Pitched Off- Leah Williamson

Chapter 6

I arrived early for class to find Leah already seated at the far end of the table in the back of the room. Any hope of avoiding the walk towards her by being early faded away.

I walked towards her, and due to my early arrival, nobody was there to make her hide the fact that her eyes slowly followed the path from my legs up to my face, and then back again.

A shiver courses through me, tracing the same route as Leah's gaze. Taking my seat beside her, I offer only a nod in her direction, hoping to evade further attention. Yet, her unwavering stare persists as I turn my focus toward the front of the room. Desperately, I fixate on the board ahead, the ticking clock to my left—anything to divert my attention away from her penetrating gaze.

Thankfully, I am saved by a group of players walking in through the doors. Lotte, Jen, and Steph among others clamor into the room. There was one person who I had expected to see enter through the doors, yet never did. No Katie?

I can only stay focused on her missing presence for so long, as the class started so abruptly, and quickly. The projector has been turned on, with broadcasts of recent games. Analysis of positioning and attacking methods are analyzed, but I fight to stay caught up with everything that is going on. The fast-paced conversation is almost too fast to follow.

I attempt to write notes on important matters, specific to my position and role in the defensive movements of the team, but I am unable to even lift my head to look at the models on the screen before they have been exchanged with another.

My focus vanishes entirely and evaporates as Leah's shoe traces up the side of my calf. I whip my head towards her, my eyes wide at first and then narrowed at her. A non-verbal warning for her to stop immediately.

I feel my blood rush towards the surface of my skin, heating it up and clearly showing a blush. I was already in my head, unable to focus on the class, but now that I have missed a few seconds, I feel like I have lost what little chance I had at following along.

Again, I try to retain what little of the information that is being shared. Leah, however, had different ideas. Her hand slipped under the table, and then slowly made its way to rest on my thigh.

I decided that if giving her a death stare didn't work, she would stop if I just ignored her. Again, I put all my effort into focusing on what the defensive coach was talking about at the other end of the room. Mentally trying to connect the dots of what scattered information I had retained.

Her fingers lifted ever so slightly, so her nails slowly began to draw soft circular shapes on the inside of my thigh, dancing between the ends of my shorts and my skin.

The gentle feeling of her hands on me relaxed the muscles in my leg, it sent my mind going a million miles an hour. Thinking thoughts that would definitely make them consider instating a no fraternizing amongst teammates rule.

I push her hand off, I cannot be thinking these things about her. Let alone in an important class for my club, I sent an arsenal of daggers at her. She just replies with a smug smirk plastered across her face.

She leans over to me, her mouth finding its way to my ear, "Why aren't you paying attention Y/N?" She leans back, making the interaction look much more normal than it was.

Oh, she has to be fucking joking.

"Why are you trying to distract me?" I whisper back sharply.

"I don't know what you're referring to." She looks forward. I assume she is only pretending to take in any actual information from the class. Oh, you know exactly what you're doing Leah.