God's Field |COMPLETED|

Chapter Twelve- Drained

     I was exhausted.

     I've never really had a reason to break down before and after that experience I don't plan on revisiting the feeling. I didn't count on being this tired after the fact either.

     School was going to pass slowly today, I just hoped I wouldn't run into Kelsey. Nothing against her, but facing her after I cried like that... I felt ashamed, embarrassed. Pushing down the sour thoughts, I pressed into school seconds before the bell rang for class.

     I usually arrive hours before the bell, but I'd slept past my alarm and just have been 'out-of-it' ever since. I made my way to the gym to see Coach Sanders flipping through a book. He looked up, set his book down, and pinned me with a serious look.

     "Where have you been this morning?" "At home, sir." He hummed, folding his hands, "any particular reason? You have been here early every day since school started." His tone was void of any emotion and that's what made me nervous.

     "I, uh, slept through my alarm, sir." He raised a brow, "you told me you had trouble sleeping." My breath hitched, I didn't do well with explaining myself.

     "I di- do, I do, I just- what are you getting at, sir?" He sighed, his stoic expression faded to genuine worry, "I'm just trying to look out for you, son. You've been through a lot here recently and... well, when you didn't show up I got worried."

     If I were him and I had a student like me, I'd be worried too. "Thank you Coach, but I'm fine." He nodded at me before shifting his gaze to the rest of the students who were just getting in class.

    "Get on the line and do your stretches. If I see anyone half-doing something or hardly trying at all, you'll learn what it feels like to do wall sits for an hour and after school. Got it?" A chorus of 'yes sirs' echoed throughout the gym while kids shrugged their bags off and got onto the line.

Today, I felt like a corpse. I was exhausted. I fell asleep in geometry, English, and shamelessly went to sleep at lunch.

     By the time school ended, practice was the last thing on my mind, but I had an obligation to show up even if I wanted to fall into a coma more than anything. My eyes blinked the brightness of the sun away, using my arm to block out the intense rays.

     "You're with me." I turned around puzzled to see Riley. "What?" He tilted his head towards the soccer field. There were eleven football players paired with eleven soccer players, I guess Riley and I were the twelfths. "Why?"

     He rolled his eyes, "dude, just go." I huffed, walking with Riley down to the soccer field. I easily located Leo's bright red hair in the middle of everyone, sporting a scowl at his partner, Lucas.

     I turned my attention to see Cameron and Walker were paired up, both carrying subtle conversation. I looked to Coach Sanders, Gibbons, and- the football team's defense coach- Coach Ray.

     They were talking to each other in hushed voices before a sharp whistle cut through the air, silencing everyone. "Boys, I don't care if you're a football player or a soccer player, friends or not, black or white, gay or straight, I do not want any fighting today. This is my soccer field, any blood you get on it you will clean up," Coach Sanders barked, putting on his usual tough as nails facade.

     Coach Gibbons spoke up next, "student council set up an obstacle course that you and your partner will complete. However, one of you will be blindfolded and it's up to your partner to guide you. You let your partner fall, you get to be blindfolded and your partner gets to direct you and maybe they might be nice and keep you on your feet. Now that you're with the opposite player, I want all of you to switch partners to partners on your own team."