Whispered Promises

Chapter 9 - Collision Course

Alex's POV

Oh my gosh, that kid is so annoying! Wait, why is he even here? Isn't he supposed to be at the other school? Whatever. I don't have time to figure that out right now. I'm already late for my stupid science class. Why does science have to be my first class of the day? I can barely keep my eyes open in the morning, let alone think about equations. I don't even have time to stop by my locker as I sprint down the hallway, making it to Mrs. Thomson's class just as the bell rings.

I slide into my seat, dumping my books onto the desk. My tutor and classmate, Lucien, is already there, glancing up from his notes with a smile. Ugh, why does he have to be so sweet? It makes it really hard not to like him. I smile back, hoping the day gets better from here.

Mrs. Thomson launches into her lecture. "This morning, we're discussing the magnitude and direction of force." I sigh, sinking into my chair. This is going to be so boring. I start zoning out, wondering what Josy is up to. I'll have to catch her at lunch—wait, no I can't. I need to start training early. Coach Brian wants us to meet right after the last period, so there goes my lunch break for stretching and warm-ups. Great.

A tap on my desk snaps me out of my thoughts. Lucien hands me a folded piece of paper. I open it.

Here are the notes for the upcoming exam. Also, try to pay attention. I know you're sleep-deprived :)

I nod my thanks to him. Why does he have to be so considerate? Seriously. I need to focus—stay awake, Alex. Go Alexandra!

- Time Skip -

The bell rings, and I leap out of my seat as my history class ends. Thankfully, history is my last class of the day, and it's actually half-interesting. As I head for the door, my teacher calls after me.

"Alexandra, wait. Here's the material for tonight's homework. There are additional notes in the packet."

I give him a quick smile. "Thanks! Gotta run!" I grab the packet and bolt toward the locker room.

The second I push open the locker room door, I head straight to my locker, tearing it open to grab my gear. Suddenly, Josy's voice interrupts my rush.

"Alex, why are you in such a hurry?" She's peeking over her locker, her high ponytail perfectly in place as usual.

"Coach Brian wants to meet early today," I explain, yanking on my jersey. "He said he had something 'important' to discuss."

Josy raises an eyebrow. "Something important? Coach Brian is never that serious."

"Exactly," I say, finishing my braid. "That's why I'm worried. I want to get there ASAP."

"You'll be fine," she assures me, though I notice her smile falter. "Maybe there's a new player or something." Then her expression dims entirely. "You know, to replace Marques."

I roll my eyes. "Great, another annoying guy to deal with. I just hope your idiot brother comes back soon."

Josy forces a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "At least you don't have a coach going through a midlife crisis."

I grin as I tie my cleats. "Believe me, I'm counting my blessings."

She touches up her makeup, glancing at me. "Girl, you really need to make more of an effort."

I snort and playfully pinch her arm. "Do you think I'm out here trying to impress anyone?"

She swats my hand away, laughing. "I'm just saying! I mean, I'd never put all that gear on—it would totally ruin my dignity."

"Sure, Miss Popular," I tease. "Say whatever you want."

"You know I love ya," she says, flashing me a grin. "I could never pull off that whole tough-girl thing."

I wave as I head for the door. "Love ya too! But you keep rocking that skimpy cheerleader uniform. Have fun with your newly divorced trainer!"

She rolls her eyes as she waves back. "I will! And tackle someone for me while you're at it. See you later!"

When I finally make it to the football field, I drop my bag on the water table and wave to my teammates already practicing. Coach Brian catches my eye and waves me over. I jog toward him.

"Hey, Alex! Glad you're here," he says, all smiles.

"Good to see you too, Coach," I reply, slightly out of breath. "So, what's this 'important' thing you wanted to talk about?"

Before Coach Brian can respond, I hear a voice behind him. "Yo, Coach. I'm here."

My stomach drops as I look over Coach's shoulder. It's him—the guy on the motorcycle from earlier. Levi. Great.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, unable to hide my irritation.

Levi strides up, his expression just as annoyed as mine. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm here to practice."

Coach Brian quickly steps between us, his hands raised in a 'calm down' gesture. "I'm glad you two have already met," he says with a grin that doesn't reach his eyes. "Now, we need to talk about how you're going to work together."

Work together? Did I mishear him? This can't be happening. I'm already dealing with enough cocky guys, and now I have to play alongside this one? Marques was a jerk, sure, but at least he was a good quarterback. I need to text him later, check in on him. We were such a good team on the field.

But this guy? Levi? I have my doubts. Maybe it's just because I hate change—especially when everything was working just fine before. But Marques isn't coming back anytime soon. He's got months of rehab ahead of him, thanks to the Eagles and their dirty play. And now, one of them is supposed to replace him?

Oh heck no.

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