Don't Let Me Fall (Formerly 'Girl Power') *On Hold Indefinitely*

Chapter 18

For the BRILLIANT idea that one Fan suggested when I was in desperate need of help :D

Image to the side suits this Chappy, no? ;) =====>

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It's been two weeks.  Two weeks without seeing each other.  Two weeks without speaking to each other.  Two whole damn weeks just spent avoiding each other.  I had decided that after moping around for three days straight and not even glancing at Aidan during soccer practice, I would distract myself with soccer itself.  I was focusing too much on Aidan and not enough on soccer.  The Big Game was in less than two weeks, and I was out of practice.  I wasn't focused.  Because of him.  I needed to forget him.  Just like he was trying to forget me.

We worked twice as hard at practice, grabbing any other training buddy but each other.  Jim and Edgar tried to get us to talk about what happened between us, but we kept to ourselves.  This was our problem, not theirs.  I wasn't going to drag them into it.  And apparently neither was Aidan.

The dorm had become rather empty without my roommate, and even Ricky constantly came up to talk to me every once in a while.  I didn't even care that he knew about me.  In about two weeks, everyone was going to know anyway.

To think, all this had started in Febuary when the girl's soccer team was cut from the roster, and the past three in a half months have been hectic ever since.  Who knew going to a school where you had to live at it was going to be harder than it looked?  Plus, there's the fact that I had told Aidan I was in love with him.  But the worst part?

I don't even know if what I said was the truth or not.

And it hurt.  It hurt bad.  Harmony and Laura had heard from Jim and Edgar that I was like a statue now, refusing to feel any emotion.  And in a way, they were right.  I was a statue.  I put up a wall around me and refused to let it break.  It's just like what I learned as a kid: Boys were the enemy.

My friends had tried to get me to go out, but I refused.  I didn't want to go anywhere, with anyone.  I just wanted to play soccer.  I started staying out late just to get in some more practice, and a few times Coach Wilson had caught me and encouraged me to get some rest.  But I needed this.  This extra practice.  It was going to do me some good, I know it.

But then, over the weekend, I had finally decided to go home for once.  Mom was more than overjoyed that I came to visit her, and she was also hoping I had completely given up soccer.  Well, I hate to disappoint, but I was in love with it even more now.  Mom was sad at first, but then she got over it as she started throwing dresses of every color and style at my face, talking about Harmony and Laura's conversation to her about my first date with a boy.  I didn't want to be reminded of that night, so I had gone upstairs to my room without a word to her.

Joel had come in to my room, having taken a break from traveling so much and was now staying with Mom, so at least she had some company while I've been away at school.  I was glad my brother was here, because right when he entered my room and we locked eyes, I broke down for the first time since that night.  Joel had held me as I cried and stroked my short hair that was now starting to grow longer, but I didn't care.  All I wanted was for my big brother to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay.  That it was all going to be over soon.  Which he did, and I knew it was true.

After that, Joel called Orlando, and my eldest brother drove the short forty-five minute drive over to Mom's and came bounding up the stairs and into my room where he saw me still crying into Joel's shoulder, soaking his brown t-shirt with my tears.  I merely glanced up at my eldest brother before he was pulling me into a hug as well.