Chances

PROLOGUE.

CORINNE HUDSON HAS always been against physical activities since she was a child, but somehow her friend Eli manages to coerce her into joining his makeshift soccer team. Skill is present in Corinne, despite never having to try the sport before in her entire life. She makes an assumption that maybe it's only because of her size 39 feet and her long legs – but she's also certain that her assumption is no way near scientifically possible or accurate.

     The school's holding an event wherein freshmen, sophomore, juniors, and seniors would just wreck each other in sports and the batch who wins the most amount of trophies will be hailed for all of eternity.

     Admittedly, Corinne is excited for this every year. She's the photographer and the sports writer of the school newspaper, this fact gives her the opportunity to cover every single match she wants to. However, the newspaper's adviser didn't give her any assignments for the school's event. Mrs. Clauson has told her to go and kick some balls – both figuratively, and literally.

     She is almost fine with it until she finds out that training has to be done every single day for the rest of the week before the school's batch battles next week.

     "Eli, you never said anything about this being a daily thing!" She complains, voice loud enough for the entire soccer field to hear her. Corinne is shameless, though. She'll complain if she wants to.

     "I thought you already knew?" It annoys her even more to see that Eli is so calm and certainly unbothered with her complaints. He's even taunting her with his ball-juggling – okay maybe it isn't really a form of taunting, but Corinne would like to think that it is.

     Her arms are flying around the air as she desperately tries to get her point across. There's newspaper meetings every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Aside from that, her Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for a specific session she calls mind rest where she would do nothing but sleep and watch movies that could possibly lower her IQ.

     Eli is unfazed, though; and that pisses off Corinne. With pent up anger and frustration, she kicks the ball with the inside of her foot. It hits the back of the soccer team captain's head.

     In situations like this, Corinne's mind automatically flashes two choices in her head: fight, or flight. Corinne almost runs, if it isn't for Eli's pair of strong arms latching around her waist.

     "Oh no you don't." He laughs, Corinne smacks him on the head.

     Clark Reed is the team captain of Bolton High's soccer team. He's not one of those huge ass athletes with biceps the size of people's faces, but he definitely has a good physique. One of his best attributes is his speed. With a lanky build to his advantage, it makes it easier for him to slip past through bigger opponents without any difficulty at all.

     And Corinne knows all of this because she once tried to do an article on him, but she somehow had forgotten to do an interview with him. She has been putting it off since then. Hence, the reason why the article is still pending and waiting to be finished.

     He approaches both Corinne and Eli, giving his teammate a greeting with an inside joke that Corinne didn't quite catch. But that's the least of her worries at the moment, for Clark is currently squinting and massaging the back of his head with his left hand – out of pain, she assumes.

     "Pretty great kick you have there if you ask me." This time, his smile is directed towards her. Corinne can feel her knees weakening at the sight of his smile, especially since it's for her.

     Then of course, she has to come back to reality at some point – she kicked a ball at this guy on accident for goodness' sake. There's no time for her to moon over him – well, not right now.

     "I'm sorry." The reply is shy. Red is creeping up Corinne's cheeks as she tries her best to look at him without making it a little awkward between the two of them.

     "It's fine. I'm still alive. Really no reason for you to get all worked up." He replies, the boyish grin still attached to his face.

     Corinne hates judging people by their looks, but she couldn't really help it when it comes to him. Clark radiates kindness and genuineness, two traits that attract Corinne. And apart from that, he's also really smart and has shown a lot of importance towards his studies.

     "Still. I'll get you some ice."

SHE REALLY COULDN'T pinpoint when she starts to fall for him. Maybe it's when he completely shut down her thoughts of people calling her a "dumb blonde", or maybe it's when he started motivating her and pushing her to go out of her comfort zone every now and then.

     All she knows is that she's already fallen headfirst in love with him.

     But he's a senior, and he's due to graduate in a few months. It's hopeless, and Corinne knows it. Did that stop her, though? No. It certainly didn't.

     With hopeful eyes and a determined heart, Corinne pursues him. She gives him her time of the day, cheers him up when he's sad, and does her best to help him with whatever she could help him with. It's a give-and-take situation. The only difference is that Corinne is already looking at him more than how he's looking at her.

     It goes on for a few months until he has to graduate, and she has to move on.

     The rejection comes a few months later when he tells her that he really couldn't see her as anything other than a friend at the moment. Corinne finally learns. She doesn't wait. She doesn't persuade him into doing anything he doesn't want to.

     She moves on, and she sees the world while maintaining the strong foundations of their friendship.