Off Limits ✔️

Chapter 39

"Barden! Barden! Barden!", Beca could hear the crowd cheering from the bleachers outside as she sat by her locker. She took a deep breath, turning the volume up on her headphones so the music overpowered the fans, while pulling up her socks over the shinguards. The soccer captain knew that nothing could distract her today as she slipped her feet into her lucky boots, tying them up now.

Looking up to see the rest of her team standing around with each other talking she smirked while taking her headphones off. "Coach is going to kill them", she thought to herself while turning around to her locker, grabbing the ankle tape.

"What the hell are you idiots doing?", the sound of Coach's voice booming through the locker rooms made Beca smile again as she glanced over her shoulder to see the older man with his hands on his hips. "There it is", she grabbed the captain's armband from the top shelf of her locker before slamming the door shut and climbing over the bench. "Get out there and warm-up", he pointed to the exit, his glare flicking to each player as they quickly made their way out of the room.

"It's just too predictable", Beca shook her head, laughing to herself as she followed her team out onto the field. Her nerves and the butterflies in her stomach grew more when she stepped through the tunnel, listening to the roar of the crowd. The brunette couldn't help but take her time looking around the stadium, noticing the banners, mascots and fans cheering them on from the stands.

Just as she reached the sideline where a number of coaching staff that assisted Coach were stood, helping and talking to other players on the team, Beca felt a hand slap down on her shoulder. "Thanks for getting us the sideline passes Bec", Tom smiled down at his twin sister before wrapping his arm around her neck, squeezing her. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'd feel a lot better if you didn't squeeze the life out of me before I even get a chance at winning the championship", she pushed him away, watching him laugh as she'd get her breath back.

"I have no doubt that you'll win today, we need to have at least one winning Mitchell, right?", he smirked, pushing his hands into his pockets now just as Beca noticed her Dad and Sheila walking over now.

Beca smiled softly up at her brother, noticing the guilt wash over his face. "Don't beat yourself up man, you're still getting that scholarship", she punched him in the arm, laughing with him.

"Beca, make sure you're focused on the game rather than messing around with your brother", Ben Mitchell crossed his arms as he reached his children, rolling his eyes at their behaviour.

"Whatever old man", Beca rolled her eyes back at him and turned her head around to look at the field just as music started to play louder through the main speakers. Her breathing hitched a little when she recognised the cheerleading uniforms from her school and she couldn't help but let her eyes gaze over the team, looking for one person in particular.

As the cheerleaders performed their routine their smiles never faulted as they performed different stunts and tumbles, Beca felt her stomach drop a little when she noticed that Chloe wasn't with them. "Stop thinking about her Mitchell, you need to focus on the game", she was brought out of her thoughts when the crowd applauded and cheered on the cheerleaders and she glanced back up to see them waving their poms in the air before jogging over to the sideline.

"Hey, maybe she's just running late", she heard Tom whisper again as her brother slung his arm around her shoulder.

Nodding her head, Beca pushed away her anxiety as she spun back round to smile at them all. "I've got to go warm up and stretch", she pointed her thumb over to where the rest of her team were jogging now, not giving them a chance to wish her luck as she made her way over to join them.