Letting Go (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter 29: When Reality Strikes

Ten points to Gryffindor, or the house of your choice, for whoever can tell me what Harry is saying in this gif! I honestly don't have a clue, but whatever it is, he looks good saying it ;) 

Happy reading!

Natalie Clemons

You can try and avoid reality as much as you want, but eventually, you're going to back yourself into a corner, no way out, nowhere to run. It's just you and reality staring each other in the face, waiting to see who blinks first. And you're going to lose. Every time.

You would think that I would have learned my lesson. I've had my fair share of mishaps, I've had my fair dosage of reality in my short nineteen years of life. I should know how this works by now.

But for some damn reason, I'm here.

Again.

I swear I'm a masochist or something.

After a few moments of debating whether or not to go back to camp, I turned off the ignition and stepped out onto pavement. There were no cars in the parking lot and not a soul in sight, just as I had predicted. I hobbled to the back of my jeep and opened the trunk, pulling out a silver athletics bag and slinging it over my shoulder. I checked around me one more time to make sure no one was around. Then I headed for the gates.

Crossville Stadium. The silver letters hung above the entrance like a haunted memory, warning me to get out now. I didn't listen. Instead, I swung the gate open and stepped out onto the bleachers. The field was painted and ready for football season, white lines marking every ten yards, the word Knights painted in bold capital letters on both end zones. But, the closer I got to the field, the more I let my mind morph it, transforming it back the way it was just over a year ago. Suddenly the lines disappeared, new ones taking their place: the goal box, penalty box, halfway line, the arcs in the corners. Most importantly, there were two goalposts at either end. It had now become a soccer field.

Once I reached the bottom of the bleachers, I opened another gate and stepped onto the turf. The sun beat wickedly overhead and I was already sweating by the time I limped over to the center of the field. The pain in my hip was getting worse, but I held on to the vision in my head. Dropping the athletic bag onto the ground, I unzipped it and pulled out a soccer ball. I spun it around in my hands, feeling the familiar weight, the crevices, the texture. Closing my eyes, I leaned down and pressed it to my forehead as memories overwhelmed me.

This is where it all began. This is where it all ended.

Keesha and I bump fists as I leave to take my position at midfield. I looked up in the stands, lit only by the giant stadium lights. Ben was in his normal spot, a knights ball cap on his head and a huge poster with my number on it, #17. Tori, Tyler, Adam, Tamara, Courtney, James and Connor were standing in the front row of the student section. Their faces were painted silver and purple and their t-shirts spelled Clemons across the front and Wilson! across the back for Keesha. I rolled my eyes. This wasn't a huge game, we were going to win like we always did. Coach never scheduled a really hard team on Senior night. The only reason anyone was making a big deal about it was because the scouts were here. Scouts from Florida State. Scouts that could offer free rides and get me into college when Ben couldn't afford it. Scouts that could allow me to keep playing.

Normally, I was jumping around and making jokes across the field with my team. As seniors, Keesha and I were the captains and we both made a promise that, though we were going to work our asses off, we were going to have fun this season. This was our last year. Hopefully we would both get recruited by Florida State and play together in college, but neither of us could bet on it.