Name of the Game

Chapter 2: Tryouts

I turned the handle slowly opening the door just enough so I could get through, I stood in the doorway for a brief second before slowly walking through letting the door close behind me. Even though I was almost 10 minutes early there were still several people already here.

Once the door closed shut several heads darted my way, but I wasn't focused on any of them, except one. My eyes once again met the eyes of Harry's, and once again I couldn't look away. He started to get up and walk towards me, I felt my heart speed up and I all of a sudden started getting really nervous and sweaty. Before I knew it he was standing right in front of me, he leaned his head over to my ear, I felt my body tense up, and then he opened his mouth to whisper something in my ear.
"Cheerleading tryouts are at the track, love" once he said the word 'cheerleading' my heart kind of sunk and I felt my eyebrows furrow downwards. He pulled his head away from my ear so he was facing me, I hadn't made a movement or a sound so his eyes gestured towards the door.
I then leaned my head towards his ear and whispered, "I'm not trying out for cheerleading, I'm trying out for football." I quickly took my head away from his ear, and looked at his face. His eyebrows were raised in astonishment, I just stretched my face and did a quick raise of my eyebrows into a 'yeah' look.
He just started laughing and tilted his head back still laughing. I hadn't moved or said anything so when he faced me again he had a huge smile on his face and he just burst out laughing again. Louis, Zayn, Liam, and Niall then made their way over to us.
"What's so funny mate?" Louis asked chuckling.
"Sh-she said th-that sh-she's t-trying out for th-the football team," Harry managed to get out between laughs. The other four boys looked at him and then at each other, and they started to laugh as well. The other boys in the room started to come over, "Why is everyone laughing?" One asked. "She wants to try out for the football team," Zayn replied making sure to emphasize the word 'she'. The other boys started to laugh as well and I started to get really mad.
I looked up at Harry with a pissed look and he looked down at me, he must have seen how pissed I was because he finally decided to say, "Don't take all this personal," he said gesturing to the room full of laughing boys. "But there's never been a girl on the football team, and that's not going to change now because, girls. don't. play. football."
At this point I had had enough. "And why not?" I yelled and all the boys stopped laughing and looked at me with huge smiles and tears in their eyes. "There is no book that says girls can't play football! You boys are the ones who decided girls can't play football! You've never even seen me play before, so you have no place to tell me I can't play when you've never even seen me play!" I yelled trying to get my point across. Most of the boys had blank faces and their eyes were wondering when Harry broke the silence. "Girls in general can't play football, we aren't just talking about you sweetheart-" "DON'T call me sweetheart" I interrupted. I could tell by Harry's face he was starting to get a little irritated, annoyed, and mad, he stepped even closer to me so our faces were only inches apart. "Listen to me and listen close," he said in a deep voice. "I don't need to see you play to know you are a bad football player. I don't care what anyone has told you in the past, you are a girl, and girls can't play football, therefore you can't play football. And nothing, I mean NOTHING will change my mind about that." Harry slowly stood up straight trying to intimidate me with his tall body, but it wasn't going to work. I stood up tall and strong showing I wasn't going to back down. Harry opened his mouth about to say something when the boys locker room door opened and everyone looked towards the door to see a man coming out, I'm assuming it was the assistant coach.
"Alright settle down, settle down. I want to introduce you boys to the new coach," he said gesturing to my dad coming out of the boys locker room door.
"Good evening everyone, you can all call me Coach B, and most of you probably already know assistant Coach Johnson," Coach B said gesturing to Coach Johnson.
"Does anyone have anything they want to say or ask Coach B before we start tryouts?" Coach Johnson asked.
"Yeah I do!" Harry said in a sharp tone. "This girl said she wants to try out for the football team," his head gestured towards me.
"Is there a rule against girls playing football?" Coach B asked.
"There has never been a girl on the football team before and we want to keep it that way," all the boys nodded.
"Young man that's NOT what I asked. IS THERE or IS THERE NOT a RULE AGAINST GIRLS PLAYING FOOTBALL??!"
"Technically... no, but-" "There is no but's, if there is NO rule against girls playing football then she is more then welcome to tryout for the football team," Coach B said in an angry tone. Harry then looked down at me with an angry glare before turning around and going to go sit with the other four boys. I went and sat towards the back, away from Harry, but the guys I sat near got up and moved away from me. I could tell that this wasn't going to be easy to make the team and convince the boys I'm a good player.
"Alright now that that's out of the way lets get down to business, we will split into two teams. Defense players are over here," Coach B said gesturing to his right, "and offense players are over here," he said gesturing to his left. Everyone got up and made their way over to where they were suppose to be. I made my way over to the offensive side because I'm usually the quarterback. When I got to the offensive side, of course with my amazing luck, Harry, Zayn, Niall, Louis, and Liam were all there. I couldn't help but roll my eyes but I don't think any of them noticed.
Coach B made his way over to us while Coach Johnson took the defense players to the other side of the gym.
"Alright everyone, I want everyone to tell me their positions that they've played in the past," Coach B directed.
"I'm the running back, and I'm also team captain," Harry started off. "I'm the full back," Zayn continued. "I'm usually the tight end," Liam piped up. "Last year I was the right tackle," Niall said. And finally, Louis said, "I'm right guard." The other five boys went and then everyone was staring at me.
"I am the quarter back," I said standing tall. I heard a bunch of chuckles and saw a bunch of smirks in the group of boys, I just rolled my eyes and took my attention off of them.
Coach B nodded his head at everyone, "Alright everyone let's take this out to the field and see what you've all got."