Axel's Daisy

7 • Axel

   She didn't say a word.

   She sat there like an innocent cat, glancing at me fleetingly through the rearview mirror. She fidgeted with her nails and bumped her thighs together.

   Brady glanced at me and then at her, clearly confused. I nudged his side to stop him from making her more anxious. The only sound in the car was the air conditioner, and Brady realized that Akon was no longer the topic of interest as he watched both of us.

   "Keep your eyes on the road," I whispered to him.

   "Only if you keep yours," he retorted. I wanted to claw him for his stupid remarks; he always had to go for lame answers.

   I kept my eyes to myself, well, except for a glance or two. I held back a grimace when my eyes automatically went to her, but this time she was gazing out the window at the girls holding large signboards with football emojis and other distracting messages.

   "Go east, go west, Axel is the best," chanted one girl, flashing her bra.

"I think you should close the window," I told her. Her face was horrified before she quickly shut the tinted window.

  Brady parked the car, and we all got out in one piece. His driving skills were subpar, but his parking was spot-on. I opened the girl's door, and noticed something on the middle of her dress.

  "Is that a worm?" It was hard to pinpoint, but it moved slowly on her clothed abdomen.

  "It's probably from the gardens," she quickly explained, removing it with a nervous grin.

  "So," Brady said, approaching us and looking at her, "are you going to be the one wearing his jerseys for every game?"

  I flicked his neck, causing him to yelp and rub the red spot. "Okay, okay, nice to meet you," he said, backing away from my glare.

  She squirmed the moment she observed the crowded place, clearly disliking the chaotic mess of people and signs.

  "I have to go," she said, placing her fingers behind her head and glancing warily around. "Thanks for the ride, though." She started to turn around, but I grabbed her wrist to stop her.

  "I know a quieter spot in the bleachers for the event. I can take you there." Surprise filled her eyes before she smiled softly at me, making my heart race.

  She was pretty when she smiled.

  "Okay," she replied simply.

   My fingers intertwined with hers as I led her through the crowd. I enjoyed the feeling of her hand in mine. She was different from the rest, like a deer caught in headlights as she took in every detail. Whenever the camera flashes went off from the school's media team, she covered her face with my arm due to our height difference.

   I heard my name being called a few times but ignored it when I led her to the quieter corner of the bleachers. I had noticed it during the first practice; the guys had told me it was deserted but had a good view of the game.

   "Axel, get down here!" Coach yelled.

  She sat down and looked up at me. I let go of her hand and she glowed under the lights. "Wish me good luck," I whispered.

  "Good luck," she smiled again, and I struggled to suppress the urge to kiss her right then and there.

   I practically ran to the team as we lined up to receive our jerseys. The crowd applauded as scouts met with the coaches for the season. The team's mascot danced around the field.

   "And for our quarterback, give it up for Axel Hughes!" The clapping intensified when I took the stage and received my jersey with the number ten on it, my dad's lucky number. I saw Cole's sad eyes and wondered what he was feeling.

  The whole team gathered for a group photo, cheering as we sang the anthem.

  "Mister Hughes, you've grown into a young man," another scout, Kevin, greeted.

  "Thank you, Mr. Vance."

  "What do you want to major in after this year?"

   "Sports management, and to be part of the league," I replied as the old man nodded in understanding.

  "We'll see about that," he said, and I heard the offer in his voice, "If you win this championship, you have my word for The Champions League and a highly paid job as a coach in our academy."

  This was the fourth scout to approach me. I gave them my best smile as they moved on.

   "Yay, food!" Reign and Jack cheered while they went in first with their plates.

  "Hey, wait for me at least!" Tyler shouted, squeezing between them and shoving a cake into his mouth.

   Alex and Brady joined the others after the scouts left the field, and the crowd chatted amongst themselves.

  The nameless girl sat awkwardly, tucking escaped hairs behind her ear and placing a hand on her stomach. I instantly knew she was hungry; she hadn't eaten anything at lunch.

   I grabbed a sandwich and went up to her.

   "What's your name?" I finally asked.

   She took the sandwich from me, opened it, and started eating.

   "I'm Destiny," she replied, before focusing on her sandwich again.