Falling for the Goalie and Other Dangerous Sports

Chapter 11 - Derek

"Almost there Derek...you can make it..." I thought to myself. The concrete bathhouse was so close, only a few steps away. I could make it and pull Maddy along with me. Ok, here we go.

As soon as we were hidden from sight and everyone had passed us, I grabbed Maddy's arm and (not meaning to) pinned her against the building, hearing the air escape from her lungs. My exhaustion forced me to lean forward, face inches from hers. I let out exasperated pants, willing myself to let go of Maddy because it was awkward, just standing and breathing on her. It took a moment, but finally I had the strength to pull away.

"Wha...what...was that...for?" she gasped. We were where those couples in high school did bad things. Very, bad things. And all of a sudden, horrible thought came to me:

"I didn't bring you here to make out, if that's what you're thinking." I blurted out quickly. God, stupid idiotic, brain, you son of a-

"I-I never thought-" said Maddy, interrupting my thoughts.

"Never mind. Don't speak, just...just wait here." I interrupted, disgusted with myself. Going inside to grab the water bottle I kept in there, I gave myself a mental slap. Snap out of it, Derek.

"Drink this." I said, handing the water bottle to her.

Watching her take that long drink of water made me thirsty, but as long as she would be content, then I guess it was alright. She looked pretty when she wasn't trying to kick someone's face in.

"Why are we.." Maddy started, shaking me from my thoughts. I actually didn't know part of that answer. Why had I brought her here? I wasn't 100% sure.

"We're getting out of running, that's what." I replied, just wanting to fall asleep. I plopped down on a soft spot of grass.

"But, uh, shouldn't we-"

"Nope."

"But we'll-"

"Nope."

"But what if we-"

"Nope. None of that is ever going to happen, and never has for that matter." I said impatiently.

"So you've cheated on running before?"

"Tons of times. Goalie's shouldn't have to run."

I practically lived here, in this dump of a place. Nonetheless, I had water, a couple snacks, and a bathroom. Which is better than running, by my standards.

"Whatever," she mumbled.

I felt the grass shift next to me, seeing Maddy taking a seat. There was a small pause.

"So...am I someone you trust now?" She asked. Her tone of voice made me panic. "I could very well just run off now and tattle-tale on you..."

I grabbed her wrist, hoping to make the action seem menacing, but it didn't come off that way. "Please. I'm begging you."

She laughed, and I loosened my grip. "I was kidding. But it's nice to know I have a sort of consequence on you now." Consequence. The word packed a punch.

"Perfect. More consequences." I mumbled.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to, um, I thought-"

"It's fine."

It became quiet. I hadn't given a lot of thought to my looming punishment. 2 games gone, 3 games half gone...this would be harder than I thought it would.

"I'm sorry," we said in unison.

"No, I'm sorry-"

"No," we gave up. "Ladies first?" I said, finally breaking the streak.

"Sorry about getting you suspended. I never meant it to end up like...like that."

"And I'm sorry about interfering. And for making you upset." I stated. It felt good to get it off my chest.

"You're forgiven."

"Thanks. And you too."

I thought about adding something - I don't know what - to get some sort of closure. I kept my eyes down, remebering what usually happens when I don't have a game plan worked out.

I continued to search through the grass, coming across a long, flat blade. Subconciously, I picked it up and laid it between my thumbs, like I used to do when I was smaller.

"What are you doing?"

"Just watch." I blew on the grass, thankfully getting a buzzing sound on the first try. I used to know Star Wars, so I tried to play that, attempting the different pitches. I finally created something close to the intro. Finishing the tune, I raised my eyebrow at Maddy, hoping to provoke her. "Impressive, huh?"

"I bet I could do it," she said, grabbing her own piece of grass. "It can't be that hard."

Mission accomplished.

On Maddy's first attempt, something between a Donald Duck or dying animal sound filled the air. I let my laughter loose, watching her get flustered over the piece of grass. I believed my laughter was probably frustrating her even more, which ended up making me laugh harder as she tried and tried. My sides were beginning to hurt.

"Shut up," she said, throwing her grass at me. "I bet you've practiced your whole life for that one song."

"You're just mad," I taunted, starting an old Journey song. "But that's alright. You're funny when you're mad." I continued.

"Funny?" she said angrily, startling me a bit. I desperately searched for different words.

"Not funny as in stupid," I said hurriedly. "More funny as in cute."

Funny as in cute...funny as in cute...funny as in cute...wow.

"Like a cat trying to catch a laser," I added quickly. Oh, god why. I couldn't get through a simple conversation with this girl without saying something embarrassing to save my life. My first instinct after that stupid comment was to run away as fast as I could, maybe coming across a time machine or two. But it seemed as if my lame analogy made some sense in her mind. I relaxed a little.

"Where did you learn that trick?" Maddy asked.

"This?" Gaining some confidence back, I started a more complicated guitar solo I had heard on the radio. I impressed myself with what came out of the grass.

"Yes, that." she said, rolling her eyes. I cracked a small smile.

"My dad showed me before he left."

"Left where?"

I stopped for a second, smile slowly going away. "Left here for the army." I said, a little fazed. "Deployed to Afghanistan."

More silence. I had never talked to my dad about anyone. I haven't ever told any of my friends he was in the army. It was a piece of my life no one was ever meant to hear. I remember when he left, Mom taking it hard. I found her crying in the kitchen. I felt barely human when he left, just going through the motions, not really living. Max was trying to be tough about it, but I could tell it still hurt him. I already was counting down the days after coming home from the airport. It was supposed to be an 18-month term, but it would be 20 months in about 2 weeks. He told us he was supposed to come home soon, but there's a hold up at his camp; they've been asked to stay a little longer. Mom reassured me, more so herself, that he could come home any day.

Realizing Maddy was still here, I gave a half-lie. "But he's scheduled to come home soon."

"That's good." I could tell she felt a little awkward.

"Yeah." Another small silence. I leaned back, letting the beautiful autumn evening take up my thoughts. I leafed through the grass again, coming across a four leaf clover. I examined it for a moment, hoping it would give me luck not to blurt out anything else stupid. Unnoticeably, I put it in my soccer sock.

I then realized the increasing silence. I rested on my back and asked, "So, how is your life, Ms. Gray?"

"Quite fine, Mr. Weaver." Maddy replied. She plopped on her back also, chestnut ponytail fanning out around her. Suddenly, she turned to me, hazel eyes grabbing my attention along with the overall appearance of her. Her eyes were big, her nose small, lips slightly chapped from running. Her skin looked porcelain, like it would crack if you touched it.

"Derek, what's your middle name?" she suddenly asked.

I hated my middle name and wouldn't mind if I didn't have one. But just hearing Maddy say my first name, making it sound so much more different, making it sound like a sort of song, I had no control over my mouth. Sighing, I replied. "Braxton." She seemed to ponder my name for a moment. "I know it's stupid." I added.

"It's not stupid." she replied.

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Stop lying."

"I'm not lying!" she said, laughing a little. I gave another, more lighthearted sigh.

"See? You're laughing."

"Not because it's funny as in stupid. Funny as in cute," she quoted. It took awhile to realize that was the same stupid phrase I had used. Kill me now, I thought. Kill. Me. But funny as in cute. Did that mean...? Nah, course not. Remeber you're a jackass Derek, and the's no way you could hold a relasionship with much of anyone. Filling the silence my mental facepalm had left, I saw her pick up a random clover. "Look, it's a four-leaf clover!" she exclaimed.

My silence must've made her nervous. I laughed a little; the clover she held up was clearly three leaves. "That only has three leaves."

I couldn't help but notice the blush coming across her cheeks. I took the clover from her and plucked off a leaf, hoping to make her feel less embarrassed. Of course, it was cute when she was embarrassed.

"Now it's a lucky two-leaf clover," I said handing it back. I saw her laugh for a little bit, completely entranced by her appearance. And I smiled. A real one, not a teasing half one I was so used of giving her. I didn't mean to smile like some idiot, but I couldn't help myself.

Feeling I was staring too long, I laid on my back again. "What about your middle name?"

"No way I'm telling you," she replied.

"Why? I told you mine." I whined. It wasn't fair I had to tell her mine and she wouldn't tell me hers.

"My name's too depressing."

"I highly doubt that," I retorted, snickering. No way her name could be depressing. Then a new thought came to me: a devious plan. "If I find a real four leaf clover, then would you tell me?"

"Sure." She said. I had her now.

"Good. Because I picked this one up awhile ago." I smiled jokingly, reveling in my success. Her shocked and scowling expression was priceless.

"That's not fair."

"You already agreed."

"Alright, fine. My middle name's..." she hesitated for a moment, hazel eyes locked on mine, biting her lip uncertainly. "Joelle."

"That's a nice middle name." I replied almost an octave higher, sounding drunk. The clover's luck had run out.

"I hate it. It reminds me of old people. And sadness." I couldn't help but laugh at her claim.

"Old people? No, it's more...like a color."

And then a torrent of idocracy came spilling out of my mouth.

"Like purple. A light purple: a lavender. Lavender that's so fragrant, you're lost for a moment when you take a whiff. And your first name reminds me of a soft yellow. You know, a pastel yellow that doesn't hurt your eyes. The kind of yellow that makes you relax. Your last name isn't gray, it comes off more silver to me. Silver clouds. What's the phrase again...something like a positive person sees the silver lining in every cloud. Anyway, all put together, I just imagine early morning sun finding its way through those silver clouds, illuminating spots of that fragrant lavender, sprouting as far as you can see, the wind warm and soft. Peaceful. Secretive..." I hesitated. "Beautiful."

Well, you've done it now. You've. Done. It. Now. You've absolutely blasted any chance you had with this girl out of the water with that spiel of nonsense. She probably thinks you're gay, and now I'm going to be friend zoned for my entire life. Way to fuck up, Derek.

Making some sort of last minute reconciliation, I added "Sorry. I can assure you I'm not a homosexual."

I heard her laugh at me, feeling the friend zone close in. "I know that."

"Good. Don't ever speak of this again." I said.

"Why?"

"This is just between you and me."

"But that was...I don't know how to explain it. Good. Better than good. You came up with that on the spot?"

"Yes. But it was just a description." I reasoned. I wasn't some Robert Frost just with a lame paragraph of nonsense. I rolled over on my stomach and laid my head in my arms, wanting to take back every single word.

Maddy leaned towards me on her elbow. The space was comfortably closing in. "Sorry I can never let you know, Maddy. Sorry I wasted my chance." I thought, closing my eyes.

"Thanks." I heard. I felt a gentle hand sweep through my hair, erasing the knots and pulling it the side. "Thanks for the description, then." Maddy continued to comb through my hair again. Oh, what I would've given to stay like that, the amount of money I would pay, the number of possessions I would give up. Anything, anything to stay in this one moment of complete and utter peacefullness. I felt my heart race - which I really only thought girls did when I read some boring romance novel for class. But now, everything was wonderfully real. All too soon, she pulled away. I raised my eyebrows at her.

Out of nowhere, footsteps penetrated the silence like a hammer on an anvil. "Dammit," I whispered under my breath. Quickly, I ushered Maddy inside the bathroom and swept her behind me. I had to focus and make sure I count everyone going by; I had done this hundreds of times before. But something was different this time. There was a drumroll of cleats on concrete, which confirmed my one fear:

We were busted.

I completely froze as the footsteps grew nearer. The trouble I would get in, especially with Maddy here. She tugged me into an out-of order stall, shoving me onto a toilet seat. I had enough sense to back up to give her room to step on. I looked down at the looming fate one wrong step could give me. It seemed worse then the other possible outcome right now.

She stepped on the toilet, almost losing her footing, but I caught her waist in time. I pulled her towards me, momentum carrying us stomach to stomach, face to face. I looked at her for a moment, felt her hand rest on my shoulder, see the shock in her expression. Of all the times I could pass for a hug, on a dirty toilet seat awaiting a certain death had to be it.

I listened as Carter did his business two stalls over. Finally, Carter went around to the sink, washing his hands and whistling when suddenly his note went up, like a question. I could hear the water bottle being picked up and opened.

Great.

"Hello?" Carter called out. "Anyone in here?"

I widened my eyes at Maddy. She did the same, biting her lip, our gazes locked on each other, knowing the end was near. I wanted to mouth sorry, but I couldn't hold her attention.

"Hmm," I heard Carter say as he exited the bathroom.

"That was close," Maddy said, not making a move to step off the toilet. I didn't mind.

"Yeah too close." I replied, taking another glance to make sure no one was here. I turned back to her, and she seemed at a loss for words. We still were in a sort of embrace, beginging to feel awkward for just staring at each other. "Ready?"

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, sorry..." she said, taking a step backward onto the concrete. She unlocked the door and stepped out, me following behind.

We took a step outside of the bathouse, enjoying the fresh air.

"Think we should head back?" I wanted to say no, let's just stay here a little while longer, just enough to...to...I don't know what. What, what...what was happening? My vision became blurry and my thoughts weren't clear. I found it hard to control my body. My hands started to subtly shake.

"Derek?" Maddy asked. Her hazel eyes became blurrier and blurrier. "Are you feeling alright?"

Her voice sounded so far away, I couldn't hear the rest and black dots slowly clouded my vision.

"Hey..HEY!" I felt my body slump my vision go dark.

And that's how I passed out from dehydration.