The Referee

Chapter 6

I quickly drive home and started to get ready. I showered, shaved, blow-dried my hair, then messed it up a little so it wouldn't look like I was trying to hard, but still looked cute. I found Nicholas and told him what was going on.

Even though he played for a different team than Westside he was friends with all of the boys and was even considering switching teams. He currently played for Lowdale Lions, but the coaching staff was horrible and the rest of his team was hopeless both on and off the field.

He got ready by throwing on a hoodie and slipping on his adidas flip flops. Meanwhile, important precautions were taken when I chose my outfit. I had to look good for Shawn, but since is probably be the only girl there I would still have to act like one of the guys. I wore my favourite black t-shirt, with a pair of white athletic shorts and my black keds. After a quick double check in the mirror I decided I looked good enough.

Nicholas and I drove to Jamie's house. It was only two minutes down the street. I had called my mom telling her where we were since she and my dad were working late, and I also told her we might stay over at Jamie's if it got late enough. She let us do this often since I was able to keep my brother from making mistakes and he would protect me. We arrived at Jamie's house and parked out front. When we knocked on the door his mom answered.

"If it isn't my favourite twins!" Mrs Conrad started to ramble about how cute we were as babies and how we really needed to visit more often.

"The boys are downstairs playing football I think..." She told us.

"Thanks Julie!" Nick flashed her a big smile as we walked down to where the team was. As we reached the last step my eyes immediately began searching for Shawn. I quickly found him sitting on the couch with a few other boys watching a movie. I started to walk towards him but stopped.

Kinda maybe sorta forgot how shy I was.

I stood frozen in the center of the room until I felt a hand in my shoulder. I turned to see Jason.

"Why don't you go sit next to him?" He asked me.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." I could feel my cheeks becoming the colour of rope tomatoes.

Jason rolled his eyes and took a hold of my arm. "Come on, we're going to go sit."

He started pulling me towards the couch. As we approached all of the boys greeted me with shouts of "good game" and a few teased me that they should've bribed me. I laughed along with them until Jason all but shoved me into the empty seat beside Shawn.

Shawn turned to see who I was and his face immediately turned to stone.

"Why did you call me offside?" He shouted at me.

"Be-because y-you were." I shrank under his death glare. I started to get really mad at him. I knew what I saw! "You heard me tell you at school about their offside trap. I really didn't want to call you but I wasn't going to risk my reputation as a referee." I grew more confident as I matched his death glare with one of my own.

"You're just some bit-" he started to say.

"Enough!"

I looked to the source of the voice. Jamie, Jason and Nick were standing right behind us. Jamie put on his captain voice and spoke calmly yet firmly to Shawn.

"Melles, you were six feet offside every time. I saw it, coach saw it and Nicole definitely saw it. You can not try to take advantage of Nicole for your own mistake. Especially since she warned you before the game."

Shawn glared at his teammate. I had never seen this side of him and I was sad to say I didn't like it.

"If it weren't for her I would have scored." He spat. "I was even nice to you, I tried to get you to think I liked you. Believe me, I could get any girl. Why would I want a loser like you."

I felt the tears starting to form in my eyes. I stood up and ran to Jamie's room. When I got in and closed the door I let myself breakdown.

"Nicole?" I heard Jamie's soft voice and looked up. He walked over to where I was curled up on the ground and took me into his arms.

"He's off the team."

"But he's good Jamie... You guys need him." I sighed. Why was I still defending the guy?

Jamie snorted and laughed. "He's a ball hog and a lazy one too." His face got serious. "Plus he insulted my best friend and the best referee in the province."

"Maybe he's right... Maybe I am a loser and a bad ref. He definitely could get girls way better than me. I mean I've liked him since we were seven... And he's never been like this." I said in a quiet voice.

Jamie pulled away a bit so he could look at me in my eyes.

"He's been like this forever. He's a jerk, Nicole. You are not a loser or a bad ref. You are smart, funny, caring, sweet and you're pretty hot too. Don't tell your brother I said that." He winked at me.

"Then why don't you ask me out?" I teased him.

"Because you're like a sister and that's kind of gross." He rolled his eyes at me.

I took a deep breath. "Is everyone still downstairs?" I asked him.

"Everyone but Shawn and Jason." He said.

"Where did Jason go?"I asked, surprised.

"He's standing outside the door." he replied.

My eyes grew large.

"W-why?"

He jumped up. "I'll go get him for you!" And before I could protest he was running out of the room. I quickly looked in the mirror. Then I wished I hadn't. I was a mess!! I started to fix my hair and dry my eyes but while I was Jason walked in.

"Hey."

He spoke in the same tone that Jamie did.

"Hey." I looked at the ground.

"Be honest with me... Do you still like him after that?" He looked at me without any emotion.

Did I still like him?

"I don't know Jason." I said softly,

Still looking at the ground.

"I get it. 10 years of liking a guy and having him act like this. But you've only seen his good side. He's always been like this."

I settled down and motioned for him to keep going.

"When I was 15 I really liked this girl. She went to your school but I knew her through middle school, same with Shawn. Problem is, Shawn liked her too and we were best friends. So, we decided we wouldn't go after her." He took a deep breath. "At a birthday party the next day he asked her out right in front of me and, since he was such a ladies man as you know, she said yes. After that he never talked to me again and told everyone I was a traitor for liking his girlfriend."

I nodded. "I remember that girl. I hated her because she was with him. She was so perfect and nice and pretty though that I didn't actually hate her, just the fact that they were together. Then he publicly broke up with her and embarrassed her in front of the whole school. I felt bad, but he was available again, so, you know..."

Jason stood up. "Well, forget him." He said decisively.

I laughed. "That'll be hard." But, I stood up, taking the hand that he offered.

I looked at me dead in my eye. "You deserve better."

I shifted, uncomfortable under his stare. "I don't know about that. But you're right, I will forget him."

He sighed and left the room. I stood wondering how I felt so comfortable with a guy I had only met that day.