The Final Season

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

"So Iris nearly beat up a referee on her senior night," Austin said while biting back laughter as we sat on the turf. We were in gym, and though it was freezing outside(at least I thought so) we still decided to come outside. There were three gym teachers during each period so one took out all of the people who wanted to go outside and the others stayed inside with the ones who wanted to be in the gymnasium or go to the weight room. Zoey and I were passing a soccer ball around and Austin, Zach, and Brandon, two other people on his team, were laying on the turf beside us while other people from gym were on the other half of the field playing football. I wasn't very familiar with Brandon, he was in the same year as us, but I only saw him around here and there. Zach on the other hand, I met him back in middle school, he was in most of my classes and he loved to annoy me. He wasn't that bad of a guy though. He was nice, and at times I found him funny, but I knew that he tried to rile me up on purpose, and god was he good at it.


I kicked the soccer ball at Austin and it hit him on the side of his stomach. He'd been teasing me about what happened senior night for a week. He found the whole thing hilarious and when I met him after the game and ranted to him about it(as if he wasn't watching at all) he began to laugh hysterically. I almost killed him on the spot but refrained from it because my parents came shortly after, bearing their disappointed faces that I already anticipated. Austin had stopped laughing in their presence, that little chicken, scared of my parents.


"Did she really?" Zach asked propping himself on his elbow, "man I wish I could have been there to watch."


"Where were you?" Austin asked.


"Babysitting my little sister," he replied groaning.


"Oh, well yeah she got a red card, funniest shit ever,"


"Shut up Austin," I said getting ready to kick the ball at him again but decided against it.


"It's not like they need her,"


"Shut up Zach," I hissed glaring at him. He began to mock me and I groaned.


"Don't beat me up too Iris! Please spare me of your wrath!" He cried out and Austin and everyone else laughed while I found nothing in particular funny.


"Then come on lets go, you and me, one on one," I said grabbing the ball from the ground and throwing it up in the air. My eyes met his in a menacing manner and he raised an eyebrow at me.


"Right now?"


"Right now."


"Alright Iris lets go then," he said and jumped up from the ground, wiping off the turf on his clothes. I took the ball and rolled it in front of me, "you can have the ball first," he said and I shrugged my shoulders and took it. He's gonna run crying to his mom when I get finished with him. I stood in front of him with the ball between my feet. Zach bent his knees slightly and gripped his shorts as he looked up at me and smirked, "you can still call it quits before it's too late," he said and with those words I took a touch on the ball, and both of us became serious. His eyes were trained on the ball and mine were watching his feet, waiting for the moment I would catch him on his heels and breeze past him.


As if mocking me, or giving me the oppurtunity to win, he stood on the balls of his feet slightly and left enough space between his legs, enough for me to nutmeg him. Zach looked completely shocked as I breezed past him and towards the goal. I could feel him chasing after me, I could practically feel his breath on the back of my neck. I took a bad touch and the ball went too far ahead of me and I cursed under my breath as I saw Zach slowly but surely start sprinting past me to it. I imaged Davis shouting at me to get on my "high horse" and I sprinted with him, the ball was in front of the both of us, and we each had the perfect oppurtunity, but I extended my leg out further then he did, and shielded him from the ball. I looked momentarily up at the goal and then watched the ball soar past Zach and go into the far corner.


"OH YEAH!" I sceamed out as I did a half-assed cartwheel and half of the people looked at me as I did so. "Iris one, Zach zero," I chanted as I skipped toward him as he stood there with his head down. I air drummed and did spins in place and when Zach looked up at me I stuck my tongue out at him and called him a loser. I was definitely a sore winner--well at least when the person had it coming to them, and Zach, boy did he have it coming to him. He had it coming for a long time.


"Wow Zach she schooled you," Austin said walking up to us and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I smirked and leaned into him, feeling strangely comfortable as I did this. He looked down at me and smiled and I rolled my eyes, not forgetting how he was choking on his laughter while discussing my red card a week ago. "When's your first game of sectionals?"


"Um tomorrow I think,"


"You think?"


"Okay it's tomorrow," I said nodding to myself and Austin chuckled and shook his head.


"Who cares? They're just gonna lose again," Zach's annoying voice said from behind us.


"Oh shut up before I score on you again," I warned and could hear him mumble something under his breath. I smirked to myself, knowing that I now had something to hold against him. Oh how the tables have turned and my life has become so much easier.

~

I walked into Davis's classroom and he was writing terms on the wall. He turned around as I walked into the room and smiled at me. We have been getting along lately. When I say getting along, I mean we no longer want to rip each other's head off. He still makes me angry...he still makes me want to bash my head against something that can cause serious damage sometimes... but we're also starting to understand each other, and that's serious progress. It only took us four years to do so...


"Hey Grey,"


"Hey," I replied awkwardly.


I don't think either of us know how to talk to each other unless it involves arguing... that, we're experts on. I took my seat and rested my head on the desk, closing my eyes and hoping that I could get a few minutes of sleep. If I had Davis earlier in the day, I would be able to tolerate his class, but now, all my energy is drained out of me by the end of the day and I just want to be home, or anywhere else but here.


"Okay so basically today is going to be a free day, I'm just going to give you some notes and then I'll be putting on some documentaries for you to watch." The class interuppted into cheers at the mention of an easy day and I internally basked in the information because that mean I could take a ninety minute nap, "but you have to take notes," Davis added and the cheers turned into groans, and my temporary enjoyment washed away. So as he did the notes, I attempted to copy down the words that left his mouth but my eyes kept closing, and begged me to allow them to stay closed. I nearly gave in several times but I could feel Beth nudge me each time my head began to lower and just like that I had to sit through Davis's lecture.


When he put the disc in I didn't care if we were meant to take notes, my head immediately met the wooden desk in front of me. I didn't think about how many people could have sneezed or coughed on it as I did so, something I normally would have thought about, I was way too tired to even consider that.


"Grey can I speak to you for a moment," I heard Davis call and I silently groaned and pretended I couldn't hear him. I hoped that he would let it go and let me sleep, just for a little, but I could feel him stand beside me, and I saw his dress shoes from the little opening at the crook of my elbow. He gently nudged me and I sighed and sat up. He smiled slightly and gestured for me to follow him. This better me good, I have better things to be doing...like watch this documentary of whatever chapter we were on, or even more importantly, get some shut eye before practice.


We went into his office and it was my first time being in here. There were boxes stacked against each other in one corner of the room. Extra textbooks were scattered on the shelves of the walls, and there was two desks side by side, against a wall. I was guessing that the other desk belonged to the other teacher who shared the office with him. My suspicions were right when I saw a picture of two boys hugging each other in a picture frame. On Davis's own desk, was a photo of Meg and I smiled slightly. That was the only thing that looked good about his clutter filled office. That, and a photo of the team, one that I never knew Davis had. It was put right next to the picture of Meg and all of the girls were in a circle, our arms around eachother's shoulders and between the cracks of our legs you could see Davis on one knee with a clipboard in hand. I don't know who took the photo, but I don't think any other item could describe our team better. If I had to choose a pose for any picture, it would be that one, I'm not entirely sure why, but when I look at it, the first word my mind formulates is family.


He grabbed one notebook--or a gradebook I think, and placed it in front of me. Suddenly, I had a pretty good idea at where this was all going. I wished I could be back in the classroom. I'd watch that stupid video and take as much notes as I could before I had to deal with him, and my grades. Crap crap crap, please let the fire alarm go off, or anything that would make Davis stop this stupid meeting. Let two girls start pulling at each other's hair for all I care just stop him from trying to lecture me. I didn't need this...ever.


"Grey, I know how much you don't want to hear this,"


"Great! Then lets call an end to this convo! I gotta go Davis, I'm missing class A information in there, you're putting my education at jeopardy," I said standing up from the desk.


"Iris," Davis warned, "sit down," I looked up at him, his hazel eyes were far too serious for my liking. I wanted them to go back to senior night, when we were up on the hill, and they were playful, and teasing.



"Fine," I muttered and waited for him to open up the book. He took out a stack of papers and I noticed they were my previous assignments I handed in, and a few tests we took. I really don't want to hear him whining over me getting an eighty. An eighty is perfectly fine, I can live with an eighty, and that's all that should matter.


"Okay so, your average in my class is an eighty five,"


"Really? That's great!" I beamed and raised my hand in the air waiting for him to meet me halfway but he just stared at it and I slowly brought my hand down. I guess it wasn't great for him.


"You can do a lot better than that,"


"Oh come on, don't start with this now Davis. Please, we are finally getting along don't do this now," I pleaded and he grabbed one of my tests and began reading out some of my short answer questions. I rested my head against my fist and listened to him read the answers I gave him. I remember that day, we had a game and I didn't feel like taking the test so I just winged it, and still managed to get an eighty two.


"Iris you have so much more potential, and it's only the beginning of the year so I need you to promise me that you'll start putting effort into your work. Soccer isn't the only thing that matters."


He was beginning to sound like my parents and I could feel whatever progress we were making slip away. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I answered him, "I am putting in effort so if you want me to promise you that I will, I can do that, but don't expect me to become some braniac,"


"I am so sick of you not caring,"


"I do care!" I nearly shouted but the sound of my classmates in the other room stopped me from doing so, "mind your freaking business, I am doing just fine with my grades, and I'm doing just fine with your stupid class."


"You don't care, nothing matters to you unless it's something that appeals to you. You don't do anything unless you see a benefit in it. You're going to waste your life if you continue with that,"


"Well, then that's my decision isn't it?" I snapped back at him.


I watched him pinch the bridge of his nose, "you're so frustrating."


"Nobody told you to worry about me," I said.


"Well I do worry about you because you don't worry about yourself."


"Maybe you should stop then!" My voice slightly began to rise as I stood up, "I don't need you to worry about me, I need you to just leave me alone and let me do what I want. Let me make my own decisions--or apparently, my own mistakes. I don't care what yo--"


"Is everything alright?" I looked up to see the teacher that shares the office with him. She looked at me and then at Davis who I knew would already be angry. I didn't need to turn around to know that. I could feel his anger radiating off of him.


"It's fine," I said and pushed past both of them so I could go back to the class and far away from Davis as I could.

~

I watched the girls pass the ball back and forth, patiently waiting for an oppurtunity to push it further up field and score a goal. Sitting on the bench was a strange feeling. I wasn't really sure why I was sitting here, especially on the first game of sectionals, but maybe Davis had a plan, and maybe I wasn't apart of it. Something told me that this was about yesterday though, and our fight.


Davis is suppose to be professional and he's not suppose to let personal conflicts get in the way of the team. I looked over at him and as usual he was standing by the edge of the field. There was only twenty minutes left in the game, and Davis and I haven't said a word to each other, and neither of us looked in the other's way.


I grabbed the edge of my shirt and covered my face with it, muffling my groan of frustration. I need to be on that field. I need to go talk to Davis. I stood up from the bench and walked over to him. He said nothing, and didn't even bother turning towards me. I felt awkward. Here I was, yelling at Davis to leave me alone one minute, and then begging him to let me go in the game the next. I was pathetic.


"Davis can I go in the game," I asked, swallowing my pride as I did so. Standing in front of him right now after a fight was embarassing. He said nothing and I was pretty sure he was going to keep ignoring me. He was so damn stubborn and I think that's what frustrates me so much--that he always has to be the one that's right, and I have to be the one always apologizing. "Can I?" I repeated.


"Do what you want, last time I checked you didn't want me worrying about you. So do what you want, I don't care."


Real mature.


I bit back those words and walked over to the scorer's table and waited for the next dead ball before I could go in the game. I decided to just take out Erin since she was currently playing left wing, and that was my favorite position on the field. We were only up by one, and the other could easily score and tie the game again so we needed a bigger cushion. Especially with twenty minutes still left in the half.


As soon as I got in, the ball was passed out to me and I carried it as far as I could until a defender came so I passed it back to an open Maggie in the middle of the field. I overlapped the defender and Maggie split the pass between two defenders and into the corner where I could easily make a run and reach it. I looked up and saw Beth making a run in the middle, but I saw the defender right beside her and thought better than to just pass it to her.


I took too long and before I knew it, the ball was taken from me and sent in the other direction. I groaned slightly and sprinted off toward the other end. No way was I going to let the other team score on my mistake. Talk about embarassment when I came into the game myself, and then become the reason why the game gets tied. I think that would be the icing on the cake for Davis, although he'd be furious at the same time.


Our centerback got possession of the ball back and cleared it up. It went over my head and our forwards were all still back from defense so I set off sprinting toward the ball while Beth started making a run for the pass.


"Man on, man on!" Beth called through breaths but before I could reach the ball and send it up to her, one of the other team's defenders came sliding in, in hopes of getting a foot on the ball, but she caught my ankle as she did so and all of the pain I had been enduring for the entire season came surging back just from one stupid foul. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me but I stood back up--or attempted to--but as soon as my right foot touched the ground, I screamed.


I tried balancing myself on one foot and then put some pressure on my right foot again, but an unbearable pain followed and I cried out as I fell down to the ground in a heep. I clutched my ankle and tried biting back the sobs that were escaping my trembling lips. Before the whistle was even blown, Davis was sprinting onto the field toward me and Beth was by my side.


Davis was beside me in a matter of seconds and the other teams trainer was with him. Tony would have been here but he was at the boy's football game so he couldn't make it. Davis tried calming me down and then reached out to gingerly touch my ankle but I slapped his hand away. Even with the unbearable pain, I was still angry with him--still angry at the fact that he put a stupid little fight in front of the team, and stubborn enough to not let him help me.


"Don't touch me," I cried out. I hid my face on my arm and tried to muffle my crying. There was nothing more embarassing than crying hysterically on a soccer field with a ton of people just staring at me like I'm a lunatic, but I couldn't stop it. I was great at enduring pain, but there was no way that I could pretend like this didn't hurt.


"Iris you have to talk to me and tell me what hurts," Davis said suddenly feeling the need to talk to me, as if he didn't just tell me I could basically fall off the face of the Earth and he wouldn't care. Now he wants to care, but I don't want him to worry about me. I didn't want him to when I told him that in his office, and I didn't want him caring now either.


"My ankle obviously," I said lifting my head up so I could look him in the eyes. What kind of question was that? Does he not see me holding onto my ankle? What else could I be complaining out?


"Well, lets get her off the field so we could take a look at it," the trainer finally spoke.


"I'm fine," I said getting on my knees and pushed myself up to my feet, ignoring the stabbing pain as I did so. My leg was nearly shaking because of it. The both of them looked at me, the trainer was obviously confused as to how I could be fine again after the whole thing that just went down, but Davis saw right through me.


"Like hell you are," he said trying to reach out for me, like I would actually let him pick me up.


"I can walk by myself," I said pushing his arms away from me and wiping at the endless flow of tears escaping my eyes. I didn't even sound like myself. The crying was altering my voice and causing me to choke on my words. I moved forward, with my left leg first and then followed with my right but as soon as I stepped with it, I could feel the pain even more than before. I bit my lip and closed my eyes. If I could just walk it off...that's all I needed.


I felt myself being lifted up and when I opened my eyes I noticed that I was in Davis's arms. He was carrying me...bridal style...off the field. I hid my face in his shoulder out of utter embarassment. If I thought that nothing could be worse than the current throbbing of my ankle, being carried off by Davis was ten times worse. I'd rather get kicked in my ankle repeatedly than have him carry me over to the trainer's jeep and put me on the back of it.


The trainer slipped my cleat off after untying the strings and I took my sock off and placed it and my shin guard beside me. The game had continued but Davis was standing beside the trainer and peering over his shoulder as he exammined my ankle. I cursed internally at my bad luck. Tony wasn't here, and I wish that he was, because he would lie to Davis if I asked him to, or at least he had before and I hoped he would, but this guy knows nothing about me or the history of my ankle so he'll be completely straight forward and honest with Davis.


"Is it bad?" Davis finally asked after I winced at the gentle touch of the trainer's fingers. It was already beginning to swell, and I could see where a bruise was beginning to form.


"Nothing is for certain, but I'm ninety percent sure she has sprained it, badly too. Have you had problems with it before?" The trainer asked looking up at me.


"No," I lied.


"Yes she has," Davis intervened and I glared at him.


"In my opinion, I would say she's done for the year. She should rest her ankle for at least a couple months. If she keeps going the way she is, theres a possibility she could tear a ligiment if she hasn't already, and then that will just make things a whole lot messier."


"Im fine, I'm serious. I just twisted it or something. It will be fine by the next game,"


"So she's done for the year then?" Davis asked completely ignoring me.


"I would get it checked out still as soon as possible to find out if she hasn't done even more damage,"


"I said I'm fine!" I shouted and they both turned to me.


"No you aren't Iris, and if you think I'm going to risk your health over a few games left in sectionals then you don't know me at all," Davis said while the trainer went off to go get me some ice.


"I am fine,"


"You're done for the year,"


"Davis!" I cried out, a fresh sheet of tears started spilling from my eyes, and not due to my stupid ass ankle either. "I said I'm fine, I'll be okay for next game,"


"I'm sorry Iris, I don't want to do this at all, but you heard it yourself, you can't play anymore."


I stared back at him, unable to comprehend how everything could possibly fall apart in a matter of minutes. I couldn't spend my senior year like this. I didn't work so hard, to be sat out because of a minor injury. I've played with a bad ankle the entire season, and I could keep doing it, but looking at Davis right now, I could tell that he wasn't changing his mind. He wasn't going to let me play--I was done for the year, my final year.


Cheers erupted from around us when the final buzzer went off indicating that we had won the game and we were moving onto the next round, quarter finals, but I could do nothing but stare at Davis, as uncontrable tears cascading down my cheeks. We had won, and everyone was happy, but I couldn't help but feel as if I have lost. There was no other feeling I could use to describe it. I knew what the other team must have felt like as they walked off the field, because I mirrored their emotions. My season, like there's was ending, except for an entirely different reason, and I watched mine be ripped away from me, and I could do nothing about it, but sit here, and cry as I stared down at my ankle.

~~~
What do you guys think? Is this it for Iris?

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