Abhor

Chapter 5

Dylan

"Dude you ready?" John asked, landing his hand on my back with as much force as he could muster. I laughed, shrugging off the sting that lingered on my skin. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't control his strength. The excitement in the Lacrosse Locker Room was electric, zipping through the air from teammate to teammate.  

"Ready to kick there asses!" I shouted back, propping my foot up on the wooden bench to tie my cleats. The lace slipped from my fingers, each attempt at holding onto it making it more slippery. I stared down at my hands, watching them tremble. 

Inhaling a deep breath, I reminded myself of how stupid I was being. There was no reason to be nervous, it was going to be fine. This was going to be good, because, well, it had to be.  

Finally securing the knot, I straightened up, sticking out my arms as I stretched. From my locker came the sound of my phone, my hand grabbing it off of the top shelf. Emma's contact name appeared over one new text, a twitch pulling at the corner of my mouth. That was quickly silenced, because I knew she was just going to say something annoying. 

Opening the message, I found, 'We need to skype more for the project. I didn't find my Skype password in my records from 2003 for nothin' she wrote. I shook my head, a soft chuckle escaping me.  

Grinning, I responded, 'Well, let me know when the princess can take a break from her busy schedule'. Sure enough, we had almost all our classes together, and for some reason, a handful of out teachers decided to assign us seats next to each other. It was like some kind of cosmic punishment.

Feeling that wave of excitement pulse through the locker room once again, I shoved my phone back in my locker before slamming it shut. My team gathered around the door, each of us shouting out chants, bouncing up and down as we worked up our excitement, put fears and nerves aside, and got ready to play the game. 

With one final chant, our team burst through the doors, sprinting onto the green field. I was immediately blinded by bright light, the overhead lights towering above us. It was a seven o'clock game, the night sky pitch black in comparison the illuminated field. 

My eyes took only a moment to adjust, allowing me to take in the stands that were packed full with people. Bleachers surrounded the field, each filled with spectators. Everyone was watching me. I suppose that was to be expected when I joined varsity lacrosse, especially in a small town like this one, but the gravity of its importance finally sunk in. 

Upon seeing the team fill the field, the crowd immediately jumped to their feet, erupting with applause and giddy screams. I took in the sight, staring at the many faces of the crowd as I let it fill me with motivation. This would not scare me out of my wits, I couldn't let it. 

"Alright boys! Huddle up!" our coach screamed, watching as in a moment we had all circled around him like well trained dogs. "Now, this is a big game tonight. I want you all to take a moment and look at that crowd. It is your job to win for them and for this school. Nobody likes a loser! You win today's game, your parents will love you, your girlfriends will love you and the rest will be cream cheese" the coach lectured, earning a few chuckles from the team. 

I couldn't help but cringe, Natalie flashing through my mind. The bruise on my arm ached quietly, my hand laying over it in an attempt to silence the pain. My stomach churned with nausea, a rock sinking in the pit of my stomach.

Snapping back into reality, coach scream,  "Now let's go!" No time to think about that. My only focus was the game. Lacrosse, and breathing. 

I jogged out to my position, spinning the lacrosse stick in my hand as it took on that natural feeling, as if it was part of me. Taking another glance at the crowd, I inhaled a deep breath. The air caught in my throat, my lungs stuck as I spotted one individual. They sat still, arms crossed over their chest as everyone around her jumped with excitement. A large grin broke on my face, unable to conceal my shock. Emma was at a lacrosse game.