Escaping Reality...With My Enemy

Part XIII ~ Locker Room

"You motherfucker!" Theo tackled me back, ripping off my helmet. He raised his first but before he could do anything, Sapnap pushed him off me.

"Rescuing your boyfriend, Sapnap?" Theo taunted.

"Shut up, Theo."

Theo grabbed Sapnap by his jersey.

A whistle stopped the three of us in our tracks. "Dream! Theo!" He pointed to the locker room. "You're done today!"

"Coach..." Theo tried with a charming, soft voice.

"No, get off my field! You're done today."

Theo scoffed then stormed off and I followed shortly after.

Theo didn't even take off his pads or anything. He stormed right outside the room and I heard footsteps receding from the door.

With a scowl on my face, I ripped off my pads, almost tearing my jersey. I slammed my cleats into the locker and the punched the cool metal locker. I collapsed on the bench, head in my hands.

I looked over my shoulder then decided to text him. I needed to blow off some steam.

After I sent the text, Sapnap cracked the locker room door open. "Hey," he said.

"I don't want to talk to anyone right now, Sap."

"Okay then you don't have to talk back. Sam just wanted me to remind you about the 6 am practice tomorrow before you left."

I stopped packing up my things and snapped my head up to Sapnap. "What?" My voice was low and had a hint of annoyance to it that I didn't mean to add.

"6 am practice...just like every Saturday." Sapnap fiddled with his hands.

"It's technically a holiday, though. So I told the team no practice on holidays and I included Halloween in there." My voice was getting louder and I was scared if someone didn't calm me down a whole bunch of word vomit was going to erupt.

Sapnap stood there awkwardly. After an uncomfortable pause he said "...Well, Sam expects everyone to be there..."

I turned away from Sapnap and started aggressively shoving things in my bag. "This is bullshit!" I yelled.

"I thought you liked Saturday workouts."

"You know what? No, I fucking hate working out on Saturdays at 6 am sharp! Whoever's idea it was to start that was an idiot!"

"Dream, maybe you should calm-"

"No! I'm not finished! Sam is changing too much, my grades are still shit even with the better test scores and tutoring, I hate my parents and how controlling yet absent they are, and I feel like I'm not good enough for this team and everyone hates me!"

I didn't mean to sound like the victim because I wasn't. This is my life. This is the way it is. I can't change that. But word vomit did come out and now I was stood looking at Sapnap with his eyes wide, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other.

A lump in my throat appeared and I took that as my queue. I softened my voice to almost a whisper, "Sorry." I grabbed my bag and left the locker room.

I had only taken a few steps from the door when I heard Sapnap calling after me. He jogged up to me and asked, "Are you okay? You've seemed on edge and not yourself... and I don't know what that was back there...you wanna talk or..?"

I kept silent, thinking, for a second. "I'm fine."

Sapnap nodded and we walked in silence through the halls. "Soooo..." Sapnap started. "Um...how's tutoring?"

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. What I wouldn't give to be curled up with George in bed right now. "It's good, actually."

"It's good...with George?" An awkward pause fell between us. Sapnap was fidgety.

"Um, yeah, as much as it pains me to say, he's a good tutor. I'll give him that." I scoffed to add annoyance and put up my 'tough guy' appearance. Sapnap had to think I still hated him no matter what. Not like he would actually believe I was fucking a guy, much less George of all people, unless he walked in on us - and still even then would he believe his own eyes? But I still had to play it cool.

"Mm." Sapnap pressed his lips together.

He was being weird so I kept talking. "He came to school today with bruises all over his face, though. A black eye and everything." I looked over at Sapnap. His face had a light blush over it. "Not like me to care but... do you think it was the seniors?" I pushed. He knew something. There's was no way he didn't know something. "I know they said they pushed him around a little but maybe they did something else?"

We locked eyes, looking at one another. Sapnap's face was pleading, the pink hue getting deeper. He was going to break in 3... 2... 1-

"Yes," he croaked. "I saw them."

Okay, that's not what I thought he was going to say. I thought it was gossip he had heard or a rumor...but he was there?? I mean he did leave practice early but be witnessed it. He saw them beating up George. He looked on and... wait - did he try to stop it?

"Remember when I left early yesterday?" His voice was soft and childlike, innocent.

I nodded, trying to not let my fuming anger show too much. It was impossible to suppress.

"I saw them..." He looked away from me then added in a whisper, this time his innocent tone gone and a guilty one replacing it, "...and I did nothing." He paused. "I mean, I stopped my car and I watched everything unfold. My hand was hovering over the shifter but I..." He shook his head.

Why was he getting so flustered and weird about this? He hates George. He despises him with every bone in his body. Why the sudden change?

"I mean obviously I hate george and he deserves every bit of the things we do but that... I don't know something was different," Sapnap quickly adds. He lifted his head up to meet my eyes.

I pressed my lips together trying to stop the terrible thoughts from coming out. The obscenities I wanted to shove in his face would be too much for anyone to handle. With clenched teeth I said, "You should've stopped it." It came out as a threat more than a general observation like I meant to make it.

"I know, Dream," he said, looking down at his feet.

"Then why are you acting like it's not a big deal?" I shouted, erupting again. "George is in so much pain and embarrassment from that and he had no one to help him. You just let it happen?? You let it continue?? God i can't believe you, Sapnap!"

Sapnap blinked, confused. After a while he took a deep breath. "Ok, chill, Dream, first of all." He crossed his arms. "Second, I thought you would understand but fuck - I guess not! You've been acting weird ever since he started tutoring you and you know what? I fucking hate it!"

I scoffed then rolled my eyes as if tis is was the most ridiculous thing I've heard in my life. "I haven't been acting weird."

"Come on always sneaking off during class and being late to practice because of a tutoring session...you were never late and now you're showing up five ten minutes late to half the practices!"

"Ok the sneaking off during class isn't new and I know you know that. Plus, I started taking my academics more seriously ok? football isn't my life!"

"Last year you said it was! Up until the beginning of this year it was your life!"

"We'll it's not anymore, ok?" I threw up my hands and aggressively opened the building's front doors. Sapnap tried to follow me but then gave up as I crossed the street to where my car was sitting.

I shifted my car into gear, then my phone went off.

George ~ I'll be waiting by the park.