The Score

Chapter 7

"Creep"

- Radiohead

"You look tired."

Rose turned her head, that was propped up in her hand. She has sitting comfortably on their living room couch leaning against the arm. Her other hand held the tv remote, constantly flipping thorough channels.

Piper was reading a magazine at the breakfast table, close by. She studied Rose carefully, but it didn't take a genius to see that she really was tired.

"I am tired, Pip. 10 hours of soccer every week kind of gets to you after a while." Rose replied turning her head back to the TV.

Piper rolled her and flipped the magazine page. "Don't you have your first game tomorrow?" She asked focusing back to the magazine with the latest celebrity diets, gossips, and clothe lines.

"Yeah," Rose replied flatly.

Piper snorted. "So aren't you suppose to be training or something? With 'Mr. Yummy Soccer Coach'." she trailed.

Rose rolled her eyes. "If he's so 'yummy' why don't you take a swing at him?" Rose laughed playfully.

"I've got a man."

Rose threw her head back in sarcastic understanding and gasped. "That's right. Hudson, the 'guy afraid of labels'."

"He's not afraid, we have an understanding. That's all."

"Mmhmm" Rose hums earning her a droll eye from Piper.

After a couple minutes of comfortable silence the doorbell rings.

"Not it!" Piper yells

"Not i--, aww dammit!" Rose moans. She drops the remote on the couch and makes her way to the door.

She looks down at her gray Metallica concert tee and shin length black sweat pants. It was Friday after her regular classes and she had make up from whatever was left from today, looking like a zombie

She flipped the lock and pulled the door open. There stood Coach Pruitt in his sweats and sneakers, his hands clasped behind his back and a small grin.

She was mortified.

"Do you mind telling me why no one is at the fields?" he asks sheepishly pointing his thumb in the general direction of the fields.

Rose, with cheeks burning red, pushed her hair out of her face with a huff of shock. "Uh, Whitey let's on us have the Friday off before our games to rest. How did you know where I live?" she asked wide eyed.

"Oh, didn't know that." he nodded his head.

"How did you know--?" Rose was about to ask again when Piper came up behind her.

"Rose, who is tha-- Oh,It's Mr. Yummy Soccer Coach!" Piper gasps.

Rose cringed and gave herself a mental face palm. Coach Pruitt look a bit taken back but it slowly faded into a chuckle.

"You must be Piper, I assume." he stool his hand out.

"That's me." Piper smiled shaking his hand.

"I'm Mr Yummy Soccer Coach, but my friends call me RJ." he grinned and took a peek at Rose, who was so humiliated she wanted to crawl under the couch like a dog.

Pipers phone blared her ringtone, and she quickly answered. "And my friends are calling me, so RJ your welcome to stay here with Rose. She's great company." she said to him with a mischievous smile.

"What? No he's probably busy--" Rose contradicts, but was cut short by Coach Pruitt.

"Actually now I have all the time in the world." he smirks down at Rose. She felt like a teenager all over again.

Piper, reading the air, gives Coach Pruitt and sly and knowing grin and slips out the open door before Rose can protest.

"Can I come in?" Coach says shrugging.

"What? Oh, yea! Sure." she stammers, which brings a smile to his lips.

"So . . ." Coach Pruitt trails, rocking on his heels like a kid.

"Coffee or Tea, Coach?"