Loving the Enemy

Expectations

"Grandpa George, you know- the great bambino-"

I grit my teeth, silently seething as the girl continued. She was always doing that, slipping references to her relation to the Babe into conversations, as if she expected people to bow down to her just because of who her grandfather was. It had barely been a week and she was already well on her way to alienating everyone with a modicum of skill on the field. The way she was chasing after Benny annoyed me and Ash both, and I put a sympathetic hand on the other girl's shoulder, our instant animosity long since passed into mutual camaraderie, with a serious undertone of friendly competition. But this at least, we were in together. I looked at her, reading the intent in her eyes, and relaxed back into my chair, grinning slightly.

I watched as she crossed the room, sidling up to my brother and wrapping an arm around his waist. He draped an arm over her shoulders in answer almost instinctively.
"Come on Benny" Ash said, interrupting the girl yammering about her grandfather to our star struck school coach. Benny shot her a grateful look, and quickly took the chance to scurry to freedom. Ash smirked back at me and I rolled my eyes in response, waving her off.
"Ben wait-"
"Do not call him that" Ash snapped as she left, turning back over her shoulder as she stalked off "I'm warning you, pull your head in or there'll be problems"

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"Can you believe- the nerve of that-"
"Easy Cole" Phillips laughed "what's the problem? She's not even good". Jack and Matt snorted, nodding, the boys around them lazing on the grass joining in the laughter. It was true- outstanding though her pedigree may be, excellent the girl was not, and her attitude wasn't doing her any favours when it came to fitting in.
"Exactly!" The boy raved, tossing his hands into the air. "Mark my words, she'll be replacing you next".
"How?" I snorted, "there's no way, I mean you saw her fumble that fly ball, and fail to make the throw back in. She's mediocre at best, no way can she last, she wouldn't even be on the team if it wasn't for her last name".
"Just you watch" Cole warned, solemn. "You're just dirty she took your spot" Jack pointed out, somewhat unkindly, reaching for the packet of chips laid out in the middle of the pile of boys, leaning over Brent to do it. The other boy rolled his eyes, shoving him off, and the two began scuffling good naturedly. Idly I wondered if they'd end up overbalancing and be sent tumbling down the incline of the slight hill we were perched upon.
"At least there's state coming up" I said, and Matt sighed.
"Yeah, it'll be good to get away" his eyes flicked towards Cole, and it was clear what he was thinking. It'd be good for all of them to get some distance from the sickening environment of school, and getting back to basics would help centre them all, especially Cole, who was understandably dirty that he'd been booted from the school side for a lesser player, coasting on nothing but their grandpapi's name. Their team had dominated the regional circuit, and even though Phillips' best mate Luke had been bumped down to sub with Ash's arrival at the start of the season there were no complaints, it had been fair and unlike Cole's summary demotion in the school squad they'd played for it. Luke had come off second best, and that was that. With a hand picked squad of the best of the best, the cream of the crop from both the Tigers and the sandlot kids, it had been easy to absolutely smash the competition, and they were all looking forward to the interstate trip in a couple of weeks. Naturally with a mixed group there were tensions, and I wouldn't lie, we were all kind of looking forward to the Tigers/Sandlot rivalry rearing its head in a more competitive setting than school. The boys always played better when their pride was on the line, and I couldn't wait to see what we'd be able to achieve with an elite team in such a high pressure environment. Somehow, without meaning to, a grin had crept onto my face without my knowledge, and I startled when Phillips leant over to kiss my cheek.
"Penny for your thoughts?" I smirked, and held out a hand, laughing when he scowled.
"You don't really expect me to pay do you? That's just a thing people say!"
"Well you offered! No one says that in Australia you 'Merican weirdo!" He laughed, and promised to make it up to me later, gesticulating with his eyebrows in such a way to set the boys off with a chorus of jeers. I ignored the blush staining my cheeks and shoved him, sending him sprawling. I went to push him again, wondering if I could send him rolling down the slight hill, when he caught my arm, twisting to send me off balance, having no choice to follow the motion until I ended up lying on top of him. My breath left me in a rush, and I somehow got caught in his gaze, fixated by his eyes and the expression on his face as he kissed up my wrist, lips gliding over the scarring from the twice-broken arm that had long since healed up. My tongue darted out to wet my lips, still breathless, lost in– I shrieked when I was suddenly falling, hearing Phillips' shout as he too was sent tumbling, suddenly forced off balance and taken entirely by surprise. I collapsed in a heap at the bottom of the hill, Phillips landing beside me, blinking in dazed confusion.
"And stay down there!"
"This is what you get, inappropriate PDA'ers in a group setting!"
The raucous laughter from the top of the hill clued me in on what had happened, the high-five shared by Jack and Brent leaving us all without a doubt who the culprits were, and the rest of the guys jeered down at us as they slapped the two troublemakers on the back, group united in uproarious laughter. It clicked for Phillips but a moment later, and his furious gaze narrowed in on the two boys that had shoved us down the hill. They froze, sharing a look as they watched their furious captain start up the hill. They didn't stick around, making a break for it

"They know he's not really mad right?" I asked, looking at Luke. He laughed, and passed me the chips.
"'Course they do, doesn't mean the whole lot of them isn't up for a bit of fun"

Later, when the three had returned covered in dust and grins from ear to ear, Phillips sat beside me.
"So what were you thinking about anyway?" I grinned, and the boys turned their heads towards me, interested now, recognising my smug, confident expression.
"Oh, just how easily we're going to wipe the floor with all the other teams at state"