SEVENS

THE FALL AND SOME VOMIT FOR FLARE

Jean's key opened the stadium doors better than any lock pick kit would have.
It was the locker rooms were silent, though with everyone gone that should have been given but it made me sad in a way I didn't ever think I could be. I felt— sentimental about it? I hadn't felt that way about anything before. Sentimental.

Ignoring my feelings I closed the door behind me, waited long enough for the beeping of the lock sliding into place and then moved into the lounge room. The couches there were nice leather and had wooden trimmings over the arms and backs of them. There were two flaws screens mounted on the wall and from watching the others obsess over it I knew that the paneled wall below popped open with a slight tap and revealed several gaming systems. I didn't care for those though, didn't care for television much either but the couches were calling my name and so I gratefully gave in and fell face first into the leather cushions. I lifted my feet to let them rest on the sofa but frowned when the boot knocked against the wooden armrest.

I looked over my shoulder and glared. The black plastic of the toe scuffed the varnish, I paused, I should check to make sure that it would come off. No doubt it would, how much damage could a boot actually do? How much? I tapped the wood again, this time a little harder. Nothing happened. I swung my leg again. Harder. Nothing. I didn't even feel any pain from it. Did I even need my boot anymore? I'd be pissed if I could walk on it fine and Coach still made me sit on the side lines.

I swung my foot again, aiming for the place where the wood was carved into a little knot on the tip of the arm. The crack dissipated without an echo. I raised myself up a little to look over the back of the couch, expecting to see someone huffing and puffing in the doorway. Nobody was there.

I looked back at my boot. I wanted it off. But if it still was broken— If I took it off it wouldn't rebreather it would it? No— no, I took it off for showers anyway so what would it matter if I walked around on it anyway.

The velcro straps peeling up was music to my ears, with each strap loosened my foot felt lighter. The boot slid off my foot easily. The sock I had on stunk like bull ass though. I peeled that off too and threw it over the arm of the couch. My foot was blotchy pink and white where the sock and boot had pressed the blood from my skin. I wiggled my toes. Rolled my ankle. Grinned like a fucking psycho. There was no pain. I could get rid of my boot.

—————

It wasn't necessarily lonely in the locker rooms but I did feel like I was very alone, or aware of the solitude. I had grown accustomed to having one other person in the room while I slept and shit and ate and did everything else. Well not actually while I took a shit but Raf was on my mind when I had downtime and my down time happened to be when I pooped so really it felt like he was there. It didn't feel like he was here now. I wish it did, or better yet I wished he was here in person. I would kiss him. Probably. He was good at kissing.

I liked his bottom lip better. It wasn't something I had ever thought about before and it wasn't that I minded kissing his top lip either I just preferred the bottom. Sometimes I wished—

I whipped my head around. Waited. I could have sworn I heard a door shutting. I became very aware of the sound I was making. I had been humming a little to myself but now I swear my lungs were hooked up to amps. I couldn't hear anything over it. I blinked once, trying to get rid of the dryness like it would help me see. The air system cranked on like a roll of thunder and covered the sound of my curse as I jumped violently on the couch.

It was no one. But what if it had been? What if it had been a cop? Campus security? Raf? If it had been Raf I would have run to him and thrown my arms around his neck and shown him how my foot was healed. No, maybe not run to him, or hugged him. I didn't think he was hugging type. I would kiss him though, I knew he liked kissing, liked kissing my neck especially, god I had so many bruises on my neck. They were fading now after a whole week of him not attending them— but yeah I'd kiss him and ask him to play rugby with me since—