About You

CHAPTER EIGHT

We all sit on the bench, having a 'team exercise meeting' as James calls them. He's our captain, and even though he wants to give me all the playing time in the world, it's better for the team if I'm just a sub.

I prefer it actually, because then I can sit and watch him play. He's quite good. I don't think I've ever seen him get out.

I sit squished between two of our biggest players, trying to listen to James's speech,

"So, we need to practice our..." but he was soon drowned out by the arrival of our opponents. Once a month, the engineering school down the street would bus to our school (because we have the bigger gym) to have a friendly game. Since our team has been winning our league by the most points every game, we were chosen to play them.

We can tell when they walk into the building. They are all louder and rowdier than us. James stops talking when he notices nobody paying attention to him.

"Tara, what?" he asks and follows my gaze. We all stared. Those were seriously some big engineering boys. There were only two girls, and even they looked beefy. I heard Kate behind me gulp.

"It's fine, guys." James turns back to us and looks angry.

"We'll just stick to our game plan, and everything will be fine." He tries to reassure us. We all exchange unsure glances around him.

Since James' back was to the court, he couldn't see the ball coming straight for him. I try to yell out, or wave or something, but I couldn't in time.

A dodgeball whips across the gym, and nails James in the back of the head. He yelps in surprise and goes down hard. Momentarily, he jumps back up with the ball in his hand, and rubs the back of his head with the other.

"Who did this?!" he demands. The two guys from earlier flank him. I rush over to his side and try to ask if he's alright, but he keeps waving me off.

"Look at me, James," I stutter, unease with all the attention on us. He finally does. I could see even more anger in his eyes, but he seems to be focusing okay. I don't think he has a concussion.

I bring my hands up and cup his face. "You sure you're alright?" I ask softly.

He sighs deeply and seems to calm down a bit, "Yes."

"Well, if it isn't Fox." A voice calls out from the other team and I immediately recognize it. Both of our faces harden as we turn towards the source.

Evan stands out from the crowd, casually tossing another dodgeball up and down. I assume it was him who threw the first one.

"Your boyfriend here better learn how to protect himself." He calls and takes a couple steps forward.

I take a step toward him to show him I'm not scared. "Leave him alone. The game hasn't started yet."

He jumps with surprise and a look I don't recognize flashes across his face. He recovers quickly and smirks. Because I didn't deny that he's my boyfriend?

"You are so going down, asshole." James sneers, and I realize I have never heard him swear before. I glance at him as he walks up beside me. I have never seen him this furious.

"James," I quietly whisper to him.

"May the best man win." Evan responds to the challenge and walks off to rejoin his bench. James snarls at him.

I grab his hand and squeeze it lightly. "James," I whisper again.

He finally looks at me again, but the anger and drive is still there more than ever. "Let's get ready." Is all he says. He pulls me back to our own bench to start the game.

"Alright people. How about some music for the first round?" No sooner than the ref had called out, did the music start blaring. I didn't know that we were allowed to use the speakers for just a recreational sport, but apparently this was a special game.

A song from some action movie blares from the speakers, and I see both James and Evan get wound up from their opposite sides of the gym.

"Lineup!" the ref calls, and everyone on the court moves to the back walls.

"Team captain, is your team ready?" he points at James. He nods.

"Team captain, is your team ready?" he whips over and points across at Evan. He nods his head and rubs his hands together. Oh hell.

"Three, two, one, GO!" he calls over the music, and both sides run toward each other at full steam. This was definitely not a friendly game. Both teams are out for blood. A sharp scream pierces the gym, and one of the girls on our team is already out. Followed by another two guys on our team. We were already getting smoked.

James grabs a couple loose balls, and quickly takes out two of their best players. I beamed at him, the subs beside me whoop and holler. That seemed to make the game even more tense because our team somehow regained their confidence after watching James, and we were back in it.

I chewed on a hangnail as it continued, a player going out on either side every once in a while, but nobody having a clear advantage over anyone else.

As the game was evening out, James grabbed a loose ball and nailed one of their biggest guys out. I automatically clapped out of habit with the others but Evan saw me this time and snarled. I drop my hands.

He turns back to the game, and I watch as James dives to pick up another loose ball.

"Look out!" I manage to yell out this time, but it was too late again. Evan whipped the ball with everything he had directly at James' face. I stood up as I watched as his glasses break and he sinks to his knees.

The referee begins blowing his whistle harder and harder until eventually the game comes to a stop. I rush over to James in a heap on the floor, blood covering it in thick spots.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask, trying to look at him while he covers his face with his hands. I see the fresh blood falling from his face.

"Towel! Get him a towel!" I scream. Thankfully someone from our team brings one right away and I recover enough to take it. I offer it to him and he smothers it over his nose.

"Let's go," I help him to his feet next. The crowd that has gathered around us begin to step back little by little. I don't see Evan, and I don't look for him. I lead James through the doors to the medical center without a look back.