walk the mile

stuck in

E L L A

"We ready for a scrimmage today?" Mason announces to the group, I groan quietly setting up my easel in the far corner. I think I'm going to paint the community center today for my portfolio for the exhibition. I want it to represent me personally and since I spend most of my time here I couldn't think of a better location.

Some of the girls who weren't athletic like me crowded around me setting up their own drawing sets. Mason and I argued about it the other day as he protested about some of the kids sitting out of his football classes but when I explained that not all kids are athletic he argued that not all kids are artists so we came to this solution.

I would take the painting outside where he will be teaching football so the kids get a choice of both, this way also means that we can both be supervising as well.

"What are you drawing today?" Debbie, an eleven-year-old girl asked curiously.

I look up at the soft sunset in the sky "The community center with the sun setting behind it."

A hand tugs at the sleeve of my sweatshirt and I look down to see a young boy standing there, "That's Ryan," The girl informs me "He's mute."

Kneeling to his height I smile warmly at him, he has chestnut brown hair and big blue eyes. Honestly, he's adorable.

"Hiya Ryan, do you want to color in?" he nods slowly eyeing me cautiously. I pass him over a coloring book with some pencils after he nods his head. He seems to be a sweet little boy.

"OW FUCK!"

My eyes widen in horror as Mason's shout echoes throughout the pitch when I look over he's holding his shoulder in pain.

"What happened?" I ask him as he stomps past me towards the center.

His eyes narrow as he looks back at the pitch in anger "Some kid tackled me."

"A kid tackled you?" I say in disbelief, he's pure muscle and he's skilled at the game as well. "What kid?" He points onto the field where this 200lb twelve-year-old is currently getting scolded by some of the workers.

"Oh, that's the hulk," Samantha informs us, we share a shocked look before facing her.

"You call him the hulk?"

"Yeah," Samantha nods with a chuckle "Look at him."

Before I can launch myself into a lecture about body shaming Mason interrupts me "I need to ice my shoulder, coach will murder me if I'm injured."

Nodding my head we go inside, he opens the freezer in the kitchen with a sigh. Mason hunts out an icepack pressing it against his sore shoulder. I look through the medicine counter passing him over an ointment.

"Use this as well."

He looks at it blankly before meeting my eyes "I'm fine thanks."

"Seriously Mason, use it. If you don't want your coach to be annoyed with you."

When he doesn't take the ointment I roll my eyes placing it onto the counter "Are you not going back outside?"

"And face the hulk?" He chuckles "Hell no."

I let out a small laugh at that "Big bad Mason Burns is scared of a twelve-year-old?"

"That kid is not twelve. There's no way in hell, I bet he's lied about his age like in that horror movie."

"What horror movie?"

He looks at me in shock "Orphan, have you never seen it?"

"It's not that famous Mason, plus horror movies aren't my style."