Meant To Be Together

39

TW's:
-None

As soon as I opened the door everyone started clapping. I didn't know if they did that for me or for something else, but I still sat down next to my team on a bench. The principal started welcoming everyone and I looked to my side. My mum, dad, brother and aunt were in the crowd to watch me and Clay's mum and dad were here too.

After a while the principal was gone and I stood up slowly for our first match against the first team. I was standing next to Clay as I looked at everyone starting to play. I was already way too happy when I got to kick my stick against the puck. I didn't even mess it up and Sapnap managed to make a goal because of it.

I smiled shyly as the team didn't give Sapnap credit for it, but me. I looked shortly at my family and I felt my eyes filling with tears. I couldn't even understand why people were this nice to me.

The puck got passed to me, but I missed it this time. No one minded and Clay ran towards me to keep the puck from going into the goal. Honestly no one in the other team cared about us slightly breaking the rules, they were all clapping as Clay kept the puck from going into the goal.

After the first match we had one round rest and we would have to play against three other teams after that. I sat down with Clay on a bench and he held my hand. 'Do you want to know how proud I am of you? Because of you we made a goal.'

'I'm not so good, but I enjoy it.'

'You're really good, honey. You're doing great.'

'I am a little bit tired,' I whispered.

'I understand, this is really intense for you.'

I nodded and rested my head on Clay's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed the top of my head. 'Look, Sap is coming to us.'

I looked up at Sapnap and he sat down. 'You're playing so well. I secretly asked how we did and we won this round.'

'I'm getting really tired, I think the next match won't go as well.'

Sap smiled. 'That would be totally fine, but you also said that first round. I'm not believing you anymore,' he giggled. 'You're really good.'

The tournament continued slowly, but I enjoyed it a lot. I started playing worse every match, but no one cared. The other team intentionally missed our goal a few times and let me make a goal on their side. It might have been childish, letting the other team win, but it meant so much to me that I bursted into tears after the second round. People did so much for me just to let me enjoy this day.

Apparently we won the first rounds and we could go to the semi finals. After that we would play the finals if we won. We had a small rest and I was crying in Clay's arms. I was crying so hard because everyone was so nice that my brother ran into the hall and sat down next to me too, holding my hand.

'Georgie, you're doing so great.'

'Even though they are just letting us win, I feel so appreciated. I never wanted to be bald and I didn't dare showing myself here at first. Maybe it sounds selfish, but I feel so much better now others are bald too. I'm not alone anymore.'

'Look at me,' my brother said.

I looked at him taking off his hat. He smiled as I looked in shock at his bald head. 'Your hair is going to grow back in a little and I shaved my head so we can both see our hair grow back again.'

Clay smiled at us and he nodded. 'So did everyone in the team. It's all for you.'

My brother left after a while to let us play the semi finals and even though the other team just let us win again, I couldn't be happier than I was today. I wasn't crazy, I knew I was making the team lose, but other teams just made us win because they apparently thought I deserved so.

We got sent to the finals and I was so tired that I was just standing in one corner. Clay probably broke the rules by standing with me and holding me tight to protect any puck from going into the goal.

I was so tired that my eyes kept closing and suddenly just as we were winning the match, someone told us the match was over. Since I wasn't crazy, I knew they stopped it earlier because I was almost falling asleep.

I didn't even realise the fact that we won and I sat down on Clay's lap, cuddling with him.

'We won, baby.'

'We won?'

'We won the whole tournament.'

I started realising it now and I looked at Clay. 'Are you serious?'

Clay nodded. 'We won.'

I looked at my team and everyone seemed really happy. Even though it wasn't a genuine win, I couldn't have been happier.

'We won,' I whispered with tears in my eyes. 'I know they let us win, but it still means so much to me.'

'I know, baby. I know the tournament means everything to you. And I know you loved playing in it, maybe it wasn't the way you wished to be playing in it, but you can be so proud that you already did. You have been so sick, doctors even thought you were dying and you didn't. You fought through everything, all the pain you went through, you fought through it.'

I smiled shyly and kissed Clay's lips for a split second. 'I love you so much. You've saved me in so many ways and I wish I could make it up to you, but you are apparently already happy that I exist.'

'Do you remember what you promised me?'

I shrugged. 'To not give up, I think.'

Clay nodded. 'What do you think if you stopped fighting against the cancer and gave up?'

'I would have died.'

'That's why your promise is the most precious gift you will ever be able to give me. By promising me to keep fighting, you're still here. And that's the best gift to me, having you here in my arms.'

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