Me & Mine

23. Xena

It's dark outside, the football field lit by the massive lamps on each corner. There is a cool chill in the air, a rush of excitement and competition. The Spartans are about to face off to one of their long time rivals, the Allegany Gators, clad in green and white. Allegany and Ridgeview are just ten minutes apart, and from the looks of it the opposing team brought their entire town to watch the match. It's Friday evening, lovely and warm, and the first game of the season is about to start.

I smirk and let my body relax against Max'. He's standing against the wall next to the school's entrance, his arms wrapped around me, his hands meeting mine in the holes of my sweater. He kisses my neck and I close my eyes for a moment.

The game won't start for another half an hour, but we had to get here early to get Travis to the locker room in time. The parking lot is filling up quickly and I check each approaching car for familiar faces. We made plans to go the match together, all of us, but right now all I see is green hoodies and smudgy facepaint.

"So you used to fight these guys?" I ask softly.

"Yeah," Max says, pulling me closer to him. I smile as my back presses against his chest. "We've got this rivalry going," he says softly, "so I don't even know why I don't like them. I just don't."

"Well, then, as a new Spartan warrior princess I hereby declare that I hate them too."

He chuckles and presses his lips against my neck again. Max raises his head and pinches my hands slightly. "See those guys?" He whispers in my ear, and I watch a group of broad shouldered bulldozers approach us, their sweaters green and their faces painted. I roll my eyes but before I can make a snarky comment Max turns us around. "They're bad news," he whispers. My back is against the wall now, cold and hard, nothing like the soft warmth of Max' body.

He looks in my eyes and I see that devious smirk appear on his face again. I smile, I like that smirk. He kisses me softly before turning around. I can barely see past Max' broad shoulders, but the strokes of green tell me all I need to know. Those guys, those bulldozers in green, were standing right in front of us. I take a step forward and stand aside Max, cocking my head to the side. There's five of them and they all look ready to fight.

"Look who decided to show his face again!" One of them spits. I blink my eyes a few times at his half-green face. The line isn't straight and that bothers me.

"I heard you got kicked of the team," another says, and Max smirks. He straightens his neck and raises his chin. "Yeah," he says, his voice full of power, "for breaking your noses. Which was absolutely worth it."

I smirk and watch the part-green monsters clench their jaws. Apparently their rivalry isn't necessarily decided on the field alone. The one with the crooked half-painted face steps forward and Max instinctively pulls me back. "Oh yeah," the Crook says, "I remember. We were planning on returning the favor tonight. So stick around, pretty boy."

I roll my eyes and chuckle silently, but the Crook's eyes immediately shoot to mine.

"While we're at it," he spits, "we might give your bitch a lesson too."

Max clenches his fists and I'm quick to rest my hand on his arm before he gets us into an all-out fist-fight. Don't get me wrong, I like our chances, but I'd like to actually watch the game with both eyes open. I quickly step in front of Max, his hands immediately shooting to mine to pull me back again. But I don't let him. I raise my chin and smirk at the Crook.

"Please do tell," I say calmly, "what would you like to teach me?"

He pulls his eyebrows together and sniffs. "Some manners, for starters, though we might have to beat them into that pretty little head."