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Noah
Three days of the championship have passed, and we have successfully entered the semi-finals. Just two matches away from that trophy.
The football practices are almost as chaotic as the games we play. Yes, it is easier to counterattack or defend the team you're playing for when it is your teammates in the offense, but it is Seahome Highâwhatever we do, it is never expected.
Just like the school decided to let Mike come with us.
"I hate it. I absolutely hate this. Why me?" He groans.
"Because you wrote a good article on our matches."
Mike looks at me and replies, "Do not pin this on me and my journalism skills."
Colt and I share a look as we are standing in front of our room. Mike's room is beside ours but the only downside he has to share it with the coach. We have just come back from long practice and are sweating like fuck, except for Mike who wasâI quote himâ 'just observing'.
Along with other teams, the whole team is staying at the motel, near the stadium. Not too classy or anything but it has a pool which I think will get filled with these guys soon, given how sweaty they are after practice.
Colt says to him while I unlock the door, "Sharing a room with Coach isn't that bad."
He retorts back, "Is that so? Do you want to swap?"
Colt cringes. "No."
I say to him, when he scowls, "I don't get why is an article on us is that necessary to make you come with us."
Mike frowns. "It wouldn't have been possible if Iris hadn't traded places with me. So, pin this on her!"
I glare at him. "Watch it, Mike."
"Don't get so possessive, Noah." Slowly, his lips lift into a sly grin, before letting out a laugh. "If you are like this when you both aren't together, I wonder how you will be when you are."
I blink. "I am not... possessive. I am simply saying for you to shut the fuck up and go to sleep."
Colt coughs. "Nice save."
Mike grumbles, "Jocks."
"Writers," I say back, hearing a chuckle from him before we enter our respective rooms.
Entering, Colt says to me, "I don't get why you and Iris haven't said anything to the gang. I am pretty sure everyone was shipping you bothâVictoria the hardest."
"Really? It wasn't you and Adi?" I raise my brows and sit on the bed on the left side.
Colt sits on the other bed and makes a face. "Three days and this bed still is really uncomfortable. Anyway, to be honest, I thought you guys were just good friends until I started to see the way you both were around each other. She always blushed and you always smiled when together."
I nod, smiling, as I remember all our interactions from months ago. "I was never subtle about it."
"Damn, right, but still don't you want to tell everyone that you both are dating? You told Adi and me."
"We didn't have much of a choice on that front."
"Because we are the best friends?"
"Because you are the best friends," I confirm. "But it isn't the right time, Colt. Caleb and I are still not on the best terms, personally. Also, Bella wants to tell him first."
"Yup, that sounds like her." Then, he scowls. "You and Iris are really for each otherâWanting to make sure everyone is fine and okay."
"You know," I lean back on the bed, "I really thought you will give me the best friend talk."
"I know you, man," he says. "Also, I am sure if you do anything, Iris would always be there to punch you first."
"That... is true, yes."
Colt laughs and I smile just when Nick comes into the room. He looks at me and says, "Noah."
I straighten up. "Nick."
Looking between us, Colt gets up and points out. "I'm gonna go catch up with... someone. Kay, bye."
After Colt not so subtly gives me a thumbs up and goes out of the room, Nick sits on the Colt's bed and looks at me.
He says, "So, before the break..."
"Yes, thatâ"
He holds up a hand. "Let me say what I want to say, first. Then, you apologize."
I am about to say that I probably not going to, but remain silent as he continues, holding up a finger, "First, you need to get anger management cuz dude, that was bad. Tanner was fucking bleedingâit was scary as fuck."
He puts up two fingers. "Second, Tanner is an idiot but since I like that idiot andâ"
"You like him?" I ask, surprised. "When? How did it happen?"
"It is a recent discovery," He quickly dismisses the other question. "Anyway, I like him and you are my friend, so I want you to talk to him and say sorryâgod, I hope this word is in your dictionary. Third, do the above two effective immediately plus get therapy."
I nod, slowly. "I'm not gonna do any of thoseâmaybe get those anger management classes but the talk? Fuck no."
He narrows his eyes. "You know he and Iris are close friends, now, right?"
"Are you trying to persuade me by involving Iris in this?"
"Is it working?"
"No."
"Oh, come on," Nick groans. "Why won't you say sorry? You can't just come from nowhere and just beat the crap out of a guy!"
"Nick," I lean forward, keeping my arms on my knees. "Look, Tanner and I are not going to talk to each other. We have a shared past and I am sure if I look at him again, I am going to punch him."
"What is it, anyway?" He rolls his eyes. "Some bet you lost because of him? He sold you for drugs? Is he your stepbrother or something?"
I clench my jaw and take a deep breath. "You're crossing a line, Nicholas."
He blinks as he realizes the same, now. "Shit, sorry, Noah. I am really sorry. It just... feelings for someone makes you..."
"I get it," I say.
Confused, he questions, "You do?"
"Yeah," I grimace.
"Okay, I guess, that's the only scoop I'm getting." Sighing, he gets up. "Hey, sorry, again."
I nod. "It is not okay, but all is forgiven. I appreciate you coming to talk to me, instead of showing it on the field."
"Well, the ex-captain to the new captain," he tells me. "This championship is gonna test your patience to your ultimate level, Noah. You've got to keep your temper on low."
***
"Crescent High is in the finals, day after tomorrow, against us," Coach announces, and everyone groans around me, as I come into the boys' room after taking a shower.
We had just won our semifinal match and some of the teammates had started to celebrate, but, of course, Coach wanted to ruin all that with the announcement.
We haven't met Crescent High's team yet, and thank fuck. One wrong move and the whole hotel plus the stadium is a battlefield. Coming back to the school, after two years, I had thought this rivalry would end but, I guess, some rivalries stay life-long.
I take a seat beside Mike, who using vigorously taking notes on his phone. On his right, Nick looks up at the Coach, briefly glancing towards his phone's screen now and then. Colt stops talking, animatedly, on his phone as he looks around and then at me.
"What happened?" He asks, coming towards us.
Mike replies, not looking up from his phone, "Wolves are challenging the Sea Kings."
"Crescent High?"
"Yeah," Caleb comments, passing us, "You can feel the tension in the room or someone needs to tell you?"
Except on the football grounds, these two are still not on talking terms. Bella had told me why they are fighting but both of us had expected them to reconcile soon. Unfortunately, it is very far from that.
Colt just glares at him, before saying to the person on the call, "I'll call you later, Iris. Go to class."
I look at him, straightening up, as he cuts the call. "She's going to her physics class?"
Noticing my expression, he sighs. "Thomas has been trying to talk to her, but she ignores him like 'he doesn't exist for her'âher words."
"He just never understands." I grit my teeth. "I had called him to tell him very specifically to stay away from her but fuck, he has to take advantage of the fact I'm not there."
"You're forgetting Alyssa and Irisâboth are black belts in karate. If either of them wants to use violence, instead of words, they would in a heartbeat," Mike suddenly says, making me known that he is very attentive to his surroundings.
He turns towards us. "But it is the matter of Thomas... if he does anything, he is going to face the fist and then the knee in his sack. Worst but the best-case scenario? They use knives."
That makes both of us, Colt and I, laugh.
Colt nods and replies, "Yeah, true."
Coach interrupts the chatter in the room, saying, "I watched Crescent High's match yesterday and I can say we are going to have some tough competition. Radcliffe can vouch for thisâhe was with me."
"They have made some changes in their team," I start to say when the eyes turn towards me. "Formations. Players. Also, they haven't used any form of cheating or trickery."
Nick says, "Really? That's got to be new."
"So," Colt crosses his arms over his chest, looking around. "What's the plan?"
"For the night, rest. Tomorrowâ" Coach's lips lift in an almost evil smirk and he says, "We will prepare to hunt."
***
The following day we had done exactly that. Not hunt, like Coach, punned about, but prepare. We did everything Coach told usâno one objected once. We prepared ourselves for the worst because all of us had known the match would be brutal.
But, right now, it is worse than brutal.
Colt says, gesturing towards the field, "What was that? How did that even happen?"
"How did Crescent High score that goal even when there was a hoard of defenders?" Caleb says, after drinking water, "Yeah, no idea."
The team is sitting on the sidelines, exhausted from the first half of the final match with Crescent High. I'm sitting on the benches, in between Nick and Colt while Caleb is sitting next to Nick. Some teammates are sitting on the benches, like us, and others are on the ground.
Halftimes have never been this stressful, before this final with Crescent High. With half time gone, the score is one apiece. I wish I can say that they have cheated but no, they are playing it fair and square.
Coach Tucker sighs when he comes to us. "Okay, it is a tie for now and that's fineâwe have another halftime to turn the whole match around. The positions are to be same, no changes requiredâ"
"I think we need to change the positioning," Caleb comments, looking at him. "Their strategy will be to attack, now. If we useâ"
Coach replies, "We are not going to change the positioning in the middle of the game. This structure has done wonders all of the time for our team and will do the same again. Okay?"
"But justâ"
He looks at him with a stern look. "Okay, Wallace?"
Caleb sighs. "Yes, coach."
With a final huddle around the coach and other players, we get back into the field and the whistle blows for the end of the break.
Before the final whistle for the game blows, I hold back Colt and tell him, "We need to try runs, instead of short passes. Marcel has made sure to get one of us."
"Got it." Colt nods and gives me a fist bump, going back to his position.
The second half of the game starts and Crescent High waits no time to attack but our defenders clear them off. Four corners and one free-kick later, time seems to be running out.
Nick dives to grab the ball, shooting it up and curving it into the air. Caleb goes for the header with another player on the opposing team as Colt tries to stay in their line of defense. The other player shoves Caleb slightly to get the ball but he doesn't fall as he passes it to Logan, another player on our team.
Marcel whispers, mockingly, "Ha."
Sharp anger shoots through me but I try to cool it down, focusing on the play happening. I just give him a look as I run forward. I look around, trying a way to stop this cat-mouse game between the teams, and finally, find an opening. It can be tough.
But I can do it.
I can do it.
I sprint once the ball comes to Colt. Colt lays the ball off the side to Caleb and he moves past a defender, passing it back to Colt. I have to get in line with Marcel.
"Colt!" I shout and he glances at me. "Now!"
Colt shoots the ball into the air, right toward me. I catch it with my feet, but Marcel is close by, trying to get the ball away from me. His hands are on my jersey, pulling me back. With a quick look at the net ahead, I raise my leg back to take the shot andâ
I believe in you, Noah. I'll always believe in you.
Everything seems to be in slow motion as the ball flows past the goalkeeper's frame and into the back of the net and the three whistles blast behind me.
A goal and we won.
We won the match.
I think I may have stood in my place for a long time as the next thing I know is Colt hugging me and eventually, every one of our team comes in together. A round of cheers goes through the group and I don't know how but I've joined in it too.
"We won!"
"Hell yeah!"
"Yes!"
As the group huddle breaks, Nick holds me and shakes my shoulder. "We won!"
I nod, shouting over the noise around us, "I know, Nick. I know."
Nick cheers loudly and joins with others as they chant our school's name. Caleb approaches me and puts a hand on my shoulder and nods.
He smiles. "Nice game."
"Nice game, yeah." I let out a laugh, pushing back my hair. "I need to make a call."
It isn't a swift trail back to the locker room. With the customary handshakes between the teams and the glare Marcel sends me, it takes me some time to reach the room.
No one is there when I come inside as the team is still cheering and celebrating on the ground but this time with Coach. I rummage through my bag and get the phone. Wasting no time, I call her.
"Noah?" Bella says, picking up the call.
"We won."
"Wait, what?" She exclaims. "Seriously? Oh my god! Congrats! Noah, that's so great!"
"And this win is all yours."
Momentarily, I hear her sharp intake of breath. "Noahâ"
"I don't know how to believe in myself because it has been so goddamn long that I ever thought I can do something. If it weren't for your supportâfor you, I don't know, Iris, where I would've been. I know you would deny it but listen to me, Iris Cooper, I am not taking back those words. I mean it."
"Noah..." She trails away.
We don't say anything because both of us know how precious this moment is right now. But we stay on the call, just listening to each other breathe. I savor every second of this moment as I close my eyes.
I imagine her close to meâhow she will wrap her arms around me and keep her head on my chest, how she would tilt her head to meet my gaze and her eyes would soften as a small smile takes place on her lips, and how her warmth is such that I won't care about anything but us. And how much I love her.
I open my eyes, immediately. My heart starts to race but there's no finishing line now.
I am in love with Iris Cooper.
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- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
*sniffling* our boy is in love!
also also also just a sweet warning: next chapters are gonna be one hell of a ride. i gave you the warning, don't say i didn't later. *smiles sweetly and sincerely*
stay calm and hydrated, my biatches.
inerys
ps: i am not evil, i am a writer.