[Kenzie] Simmer Down

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Brayden frankly was glad that school was over for the having become completely sick of people talk about how he and Brooke were over.  It hadn't taken long for rumors to start about the whole thing, and honestly Brayden hadn't seen Brooke all day which he thought was slightly strange. He just didn't have time to worry about it.  Brayden was only a junior but he still wanted to focus on the game and play well.  He usually was one of the better players anyways, perks of long legs, but impressing the scouts was a big deal.  As Brayden set down his water bottle before going to join the team in the warm up, he heard someone call his name faintly.  He turned around to see Brooke peeking around a supply shed and he shook his head. "Can we talk?"  "Uh no.  I don't have anything to say to you."  Why she was hiding was a mystery to him, either way she looked stupid.  "Okay fine let me talk then, just please come over here."  Brayden rolled his eyes, knowing he shouldn't give her the time of day but walked over anyways.  "Look I guess I owe you an apology.  I know people were telling you that I wanted a record deal, and I can't lie and say it's not true, but it was a shitty thing to do and I-"  "What's wrong with your face" he stated, making a face at the dark spot that was forming.  "I ran into a door."  "Like hell you did."  he sighed, that explained the funny way Kenzie had been nursing her hand all afternoon.  Brayden crossed his arms and looked at her pointedly, "Look I don't have time for your groveling, and I don't give a fuck about your singing career, but I would imagine you figured that out after you wasted your time sleeping with me."  "I said I was sorry I just don't want there to be any hard feelings-"  "Just stop fucking talking, oh my god.  I can't even, like... I can't believe I thought you actually liked me, and who looks like the idiot?  You actually.  You're a waste of my time, and by the way, I can promise you, you will not ever have a chance of a singing career, I'll make sure of it.  So you can just walk your sorry ass back to Staten Island and find someone else who cares.  And just so we're clear, I know you talking to me is risky, and I wouldn't risk it again.  She will make our life a living hell."  "Brayden, seriously, come on, I DO like you, I messed up."  Brayden had turned to go, giving her the middle finger and headed out to the field.  Brayden could have said so many worse things to her, should have.  The truth was Brayden didn't have a mean bone in his body, but hurt him once and it wasn't easy getting back in his good graces.  He stretched his shoulders a bit, seeing Kenzie was there to watch he game and was walking over to where Brayden had met up with Tanner.  This was a big game for Tanner who was a senior, since the scouts were coming.  Brayden made a face at her as a greeting, wondering if she maybe was just coming over to say good game.  Her boobs looks bomb in that dress.  He almost felt guilty about last night now that he was standing next to both her Tanner. Almost.  

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie adjusted the ponytail in her hair before fluffing the curls that were in it so that when it came down it would still look voluminous. She picked the basket back up, holding it close to her body before she looked up to see that Brayden was here. “ Oh!” she said, snapping her fingers as she remembered that she needed to bring up with Trent. “ Be right back,” she said to Emma, stepping away from the stands as she made her way to the field. “Hi,” she said happily to Brayden who was standing next to Travis. “ I brought some snacks for the team when you guys are done.” she said, giving a quick smile. “ Oh um, Tucker, while you’re here.” she said, turning her attention to him. “ So we’re just…totally done.” she said, giving a nod. “..Haha okay, good April fools babe,” he said, causing Kenzie to tilt her head in confusion. “ No.. See, Superman asked me out yesterday. And it made me sit back and think. I realized how average you are and it’s mildly astonishing.” she said, nodding before giving a quick smile. “ Hey good luck at the game,” she said, looking over to Brayden. “ So, boo,” she said, standing on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “ You are gonna kick ass. And you’re gonna be the star player…again. And then tonight I think we should talk about taking a trip out of town for the weekend since we don’t have class tomorrow.” she said, nodding. “ Anyway.. love you, kick butt.” she said, starting to walk away. “ Hey did I leave my bra at your place last night?” she asked in genuine curiosity as she made her way off the field.


Outfit

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Brayden nodded about the snacks, "Aw you shouldn't have," he joked, knowing damn well when it came to Renner women and snacks it was one force Bruce Wayne just couldn't put a stop to.  It was good she didn't seem to have noticed that Brooke had just been by.  Brayden stretched out his legs trying not to let on that he was super listening to the exchange between Kenzie and Tanner, who's name she still did not know.  In her defense Brayden wasn't exactly helpful with that.  Brayden stood up, mouth open when she explained that she was not in fact, joking and that she was dumping him for an actor.  Tanner looked like it was only just beginning to set in, and Brayden gave her a pointed look that said, why? She knew this was important game, Tanner couldn't afford to be distracted.  Yeah he was a skeazeball but he was Braydon's friend.  He felt bad for the guy.  "Yeah we should totally go somewhere this weekend... pick a time and a place, I'm there."  He smiled at her as she reached up to kiss his cheek and then headed on her way, "Uhhmm.... yeah." he said casually, responding about the bra in what he was trying to make the most non big dealish way possible, but he could feel Tanner glaring at him.  After she had gone Brayden gave him a sympathetic look, "Dude, that's.... I'm really sorry."  "No you're not, her bra's at your place."  Brayden sighed.  Things like this looked bad from  the perspective of others, but they just didn't get it.  "Tanner look, you can't be thinking about her right now, just-" Tanner laughed bitterly, "Easy for you to say."  Brayden shrugged as the game was about to start.  It wasn't his problem if Tanner couldn't pull his shit together.  

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie moved back to the stands, setting the basket down before she took a seat by Emma. “ Hopefully that’ll take some of the heat and stares away from Brayden,” she said, slightly to herself. He hadn’t even taken her hair out, and he seemed surprised at her for breaking up with Tanner. Tanner! That was his name. Damnit. Kenzie crossed her legs as she looked out onto the field, watching as each of the players was making their way into certain positions while still lazily stretching out either their arms or legs. Brayden had such long legs, which just looked amazing when he was playing soccer. She caught herself staring at him too long before shaking herself out of a vegetable like state and looked down at her fingernails. This thing she had with Brayden felt like it made sense between the two of them, but she wasn’t sure that it made sense to any one looking from the outside in. And now she was wondering if it was more and more hopeless. Even looking at him made her heart hurt. There was no way she’d ever be able to describe to him what it meant that he had experienced something like that with someone else. But maybe she was being stupid, maybe best friends was all they were meant to be. And honestly, if all she ever got to be with him was friends, she felt she could live with that. It was better to have him in her life than not at all. But life wasn’t a fairy-tale and maybe she should quit thinking he was her Prince Charming. She looked back up as a whistle blew, searching the field for Brayden before taking in a deep breath to watch the game.

[Brayden Shane Madden]

They won the game 4-2, Brayden had been so in the game he'd scored 3 goals for his team.  Sometimes he was just on a roll, and his energy seemed to have rubbed off on everyone else, the team, the stands, even Tanner had pulled it together for an assist or two.  Brayden smiled after the last whistle, joining the guys in celebration before everyone broke away.  Tanner had a scout talking to him Brayden noticed as he tore his shirt off, wiping the sweat from his torso with it and grabbed his water bottle.  Kenzie was preparing her basket of snacks and he headed over with a huge grin, "Got anything in that basket for me?" he teased, reaching over to pull the ponytail out of her hair and watched as her hair fell in curls around her face. He used to do it to bug her but nowadays he got the feeling she put her hair up just so he would take it down.  Brayden tore into his snack, waving at people and receiving a lot of good game comments, "Did you see me slide tackle that dude second half?  I can't believe he never got carded the whole game," he mused about the game, ruffling Kenzie's hair around.  Brayden sat down on the bleachers, tossing his snack wrapper in the trash, "That was pretty serious breaking up with Tanner like that right before the game," he added, looking at her seriously before smiling, "I know what you're up to, I see you."  If she was just trying to make people talk a little less about him and Brooke, he was grateful.

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie stood up as the game ended, knowing full well before the game even started that Brayden would be the star of it. She watched as Tanner was talking to some scouts, and while she knew she could be bitchy and that she was throwing Tanner under the bus for the sake of Brayden’s social life, she was still thankful that it hadn’t ruined his future college playing career or something. “ Hey,” she said quietly, with a smile at Brayden as he came over to get his snack. She instantly lift her eyebrows as he talked about the game. “ Yes, I saw all of it,” she said, moving grass off of his face and arms as he spoke and ate. She scrunched her nose as he talked about her breaking up with Tanner. “ What can I say.. you’re my person,” she said, shaking her fingers through the top of his hair. “Okay, you smell terrible. Go shower. Make yourself pretty.” she said, offering Emma the last of the available snacks. “ Unless you need help, I can join you. I know exactly how much shampoo to use for that amount of hair..” she said, slightly joking. Though, she didn’t hide the fact that she was checking him out right now very well.

[Brayden Shane Madden]

"Ouch," Brayden said in mock hurt when she told him he smelled bad.  "Ha, you are welcome to come tour the locker room," he joked with a raised eyebrow.  He stood up, stretching his arms out to their full length, "Are we going to that party later?  I heard there will actually be a keg."  Brayden turned to go to t he locker room to shower quickly and change, hearing someone call him.  "Brayden Madden?"  Brayden turned seeing a guy in a polo with a clip board, "Yeah that's me," he responded, unsure what this guy wanted.  The guy held his hand out to shake Brayden's, "Mark Bridges, I'm here representing Columbia University, that was a hell of a game you just played kid."  "Oh thank you, sir, it's nice to meet you."  A scout really?  No such thing as too early.  "I understand you're in the 11th grade, is that right?  How tall are you anyways," the guy chuckled.  "Oh, yeah I'm 6 foot... something.  Over 6 feet."  Brayden glanced at Kenzie with raised eyebrows, as Mark bridges continued on.  "Well you're definitely one we'll be watching in the next year, very interested.  Have you considered Columbia?"  Brayden wondered if he could even get into Columbia, "I haven't really given it much thought but uh, yeah I guess I could look into that."  "Well it was great meeting you, I'll be seeing you again I expect."  Brayden turned to go shower, wanting to get into fresh clothes and just enjoy the high from the winning game.  Tonight would be fun.  Party, music, no Tanner, which meant Brayden wouldn't have to compete for Kenzie's time.

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie smiled as he joked with her about coming to the locker room before someone was approaching him. She looked between the two of them quietly, and in all honesty, this was great for Brayden. But she stood there silently, clutching the basket in her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white. College. It was a high possibility that her and Brayden were going to find themselves separated for the first time. He’d already moved on in some aspects of his life, and now this? She licked her lips, pushing some hair behind her ear before she turned to Emma and shoved the basket into her arms. “ I need fresh air.” she said, “ Um… tell Brayden I’ll meet him at the party. Here.” she said, giving Emma the keys to her car. Kenzie reached up, giving Emma a wave before putting her hair back up in a ponytail and starting to walk. In the span of the next hour or two, whatever it was, Daniel had been kind enough to pick Kenzie up at whatever gas station she had found herself at, taken her home to let her change for the party, and then dropped her off. Kenzie looked around the party, for either Brayden or Emma as she clutched her hand almost nervously against the black silk of the dress she had changed into. “ Renner!” one of the players called out before coming toward her with a red plastic cup. “ Hey Dougie,” she said smiling. After he offered her the cup, she took it, taking a long drink from whatever horrible concoction he made. “ Was that a scout talking to Brayden?” “ Shut up, Dougie.” she said, moving away from him to go refill her drink.

[Brayden Shane Madden]

When Brayden was done showering and went to meet up with Kenzie, he only found Emma with keys that she couldn't use.  "Where's Kenzie?"  "Yeah she left."  Brayden looked back at her as if she was speaking lies, "Why?"  Emma shrugged but she said she was catching a ride home with someone so Brayden headed home to drop off his things and eat some food before going to the party.  It was always at the same kid's house, and Brayden knew he would have to look for Kenzie.  She didn't seem to be there yet so two drinks later as some girl from his math class was trying to tell him how sad it was to be dumped and if he "ever needed someone to talk to" but Brayden wasn't listening.  Instead he was looking over peoples head's until he spotted Kenzie who had just walked in, "That's so nice thanks," he added before weaving through the bodies trying to get to her side.  "Hey," he said, wrapping her in a hug, "What happened, I thought we were coming together."  He took a sip of his drink, looking her over, knowing he wasn't exactly being secretive about it.  "You look great."  He couldn't tell if she was being weird about things or not, and in her defense, she was allowed to be mad at him and it was sort of nice of her to put that on hold.  At the same time he kind of wished she would just be mad so he knew what he was dealing with.

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie wrapped her free arm around Brayden as he hugged her. “ Oh yeah?” she asked, putting her hands down to the side so she could do a spin for him. “ I think I stole it from Emma” she said, trying to remember genuinely where she got it. “ Yeah, I just..” she said, laughing slightly and shaking her head. “ It was a lot. I just needed to be alone for a second. But I’m here now,” she said, lifting her eyebrows before smiling at him. “ You look pretty dapper yourself,” she said as she reached up to flick the back of his hat since he had it flipped backward. Kenzie brought her left hand to her right, rubbing out the painful spot that was still aching from punching Brooke earlier. She thought back for a moment about the different colleges that she herself was looking at, and how scouts were coming to Brayden now. Maybe they wouldn’t even have time for each other in their lives in the future. “ So I think we should be beer pong partners,” she said, realizing that she had let too much silence pass between them before turning to look at him with a smile. Hell, if he was ready to move on, she could make steps to do it too. “ Be my wingman?” she said, wiggling her eyebrow slightly. “ I mean I’m not going home with this, so I might as well get somethin’” she said, reaching her hand beneath his shirt to pat his stomach. “ Brooke’s here,” she overhead someone say before she looked away from Brayden completely and started scanning the crowd.

[Brayden Shane Madden]

"Looks better on you," he told her, as if that weren't obvious, because Kenzie had the goods.  Brayden nodded, biting at his lip ring as she spoke about needing some space. Fair enough. Much as he wanted things to be okay he also wanted her to have whatever time she needed to level with things in her head. Brayden grinned and grabbed his hat before it toppled off, smoothing his hair back and placing it back on his head. "I have to look good," he laughed, reaching down to take her hand she was nursing and massaged it gently in his own, "walking around next to you all day, I'd be put to shame."  It was true though, people joked about it often, Brayden knew he was lucky to have Kenzie.  If they hadn't grown up together he wondered if she would look twice in his direction.  Kenzie mentioned being beer pong partners and he gave her two thumbs up, "Sure, I'll be the Batman to your Robin."  He followed her to where beer pong was going on, "What do you mean you're not going home with his, Renner you are stuck with me for life.  Don't think you get to have the whole bed."  Even though it wasn't what she meant, he didn't want to change their friendship.  Though his heart jumped a bit when she touched his stomach.  Brayden slung his arm around her shoulders, "Okay me and Kenzie play winners."   

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie tucked some of her hair behind her ear as she looked around at everyone at the party. She was used to people watching them, scrutinizing every move they made toward one another, or any one else for that matter. She tore herself from looking for Brooke when she head Brayden say that they had winners. Kenzie took her right arm and wrapped it around his lower back before leaning her head onto his shoulder. When the game finished she straightened up, turning to face Brayden. "You ready for this? Focus!" she said, bringing her fists up to give him a fist bump before standing on her toes. Kenzie wrapped one arm around his neck and placed one hand on his left cheek as she kissed him, pulling him closer to herself as she did so. She bit against his lip slightly before pulling away and clapped her hands together. Go Team Batman.... " Woo!" she cheered to herself quietly before going to the end of the table as they were resetting the beer pong table so it was ready.