Nostalgia

0·5

I stopped once I got to the door of the changing rooms, choosing to wait outside for Adam instead. No need to walk into a room of potentially naked and angry boys.

Just as I had predicted, it didn't take long for the sound of approaching footsteps to be heard from the other side of the door.

"-told you. I didn't do anything!" It was Adam's raised voice. For a second, the footsteps paused, and someone else spoke up.

"You really think anyone is buying that bullshit? Look, Adam. You are the backbone of the team, they're supposed to look up to you, and if you're this distracted, you'll completely knock us out of the leaderboard."

Oh, donkey crap.

"I said I'll do better!" Adam's voice was lower, but it had much more contempt than before.

The other person tsked. "I think you should get your shit together and lead the team as a captain should. Or else I will have to kick you off the team."

All the colour drained from my own face. Was Adam seriously going to get thrown off the team because of me?

"You can't do that," Adam seethed, sour laughter leaving his lips. "I've led this team to where it is now. You would be nothing without me."

The other man laughed back with almost the same amount of venom. "Of course, you've brought the team the failure we're facing now. You're mistaken, Adam. The only thing that made us the top team in the state was the fact that we worked to get here." The man paused. "Fix yourself, Adam. Until you do, I'm giving the position of quarterback to Titus Bentley."

"Wait. You can't do that-"

"I just did. And if you don't do something quickly, you'll be removed from the team completely. Good luck, son."

I stepped away from the door with a racing heart as the footsteps drew closer. Within seconds, the door swung open. Coach Kensington walked out with a frown on his face and stomped away without even sparing a glance in my direction-for, for which I was grateful.

But then, less than a minute later, an even angrier-looking Adam sulked through the door, roughly shoving it out of his way. I barely managed to jump away in time not to be smacked in the face by the iron.

The squeal that escaped my throat drew Adam's attention. He had changed out of his sports uniform and was currently wearing a pair of gray shirts and a blue sweatshirt. His duffel bag hung over his left shoulder, and both his hands were stuffed into the pockets of his sweatshirt.

For a good minute, Adam stared at me with a blank expression. In a way, it felt like he hadn't expected me actually to come. I was also regretting being here. If what I'd just heard wasn't a joke, then Adam wasn't the team's quarterback anymore. And it was my fault.

Like the last time we met, Adam broke into a sudden grin and spun around on his heel, so he was directly facing me now. His dreadlocks grazed his eyebrows, looking like a fringe that encircled his head. That, coupled with his dark skin, athletic build, and dimples, made him look extremely hot.

"Well, I'm sure you heard everything. Including the fact that your choices have ruined my career," he said. Each syllable felt like a stab in my heart.

Once upon a time, I and Adam had been pretty good friends. Since I was dating James and James was best friends with him, I guess the both of us were supposed to get along. And we did get along very well. James usually made sure I never missed any of his games, and then after, we'd go celebrate.

Remembering those times now, I couldn't help but wonder how much I'd actually lost after the breakup. Yes, I lost James, a prime part of my life at the time. I lost most of my friends because they all saw me as a cheating, conniving bitch. But now I realized I'd lost more; Adam. I'd lost him too.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, unable to maintain eye contact but solely focused on the piece of bubble gum stuck to the floor close to the wall. What was I doing here? I couldn't take this. I couldn't stand to see Adam look at me with such anger and disgust. But even though it choked me to death, I knew it was worth it. Everything I did was worth it. We'd all move on eventually, no matter how long it'd take.

"You're sorry?" His voice was laced with sheer unbelief. "Because of what you did, everything in my life went haywire, and now I'm too distracted to even play well. You just witnessed my sports career being thrown under the bus because of your stupid lie, and all you can stand there and say is sorry?"

I'd gotten this tons of times.

This bitter tone, this hatred. This anger burnt in Adam's brown irises. I'd been here before. And if I could take it from James, I sure as hell could take it from him as well.

"Look, Adam-"

"No, you look, Avery," interjected Adam angrily. At this point, he'd snapped. I could tell from how intensely his eyes bored into mine and how he stood. Like he was seriously resisting the urge to slap me into oblivion. I hated this. "You have a week to clear up this shit and get me the fuck out of this mess you've created, or else I'll rip everything away from you! Do you have any fucking clue what you've done?" he yelled.

Yes. Yes, I do.

But I'd become equally numb. What more could he take from me? My family's business was on the verge of crashing, I'd ruined my best friend's relationship, Adam's career, and James hated me to the bone.

I had nothing more to lose because even my dignity was stripped.

"I don't fucking care how you do it, but you will get me out of this mess before the time runs out." His piercing gaze sent chills down my spine, but I managed to hold back the urge to shiver and burst into tears. "If you fail to do it, I'll make sure the rest of your stay in this school is utterly unbearable."

Even though I felt sorry for him-for lying, I couldn't hold back the anger. He was blaming me for everything without even knowing why I did it. Not like I wanted his sympathy, but the least he could do was summer down a bit.

"You can't do anything, Adam." This was a lie. I was lying. Knowing Adam, he'd search for anything and everything that could frustrate my life as a student and even the life after. His parents were influential people in the state, all it would take was a word from him, and they'd dig up dirt.

As if he knew about my internal struggle, Adam snorted bitterly and sneered. "Try me. One week, Avery."

With those parting words, he left me, marching out of the auditorium like he couldn't bear to breathe the same air I did. But even through the anger, I could see how I'd wrecked him by lying.

I never actually cheated on James with Adam. Everything was a lie. One I was beginning to regret.