Falling With Style {Chris Evans}

six

Mila had slept peacefully on the bus ride from Valdosta to Atlanta despite the noise from her teammates.

As soon as the team was dropped off to a higher-end hotel provided to them by the state, they quickly settled in and prepared for their lunch that would also be complements of the state. Other teams were also sharing the hotel and they occasionally bumped into each other. As per usual based off traditions set by the years before, none of the teams from different schools across the state really talked to each other before the game on the first day. It was really tense amongst everyone. However, the second day at the banquet where everyone ate fancy meals while awards were announced, everyone would suddenly become best friends with each other no matter who won what awards or trophies. At that point, they were all just glad the dirty work was over.

If they weren't hyped up by the end of the lunch, they sure were as soon as they were in the locker room and gathered around each other for a traditional moment of silence. Before every game, their lacrosse team always had a moment of silence. Instead of putting their hands in the middle, they all tapped lacrosse sticks with each other as they walked out on to the field.

Mila had played as a midfielder all five years of her lacrosse career and had never grown out of it. She enjoyed the versatility and strategy behind switching between defense and attack. Her coach always said that only certain players could see the field from a bigger picture even when they were in the picture which was a trait all midfielders had. He said that Mila had that trait and even if she wanted to switch from middie to primary defense or goalkeeping, he wouldn't for a second let it happen.

Their team clad in red and black jerseys took their spots on their field. Because it was the state tournament, there were numerous games going on in different fields that would be narrowed down tomorrow where it would be revealed what two teams would continue to nationals.

It wasn't long before the opposing team from the east coast of Georgia also found their positions and prepared for the face-off. Once the ball was dropped, Mila found it a little discouraging that the Georgia Southern eagles so easily took the ball.

Within the first three minutes, the eagles blew an opportunity for an eight-yard shot when one of their attackers got a foul for raking the ball. After the same attacker began to rake the ball, the coach of the eagles substituted the player.

The new eagles attacker was quick to play offensively. After de-twigging two of her teammates, causing their sticks to fall from their hands after being checked, Mila ran up to the eagles attacker to body check them only to be illegally cross checked. The result was the end of the opponent's lacrosse shaft tripping her up. Another foul was awarded to the eagles.

What seemed like hours of back and forth went on with great defense from both teams. It was when an eagles midfielder got ahold of a ground ball that was loose on the field when Mila saw an opportunity as the eagles were densely concentrated on the left side of the field. The timer read eighteen seconds left for the game, so if she were to go for the opportunity, she needed to go now.

Seeing that she was closest to the ball carrier, she attempted twice at a stick check before the ball was finally dropped. She quickly scooped the ball and went straight for fast break. Mila could feel two midfielders hot on her heels before they threatened to leave their areas. That's when a defender from the eagles came in to follow her as she went in for the kill.

In her peripheral, she saw someone on her team cut them off. Someone else on her team screened the eagles' goalkeeper, limiting their line of sight while she shot. The ball was already flying low towards the goal when the buzzer went off.

The shot made it through the five hole, or the area between the goalkeeper's legs. Her team cheered, but it wasn't over yet. She looked to the referee to check the validity of her own shot. The play replayed on the big screen, showing her cut off the defensive player with her teammates coming for support just before the five hole shot. All eyes were on the referee while people in the audience were at the edge of their seats.

It was when the referee held up a green slip that Mila finally cheered. Teammates near her tackled her and crushed her, deafening her with cheers of joy. Though they were already in the lead, her score widened the gap that furthered their victory. Hopefully the judges would look at that five hole shot and the lack of time left and keep it in consideration when awarding extra points, because Mila felt phenomenal.

Back in the hotel room that night, Mila proudly watched her plays from tonight's game uploaded to Hudl and sent the link to her mom and sisters in their group chat. They were spamming her with messages expressing just how proud and thrilled they were. Even Mila's feeling of pride hadn't yet worn off. She loved the adrenaline and the recognition.

Meanwhile, her two teammates that were sharing the hotel room with her were watching TMZ for the latest celebrity gossip. Perhaps that was the reason Mila was tuning them out and watching her own highlights.

"Who are the roses for, Chris?"

She heard the television say this and her ears perked up like an alert dog who had just heard their name get called. Mila glanced up to see snapshots taken by paparazzi of Chris in a familiar gift shop. It was the one from her beach club resort back in Disney. He could be seen at the register paying for the flowers and teddybear and other snapshots showed him walking out with them.

"Chris Evans, the actor known for many roles including Captain America of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is seen here at a resort in Disney buying flowers and a teddy bear and, surely, they weren't for his own collection. Whoever the recipient, there's no denying the rumors reporting that Chris and former girlfriend, Miranda Arnold, are back together after being spotted at the Chateau Marmont's Bar in West Hollywood last month!"

"Shut-toe-mar-what?" Mila mumbled her attempt at the restaurant name aloud.

For some reason, there was something heavy on her chest. Those roses and that bear were for her and although the pictures were two days late from hitting the public eye, it was still very alarming to Mila. It was hard for her to wrap her head around the fact that paparazzi was so close. As far as she knew, there had only been fans that had spotted him. She was grateful that nobody had seen her, but it didn't mean she couldn't be anxious that at any moment, someone could blow their friendship out of proportion, or worse, it could blow his relationship with the other woman into a whole new perspective.

She just popped her earbuds into her ears and blasted a random playlist. Chris probably didn't watch TMZ, so it was no big deal. They were all just rumors that exaggerated things and lied for clickbait and views. With that reassurance repeating in her head, she let herself sink into the duvet and fall asleep.