Someone to stay || fillie

Recruitment

Finn let his cigarette burn to the filter without taking a drag. He didn't want the nicotine, he wanted the smoke that reminded him of his mother. He looked up at the sky, but the stars were washed out behind the big stadium lights. He wondered if his mom was looking down at him. He hoped not. She'd beat him to hell if she saw him moping around like this.

A door squealed open, taking him out of his thoughts. Finn pulled his bag closer to him at looked back. Coach Ramirez opened the door that lead outside, and sat beside Finn.

"Didn't see your parents at the game"

"They're out of town," Finn said.

"Still or again?"

Neither, but Finn wouldn't say that. He already knew his teachers and coaches were tired of hearing the same excuse over and over again, but it was easy to lie as it was overused. It explained why no one saw the Wolfhards around town and why Finn has a habit for sleeping on school grounds.

It wasn't that he didn't have a place to live, his living situation was illegal. Millport was dying down, which meant there were dozens of houses on the market that would never sell.

Ramirez held out his hand. Finn sighed and passed him the cigarette and watched as he ground the cigarette on the concrete steps.

"I thought they'd make an exception tonight" Coach Ramirez said.

Finn looked back at the court. "No one knew it'd be the last game,"

The season was over just like that. A crew was already dismantling the court, unhinging the plexiglass walls and rolling AstroTurf over the hard floor. When they were done it'd be a soccer field again. There'd be nothing left of Exy until fall. Finn felt sick watching it happen, but he couldn't seem to pull his eyes away from the sight.

Exy was an evolved sort of lacrosse on a soccer-sized court with the violence of ice hockey, and Finn loved every part of it. From its speed to its aggression. It was the one piece of his childhood he'd never been able to give up.

"I'll call them later with the score" Finn said because Ramirez was still watching him.

"Not yet, maybe" he said. "There's someone here to see you"

For someone who'd spent half of his life running from his past, those were words from a nightmare. Finn jumped to his feet and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, but the sound of a shoe behind him warned he was too late. Finn turned to see a larger stranger standing in the doorway. One hand was stuffed into his jeans pocket, the other was holding a thick file.

Finn didn't recognize him, which meant he wasn't a local. Millport was a place where everyone knew everyone's business. Gossip about an outsider should have reached him before this stranger did. Millport had failed him.

"I don't know you" Finn said.

"He's from a university," Ramirez said. "He came to see you play tonight"

"Bullshit," Finn said. "No one recruits from Millport!"

The stranger chuckled. "There's this thing called a map. You ever heard of one?"

Ramirez sent Finn a warning look and got to his feet. "He's here because I sent him your file. He put a note out saying he was short on his striker line, and I figured it was worth a shot"

Finn stared. "You did what?"

"I tried contacting your parents, but they didn't return any of my messages. You said they'd try and make it"

"They did" Finn said while crossing his arms. "They couldn't"

"I can't wait for them" the stranger said coming next to Ramirez. "It's very late in the season for me to be here, I know, but I've had some issues with my last recruit. And Coach Ramirez said you haven't picked a school for the fall. Works out perfectly, doesn't it? I need a striker sub and you need a team. All you have to do is sign the contract and you're mine for 5 years"