Free Falling

If there was one thing Aryn was known for being good at, it was soccer. Even with her reputation for being a slut or a bitchy maneater, when Aryn was on the field everyone was just in awe. Her skills made bitchy girls bite their tongues when they realized that one day Aryn could get them Olympic tickets. Her skills had gotten her on the Arizona state team her freshmen year and on a US national team, twice. So it was no surprise to any of her brothers that Aryn would be distracted with dribbling the ball about the grassy field while on their sibling picnic.

Not that it was very well planned. Mrs. Kirch packed a basket and shooed them out of the house, for some sibling bonding because she had heard Pat talk about how he didn't like Aryn anymore; which horrified the mom to no end to think that her children would drift apart and put strain on the family. 

"C'mon Air, let's eat we can play the usual later." Tim called out.

"You mean everyone against Aryn?" She scoffed

"Of course, it's not like you have lost since the age of ten,  unless we play where tackling is allowed." 

This was true. Ever since the Kirch family learned of the daughter's natural talent, they'd played what started as pickup games of 'boys against girls' and as the only girl it really meant 3 against 1. Aryn hadn't lost to her brothers since she turned 10. And before she left she had a streak of stopping every one of their goals too.

"So how have you guys been?" Aryn asked awkwardly. "Especially you Pat I haven't gotten to hang out with you since I got home."

"And who's fault is that?" Pat asked bitterly. He wanted to tell his sister of all the awesome things that happened to the band, but after Garrett's news he had a hard time liking his sister as much.

"Pat... I'm sorry. I broke your best friend, but I'm going to try to fix it. But for now can you at least be my brother. I mean I've changed a little but that doesn't change to fact that I'm still your sister. The girl who kicked Christy McCarthy's ass because she laughed at you when you asked her out. I'm the same girl recreated an entire scene from 'That Thing You Do' out of fruit for your birthday. So please just be my brother who'd love me unconditionally."

"Those fruit sculptures were pretty cool." Pat laughed hugging his sister. "And please fix Garrett because he's obnoxious when his heart aches. Besides I always agreed with Gracie, you two need to get married."

"Okay. Weird, I thought you guys didn't like me dating your friends." 

"No we just don't like you dating people my age." Tim interrupted. "Anyone else who treats you well is fair game." 

"So where's my oldest brother?"

"Off galavanting with the fiancé."

"What Tim is trying to say little, is he's off having sex with her and is too busy to bond with us." 

"Okay gross, Pat why would you say something like that to me. Isn't it an unwritten law that siblings of the opposite gender never learn or talk about each others sex lives."

"Yeah Pat stop forgetting that we have a sister."

"So how's soccer going?" Tim asked.

"Good minus the whole I got too badly injured to be playing in my national league which also prevented me from going to my dream college."

"What happened anyways? All I remember is mom crying a lot and dad saying you couldn't come home for the holidays." 

"I was going to D.C. for the national tryouts and I made the team  or at least the east coast first cut. But on my way home I missed my train from Poughkeepsie to Albany so I had to take the late bus. So anyways the roads were really icy and the bus slid off the road did a 360 and hit a tree. The impact was right by where I was sitting, I'm lucky I'm even alive. After the crash I was in a coma for three days, missed my flight home not that I was allowed to leave because of my condition. I also broke my right leg in three place, broke my left hand and my right arm, and cracked four ribs. So  by the time the final cut tryouts for the national team happened a few months later, my legs weren't in good enough shape, I wasn't quite ready yet and I got cut from the team and from a bunch of schools."

"What ASU wasn't your dream school?"

"John Oh got in there, that doesn't make it a great college academically and I could have gone to USC or U of P on partial scholarship and they are real good schools."

"Then why aren't you going there?"

"Mom and Dad could barely fly me home from the east coast, they would never be able to afford those costs besides I missed me some Arizona."

"Well sister we missed you too" Tim pinched her cheek.

"So guys how's the band up to?"

"We're going to go on tour at the end of August. I don't know I'm excited to play the new songs but right now we have to rehearse them first but so far minus Garrett hating that we practice at our house, it's been pretty good!"

"Awesome but now that I'm done eating let's go play."

The siblings stood up defining their invisible goal lines. Pat had a hard time paying attention to beating his sister though. He was mesmerized by how graceful and confident she was when she played. She looked like a girl who couldn't hurt. Even when deep in concentration a faint smile always seemed to grace her lips. This girl was completely different from the girl he had seen in the past days. There was no way that this cried over something petty like boy troubles. After playing a good half hour Tim began to get too competitive, leading him to full on tackle his sister. Thus causing Pat to laugh and of course join the Kirch family dog pile. And in that moment of laughter and suffocation, Pat realized the only thing that changed about his sister was her heart.

As soon as Aryn walked into the house the screaming began. Or rather squealing began. The two brothers walked in on their sister jumping around squealing with two other girls, while a bleach blonde guy rolled his eyes.

"Josh why aren't you joining the love fest?"Tim joked to the Summer Set's guitarist. 

"I'm not one to get in the way of three hot girls grinding on each other." Which led to Josh being slapped by all the girls.

"What are you doing here anyway Piper? We or at least I didn't invite you over for the girly sleepover."

"Oh.. Yeah... Um you don't know do you?"

"Know what? Are you dating Pat or something." Aryn burst into hysterics.

"That's right actually." She scooted over to Pat giving him a kiss as Aryn watched in shock.

"Really? Like seriously?"

"Yes why is that so weird?" Pat asked defensively.

"No there's nothing wrong with it, I'm just surprised Halvo never told me while I was home or even you Piper, I saw you like ten million time and not once you thought to tell me you've been dating my brother? I mean it was no secret that you were in love with him forever. How long has this been going on for?"

"Like a year, give or take a few months."

"Well I feel like an ass for not knowing this."

"Don't feel bad to be completely honest I thought you'd be mad. I didn't know I was painfully obvious with my crush."

"You did always want to come to my house and the fact that you cut Pat out of a Maine poster and had him hanging on your wall."

"I was hanging on your wall?" Pat asked smiling wide as his girlfriend blushed.

"On that note we should go Pat, before your sister embarrasses me further." the couple linked hands and walked out of the house.

"They're already disgustingly cute." Aryn gagged.

"So that went better than planned." Piper said as they got into their car.

"I didn't know you were coming this early I would have told her about my date tonight."

"It went fine Pat. Besides how many of your friends has she dated she as no right to be anything but happy for us."

"I guess but you know, you're one of the last girl friends she has and I don't want to alienate you two, I mean I heard what she did to Gar and I'm pretty pissed but I don't know her side of the story so I shouldn't judge and she's my sister, I'm trying to say since you're going to ASU too I want her to still have you to talk to when everyone else in her life is constantly coming and going."

"You're such a good brother." Piper reached to grab his hand.  Pat's phone started going off. "Answer it Pattycake."

"It's just a text" He began to read it. "Shit! The guys are at my house wondering why there is a chick flick marathon and girls in pajamas in my basement rather than pizza and video games."

"Well let's turn around and avoid the 'Aryn's in the way of Garrett's video games' fiasco." 

"Good plan. My sister has cried too much for another night of hers to get ruined because I'm an idiot."

The couple got home to find Josh, Jess and Aryn upstairs in pajamas eating out of a tub of ice cream. They were all laughing hysterically about something or another. 

"So I see the situation fixed itself. The powers of ice cream win again. Go play with your friends Pat you already ruined our date." She shoved her boyfriend towards the stairs.

"So you decided to grace us with your prescence Ms. Piper?" Josh asked.

"Hell yes! You know when my boyfriend forgets your dates and decides to invite friends over, you got to make the best of it."

"Good because our crew is missing too many people as is." Jess laughed before seeing Aryn's smile falter.

"So how'd you guys stay so close? Aryn doesn't talk to people while she's gone."

"Shut up! I called you but apparently you've been making out with my brother and too busy to talk to me."

"Stop bitching each out. The only reason Aryn talked to us was because everytime we went to Albany she came to our concerts and partied with us."

"What the hell? You went to their concerts but you never came and visited us when we played Albany? I thought we were friends Aryn and all that gets me is a single phone call in two years?" Kennedy yelled.

"Oh Kenny stop being a diva we literally had to bring her kicking and screaming. She apparently doesn't like her past." Jess said.

"Guys shut up this is making me feel like a real bitch."

"You're not a bitch, you just have gotten hurt to much to let it happen again." Piper said all of a sudden philosophical. "I know you've probably heard this a million and a half times but the tides will soon turn for the better, but for now bask in the moment and drown your sadness in this gallon of ice cream." Aryn laughed taking a spoonful. Kennedy shook his head and went back downstairs. 

"You're sister is having a good time tonight." Kenny said on arrival to the basement, earning a eye roll from Garrett that could compete with any angsty teenage girl.

"Good. Did you guys know how bad her injury was? It almost ruined her entire soccer career. She broke like ten bones and was in a coma, she kind of deserves to be happy."

"Can we not talk about your sister whenever we hang out now."

"Garrett I don't know her side of the story so we can't just take your side and she won't tell anyone about it anyways." Jared responded.

"She talked to John about it."

"She didn't tell me shot Gar, I just said  that she would have killed herself if she stayed here and she broke down and cried so I took that as a yes."

"See my baby sister was fucking suicidal and you're not helping Gar! You don't have to like her or talk to her or even look at her but just don't get mad at me, I want to take her to that party that's happening tomorrow."