Her life was far from perfect.
With an absent father, an alcoholic mother, and two younger siblings to take care of, Aurora never believed in an exemplary life for herself and therefore for others.
Everyone looked at her from their rose-colored gl...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𖥔 ݁ ˖. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁୨୧. ݁ ˖. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .𖥔
ONE WEEK LATER
"Get your head in the game Moore!" Coach Harper yells. I hear him and everyone around me. Heavy breaths of my teammates and my own as we push against the offensive line of another team during a football game. It was like I was present and gone at the same time though because although I was making good plays and getting guys on their asses, my mind was miles away and begging for a drink to simmer down the message I'd gotten this morning.
I was in the car with Liam, music blaring as a pre-game and first game of the year tradition when my phone pinging in my pocket distracted me. I'd opened my phone, ignoring the emails from various colleges and messages from my dad that were asking me about said emails. Once I reached the notification source, I swear my heart had stopped.
The world stopped spinning, grew a layer of frost from the cold of its stillness.
Unknown Number
U-Hey, It's Noah.
U-Can we talk?
I didn't reply. I couldn't.
Thinking back to the moment my heart stopped, I realize that I am so drawn away from the field that my strength simmers, and the guy I'm pushing against gets the upper hand. I'm shoved to the floor, his overbearing weight landing on me with a hard blow. We tumble onto the floor, and somewhere else on the field the whistle of the referee blows into the air as the ball in my hand rolls from my grasp.
The guy gives me a hand once he's gotten off me and I take his hand, pulling myself up before I pat him as a thanks and run off the field when my eyes meet a fuming Harper on the sidelines. My heart is racing with a mixture of adrenaline and anger as I run toward him.
Liam runs up beside me, his hand gently patting the back of my helmet as he huffs, "What's up with you man? What was that out there?" I shake him off, yanking off the helmet on my head. "My mind is all over the place man," I reply, frustration boiling over.
As I'm nearing Coach Harper, pulls on my forearm, taking off his own helmet to look me better in the eye. He brushes his sweaty blonde hair back with his gloved hand. "Hey," Liam shakes his head, a strong look coming my way. "Don't let this get in the way." He pokes a finger into my head. "Not on or off the field, Ollie."
"Get your ass back on the field, Jones. Moore, you're on the bench." We turn at the growling orders of our coach coming closer. Harper waltzed over with his plays on a clipboard in hand, burning anger in his eyes. I was in for it If I couldn't get my head to stop fucking with me.
Liam gives me a sympathetic look before pulling his helmet back on and heading back out onto the field as our reigning Quarterback. The moment he's off, Coach Harper shoves me toward the bench, his frustration with me evident.
