2 - Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Jenna basically dragged me into Coach Harris’s house, and I couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t like I hadn’t planned on attending, but her excitement was contagious. And that wasn’t helping with the reason I really wanted to attend.
We stepped inside and the sight took my breath away. I had no idea the coach had such an amazing house. Or that the entire football team and their fan club would be there.
“This isn’t a mixer,” I mumbled. “It’s a full-blown party.”
“This is nothing,” Jenna said as she pushed through the crowd. “Word has it that some of these guys really know how to have a good time. So it’s safe to expect things to get worse.”
Before I could respond, Jenna vanished into the crowd, leaving me alone and incredibly vulnerable. It would’ve been so much better if she’d stayed with me, but she didn’t, and that made me feel like she was embarrassed of me.
Deep down I knew she wasn’t, but still. I barely knew anyone, and I wasn’t the type people just started talking to. And I wasn’t the kind who would just strike up a conversation with a random stranger either.
“Well, hello there, little lady,” someone said as I walked right into a massive, muscular body. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t see you down there.”
“It’s my fault,” I muttered, fiddling with my shirt. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m actually a bit lost.”
“That’s okay, I’d be happy to be your guide,” he said, offering me an arm.
It took me a moment to find the courage, but I finally looked up and realized that he was one of the new football players. I’d seen him on the field while we were training the other day.
“What position do you play?” I asked, and quickly realized that I had missed a few crucial steps. “Oh, I’m sorry that was so rude of me. My name’s Elizabeth. I’m a cheerleader.”
He let out a thunderous laugh and I could’ve sworn I felt the earth shake. “I’m Malik, and I’m a linebacker.”
“It’s good to meet you, Malik. You seem to be a real gentleman,” I said with a shy smile.
“I try my best.” He gave me an exaggerated bow, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you want to meet the rest of the team?”
I nodded eagerly, and he led me through the crowd to the living room where the rest of the guys were gathered.
“Gentlemen… and Dylan. I’d like to introduce you to one of our beloved cheerleaders. This here is Elizabeth,” Malik said, making me feel like royalty.
The one guy leaned forward and looked me over. It was creepy to say the least and made me feel like he was judging every single part of me. But he quickly got up, grabbed my hand and placed a soft kiss on my knuckles.
“I’m Dylan, and it’s an honor to make your acquaintance,” he said, batting his eyelashes.
“Get your filthy paws off her,” Malik interrupted, slapping his hand. “A girl like this won’t fall for the tricks of a man-whore such as yourself.”
“A whore?” Dylan said, pretending to be hurt. “How dare you? Don’t you know I have standards?”
“And what was that standard called this time? Mary?” one of the other guys asked. “No, no, wasn’t it Julie?”
“Joanne!” someone called from the background.
Dylan’s face changed so many colors I lost count. But they were nowhere near done with him.
“Joanne was yesterday,” Malik responded. “It’s Sandra today.”
“Of course you’ll be the one who remembers,” Dylan said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Mr. Likable.”
“It’s okay,” Malik said, mocking Dylan some more. “It’s not your fault you have too many chicks to remember. That’s why you’ve got me.”
“Stop hogging all the attention,” the next guy said, slapping Dylan on the chest. “Hello, lovely. I’m Lucas, and you’ll get to know me a lot faster than the lady’s man over here.”
Lucas came forward and gave me a tight hug, but as he was letting go, the tension in the room spiked. A chill ran up my spine, and for a moment it sounded like everyone became quiet. I stepped back, and regretted it the second my body slammed into something rock hard.
I turned around and my breath hitched when my eyes landed on the most beautiful man I had ever seen in my entire life. Tousled dark hair, tall, lean and muscular, with brown eyes so intense they could bring a woman to her knees.
“Don’t you guys have anything better to do than make this girl feel uncomfortable? You should be ashamed of yourselves,” he snapped, and Malik instinctively pulled me closer.
“We’re just having a little fun, man. There’s no need to be so uptight about it. We ain’t hurting anyone,” Malik said, trying to calm the situation.
“Hi, I’m Elizabeth,” I said, extending my hand with the hope that it would help cut through the tension.
His gaze moved over the men before landing on me. “Yeah, and I have better things to do with my time.”
He turned and walked away, leaving me completely breathless and slightly annoyed. Who on earth did he think he was? And did he forget that this wasn’t the first time he’d treated me like I was invisible.
“Can someone call the nurse, because this freezer burn is insane,” I said loud enough for him to hear me.
The guys burst out laughing and I totally understood why, but deep down I was hurt. He could’ve had a much better approach than that. It wasn’t like I had done something to him that warranted such behavior.
“Don’t mind him. He’s like that with everyone,” one guy quietly said. “I’m Cameron, but you can call me Cam.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Cam. And it seems like you and I have a lot in common,” I said with a smile.
“What makes you think that?”
I leaned in close and whispered, “We’re both a little shy.”
He gave me a massive smile at the same time as a pink hue spread across his cheeks.
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ve got something special planned and I want you to see it,” Lucas said, resting his hands on my shoulders.
He disappeared into the crowd and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was getting up to. Malik nudged me with his massive elbow and motioned to the other end of the living room. I was confused for a moment, but then Lucas got on the table, microphone in hand.
“I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight, and for celebrating our horrible first few training sessions. But you can’t blame us, it’s all Ozzy’s fault,” Lucas said as the spotlight moved over the coach. “I’m kidding, of course. That’s why I made this awesome team hype video.”
The crowd cheered, the lights dimmed, and the music changed to something more ridiculous and upbeat. The projector lit up the wall, and everyone became quiet.
I was expecting to see big hits, touchdowns, and maybe even some tough-guy moments. And I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one. But instead we got pictures taken during the training sessions.
The team scratching their heads as the coach explained his strategy. Concerned glances being passed on the field. Receivers slamming into each other. The coach screaming at the guys. And probably the best of all, were the pictures of the arrogant quarterback being slammed into the ground.
Lucas cut the photos to look like a dramatic sports montage, which made it look even better. Everyone laughed their asses off, except for the quarterback. He looked like he wanted to beat someone up.
And of course, the slideshow had to end with a freeze frame of Malik slamming into the quarterback like an excavator on a mission, with the words “Week one. We survived it.”
The crowd went absolutely wild. The drinks were flowing and toasts were being handed out like they were on special. But all I could see was the coach shaking his head.
“Not what you had in mind?” I asked, coming up behind him.
“This is far more raucous than I expected it to be. But boys will be boys, so I guess I’ll just have to go with the flow,” Coach Harris said, grabbing the mic from Lucas.
As the coach made his way to the table Lucas was standing on, Jenna found me. She gave me a wicked grin, and handed me a drink. This could only mean one thing. She was definitely enjoying herself as much as I was.
“Can I have your attention please?” Coach Harris said as he got on the table. “Lucas made fun of my guys with that little prank of his. But the truth is that you guys have come a long way. It’s only been a week, but we’ve all learned so much from each other, and for that I’m incredibly grateful.”
Malik hugged Dylan and Lucas, and I could tell that he fully agreed with the coach.
“I know I’m not what you guys were hoping to get.
But I promise you that I’m determined to do right by you guys, even though I don’t know much about football.
I might be getting on in years, but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn new tricks.
And this team has taught me a hell of a lot in a very short time. ”
The guys cheered and Coach Harris wiped a stray tear off his cheek. It was enough to make me want to cry. I had never seen the coach so vulnerable before. He was speaking from his heart, and all I could hope for was that these guys understood what that meant.
“I know there are rumors going around,” Coach went on. “But I want to assure you all that I’m taking this run as seriously as any other, on any court or field. You are my boys now, and I will do whatever it takes to see you succeed. So keep pushing, because the day will come where we will win.”
The crowd erupted in cheers, and as the coach vanished from view, they dispersed into smaller groups. Once again, I was all alone. But I didn’t mind. I needed to get some air anyway. That speech was way too emotional for my soft little heart not to react.
I stepped out into the backyard and was surprised to see the quarterback sitting on the porch, all on his own. Feeling extra brave, I took a seat next to him. I didn’t say a word because I didn’t want to be shut down again, but I did manage to get a glimpse of the beautiful starlit sky.
“I’m sorry for being so rude to you earlier,” the quarterback said, surprising me.
I looked around to make sure he wasn’t talking to someone else, but it was definitely just the two of us.
“My name’s Ethan,” he said, extending a hand. “And you’re Elizabeth.”
“I’m surprised you heard the words leaving my mouth,” I scoffed, but I instantly regretted it. “That was rude. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I kinda think you have a right to be rude to me, considering that I’ve been such a jerk.”
“Comes with the territory, I suppose. Can’t be a big shot if you don’t need an attitude adjustment.”
He laughed, but it sounded sadder than I was expecting. And I instantly knew that he wasn’t like any of the other guys on the team. There was something about him, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what that was.
“Did you see Lucas’s slide show?” I asked, hoping to lighten the mood.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could respond, the guys came out, and Jenna was at the lead.
“There you are,” she said. “We’ve been looking all over for you. Listen, the guys offered to walk the cheerleaders back to the dorm because they’re amazing like that. And I’m wasted, so I wanted to come get you before we took off.”
“That’s very kind of them, and I would be delighted by the escort. It’s so unsafe for girls these days, you know,” I said, winking at her.
I got up and took the arm Malik offered. But I was kind of hoping to finish my discussion with Ethan, because I didn’t know when I’d get another chance.
I turned back to him and said, “Want to walk with us?”
He shook his head. “Ehh. Probably not a good idea. I have some studying to do, so I might as well get on that. I’ll catch up with you guys on the field.”
With that, he got up and left. And honestly, I was more than just a little disappointed. I had hoped he would drop that cold attitude of his for once.
“I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about that one if I were you. He’s like that with all of us. It’s like he’s determined to not be part of the team,” Malik said as we started walking.
“Really?” I asked, kind of stunned. “That doesn’t seem like the best way to approach things.”
He chuckled. “No kidding.”
I glanced over my shoulder, catching one final glimpse of Ethan before he disappeared from sight.