after my best friend's death

after my best friend's death-chp9

The thing about football practise in our school is that a large number of girls sat on the bleachers marvelling as the guys were divided into two teams of shirt and skin. Then the teams were switched which meant that during the one and a half hour practise we had seen the entire football team shirtless showing off their toned bodies and flashing their abs. Also the fact that every single guy in the football team was drop-dead Greek God gorgeous invited the large masses of female fans.

            Coach Morrison earlier revolted against having any students watch them practise. He complained that the boys were busy showing off and flirting with their audience instead of practising. After repeated morning announcements and futile detention threats, Coach Morrison gave up hope. All he asked for was a minimum hour of rigorous practise.

            I sat flagged between Haylie and Anna on the third row of bleachers. It was well covered from the sun and was close enough to talk to the guys if they came to see us. This happened at every practise. It came to be called the girlfriends’ bleacher. The five of us, Haylie tagged along sometimes, along with Cassie and Kristen resided on this bleacher at every practise. The other guys were either dating the cheerleaders or were fleeting playboys.

            The players, football that is, were huddled up in a circle with the coach in the centre announcing the teams for the first half of practise. Some of the guys started stripping off their shirts and threw them on the ground, not feeling embarrassed at all.

            Coach Morrison had looked for options against the intense amount of skin show as well, but the female population of the school revolted and send petitions to the principle with over two hundred signatures. I agree to have signed one of these petitions as well. But in my defence, the petition was headed by Cynthia.

            Jer, Nate and Parker were shirtless while Kieran and Heath were still clothed. Kieran winked at me as he took his position somewhere on the field. I know being a football player’s girlfriend I should know a little more about the sport, but I was helpless. All I understood was the touchdown part of the game or a foul. Though I don’t think I’m really clear on the foul aspect because whenever anyone of the opponent team pushed or tripped one of my friends or Kieran, I would yell ‘foul’,

                        I forced my eyes off my delicious green eyed boyfriend and hunted for my victim. He seemed disturbingly at ease except for an occasional twitching around. I smiled slightly. I knew the itching was taking a toll on his concentration. He ran his hands down his shorts twice before Coach blew his whistle, commencing the game.              

                           The ball was with the shirt team first and they kept it with them for a few seconds before Jer stole the ball away. The skin team passed the ball around inching towards their goal. Nate hand the ball and he quickly scored, uneasily scratching down is shorts again.

                            I couldn’t help but laugh at his uneasiness. To his benefit, the fact that he was showing off his drool-worthy abs diverted the attention of the audience from his jumpiness. The coach shouted at him to get his head in the game and they started from centre position again.

                            After a few more minutes Nate was jumping around again. I could see his fingers curl-in along his sides as he resisted the urge to scratch. I couldn’t help but feel satisfied by his uneasiness. After all, his poking did hurt.

                            He restlessly ran his nails along the sides of his shorts, desperately trying to concentrate on the game. I could hear some girls catching onto his discomfort and cooing about wanting to be his nurse. I jut shook my head off the image of the wannabe nurse and Nate, paying attention to the game again.