Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Rome
I don’t want to go to practice today. Leaving Chrissy was harder than I was ready for it to be. Especially since she was in the shower when I had to book it out the door. The only motivation I have to get today over with is knowing I’ll see her later in the afternoon. I don’t mind that she’ll try to dig through my messy childhood and painful memories. I trust that she’s going to do it with grace and consideration.
It’s the last week of June, and July fourth is next Friday. I usually hate the holidays, solely because I spend them alone, but I’m not alone this year, and that reminder brings a smile to my face. We don’t have any plans. Hell, we just lit the spark between us. Knowing Chrissy and the crew, though, they’ll want to do something, and I know they’ll drag me along.
I dig my feet into the turf when I jog toward the other players across the field. Just before I reach them, Malik rushes toward me and stops me in my tracks.
“Did you review those new game plays?” he asks, out of breath.
“What?” My brow creases.
“The plays. Remember? The ones I asked you to review for me? Coach wants my notes first thing after practice.”
Fuck... I completely forgot about those. I lost track of time between the abrupt decision to talk to Zack, the conversation with him, and then Chrissy.
“Dude, I’m so sorry. I?—”
“Shit!” He walks away just to come back. “Did you look at them at all?”
I shake my head, and his cheeks flush.
“Coach is going to tear me a new one,” he growls.
“I’m sorry. It slipped my mind.”
Malik shoots daggers at me before storming off, grumbling.
This is what he gets for passing his shit onto someone else. It’s not my responsibility to review the plays. He’s the QB and the captain. All I do is catch the ball and run it as far down the field as I can before getting tackled. I stepped up to assist him because I noticed he was drowning. He took my kindness for granted, and now he has to pay for slacking off.
“Warm up, boys! After that, get into formation. We’re running some plays from last year, and I want to see perfection!”
Malik hurls the ball across the opposite side of the field, directly at a rookie who is surrounded by the defense. He catches the ball but is tackled instantly.
“What are you doing, Chen?! Carter is wide open!” Coach shouts from the sidelines. The vein in his forehead pops out as his face turns beet red.
Coach blows the whistle, and I wince as it pierces my ears.
“Chen! I will bench your ass if you don’t get your head screwed on. Do you hear me?!”
Malik doesn’t acknowledge Bradson. He glares over at me and wipes the sweat from his forehead. “Sorry, Coach. Carter told me he wasn’t feeling too well. I was trying to give him a break.”
What the fuck are you doing?
I fumble my helmet off and clutch it in my hand.
“Carter! If you’re not feeling well, you have to sit out. The weather is too brutal for you to be pushing anything.”
“I’m fine! I don’t know what the fuck he’s talking about!” I hiss while pointing at a smirking Malik.
“You told me before we started that you were up all night with a stomach virus, and you were afraid you were dehydrated. You asked me to go easy on you. Did you forget?”
I throw my helmet to the ground, and with a crack, it bounces back up only to land farther down the grass.
“You entitled son of a bitch!” I close the distance between us before anyone can stop me. I grab him by his jersey and force him to look me in the eyes. “You’re just pissed because I didn’t do your work. You fucking snake!” I holler, my throat scratching from the volume and intensity.
Malik pushes me off him, but I don’t stumble. I ram my hands against his chest, pushing him harder. Tripping over his feet, he collides with another player.
“Fucking do that again!” He comes back at me, flexing his hand until he forms a fist.
I chuckle harshly. “Oh, I will.” I go to throw the first punch, but Blake forces my arm back and holds it behind me.
The player Malik tripped into holds him back.
“Let me go! He’s lying!”
“Fucking, prove it! Tell me he’s not acting like himself! He’s a danger to this team and himself!”
“Shut the fuck up!” Coach shouts, and the two of us close our mouths. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but you better get your shit straight. If you don’t, I will bench you both and have the freshmen take your spots. Is that understood?”
My nostrils flare as my lungs suck in and release as much oxygen as possible. “Yes, sir,” I answer before Malik.
“Carter, hit the showers. I don’t care if he’s lying. You need to cool off. Chen, go to the other locker room and get your shit together. I want my review of the plays by early evening. Now, go. Before I lose my fucking shit.”
Blake escorts me into the locker room while Malik storms toward the opposite end of the field. I rip my jersey over my shoulders and remove my shoulder guards. Without looking back, I finish undressing and stand under the cold water until the muscles in my jaw relax.
“Care to tell me what happened out there?” Blake asks as I hang my head low, letting the water wash over my neck.
“Not really,” I grumble.
“That wasn’t like you. You and I both know that.”
“I know,” I respond. “But he lied.”
“It’s Malik, of course he lied. When has that ever bothered you?”
“He was going to get me benched for the day. I wasn’t going to stand for that.”
“Well, look where that got you.”
“Fuck you, Blake,” I snap.
“How about you talk to me when you regain your wits? This isn’t you; we both know it.”
After that, I’m met with silence. I cool off for a few more moments before turning the shower off. I’m drying off with a scratchy white towel and changing into casual clothes when my phone lights up. My heart flutters, and I look at the notification without a second thought.
If you want to keep your position, if you want me to keep throwing the ball your way, you’ll get me those review notes. Tonight.
Is he threatening me? Really? He’s stooping this low? I wouldn’t take his threat seriously, but he proved earlier that he intends on fucking me over. He didn’t throw the ball my way once during practice. He called me out, and Coach seemingly believed him. One wrong word or action will get me benched or out of the game, and my future will be jeopardized.
I have to succeed. Not only for myself, but for my dad. He was shit, but he raised me after Mom left. He deserves a break and any relief I can provide him. It all starts with me getting drafted, and Malik is threatening to take that away from me.
Gripping my phone, the snap of plastic fills the quiet while I text this prick back.
Fine. Give me until five. I’ll get you your play notes.
Fucking son of a bitch.