Keeping Up with The Jocks (boy x boy)

Part 5

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As soon as TJ and I got back to our boarding house, I felt the fatigue kicking in. My body was still recovering from the intense practice earlier, and the food wasn't doing much to keep me awake. But I couldn't afford to fall asleep just yet. I was waiting for Elliot to call and FaceTime me.

I poured myself a cup of coffee to fight off the drowsiness. The caffeine was working its magic, but as the minutes ticked by, it was getting harder to stay awake. It was already midnight, and Elliot still hadn't called. I decided to give him until 1:00 AM before calling him myself.

When his phone rang, my heart was pounding with anticipation. But it wasn't Elliot who answered. It was a girl. "Hello?" she said. "Hello, uhh, who is this?" I asked calmly, trying to hide my growing worry. "I'm Camile, Elliot's friend," she replied groggily.

"Is Elliot okay?" I asked, my voice trembling. TJ was watching me curiously, still wide awake and scrolling through his phone.

"Uhh, he passed out because he had too much to drink," she said, sounding annoyed. "What? Where are you?" I asked urgently.

"Yo chill out! No wonder why he felt the need to drink," she muttered. What did she mean by that? My mind was racing with possibilities. "He's in my room, I'm taking care of him," she said, her annoyance growing more apparent.

"In your room? Why did you take him there?" I asked, feeling a pang of jealousy and anger rising in me.

"He's fine, okay? And no, I didn't wash him with a wet towel. I'm not his girlfriend," she said before abruptly ending the call.

I tried calling Elliot several times, but his phone was turned off. I couldn't shake off the feeling of worry and irritation.

I turned to TJ for some comfort and advice. He told me not to worry too much, but the thought of Elliot being with his ex-girlfriend made me uneasy. I tried to call him again, but there was still no answer. TJ urged me to get some sleep and deal with it in the morning, but my mind was too restless.

I couldn't stop overthinking and blaming myself for not telling him earlier. I felt guilty for not being there for him when he needed me the most. To take my mind off things, I grabbed a can of beer from the fridge and downed it in one go. It wasn't the healthiest coping mechanism, but it helped me fall asleep eventually.

The next morning, I woke up earlier than my alarm. I checked my phone, hoping to see a reply from Elliot. There was none. It was 5:56 AM, and I decided to prepare breakfast to distract myself. I made my usual meal, but I doubled it up for TJ as well. I was setting the table when he walked out of the restroom, half-naked and rubbing his face.

"You look tired, did you get enough sleep last night?" he asked, giving me a concerned look.

"I'm fine," I replied, trying to hide my exhaustion. "I just can't believe Elliot drank so much and ended up with his ex-girlfriend last night."

"He's lucky to have you care for him like that, even if he doesn't realize it," TJ said, shrugging nonchalantly. "But it's not your fault. You can only do so much."

I smiled weakly, feeling grateful for his support. "Thanks, TJ. I should have told him earlier, though. Maybe things wouldn't

As I watched him shrug his shoulders and start digging into his food, I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration bubble up inside of me. "If you say so," he had muttered, completely oblivious to the storm of thoughts that were raging through my mind.

As soon as I finished my own meal, I made my way to the bathroom to take a quick shower. I needed to clear my head and focus on the task at hand: practice. TJ had been right, after all. Elliot was a grown man and perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened last night.

I tried to push the thought out of my mind as I made my way back to our room to grab my gear. TJ was already there, laying out his stuff in a neat row. We exchanged a quick nod before heading out to the gym.

As we walked, I couldn't resist the urge to check my phone. But once again, there was nothing from Elliot. I felt my frustration build with each passing moment. He had better call me today, or else I was going to be seriously mad.

I shoved my phone back into my bag with a sigh and focused on getting ready for practice. I needed to stay focused if I was going to perform at my best. So, I slipped into my training gear and made sure that everything was in place.

TJ De Falco's POV

As I watch Apol do his ball drills, it's obvious that he lacks sleep. He looks tired and is breathing heavily. He seems off today. I can't blame him though, he was worried sick about his boyfriend who was so drunk that he ended up in his ex-girlfriend's room last night. What the hell, right? That bastard was just lucky Apol cared so much about him.

Elliot knows that Apol and I sleep in the same boarding house, and it's hilarious how jealous he gets. I used to have a thing for Apol. He's small, good-looking, charming, and damn great in volleyball. But I was too late for him. When I realized how much he means to me, he was already with Elliot. I've moved on though. He's better off without me. If he were with me, he'd surely be tired every night if you know what I mean. Kidding aside, I respect them both.

The coach whistles, and we form our teams again, but this time Apol is playing against me. Reed is on my team, which is interesting because he's the captain and I consider him the alpha of our team. We clearly have the advantage to win this match against Apol's team.

As I predicted, we took the first set easily. We made a great first six for our team to represent Balboa. Apol was way off today; he's not playing his best. Was he still distracted by his boyfriend? His teammates were giving him lessons and shouting at him, which is unlikely. He was being judged because he missed receiving service. To me, that was one of the scariest parts of volleyball, to be judged by your passing. It lowers my confidence. This makes me concerned because Apol is distracted. We're not on the same team, so I can't boost him up.

Everyone gasps when Apol takes a facial hit from the captain of our team. It must have hurt because his cheeks turn dark red after the ball hits his face. I'm more shocked than the others because he wasn't able to cover himself, which is very unlike him. The captain goes to him and apologizes, but my teammates tease and mock him. I give them a death glare.

God damn it. I go to Apol with a concerned look. He shoves me and tells me he's fine. Clearly, he's not.

He looks pissed and determined. I guess he's awake now.

As the match continues, Apol becomes himself again. He even does his butterfly dig multiple times in a set, which earns back his reputation as a freaking badass libero.

I breathe a deep sigh of relief.

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Author's Note:

Hey you! Did you like TJ's first Point of View? 

Yeah, I kinda want to involve the Point of View of my other protagonist in this story to make it more interesting. 

What do you think? 

Show me some love and vote and comment! 💜✨