Steal My Soul

10 | ken

Ken

Sweat clings to my practice jersey and football pads, making my skin itch. The sun is blaring, burning into my skin. My cleat tracks mud as I zip through the football field.

Today my thoughts were scattered, fuzzy like trying to see in a fog. When I was on the field usually my mind cleared and everything clicked. Today, every pass fell apart, every catch a fumble.

I don't even have time to blink when I look up and see Dominic Bath charging towards me, hitting me hard in my midsection and taking me to the ground. He pops back up quickly as sharp pain flares across my chest. I lay there, spitting out dirt.

My muscles strain as they start to ache. I take off my helmet to try and get some air. Pale Thorn's varsity football coach walks over to me, slamming his clipboard on the ground. Coach Archer is short and stubby. He has a bald patch in the middle of his head and gray sideburns. He played football all his life since he was two, and even went to the NFL for a couple of years before he suffered a serious concussion that took him out of the sport.

"What the hell was that Roux?!" He yells, spit flying from his mouth. "You've been trash all day, you're benched,"

My mouth was dry as a sickening feeling of dread crawled from my gut. "Coach you can't," I say.

"Hit the showers kid, they'll need you over there at the pool,"

Dominic grabs my hand helping me to my feet. He slams his hand against my back and I clench my jaw pretending that he didn't just send jolts of pain to my back.

"Better luck next time golden boy," he says, folding his arms.

He grins. I wanted to punch his smirk right off of his face but now was not the time to get Coach Archer anymore angry. I don't think he's ever yelled at me for the last two years I've been here.

He only gave me compliments and set me as the example that my other teammates had to follow. It was the first time he treated me like everyone else. And I didn't like it, not one bit.

I grab a towel from the bench before jogging over to the lockers. Lukewarm water splashes onto my face and against the tile floor. My hands tremble, crippling me into fear as new thoughts took space in my head.

What if Coach replaced me with Dominic Bath as quarterback? He was getting good, too good. I've been off my game lately.

With Asia back and ending things off with Bobbi, everything feels like it's falling apart. Something was going on with Darius and Asia, I could feel it. I just didn't understand why she wanted anything to do with him.

She blew me off this morning when she was supposed to meet me so I could drive her to school. I rang her doorbell for an hour. I knew she was in there.

Asia texted me an apology saying that she overslept and would ask Bobbi to take her to school but when I asked Bobbi earlier, she said that she arrived at school alone. It wasn't like Asia to lie to me, she was acting different and I was going to find out why.

I take the bar of soap, lathering the creamy scent around my body and into my hair. After I'm done with my shower I change into my swim trunks, grab my goggles, and head to the pool.

I dive into the chlorine warm water, stroking against the pool. The water ripples as I glide through the still liquid and I go up for air with every turn. I continue to do laps, going for air in seconds, straining my lungs as I refuse to stop swimming, ignoring the protest of my body as a cramp starts to seep into my legs.

When I rise from the surface, I gasp for air, choking on water. I see long lengthy legs in my blue peripheral vision. I rip my goggles off.

Bobbi stands over me on the edge of the pool. She's wearing that mini red skirt I like, the one that makes her ass look great and she's wearing the black top that makes her breasts bulge. I swallow hard.

She offers me a smile. "Are you okay?" She asks. "I was worried about you,"

"I'm fine," I say hopping out of the water.

She traces her fingers on my chest. "Come on Ken, talk to me,"

My heart is pounding in my ears making me numb to my thoughts. This was a bad idea but she was here and she looked way too good. I glance at my surroundings, we are the only two people here but there might still be security cameras. Screw it.

I pull her towards me, pressing our bodies together and kissing her hard. Her lips were warm and soft and she responded by pulling my hair and holding me closer towards her. We stumble into the locker room and my hand snakes along her leg, slipping off her underwear.

She pulls away gasping. "Wait, what if someone catches us?" she whispered.

I take her hand kissing it. "Football practice doesn't end until a couple of more hours, we have time," I say.

She nodded and I leaned forward taking her face in my hands, my mouth hot as my tongue danced along her lips.

-•-

"You feel better now Kenny?" Bobbi says as she straightened her bra and applied another layer of lip gloss to her lips. They looked so shiny and so tempting...

"I do, thanks for always being there for me," I say, pulling her into a hug.

"We're best friends silly," She rolls her eyes at me but I can see a flicker of admiration in her eyes.

"Can this..whatever this is be on pause?" I ask, scratching the back of my head. "I need to sort my feelings out,"

She smiles, leaning over to plant a kiss on my cheek. "Whatever you want,"

"You're the best," I say.

"I know," she answers, winking at me and disappearing into the exit.

As soon as she leaves the locker room door bursts open, my teammates trailing in smelling of dirt, blood, and sweat from the football field. They line up against the lockers, stripping down. When Dominic entered the locker room our teammates start chant and cheering for him, giving him collective pats on the head.

"What's this about?" I ask.

"Dominic just got appointed starting quarterback!" A freshman yell.

I slam my hand against the lockers. Rage gripped me, my temper sparking to a hundred degrees.

"Congrats Dom," I say through gritted teeth.

As people leave the locker room, one by one, I catch Dominic's arm at his locker before he heads to class.

He grins. "Hey man, what's up?"

"You can't take the spot," I breathe.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean man?"

I grab a fistful of his shirt, pulling his face towards me. I narrowed my eyes at him. "I mean that spot is mine, you know it is,"

"It's not my fault you screwed up,"

"It was one bad practice," I say, suddenly unsteady.

"I've been putting in the work, you let your guard down, you got too comfortable, and now your spot, your team, your glory is all mine," he spits back at me.

I push his body forward, slamming him against the lockers. His head hits metal and I pretend not to see the fresh blood that leaks along his neck.

"Take that back, now," I growl.

He bares his teeth at me. "I know those rumors about you aren't true. You're pathetic and weak. I know you won't punch me,"

My fury whirred in my chest, consuming me. I take his arm, jerking it away from his body, and twist it. Dominic cries out in pain.

I take Dominic's locker door and slam it against his hand, crushing his fingers.