Spy School: Fun and Games

Tryouts Preview (Part 2)

WOOOOO HEY Y'ALL ILY!

Football Field
Blue Sky High
3:00 PM
Monday
September 11th

Ben's POV:
"We what!?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah! Dude we made JV!"

"Dude?" I yelled, getting excited.

"Dude!" He nodded.

"Heck yes dude!" I high fived him.

"The email says we meet for our first practice tomorrow and they'll give us the rest of the details later."

"Yes dude, we killed it!" I said lively, still psyched.

We went back to chilling after that, grinning every now and then at our achievement.

I was so eager to start and couldn't wait until practice tomorrow. 

After a long night and long day, it was time.

Mike and I got changed with everyone in the locker rooms and headed out to the field a little early. We immediately saw a few people practicing already, and I was impressed.

The others were stretching on the track and getting ready to start. Coach Ryan and Brodie were animatedly talking to each other and I smiled, happy with who we had leading our team.

"On the field everyone, let's go, let's go, hustle." Coach Ryan encouraged.

I looked around at our team. I'd seen most of them play in games Mike and I came to watch and was confident that we'd do well this season.

One person that looked my age or a little older, jogged in, helmet and visor on. It was the person who'd been practicing even before Mike and I got here, and something about them seemed different. The person seemed a little skinnier, but was tall and more muscular than a bunch of the others. They had their helmet on already because they'd been practicing, so I hadn't seen their face like the other players, but I ignored it. I was curious as to who it was, but knew this wasn't the time.

"Warm-ups everyone, Hale take the lead." Brodie called out once everyone was on the field.

The mysterious player began barking out orders and leading us in our stretches and warm-up drills.

We did those for about a half an hour and were called back in by the coaches. They told us the beginning drills and we started the heavy practice. We gave it our all and I did the best I could.

Mike and I started to make friends with the older players and I was glad they were accepting of us being there. We really wanted to be able to have fun and do our best, and it was nice to have older people we knew at the school.

Everyone worked their butts off for the entire duration of the practice without many complaints, but the second Brodie and Ryan said it was over, we all collapsed. Everyone lie there on the ground, breathing deeply. Save for one person. The mysterious Hale. We'd all taken advantages of every break we were given, but not them. They kept going through each and every one as if they would die if they stopped moving. Reminded me of that analogy about sharks.

"Hey Mako!" I called out after them playfully as they kept going, even after the end of today's practice. "It's okay to rest!"

They turned around to look at me, head tilted just a few degrees. I could feel eyes piercing into me as they stared, before turning back and practicing as if I'd never said a word.

"Weird." Mike laughed. "I barely want to work during the time we have to, let alone the breaks."

"Oh, I know man." I poked. 

"Hey, I own it." He kept laughing. "I'm gonna get ready to go, you coming?" 

"Nah, I'll catch up. Figure Mako needs a break at some point."

"Haha! Alright man." He chuckled, jogging to the locker rooms.

I turned to the empty field, the same one person still practicing. It looked to be avoiding defenders, but it was hard to tell with no actual defenders.

"Need a defender?" I asked.

They ignored me.

"I'm just trying to be friendly." I offered gently.

I heard a huffed, 'fine' and smiled. 

"Alright!" I said in a happy tone.

"Try to keep up." They said, voice low.

"I was gonna say the same thing to you." I teased.

"Set- hut!" They pulled the ball back and tried to start running forward, but I was clearly in the way, and they started to go back before taking off on an angle. I predicted this easily, and went after them, when they spun smoothly and I took 2 too many steps forward, off balance. They slammed their shoulder into mine, knocking me off my feet and to the ground, before taking off running like it was life or death. I scrambled to get up, trying to get them, but they were long gone.

We ran this a couple of times, me nearly ending up on the ground each time at first, before I started to predict their moves better, seeing their thoughts as if they were spoken aloud.

I got close each time, and after 7 or so attempts, I started getting some tackles. Only a few, but I was managing. I almost wished I hadn't after each frustrated huff and the demand to run it again. After my 3rd or 4th successful stop, it was like they had a new burning need to beat me. We kept running it over and over again, until the coaches called out and told us to head home.

I was the one on the ground this time and I laid back for a second, tired all over again. I saw the other player moving towards the bench to grab their water. I sat up and started to stand when they pulled off their helmet in slow motion, long raven hair falling out of it. I was met with the most stunning and sharp, icy blue eyes I'd ever seen.

Suddenly I couldn't breathe as well again.

"-our name?" She asked, voice muffled.

"Huh?" I questioned, snapping out of my daze.

"What's your name?" She asked again.

"Ben Ripley." I smiled.

"You're not awful Ripley." She said, before turning and walking away.

Something told me this was as close to a compliment that I was going to get from her for a while, maybe ever.

"What's your name?" I asked, jogging to catch up with her. 

She paused, no doubt trying to understand my intentions. She seemed to decide they were innocent enough.

"Erica. Erica Hale."

"You're not awful either Hale." I joked playfully.

I was met with a confident smirk.

"Oh I know." She replied before heading into the opposite locker room without another word.

Erica Hale. 

Something told me I was going to like being on the football team even more than usual this year.

Semi-short but I've been uploading super long ones recently, so this works just fine lol, hope you liked it, and feel free to leave your thoughts or things you'd like me to write on here lol, love ya, byeee!