𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨 • 𝗔. 𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦

𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑅𝑇𝐸𝐸𝑁

[a d a m]

As we piled up onto the bus, shouts and cheers shook its timber exterior as my feet shuffled against its floors. There was only two spots left, one next to Luis who was chatting with Julie that turned to face him with a soft smile on her velvet lips.

And the other was Alexis. Who tugged are the loose hem of her jacket as she stared out of the window. Her lip caught between her teeth as she stared anxiously at the Iceland team who sprinted the tracks with lifted shoulders and knitted brows. Her fingers laced together as she takes may attempts in occupying herself with the small motions of the bus. I take the space beside her. My head refusing to meet with hers as lift my bag onto my lap.

Her hands wouldn't stop quivering and her leg wouldn't stop bouncing. My hand crept towards her own, placing a delicate palm on top of hers.

The tension in my shoulders loosened, yet the knots in my stomach tightened further. That irritating feeling returning to my skin as each needle pricked at the flesh of my chest. My heartstrings tugging me along like a puppet as Alexis laces her fingers in the strings pulling me along as her toy.

My chest burnt and severed underneath her being as she provides me with thoughts and feelings that were non existent to me until now. I hadn't known what it felt like to have a million feather in my mouth or what it felt like to feel your guys twist and turn or the way my mind will instantly go to her at night.

Every mere thought of her made a smile tug at my cheeks and every glance of her made my heart beat even faster as the paces of the beat quicken. Everything about her pained and healed me all at the same time.

Her burns and cuts were almost like blessings to my skin as she pressed her warm kiss along my arms yet her lips seared with gaseous holding an acid only I could touch and only I could feel and only burnt me with this feeling of desire.

Our fingers intertwined, breaths in unison as I still denied to meet with that mesmerised glaze. If you were to witness this seen from afar it would seem like it was the most natural and normal thing ever. But to me it felt something far from reality itself. Her hands were soft, silky almost. Her nails lightly arched with a French tipped edge. With a clear coat that made it glisten.

—"we're here!"

——

"My little brother, Russ here as been telling us that you've been choking big time." The boy in front held his stick to his chin as he glared at each one of us. "Well your brother's got a big mouth." Jesse snaps back. His head shakes side to side as his eyes roll to the left of him. Everyone turns their heads, their lips pursed as we all pray to god that we don't get beat up. Alexis leans in against me, our arms touching as her strangled breaths ease against the side of my neck. Her warm skin collides with my own.

"He does, doesn't he?" Russ smiles proudly as he looks up to his brother with a tight smile. "We thought we'd call y'all to see what you got."

-"We know you can talk to the press and sign autographs." Russ crosses his arms over his chest as the boy nods along with his sentence. "We can do more than that." Luis snickers. His cap barely protecting his eyes from the sun as he squints his slightly.

"Yeah? We can teach you to play like the real team U.S.A."

"What would you know about it?" Dean looks them up and down. His fist tense and his eyes linger for a moment before looking back at his side. And yet again our team was getting dominated. Our cheeks marked with the patterns of the metal fence that kept the yard in line. Our speed used against us, as yawns exited my mouth here and there.

"You gotta earn every inch." Dean rolls his neck slowly before chasing after him. Water tossed onto the ground as small puddles of it pooled the steaming concrete. My arms swing side to side as I cup the puck with light fingers, my stick handled poorly as I loosen grip around it here and there.