Beautiful

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Zayn's POV

•A few days later•

"Good morning," Elle says, standing over me. I blink a few times and realize she's in her ball uniform with her hair braided. She's folding something to put in her travel bag.

"Mmm... Morning." She leans down and kisses my cheek.

"You better get up. We have to leave in an hour. You can take a shower if you want."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Five in the morning." I chuckle a little and get up. "What? Too early for you?"

"Yeah. But it'll all be worth it watching you win and go to the finals," I answer. She smiles.

I decide to take up on her offer of a shower. So I really just stand under the hot water for a while. I change into my same clothes her mother feels the need to clean and fold. I always smile at that.

We pack everything for the day and for tonight since it's a two day tournament. We'll be staying in a hotel sponsored by our high school.

We get in her mum's car and begin the trip. And for some reason, we started playing road games and singing like idiots. And for a small fraction of a second, I look at both Elle and Mrs. Parker and realize how much they mean to me. They are my family now. No matter how much neither of us say so, I feel accepted for once. I feel like they actually care about me.

I smile at the thought and put my arm around Elle. And in this moment, life for me has subsided from hell to an illusion.

•••

We arrive to stares and attempts of intimidation. No doubt Elle's psyching herself out for this game. I look over and she's popping her knuckles and rolling her shoulders with her music on. Yup. I wouldn't want to play against her anytime soon.

I walk with them both through the lobby. I notice how everyone watches Elle. Their eyes reveal hatred to her. They must've played her before and remember her number. Maybe they tell themselves, "Avoid number ten at all costs." I'm not sure why. Elle is so small and not very intimidating. I suppose it's her brutal actions on the court.

"Zayn, I'm a bit nervous," she says.

"Elle, you've never once said this about a team everyone knows isn't very good."

"Well! It's a big deal!" she answers. I smile and shake my head.

"You've got this. And if anything happens, I'll be first there. Now who's going to win?"

"I am."

"Who?" I ask again. She smiles bigger.

"I am!"

"Good. Go to your huddle. Play hard and be safe. I love you." I lean down and quickly kiss her cheek. I catch up with her mum and we find our seat and await the game to begin.

And everything starts off well. We get the tip and begin to score. The other team struggles until they realize that not very many calls are going against them. So they begin to play dirty by throwing elbows and hit "accidentally". Their score is up but not blowing Elle's team out. It's a six to one point lead the whole game. Which frustrates them worse.

I notice during the game that Elle holds her stomach and wipes her mouth. They had her a towel and she wipes the blood. I remember what happened to me last night. It all floods back to me...

•Flashback•

"You spend way too much time with that Parker girl. She is nothing but trouble," Uncle Jack explains.