Page 31 of Summer Breakdown
There’s too much on her mind. It’s accounting season, and apparently, because they have more money now, they need to do more than the odd tax form here and there, and obviously, they’ve left it way too late. Junior training starts next week, and they’re missing something, but she can’t figure out what. Frankie said she wasn’t getting involved. If they wanted a junior team, they had to figure it out themselves. Her heart was set on a women’s team, and she didn’t have time for three teams a week.
Then, she met Jasmine and her adorable child, and Ezra told her she could join the team. Now Frankie’s gotta be there as an extra adult, which isn’t a burden; it’s just another thing. She really needs another doctor’s appointment.
“We’re losing.”
“Yeah,” she replies quickly. Bright gets the ball. Tight.
“Is it Groundhogs next?” Kai asks just as fast, and she frowns.
“Yep.”
“Midday?”
“Yep.”
“What’s her name?”
“Jasmine,” she replies, watching Azan take their defender out before he can touch Bright.Finally.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she says, turning to Kai, who has a shit-eating grin.
“Did you meet her at the quiz?” Kai asks.
Frankie sighs. “Leave me alone. Ref!”
“Foul,” Johnson shouts after her. The ref is sometimes to blame for a loss, but not today. He has been shit, though.
“Wanker,” Kai mutters. “So, did you see her last night?”
“I was avoiding her,” Frankie replies, “if you must know.” She’s only giving him something because Kai can’t talk about emotions. He can’t girl-talk. He can’t give advice. He’s a pretty boy who gets whatever he wants and has the emotional range of a goldfish.
“That mean she’s fair game?”
“I will bench you until the end of the season,” Frankie warns, and when she glares at him, he looks away first.
Frankie had grand plans of having everyone help with the taxes. Then there were one too many noises, and she kicked them all out. Frankie schedules her life down to a T, so not being able to cross accounts off her to-do list is killing her. She’s already simmering too close. This season means everything, and she has no way of knowing what’s going to happen. Frankie doesn’t do well with panic.
Frankie’s not doing well regardless.
It might have something to do with Jasmine. She’s pretending it’s mainly because they lost to Durham.Durham.
Ezra is useless, but he’s here, and she likes that he’s here even though she’s being a wanker. Ezra is always with herafter a loss because he thinks losing will make her spiral. Like she doesn’t take eight pills a day to stop that from happening. This league is new to them, though. Before, they just had to win. Now, it means something.
“Jesus, fuck,” Frankie groans. “I don’t even know what twelve thousand, three hundred and eighty-seven plus seventeen thousand, two hundred and eighty-three is, let alone how to tax it.”
“Twenty-nine thousand, six hundred and seventy,” Jasmine replies, as she walks into the office. Frankie spins so fast on her chair that she almost topples over. Jasmine is in shorts and a crop top with TITANS on the front. She’s wearing a green baseball cap, her hair in loose waves, and Frankie thinks she’s the hottest person she’s ever seen.
Frankie looks at her, and then at Marcel and Lani, who are coming through the door dressed in matching rugby tops. The whole family is too cute.
“Hi, Frankie,” Lani says. “Ezra!” Lani has seen Ezra the same number of times she’s seen Frankie, and yethegets the good greeting.
“What type of tax do you have to pay?” Jasmine asks, as Frankie watches Lani ignore her for Ezra, who frowns but immediately bends to talk to her.
“Hi,” he says.
“You okay?” she asks, wheeling her chair back and forwards like she can’t sit still. Then, before he can reply, she asks, “What are you doing?”
“Paying our taxes and trying to figure out how to beat M’Baku.”
