Name of the Game

Chapter 3: Only 7:30 in the Morning

We were spinning and spinning and spinning, the car was moving so fast I couldn't scream and it was hard to breathe. I couldn't see anything but a spinning blur, and all I could hear was the heartbeat in my ears and some kind of beeping when all of a sudden WAM!!!
I shot up in my bed breathing heavily and sweating. I started to rub the back of my head and held my right side while feeling a throbbing sensation in my right thigh. I looked around to see I was in my room, I had another nightmare, I've been having nightmares for years but they had been getting much worse the last few weeks. I could still hear the beeping when I realized my alarm clock had been going off, I finally turned it off and just sat on my bed, trying to catch my breath.
After I had caught my breath I started to feel stress between my nightmare and practice. I quickly started to get ready doing all my bathroom stuff before going back to my room to get dressed. I put on some mid-calf leggings and a Nike tank top with an Adidas athletic jacket, I then slip on some vans and throw my cleats into my athletic bag, I also throw in my school clothes. I bring my athletic bag and my school bag down to the kitchen where I throw a few water bottles in my athletic bag and grab two bananas, one for breakfast and one for after practice. I grab my keys from the hook by the door and walk to my truck. I start to eat my banana while existing my driveway, as I get closer and closer to the school the pit in my stomach grows more and more and I begin to dread pulling into the high school parking lot. But soon enough I pull into the parking lot and I'm a little early, but I go straight to the field where there are a few players already there. They are in a little circle and when they see me enter they all look at me and laugh. I just roll my eyes and ignore them and go to one of the benches near the field so I could put my cleats on. After I put my cleats on I grab my bag and throw it near the stadium kinda near the other bags but not by them.
The other players began to flood in and I saw everyone but Harry, I looked down at my phone and it was 5:59 am and I thought to myself that he better hurry up or he's going to get in some serious trouble. But right when the clock struck 6:00 am Coach B and Coach Johnson walked onto the field.
"Alright, while you guys finish putting your cleats on listen here. You will get the practice and game schedules at this afternoon's practice, but I can tell you our first game is coming up in just a couple weeks and I don't know you guys that well and how you play so there's going to be more practices the next couple of weeks so I can get to know you all," Coach B stated. "Every practice is mandatory unless you have a damn good excuse for not being here. And after the next couple of weeks there will be less practices and Coach Johnson and I will have optional practices for those who would like to work a little more, there will be mandatory practices though every day after school, but if we see some of you guys that need extra help we will work with you trying to help you out in some extra practices."
I could tell that Coach B was not done with his lecture but it was interrupted when Harry finally decided to show up. He was wearing black shorts with black leggings under them with white socks coming up over the bottom of the leggings he was also wearing blue running shoes. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt with no writing or anything on it, he had a navy blue beanie on with the hood of his sweatshirt on also. He came strutting in liked he owned the place and did his like 'bro-shake' with some of the players and then stretched out on the bleachers.
"It's nice of you to finally join us Mr. Styles, now I don't know what your old head coach was like but being late is unacceptable to me and there will be punishments for being late," Coach B said looking around at all the players. "Now since you didn't know that I'm a stickler about being late there will be no punishment, but in the future expect to run one lap for every minute you're late, so unless you really like running I would advise you to be on time."
"Now the rest of you will have to fill Mr. Styles in on what he missed because I DO NOT like repeating myself. Now back to what I was saying, .... Oh yeah, we will now also be checking your grades," groans and huffs came from all the boys. "School, school comes before football and if you have anything under a C you will not be able to practice or play in the next game but you must still attend practice and watch. You will also have to attend the game to cheer on the rest of your team and if you decide to not show up there will be punishments. Now I'm not a bad guy, you can come talk to me or Coach Johnson and make arrangements like it you fail a test and you want to retake it after school so your grade will go up that's totally fine you just have to tell us. Communication is key to play on this team. But if you use that excuse and you're not trying to fix your grades you will receive punishments. Does everyone understand?" We all nodded our heads. "Alright now with that we will actually start practice, everyone stand up and jog around the field until I tell you to stop." We all started to stand up. "But... you must stay as a group, your team is only as strong as your weakest player," everyone looked at me, and I just rolled my eyes and kept my eyes on Coach B. "Now go!"
We all got up and started to jog, I was up towards the front and feeling good I could do this forever, I loved running/jogging. It was so relaxing to me and it cleared my head. I could hear some of the guys behind me huffing and puffing, so I slowed down a bit so they weren't pushing themselves as much. I slowed myself down so I was towards the back where Liam was, he was breathing hard and he looked like he was struggling.
"Do you want me to try to get the boys to slow down?" I asked Liam.
He scoffed. "Why would... I want... you to do... that?" He asked between breaths.
"It just looks like you're struggling and I just wanted to help..."
"Well I don't need help from a girl," he stated sharply. When he said the word 'girl' it was like all the air was sucked out of me.
"Fine, have fun trying to breathe. But just to let you know it will be easier to breathe if you stand up straight and take longer strides instead of short ones, also you need to fully inflate your lungs with air instead of taking a lot of small fast breaths so you don't hyperventilate," I said jogging back up towards the front. I rolled my eyes but my eyes wondered to the pack of the group where I saw Liam standing up straighter, taking kinder strides, and take deep full breaths. I smiled appeared upon my face while I shook my head and kept jogging.
"Alright everyone come get some water and then meet back up in the middle of the field," Coach Johnson said. We all jogged back to the bleachers and got some water and then jogged to the middle of the field.
"Alright everyone do 100 burpees, and then when you're done with that do 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups and then you can go get some more water.... alright go!" Coach Johnson said. We all started our workouts and with my luck I was stuck in between Harry and Liam but I completely tuned them out and just did my work outs. I couldn't help but notice Harry's emerald eyes staring at me, it felt like his eyes were trying to interrogate my soul but I refused to make eye contact. I soon got into push-up position and Harry soon followed. After a little while Harry and I had finished out push-ups and we were half way through our sit-ups when Liam and Kayden got up and jogged towards the bleachers. I soon finished and got up and jogged towards the bleachers when Harry full on sprinted by me to the bleachers. When I got there he was working on chugging the rest of his water, I started to drink out of my water bottle when he took his water bottle away from his mouth and his beautifully full pink lips where wet and there was some water dripping from the corner of his mouth when he took the bottom of his sweatshirt to wipe his mouth. His stomach had a nice tan and by what I saw he had some nice abs with a few tattoos. I soon snapped out of... what ever I was in and went back to drinking my water.
"Better luck next time sweetheart," Harry said looking down at me smirking.
"Better luck at what?" I asked a little irritated.
"Beating me. Trying to show me up. Trying to prove you belong here..."
"I don't need to prove anything to anyone especially you," I said standing up. "I don't need to beat you, try and show you up I don't need to do any of that to prove anything to you or anyone. You aren't my obstacle, the other team is, and I'm going to think that way but you can think how ever the fuck you want."
The rest of the team was already at the bleachers and the coaches were coming towards us. Harry was about to open his mouth to say something when Coach B started talking.
"Alright everyone Coach Johnson is handing out the plays we'll be practicing the next couple of weeks. We have highlighted your positions in the plays and I want you to look at them any chance you get today and study them because we will be practicing them in our practice after school. Now once you get your paper you are free to go."
I put my cleats in my bag and put on my vans while standing up and grabbing my bags. Coach Johnson handed me my paper and I looked at it. There was a lot I had to remember and all the plays were so different it was going to be a pain to remember them all. I started to walk towards my truck when I started to feel tried and drained. How could I be this wiped out at only 7:30 in the morning??

I'm so sorry for not posting for awhile I have been hella busy lately. But let me know what you think about this chapter and don't forget to vote☺️😁