Forbidden

4 - sunshine state.

Elias Cains
LAX, Los Angeles, California

"Awe, Eli got a lil crush." Dallas teased me making me suck my teeth and stick one of of earbuds in my ear. Ready or Not by The Fugees playing in one ear while I still stayed engaged in the conversation with my other one.

"Ain't a crush."

"Telling a girl you have other things for her but animosity is having a crush," He spoke while turning around in his seat. Harrison sat across from in the aisle seat while Torrance sat at the window. I, fortunately, had the whole plane row to myself...

As long as that door closes by the time it takes to take off.

"I don't know the girl so how can I develop a crush on her? And that's what I meant... she's a stranger to me so," I explained only for Harrison to look up from his phone.

"Why won't you just talk to her? Get to know her? You see us doing it because shit...we got like 13 weeks left with her and maybe more if we go to the bowl in February. Talk to her, Eli." Harrison pleaded making me scoff.

"What benefit would that get me on befriending a water girl?"

"Maybe make yo' mean ass nicer." Torrance spoke up. Him, Dallas, and Harrison chuckling while I just shook my head.

They swore I was mean but the shit I do behind the scenes, you'd never know.

Personally, I just felt like a decent human being who likes helping people but also don't like them as well. I'm to myself.

Very much closed off.

Sometimes shy even.

And you could blame that on trauma.

"Here come Eli girl now." Dallas pointed up ahead at Trinity who was carrying her duffle bag in head clearly out of breath. She must've been running or something to get here. The plane door finally closed as she headed our way. Dallas stood up stopping her in her path,

"Water girl was about to be late." He spoke while grabbing her bag and placing it in the overhead bin. She thanked him while moving her hair out of her face. I could see the little bit of sweat beads on her forehead but she still looked pretty though.

Wait-

"I know, I overslept a bit past my alarm but luckily I made it."

"Well, sit down. Elias got an open window seat next to him." Harrison offered making me glare at him as he glared back. I rolled my eyes, huffed, and stood up letting her take the window seat. She thanked me before sitting down with her personal bag and strapping her seatbelt on.

Everybody knows I'm not a window seat guy because of... reasons. But I was happy to have the row to myself due to some players being missing but I guess that's ruin.

The flight attendants did their thing that we all were familiar with and not paying attention to as the plane started moving getting ready for takeoff.

My eyes looked over at the boys seeing Harrison with an eye mask over his eyes which didn't surprise me since I know he likes to sleep especially on long flights over to the east coast. Dallas was watching an episode of Seinfeld, his comfort show and pregame ritual. Torrance was reading a book he had started about self growth for men or something.