in me.

~ ~ ~

     I wasn't in the back garden, they didn't believe in me, and Rian is dead.

No, I was sitting in the stands of the Ballylaggin Rugby Club watching Patrick, Hugh, Johnny and Gibsie play their match.

Beside me was Katie and Erin, who were very invested in the game. I couldn't have been further from it.

I don't know what brought a memory like that into my head because I hadn't thought of that day in years.

I mean the moment crossed my mind every time I felt the scar but not like that. It was weird.

"You okay, chick?" Katie asked, turning in her seat to face me.

I opened my mouth to say something but I was interrupted.

"Hey girls." A blonde, curly haired girl suddenly said as she appeared in front of us.

"Hey Claire." Katie smiled, turning to her, "Lizzie."

The other girl, who was standing slightly behind the curly headed one, gave a weak smile that didn't hide her disdain. I think I'd seen her around school.

"Ruby, this is Claire and Lizzie. They're in the year below but Claire is Hugh's sister." Katie introduced them to me. Erin was too busy yelling at the referee to care.