Nothing Matters (Family Matters Book 1) Read online

  Copyright ©Liana Key 2016

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. References to real people, places, organizations, events, and products are intended to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. All characters, names, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Thanks to Linda Ronald for Cover Design

  Nothing Matters….

  and what if it did?

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  NATHAN

  Everything about my life had been ordinary, uneventful, unremarkable. I was your average high school junior, getting average grades, knowing that the life I was living, and would live, would not be too much different from that of my parents, and even my grandparents. I would finish school, I would get a job, hopefully a trade, maybe an electrician like my Dad, or a builder, or mechanic, or plumber (preferably not the plumber). I would meet a girl, possibly someone from school, fall in love, marry, have a family and get a house not too far away from my parents. And that would be my life.

  I had no aspirations to be the first in my family to go to college, and my parents didn't actively suggest it. I didn't care to be a doctor, dentist, lawyer, or accountant. And I had no dreams or illusions that I would be a movie star, entrepreneur or basketball player (well maybe unspoken dreams about the basketball).

  My life would be fine, ordinary, hardly the stuff for novels or screenplays.

  And then I met Magdala. And everything changed.

  The things that mattered to me were my family, friends, Rocky (our dog), basketball, my car, my job (or rather having a job to make enough money to run my car). It was a simple, uncomplicated life. I went to school, did enough to pass my classes and hung out with my friends. I wasn't the most popular, or the coolest, or the best looking, but I had a good group of friends who I'd hung around with for five or more years, so I was happy with my lot.

  My Mom and Dad were big on working hard, you didn't have to be top of the class, but you had to work hard. You had to do your chores around the house, you had to contribute to the household, help out where you could, whether it be doing dishes, mowing lawns or watching my younger brother and sister. I'd been encouraged to get a job as soon as I was able, starting with fast food, a garden centre and currently an auto parts store.

  There had been girlfriends, but nothing serious, a few dates to movies, games or a party, maybe a night of sex and that was it. It was how everyone operated if you weren't in an exclusive relationship. Jose and Amy had been together since junior high, and Stevie and Kara had been an item all year, but the rest of us, Tom, Dane, Luke and me, we weren't so hung up on girls. We had our basketball, gaming, cars and motorbikes.

  I'd been a fan of basketball for as long as I could remember. Dad was a fanatic and he made me and my brother Ben into Clippers supporters. Both Ben, who is a year younger than me, and I had played since we were little, and I'd always been a good player, but at just under six foot, it still was not tall enough. However I played in the school's second team, and always supported the varsity team. And that's what I was doing on the night my life took a turn in an unexpected direction. I was at the school game, West taking on Beverly.

  There has always been a bit of rivalry between the two teams, we of course being the poorer neighbors to our well-to-do opponents. One side of the car park would be Mercedes, Audis and Jeeps, the other side, our side, old Fords, Toyotas and trucks. We were worlds apart, but it didn't really seem to matter once the game started. All we cared about was the game.

  I was just a part of the crowd, in amongst my friends, shouting, cheering, rowdy. Just normal for us. It was still the first quarter and scores were even, when we were fouled and got a free throw. Luke, who was sitting next to me, stood up, pumped his fist and shouted, "Go Jaxon!" I stood up too, shouted a "Come on!" And that's when I saw this girl turn and look at me. She was about five or six rows in front of us. She kind of half smiled at me - I say that because I'm not sure if she was already smiling and then just turned around and saw me, or whether she turned around, saw me and then smiled. I don't know, but I do know that I felt like an electric current had gone right through me. I felt our eyes connect, and then Jaxon's first throw missed and Luke sat back down, but I was still standing there, by this time just staring at her. She turned back around, but by now I was just stunned. Jaxon's second shot landed and Luke was back up on his feet again. When he sat down, so did I, but now I had no focus on the game at all. All I could see was the back of her head, her dark blonde hair hanging past her shoulders, straight, but not straightened. She was wearing a white top and jeans. I prayed that she would look around again. I had no idea what the score was or what was happening in the game. I clapped when Luke clapped. I high-fived when everyone else did, but I was a whole world away.

  Half time came. Everyone stood up. She stood up, she looked my way, looked at her phone and looked back up and smiled. I smiled back, I don't know what I was thinking. She was a Beverly supporter of course. What the hell was I doing? What the hell was I thinking? My heart was beating like a million times a minute. I felt all hot and it felt like my face was burning. The boys were talking but I wasn't hearing anything except my pounding heart. She was talking to a boy next to her, and also looking at her phone. And then she looked back up, smiled again and shook her hair as she sat back down. I was hypnotized. I couldn't understand what had come over me. I had never reacted to any girl like this, and she hadn't even spoken to me.

  "You okay?" Tom asked. He was sitting on my other side and maybe I seemed not okay.

  "I don't fucking know," I said. "This girl down there keeps looking at me!" I pointed her out, while she wasn't looking our way. Then she did look up and we both quickly turned away because it was obvious we were talking about her.

  "She is way out of your league," Tom laughed. "Beverly Hills babe!"

  "Oh man, she's driving me crazy," I said.

  The game ended with a win to West, the stadium was buzzing, the home crowd cheering and chanting. Next thing she was up, moving, following the two boys she was with. The tallest one looked like her brother perhaps, and the other one can't have been her boyfriend because she was flirting with me. She looked back up at me, as did the boys, then smiled and swung her hair as if a signal to follow her. Or that's how I read it. I got up, nudged Tom and said, "I'll catch you outside." And I excused myself past a bunch of people and pushed my way through the crowd. She saw me coming and slowed to let me catch her.

  "Hard luck about the game," I said.

  She shrugged. “They're not my team anyway." She was gorgeous, her eyes were an amazing shade, like hazel, flecked with green, her skin clear, natural, as if she spent time in the sun.

  "You're not from Beverly?" I was practically shouting to be heard over the noise.

  "No, my brother and cousin are. I'm just supporting the supporters." Someone pushed past her, and she bumped into my chest. I instinctively put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close, protectively of course. I felt that current go through me, though now it was super-charged. I tingled all over. She had to have felt it too, it was electrifying. She stayed in close and let her head rest on my chest. A faint fragrance wafted up from her hair. I wanted to bury myself in it. People were pushing from all sides as we ca
me to the exit. We squeezed through and were now in the foyer where it was a little less crowded. I didn't release my grip and she didn't pull away.

  "You got any plans?" I asked.

  She shrugged, "I don't know what the boys will want to do."

  "You want to get something to eat?" I had my car, but I had also driven Tom and Luke. I would have to make them get a ride with some of the others. "By the way, my name's Nathan. But you can call me Nate."

  "Oh, are you so sure that I'd even call you?" she said and laughed. She pulled away from my side, and took hold of my hand and shook it. "Nathan," she emphasized my full name, "I'm Magdala. And that's what you can call me!" I liked her humor, her confidence, well everything about her. She pulled me by the hand and started to run, calling to the boys. They waited for us to catch up.

  "I'm going with Nathan," she said, as if it was the most natural thing to go with someone you only just met. Alarm bells went off. Beautiful though she was, what if she was psycho, crazy, deranged? Was she drunk, on drugs? "We're going to eat."

  The taller one put his hand out. He had an unusual shade of blonde hair, golden, and the greenest eyes you have ever seen. I shook his hand, shocked by his eyes. I tried not to stare. "I'm Cash, Magdala's brother," he said and I immediately liked him. The other one introduced himself as Jakey, he appeared stand-offish, disinterested. We talked about the game. I had my arm back around Magdala's shoulder. Nothing was forced, everything felt right. I sorted out with Luke and Tom what was happening, and then I took Magdala to my car. We were going to meet up with everyone else, but in the car she said, "You want to go by the beach?"

  We had been parked in the car for less than a minute before we started to kiss. It was insane, just an instant animal attraction, just outright teenage lust, all lips and tongue and neck and teeth. I felt I just wanted to devour her, she was intoxicating. I felt like I wasn't even myself, I hadn't ever pashed a girl like this before, yet here I was taking control, full of self assurance. If it had been in my wildest dreams, I would have made love to her there and then. Without even knowing her surname.

  We joined the others, had a bite to eat and she went home with her brother. Later we texted each other for hours before I drifted off knowing that I had just met the love of my life.

  MAGDALA

  The first time I saw Nathan I knew I wanted him. I was at a high school basketball game with Jakey and Cassian. It was at West, and I remember slightly thinking "losers", because that's the Beverly attitude to West, and I was no exception. Somehow we got on the wrong side, away from the visitors stand, and ended up amongst the home crowd, but there were just the three of us, and we were there for the game, not the heckling, and the boys weren't in their Beverly colors. As it was we were next to a family with a couple of younger kids. No one cared about us. I looked around, as you do, scoping out the crowd. I didn't even have to try to look cool or casual - no one knew me, and when you're anonymous, you don't care what anyone thinks. I saw him behind us to the left, about five rows back. A row of West supporters, obvious from the shirts, four boys together, but one caught my eye, brown hair, short with an attempt at spikes on top, not in school colors, but a plain black t-shirt and skinny black jeans. Not exactly a bad boy look, but there was just something about him, the animated way he was talking to his friends, his hands demonstrating. My phone vibrated and I checked a text, then I looked back up. Mmmm, he was definitely affecting me.

  The cheering increased, West had a free throw, I turned again. He and another boy were standing, fist pumping, shouting. It made me smile; he saw me, his eyes lingered on me. I looked away before I got a response, suddenly overcome by shyness. I checked my phone again, then looked up again. He was looking, well, staring. He didn't exactly smile, but ours eyes connected, my heart skipped a beat, and I quickly turned again. I tried to watch the game, but I didn't really care about it, and I whispered to Jakey, who was next to me on my right, "There's a cute guy back there."

  "What the hell?" Jakey said with frustration, "can't you just watch the game?"

  Cassian, (pronounced Cash-in) leaned over, "What's going on?"

  "She's eyeing up some guy back there," he said.

  Cassian turned around. "Which one?"

  "Black t-shirt, brown hair," I had to shout across. They both looked back.

  "Fucking West scum," Jakey said, and I hit him in the shoulder, "He's hot!"

  "Watch the fucking game, Magdala!"

  When the game ended, I said to Jakey, "I'm going to talk to him. Wait for me."

  "Don't take too long," he said, "and if he's a jerk don't waste your time."

  "We'll wait out front," Cassian said, "be careful." That's Cash for you, always giving sensible advice. My older brother, by just a year, but he's like my guardian, my protector. Always looking out for me.

  I had only had one boyfriend, and I had fallen for him hard. I'd met Stacey at a party at one of Jakey's friend's house, a typical Beverly pool party. I'd been hanging with Jakey, Cassian hadn't been there, he was away at a tennis tournament. I was in my bikini sitting by the pool, just drinking lemonade. Jakey was already drinking Vodka shots, even though it was only four in the afternoon. I was wondering who I'd be able to get to drive us home later, Jakey would be trashed.

  The boy appeared from nowhere, but he arrived with a presence, like he knew he was someone. "Hi Sweetcakes," he said, as he pulled his chair close to mine, "where have you been hiding?"

  He made me nervous immediately. He was blonde and blue eyed, tall and tanned. It appeared that even Jakey was slightly intimidated by him.

  "I haven't been hiding," I said feebly.

  "You're new? I haven't seen you around here before." He oozed cool and calm.

  "I'm Jakey's cousin," I corrected myself, because I don't think his friends call him that, "Jake's cousin. I go to Briarwood," I said as way of explanation. It's a private girls school. I go there for my piano. He looked across at Jakey.

  "Hey Jake," he said, and they slapped palms, "introduce me to your cousin."

  Jakey looked at me, and sighed, as if he found it to be a chore. "Magdala, this is Stacey Portman, senior at Beverly, Stacey, this is my cousin Magdala Strauss," he gabbled.

  Stacey took my hand and shook it, "Very pleased to meet you," he said, showing me all his perfect, white teeth. He was good looking, but somehow I thought he wouldn't be my type. Not that I even had a type, but I wasn't naturally attracted to the good looking, football playing types. Not that I knew whether he played football or not. Seems he didn't. I found out he was cool because he was rich, very rich in fact. That he drove a Porsche and lived in his own apartment because his parents worked abroad. He had a housekeeper who did his meals and cleaning. He came and went as he pleased. He did whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted. And it turned out that he wanted me.

  Stacey treated me like a princess, he complimented me endlessly, he bought me gifts like perfume, earrings, bracelets, flowers, teddy bears. He paid for everything when we went out, movies, amusement parks, dinner. He phoned me, he texted me and in the third week of dating, he took my virginity. In the fourth week, we made love and I stayed overnight. My Dad went mad. He swore, he shouted, he threatened. And I became someone I didn't believe I would ever become. I answered my Dad back, I swore, I shouted, I cried and ultimately I threatened. I threatened to run away from home, to live with Mom in Hawaii, to drop out of Briarwood.

  And, because I was also Daddy's princess, I got my way. I could stay over at Stacey's, but only at weekends. I had to keep my grades up, and continue my piano lessons. I had to take birth control, so I had a rod implanted. In just a few short months, I changed dramatically. I was mesmerized by Stacey, in awe of him. I believed I loved him, because he told me over and over that we loved each other so much. He made me feel special, he made me feel wanted. I stopped spending time with Jakey and Cassian, I stopped hanging out with girls from school. Stacey became my everything, I was totally besotted. And in my head, I thought I was becom
ing a better person - I was dating a cool, popular, good looking guy, I was going to parties with him and having sex with him. Other girls were envious of me, or so I believed. I was no longer a virgin, no longer a piano-playing-private-school-nerd, as if these were now the most important things.

  In our third month of dating, my family was having a sixteenth birthday party at a restaurant for my cousin Raff, Jakey's younger brother. My Grandad Chris, my aunts, uncles and cousins all came, there were thirty of us in all. At the last moment Stacey had to cancel as his father was flying in from Singapore, where he had been working in construction. It was a great night but I decided to leave early to surprise Stacey, so I got a ride with my aunt. It was around about ten when I got to his apartment. But I was the one who was surprised. Stacey's father wasn't there. Stacey was having his own little party, he was making out in his bedroom, in our bed, with Carly, a beautiful blonde senior, who I had seen at various parties. I didn't wait for an explanation, I didn't even hang around for a fight. I ran outside and walked a couple of blocks before phoning Cassian to come pick me up.

  I figuratively went home with my tail between my legs. Daddy took me back, a bit like the prodigal son, and Stacey Portman was never talked about again.

  Jakey and Cassian took off, I turned back to see if the boy was looking; he was. I smiled, and beckoned with a raise of my eyebrows and a flick of my head that he should come with me. He caught me up in seconds.

  "Hard luck about the game," he said, and I liked that he'd apologized when there was no need to.

  "They're not my team anyway," I replied with a shrug.

  "You're not from Beverly?" he asked, almost brightly, as if he would be pleased that I wasn't.

  "No, my brother and cousin are," I said, "I'm just supporting the supporters."

  The crowd around us was pushing and we were moving at a snail's pace. I got shoved, and he put his arm around my shoulder, pulled me in close, then closer again. His touch was firm, strong. I felt an unfamiliar sensation of excitement course through my body. My head rested snugly on his chest, like it belonged there. He had a faint scent of boy deodorant spray, like Lynx or a copy. His black t-shirt was soft and faded, his black jeans well worn and torn, his black Converse scuffed up. He had two thin leather strands around his neck and several tied around his wrist. I looked up and he grinned at me and what got me, what made my heart skip a beat, was the way he looked at me. There was a spark, a joy, a longing in his sexy brown eyes. I felt safe.