By the Books

Prologue

The day I met Rubin, was the day before the big game in of my Junior year.

I was in the locker room, well after everyone had left after practice. Sure, I have gone through the final game before in the years before. But this year, I was captain. And with that responsibility on my shoulders, I was stressing, and worrying. And then, out of nowhere, there was a flash. I blinked away the stars before my eyes, and then looked to the source of light. A short girl stared at me through the lens of a camera. I jumped away from her in surprise. She pulled the camera away from her face and looked at me, bemused. 

"Something wrong there?" She said with amusement. I blinked and then glared.

"Who are you and what are you doing in the guys' locker room?" I asked a little mad that this person was taking pictures in this place. She simpley grinned and capped the lens of her camera, letting it hang around her neck. 

"Looking for some inspiration." She said and I looked at the girl suspisiously.

"You aren't a stalker, right?" I asked. She snorted and then laughed.

"No, hardly even close. I'm part of the student body, just like you, Leo Brently." She said and I looked at her, surprised.

"How do you know my name? And who are you?" I asked, now suspicious. She lauged again, and then pointed to me.

"You are the popular kid, everyone knows your name. Just the popular kids don't know that. It's always in the books you know." She then, poked her large glasses up higher on her nose. "And I am Rubin. Spelled R-U-B-I-N, and said, roooooo- bin. Junior, just like you." I was blanking on the name, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"And, now you don't know who I am. I am the loner, the one no one really knows, just like in the books. The loser no one knows, and wants to know." She laughed to herself, and then looked to me. 

"What's got you down in the dumps, dear popular." She asked. I was surprised by her light attitude, and the simple question.

"Just worried about the final game." I explained. She nodded wisely and sat next to me. Although I was thinking that it was strange, that this, girl, had just sat next to me, I didn't move away. She seemed to have a cozy personality, that made me just want to stay next to her.

"Tomorrow, right? Event of the year. Then again, it's the last game. All depends on you, right?" She said and I looked at her warily. But, she just laughed.

"Hey, hey! Even as captain, you don't need to be so stress." She said with her carefree tone.  I sighed and looked to her.

"But, this whole game depends on me. And what I tell my team." I said, worried still. She sighed and looked at her camera. 

"You know, you're not alone. You have the team. They trust you alot. And they will back you up on your dessions. How do you think you became captain?" She asked rhetorically. I looked at her, she was scrolling through her photos and then showed me a picture. It was me, about a few weeks ago, at practice. Me, smiling as I kicked the soccer ball, getting across the field with the others protecting me to the goal.

"They've got your back." She said, positive of her answer. I looked to this girl. This girl who I had just met in the locker room. The girl who snapped a picture of me.

"Thanks." I said sincerly. And she smiled. And I would be lying if I said that it didn't make everything seem brighter just for the few seconds.

Now looking at her, I saw all her features. Dirty blonde hair, with a wavy pixie cut. Large, fake glasses sat on her nose. She wore a hippie styled tunic dress and mint green high top converse. And of course the black camera around her neck.

At that moment she got up, and started to walk away. Before she could leave, I grabbed her wrist.

"Will you be at the game?"  I asked, hope in my tone. She turned and smiled.

"Of course I will. You just won't know it." She said and winked, walking out. And that was the first time I met Rubin.