The Other Side - A Boys of Tommen Fanfic

Chapter 49- You'd Be Surprised

Ethan

"Hey Ethan, you got here awful slow. Heard your car got snatched. Did Marci finally get tired of your shit driving?" Gibsie teased, unable to give me even the slightest second of silence as I trudged onto the pitch.

I rolled my eyes, trying to shake off his worries. "She just needed the car. Don't worry, I'll be sure to outrun you on the field, ya lanker."

Feely joined in on my harassment, chuckling. "Better hope your legs are as fast as your excuses, Ethan. We've got our game against Royce coming up."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I brushed him off, smacking his shoulder as I walked past him and ran up to meet Johnny.

The rugby field was alive with the usual pre-practice hustle. The grass, freshly cut, filled the air with its earthy scent, mixing with the distant hum of cicadas. Sunlight glinted off the metal bleachers, casting long shadows across the pitch.

Johnny was already at the center of the field, running drills with a focus that made him seem invincible.

"Johnny, you're making the rest of us look bad out here," Hughie called out, referencing my best friend as he jogged toward us and away from where he had just scored a try.

Johnny laughed, "Just keeping you all on your toes, Hugh."

"Yeah, and at that speed, you're keeping us on our asses too," Gibsie snapped, still irritated from a fall that—to be honest—was completely unrelated to Johnny.

"Shut up, ya big fat fuckin—"

"GIBSON!" Coach's voice boomed across the field, cutting through the banter. My retort died on my lips as we all snapped to attention, the playful atmosphere sobering instantly. Coach had a way of commanding respect with just a single word.

Practice continued with its usual intensity. We ran drills until our legs burned and our breaths came in ragged gasps. Despite the physical strain, the camaraderie among us fueled our determination.

★・・・・・・★

The locker room buzzed with the aftermath of practice, the sound of cleats clattering against the floor and the hiss of showers in the background. I peeled off my sweat-soaked jersey, relishing the cool air on my skin.

"So, what's the deal with Marci and Lizzie today? Saw them leaving in a hurry," Hughie asked, clearly just pretending to care about Marci to cover up his concern for Lizzie.

"Not sure. Lizzie seemed pretty upset," I replied, the worry gnawing at the back of my mind. Why the fuck was I worried about Lizzie young? I couldn't tell ya. I guess if it mattered to Marc, it mattered to me.

"Serves her right, the viper probably couldn't take a taste of her own medicine" Gibsie said, pulling his jersey over his head and grabbing a towel to fuck with his hair for the next half hour.

"I don't know man, she seemed pretty broken up"

"I don't know, Liz is... always a little broken up" Patrick filled in calmly, a careful look on his face.

"Well Pierce, lad, you're her boyfriend, do you know what's got her so upset?" Johnny asked from in front of me, suddenly making me aware of the fact that both him and Pierce were out of the showers.

Pierce, who had been so unusually quiet that I didn't even hear him behind me, felt the need to put in his dumb ass two cents "Yeah, well she's been a raging bitch lately, wonder what's wrong now" he snipped, clearly not capable of reading a room.

"I think you know exactly what's wrong Pierce" Hughie snapped suddenly, slamming the locker room door shut as he sped out and dialed a number on his phone.

"Damn, what crawled up his ass? If anyone were to be thrilled at Liz being upset, it should be him," I said cautiously, not entirely sure why I felt the need to say it, as I knew it wasn't true.

"Yeah, well, you'd be surprised," Pierce huffed before he stormed out of the locker room as well.

"Well, that sounds like my cue to leave," Patrick sighed as he sat up and began stuffing his jersey in his bag. "You need a ride, Ethan?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be right out," I said gratefully as I began gathering my things and got ready to leave.

As the locker room emptied, I took a moment to reflect. The tension between Pierce and Hughie was palpable, and it was clear that something deeper was at play. I wondered if Marci had any idea exactly what was at play. She probably knew, considering she seemed to be pretty damn observant.

Patrick's voice snapped me out of my reverie. "Ready to go?"

I nodded, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Yeah, let's get out of here."

★・・・・・・★

Authors Note

Yall Ive started writing on my computer. Lowk is pretty nice. No emojis tho :(

Ily all, ive been pre- writing for a while so get ready for a... second book? Hm. Should I do two books or just one longer one.

Ilyasssm (You are so so so so loved (by me))

- Kat 🐞(I copy and pasted this so pls work)

WC- 823