before the void - isaac lahey ⁰˙⁵

16

Everyone in the bleachers is buzzing with excitement since this is our first game of the season. 

I pull the beanie that sits atop my head further down so it's past my ears. I smile at Allison as she offers me some popcorn from the box she holds in her hands to try and keep warm.

I take one, popping it in my mouth and chewing as I look down at the field in front of me just in time to see that Melissa has arrived and she is waving to Scott who awkwardly waves back. 

She looks up in the stands for a seat and as her eyes meet mine I smile and wave at her. She grins in return but takes a seat towards the bottom of the bleachers. 

I turn to Lydia who then decides to go down to the field to talk to someone. 

"Lydia!" I hiss and she waves a hand in my direction. 

"I'll be right back." She insists and I watch her walk down to the bench where she waves Scott over from where he stands on the field. 

"Oh no..." I hear Allison whisper. 

I turn to her, "You know what that is about?" I ask and Allison nods, swallowing hard as she looks at her father, clearly unwilling to tell me what it is while he's there. 

I nod slowly, understanding what she means and turn back to the field to try and lipread the conversation. I watch as she grabs him by his lacrosse shirt and tugs him towards her, so their faces are only inches apart. They have a hurried discussion and I see Scott turn red. 

Lydia pushes him away from her and proceeds to smooth out the wrinkles that pulling him to her has caused. Before patting him on the shoulder and walking off, back towards us. 

I watch her come back up the stairs with a smug smile and I shake my head as I go back to watching the boy with the black eye's jersey. His shoulders square when a man walks up beside him and begins to engage in a hushed conversation. My eyes linger on him for a second, I watch as when the man gets closer to him he flinches away, only slightly but it is noticeable. I turn away, feeling as though I am invading his privacy. 

I hear the whistle blow and the team goes to huddle around the coach for a short time and then disperse, heading for either the field or the bench, I watch as Scott walks towards the feel and Stiles has his head down as he walks to the bench. 

I watch where Scott stands on the field and listen as the referee yells out commands. 

"Down!" He yells.

I watch as Jackson and the other player crouch down with their lacrosse sticks net-down, each of them preparing to be the first one to scoop up the ball and make a play. 

Several feet behind Jackson I watch as Scott closes his eyes under his helmet and I watch his lips move.

"Set!" His voice rings out across the field. The referee's hand goes up in a warning and then the whistle blows. 

The game starts and I can't help but feel nervous about its outcome. 

☾

I watch as Jackson throws the ball past the goalie and into the net, scoring the first game of the match. Everyone on the bleaches stands to applaud him I reluctantly stand with them.

Lydia begins to unfold a sign and I look down and read it. It says "WE LUV U JACKSON" in black and red letters. She tries handing it to me but I just shake my head, looking her dead in the eye. 

"I am not holding a sign up for that piece of shit," I say and she shrugs and passes it to Allison who begrudgingly holds it up as they both start to cheer simultaneously.