Chapter 7

Maya's P.O.V

"Does everyone know which role they're playing?" Gabe asked.

He was also part of the football team, playing as the left tackle. His job was to protect the quarterback's blindside, which was Ethan, to prevent him from getting tackled. Being almost 6'5" tall, everyone referred to him as the mountain.

His hair was an unusual mix between a light brown and dirty blonde, slightly ruffled, but he didn't look like he cared. Gabe was reasonably quiet compared to the rest of the team, always did his own thing and minded his own business. He was one of the bearable ones.

"We can't win if our team is unsynchronized. Everyone needs to know precisely what they're doing." He repeats.

The team nods as he goes over the roles of each person again, probably for the fifth time now. Once he's done, he huddles us close together for a final pep talk before the real thing begins.

"The New England Patriots wouldn't have been able to win so many games if their team didn't know what they were doing. Everyone has a specific role that they need to perform. So do it."

I tried not to cringe at his failed attempt at a motivational speech. Out of all the pep talks I've come across, I must admit, this might be the worst one so far.

We all disperse into our assigned areas around the territory with two other boys and me staying at the back. Since every team needed someone to defend their flag while the faster people sprint towards the other team's territory, I automatically knew I belonged in the far back, guarding the flag, where all the action wasn't taking place.

Ethan, Gabe and one other guy were standing fairly to the front as they were the sprinters. Being the fastest members in our team, it would only make sense to use them wisely.

In my head, I was trying to formulate a plan of action on how to survive this game without getting knocked down or injured.

It was midafternoon, but the warm sun was still beating down above our heads and onto my exposed skin as I mentally cursed at myself for not putting on any sunscreen. Despite being a fan of sunny days, the lack of clouds was not helping.

As we lined up face to face on opposite sides to begin our battle to capture the flag, I took that as my cue to follow along.

There was white chalk line that was roughly drawn to separate both territories. Connor was standing in the middle of the field, explaining the instructions.

"To win the game, bring back the opponents flag to your territory."

The rules were pretty self-explanatory after Ethan explained them to me for the nth time.

I lifted my head to compensate for my lack of confidence as everyone else is bellowing out loud noises and slamming against their chest like animals.

Okay. I took a deep breath. I had to keep cool.

I glanced around, and in the distance, I could feel Leighton staring at me, hard. I kept my face angled down to avoid any possible eye contact. Whatever anxiousness, I thought I suppressed has now doubled as I closed my eyes and tried to think of peaceful thoughts.

Ethan noticed that I looked a bit dazed and thankfully came over to give me the much-needed reassurance while Connor continued to explain the rules out loud for everyone. He linked his fingers with mine and gave them a hard squeeze.

With just one simple action, the sinking dread that was forming in the pit of my stomach seems to completely disappear as I'm now trying to carefully control my blood pressure before it ends up sky-rocketing through the roof.

He stood next to me for a few more moments before striding back to his position as the game was about to start. Not long after, Connor finishes and makes his departure.

As the whistle blew, the front line shot up, and each ran in three different directions as part of the decoy tactic. I tried not to notice how effortlessly Ethan was bypassing the other team as the other boys ran behind him to lure the defenders away. His body was shining under the sunlight, which made him look ten times more toned than usual.

As our attackers aggressively penetrated the other team's line of blockers, I paid no attention that their sprinters were sneaking from the side to reach our flag. I hear someone call out my name, and my eyes pop open. Before my brain could comprehend what was going on, I could see Leighton and her minions running straight at me.

In situations like this, most people would run away. But like the non-sporty person I was, I decided to close my eyes instead. A shiver racked through me as I felt the breeze as Leighton ran passed me. Instead of dodging me, she pushes her lush body against mine, which resulted in me receiving a hard contact against the grass field.

A gasp escaped her lips. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

My eyes open and I see Leighton standing in front of me, trying to hide the smile that threatened to creep onto her face.

"Are you okay?" She asked once again. I can practically hear her smirk.

For a few minutes, I let the self-pity and pain wash over me while simultaneously planning Leighton's murder. Not to be all dramatic or anything, but she's soon going to get what she deserves.

As I sat up, I could feel my fist clenching, not knowing whether I was mad at Leighton for pushing me or be angry that I agreed to play this stupid game in the first place. Knowing I was incapable of playing any sports whatsoever, I should have stood my ground by denying Ethan's offer, so I didn't have to face any embarrassments.

My throat held back something between a sob and a scream. I chewed my bottom lip to stop the tears that were threatening to escape as Ethan and Leah came jogging up to me.

Leah leans into my ear and whispers. "Do you need me to go kill her?"

"No, I want to do the honors." I gritted my teeth.

After that, I sat out for the rest of the game and watched while they continued playing. Not long after, everyone went back to their rooms to get ready for dinner, leaving me, Ethan and Leah behind.

Ethan leans down and takes a quick look at my knees before reassuring me that it isn't as bad as it looks once you clean off the blood. To my surprise, he even offered to clean my wound.

I felt Leah's hesitation before agreeing to leave Ethan to do the job.

Once again, I'm left alone drowning in deep thoughts as Ethan went to get the first aid kit and some tissues. Ever since lunch, everything has turned out pretty shit. If there was anything positive that came from this, it was the fact that I got to spend some alone time with Ethan.

A few minutes later, the sound of the door opening echoes through the empty field as Ethan approaches me with a red first aid kit in his hands. He places the bag on the table and kneels in front of my injured knee before doing his own thing.

I glanced down at him, watching him dab a wet piece of tissue to clean my wound before covering it with a gauze and taping it down with some medical tape. A smile appeared on my face as I studied his concerned expression and how gently he was trying to be when handling my wound.

"All done." He says casually, picking up the trash from the floor.

I nodded my head nervously. "Thank you for doing this."

I tried not to think about how pathetic I was for being overly ecstatic that Ethan had just cleaned and bandaged my bloody knees.

"Does it still hurt?" He asked, moving to sit down in one of the free chairs beside me.

"It's getting better," I said.

If I was completely honest, I was too focused on Ethan even to notice the feeling of pain on my knees.

I watched the relief flood into his eyes. "That's good. It shouldn't take too long to heal." His voice was raspy and dreamy sounding.

Something about his caring personality makes him extra attractive.

I couldn't help but look into his blue eyes and felt drawn in by them. They weren't the typical shade of blue, but the type that sends electrical chills down my spine, making my body numb. Though I desperately wanted to move, I felt myself frozen in place.

My heart was now beating at a hundred beats per second, and any moment now, it was going to explode. He was way too close to me for my own good. I watched him closely as he tilted his head slowly, leaning forward.

Is this really happening?

I took a deep breath, and without even thinking, I closed my eyes. My whole body was tense as I waited for him to pull me into a kiss.

I heard the sound of his chair scooting and subconsciously opened my eyes. Before I could say anything, I saw the box of tissues in his hand that he had reached for from the table beside me.

He was getting the fucking tissue box, not leaning in to kiss you.

What were you thinking?

Of course, he was grabbing the box of tissues. Why would he be kissing you?

With the tissue box now on his lap, the awkward silence reigned between us as I glared down at my shoes. It feels like an eternity before he attempts to break the silence by clearing his voice. I reluctantly lifted my eyes to meet him, and he gave me a warm smile.

"I'm probably going to catch up with the guys."

He stands up from the chair as I nodded, feeling like an idiot.

"I hope you feel better."

I don't say anything back, and he seems to get the message as he starts walking towards the door. I could feel myself shrinking. "I guess I'll see you around, Maya."

I sighed and shook my head, tucking my knees into my chest. If I thought lunch was terrible, well, this is a thousand times worse.