youngblood | a.i.

five || warning lights & red flags

"Irwin, you can not convince your team to treat her horribly just because you feel threatened," Coach told him.

I could feel the blood boiling in my veins, but after getting myself in so many avoidable situations in the past because of my own actions, I tried to suppress it and just listen.

"I don't feel threatened by her... Why can't I scare her off? I am captain after all," he asked Coach, obviously pacing the office at his point. He was just as mad as me- we were just mad about the opposite things.

"Why are you so stuck on not having a girl on the team?" Coach finally asked. "I'd think all your hormones would be raving about having a girl on the team."

"There's so much more to this specific girl than you will ever understand," Ashton said back. I had a feeling he was leaning over Coach's desk at this point, trying to prove his point.

What part of me will Coach never understand?  Yeah, I had a vendetta against Ashton and Andrew but that wouldn't affect my gameplay. On the field, they are team members, not the guy who assaulted me and let me get assaulted. I had spent months developing that mindset, and I wasn't going to let Ashton Irwin ruin that right now.

I got up off the floor, controlling my emotions as I rounded the doorway into the room. All eyes fell to me, but I just looked to Luke, who was splayed out in the chair in the corner, head in his hands.

His eyes met mine and his instincts immediately picked up my distress. He cursed under his breath as he looked at me, but didn't get up.

"Luke, take me home please," I finally spoke, feeling Ashton and Coach's eyes burning into my side.

"He's second captain. He's part of this conversation too," Ashton said from behind me. 

I bit my cheek to keep my emotions from exploding in that moment. My glance slowly broke from Luke to Ashton over my shoulder, the anger visible on my face at this point. "Yeah, well it seems like you all have your mind made up at this point, regardless of others opinions," I spoke through gritted teeth. I looked back to Luke, watching as he started to stand up.

"Luke, I still need to talk to you yet," Coach explained as he stood up. Luke's glance broke from me to Coach and back to me again.

He silently pleaded with me to just give him a minute. I shook my head slightly, taking a deep breath to keep myself from killing something, or someone.

"Just give me the car keys. I'll wait out there," I finally told him as I held out my hand, ignoring the devil reincarnated standing behind me.

Luke dug through his pocket, pulling out the key. "I'll be out in a minute. Promise."

I chuckled a bit, taking the key from him and leaving without a response. I started down the hallway, not waiting for anyone to say anything to me.

I reached where my bag sat against the wall, picking it up and heading for the door I first entered through. I walked fast, my anger boiling over as I got closer. Right as I pushed the door open, I heard someone call behind me.

"You're not going to play on this team, Princess."

I laughed to myself, pushing the door farther open and getting ready to walk faster to the car. "Leave me alone, Ashton."

I waited for the sound of the door to click behind me, insinuating that it had shut, but it never did. Rather I heard the sound of the bar being caught, pushing it back open, meaning he was right behind me now.

"I'm just trying to warn you. That's all," he continued on, following close behind. I continued walking, the car not that far away, but Ashton continued behind me.

"No one wants you on this team. I'm just trying to protect you," he added on, his voice almost yelling as I had finally gained some ground on him.

"You think I want to be doing this?" I yelled back. I stopped in my tracks, turning on my heels to face him, watching as it had no effect on his attitude. "You think I want to play on a team with the guy who sexually assault me and the guy who let him?"

He rolled his eyes at my remark. "Andrew didn't try to assault you," he laughed to himself as he got closer to me.

I took a step closer to him, making him back off a bit from surprise. "Yeah?" I raised my eyebrows at him. "Tell that to the bruises he left and my life-- which he fucking ruined," I continued as I stared straight at him.

Ashton looked away first, continuing to chuckle to himself like he didn't believe me. I started walking backward away from him, finishing what I had said. "I don't want to be on this team either!" I yelled at him, holding my arms up at my sides. "But I have to be if I want to get into the college I want. Not all of us have everything spoon fed to us, Ashton, so you're just going to have to deal with the girl who has 'so much more to her than coach will ever understand'."

I copied his words from earlier in the office, finally making him realize I had heard that whole conversation. I watch as he sucked in a deep breath like he was pissed at himself that I had heard that. I pulled out the key to the car and turned to unlock it. Right as I reached the door, Ashton yelled one more thing.

"I'm going to make your life a living hell if you stay on this team."

I pulled my door open and started to climb in, stopping to respond before getting in and slamming the door behind me.

"You've been doing that since the day I met you."