For the Love of Justice

Chapter Fourteen | Ice Cream After Football

Change the game don't let the game change you. - Macklemore

* 

The minute I jumped into the passenger seat of Aria's car Monday morning, I knew almost instantly that the other was excited about something. She was bouncing in her seat, a smile twitching on her lips as she tapped her fingers on the wheel, waiting for me to do my seatbelt up before she pulled out of her driveway. 

"Uh, Ari, you okay?" I asked with a slight laugh, watching her in amusement. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, looking cute and energetic all in one. 

"It's football try outs today." Aria responded, her eyes meeting Indy's for a second as she drove. "It's a big day. And you start your job after school, what's not to be excited about?" 

"Football try outs? Why are they such a big deal?" 

"I don't really know, they just always have been. They start at lunch, so a lot of people can watch. It's kind of a bit of a tradition." Aria flicked on her indicator, turning right in the direction of school. "And everyone's been saying Archer's going to take Samson's position, which will create quite a stir." 

I nodded as I thought about what she was saying. I knew football was a large part of the schools culture, I'd seen all the posters hanging around school, but it didn't really make sense to me as why.

"There's another reason, you know." Aria said, her face stretching into a bigger grin as she glanced at me again. "Rumour has it that Marley's trialling this year. Regan told me that the principal and Coach have been putting the pressure on him, more now than ever now that Micheal's been suspended." 

My mind suddenly took a new interest to the subject, and it didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out why. "Wait, he's going to play? I thought everyone said he'd quit for good."

Aria shrugged, pulling into the school parking lot. "He did. I guess things are changing." 

We got out of her car once Aria had found a park and started walking towards the front doors together. It was a hot day, and looking around everyone else's faces told me they were thinking the same thing as Aria had been. We walked past a group of three girls, and I heard Marley's name been mentioned. 

He had seriously created this much conversation about the try outs? 

"Ari?" I whispered as we walked through the front doors. "How good was Marley exactly?" 

"The best this school has seen in a long time." She replied with a smile. "We actually might win again this year." 

Her words stayed with me once I'd reached my locker and walked to home room, my mind pondering on the whole conversation in general. Lunch was going to be an interesting affair, and I think everyone knew that. 

Five minutes later, after watching student after student wander in and find their seats, my heart skipped a beat when I saw who had been on my mind most of the weekend walk through with his books tucked under one arm casually, his face impartial. 

Grey eyes met mine, and I smiled. He didn't falter, he just kept walking forward, but the small grin I got back was more then I could have asked for any other day. 

My eyes trailed his body as he took his seat, and I wasn't even ashamed or embarrassed to be watching him. Something about him always made me want to stare at him, but today, I decided I'd actually let myself do it. 

When he looked my way again, it warmed my heart to know that he didn't look away until the role was called.