Lucas ✔️

Thirty-Five

Memphis and Janie had been conversing it up for a good fifteen minutes, so much so I almost wanted to swap seats, so they could sit next to each other. On one hand, I was oddly happy that Memphis was losing whatever attention he had for me, but I was annoyed that Janie was giving him so much. What about Cole? They were finally getting somewhere that could be, maybe, 'more than friends', and here she was flirting it up with the first attractive new guy to sit near us.

On the field, Cole received the ball and sprinted off, weaving in between his opponents and using some type of fancy foot skill to confuse them. He ran practically the entire way down the field before passing it off, only to get it passed back quickly and he kicked a goal. I clapped for him and whistled, yelling out as Cole turned to look at us, a smile across his face. 

He wasn't captain for nothing – Cole was definitely the best player out there, and pretty much always was. The smile dropped from his face when he saw us, and I looked to my side, noticing Janie was half-heartedly clapping as she continued talking to Memphis. I elbowed her roughly, but it was too late, Cole turned away and continued his game, a sour look pasted across his face.

"Ow," Janie huffed, looking at me with wide eyes as she rubbed her ribs. "What was that for?"

I let out a huff and rolled my eyes, standing up quickly, looking at them both with slightly disappointed eyes.

"I'm going to get a drink; you guys want anything?"

"I'm okay, thanks," Memphis said quickly, shaking his head and moving his legs aside for me to shuffle out.

"Can I get a chocolate bar?" Janie asked me, sending me a smile and handing me some coins from her wallet. "You know the one!"

I smiled at her, finding it hard to be angry at her even though I didn't approve of the current Memphis-flirting she had going. I shuffled through the seats, moving along slowly and apologising to everyone as they glared at me angrily. You'd think I had killed their cat, not squished past during a high-school soccer game.

On the steps, I began the descent, only making it a total of four steps down before I slipped on something and began to fall. I reached out, grabbing whatever was close to stop me from tumbling down the entire stairway, but all I grabbed was a tray of drinks a girl had in her hand. The drinks tumbled down, beer and coke emptying onto my hair and clothes, ice slipping into my bra and freezing me instantly. Although I had managed to stop my descent to the bottom, I was now awkwardly spread along the stairway, one leg bent uncomfortably behind me and a girl standing above me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"I'm so sorry," I said to her quickly, struggling to get up as my knees screamed in pain, blood beginning to seep down my legs from my wounds being ripped open again. "I can pay you back."

Maybe it was the persecution complex I had developed ever since Dad killed himself - selfish asshole – or maybe it simply was the fact that everyone and everything seemed out to get me, but the girl didn't say sorry or even ask if I was okay. She simply glared at me and smirked oddly, moving aside to make room for me.

"Lilith are you okay?" Memphis asked me, reaching his hand down and pulling me up.

"Peachy," I muttered back, grabbing my shirt and trying to peel it from my skin a bit. Of course, the day I opted not to wear my jeans and a hoodie was the day I got my knees fucked up and covered in sticky drinks.

"Here," he said, whipping off his bomber jacket and passing it to me. "Put this on."

"Thanks." I slipped my arms into it and zipped it up graciously, sending him a smile. Janie waved at me from the bleachers, mouthing widely to ask if I was okay. I sent her a thumbs up. "Well, take two."