Falling for the Goalie and Other Dangerous Sports

Chapter 6 - Maddy

It was really hard deciding where to begin this chapter, but I thinked I picked a decent spot. I didn't want to start all the way back @ the goal, so...=B! quick question: you think last chapter(s) was too much? I'll just work with what I got :) thanks for reading again ^u^ !

(from Bri)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Finally, finally the whistle sounded and the game was over. I was walking back, talking to Heather when the player I had triumphantly stopped from scoring stuck out his foot and tripped me flat on my face. It took a second to register, but I picked myself up and ignored the insults they shot at me, cackling like a bunch of hyenas.

"Loser."

"Whale!"

"Whore."

Calmly, ever so calmly, I marched over the player and forcefully turned him to face me. Up close, he was an easy 3-4 inches taller than me, but I couldn't be phased.

"It's very mature of you to act like such a baby after losing a game."

"Baby? That's the best insult you had?"

I didn't want to use foul language, but there was no choice. I hated being pushed around. Hated it. I may be a little timid on the outside but I couldn't stand being bossed around. That was probably the one thing that set me off. "Unless you wanted me to call you a dick." I was almost certain I had won the fight when his fist smashed into my jaw.

Pain. Almost unbearable pain is all I could comprehend. The force of the impact seemed to freeze my jaw in place, uncomfortably tingling and, eventually, erupting in a soreness no words could explain. I faintly remember my vision getting clouded by black dots, seeing only glimpses of what was going on. He had another fist raised. Someone else was near. He has a bloody lip. Derek's smirking. I'm mad.

My reckless independence kicked in again, and my slightly sedated mind had let all hell loose. I flailed and kicked and struggled to break free, to hurt the player, to hurt Derek, to hurt anyone and anything that clipped my wings. My struggle became harder to keep, and I couldn't escape whoever was holding me back. Finally, another pair of hands grabbed my waist and arm and pulled me back with such force another small cloud of black dots came into view again. Catching my breath, still being guided back to the benches, I shook off Kendall's arm still holding onto me.

I eventually came to my senses. My breathing was calm, heartbeat slower, the adrenaline rush gone. I tried to recall what happened again, but I still only managed to get bits and pieces. I got hit, I know that much. Someone pushed their nose in my business, I knew that much too. Think, Maddy, think...

The rest of the team was quietly sipping from water bottles, and I could pare the tension with a knife. Jarod popped the question.

"Why'd you do it, Derek?"

I should've known.

"Me? No one saw Maddy provoke the kid?"

And now the blame was on me.

"That's not the point, you landed the first punch."

"Technically second."

"Whatever. But ultimately, you're the blame here."

"Are you kidding me? Maddy's the one who recklessly provoked him. I'm the one who stopped him from throwing any other punch on her. And she-" he gestured toward me," Is the one who wouldn't stop fighting!" That son of a bitch thinks to blame this on me. I wasn't the one who punched him. If he had just left me alone - like what I've wanted ever since he's met me - I would of solved the problem on my own. By myself. With no help.

"Derek, I could've handled it." I said, tossing my water bottle in my bag, hoping to restrain myself.

"Oh, I'm sure of that. You see how red your jaw is? It hurts, doesn't it."

"It doesn't hurt as much as you think." I replied. That was a blatant lie, but I couldn't let him think I was some barbie doll.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not!" I said, frustrated.

"Yes you are. I would've at least thought you'd thank me for stopping that second punch the player was about to land."

"God dammit Derek, do you ever stop thinking about yourself!?" I shouted, standing up. I still wasn't feeling right. I still couldn't think quite right. I still couldn't stop myself, even with all the willpower I contained. "About your giant ego, thinking your somehow a step above everyone else, thinking you can handle everything?"

"I never-"

"I could've taken that kid without your help! One punch isn't going to kill me, Derek!" I finally got it out, all my frustration and confusion poured into that one sentence. I hadn't even realized how close I was to him again. Wide green eyes, mussed-up hair, all taking up my vision. A small freckle residing on his chin. Unusually long lashes-dark as his hair. God, it was him in all respects, the most attractive guy I've ever seen. "No, Maddy, no..." I thought. "Stop this. Right now."

Whispers had begun again, and ever so quietly Derek said to me and only me, "It killed me. It killed me to stand there, to do nothing, and watch someone hurt you." The last words echoed around in my head. Watch someone hurt you, watch someone hurt you...that's me. Right now. He has no idea how much this is killing me too.

He pushed past me roughly. I sat. "Well. That was quite the turn of events." Coach Reed said. Derek had sat down and almost every eye was on him, staring off into nowhere. "Derek." He looked up. "I'm sorry, but you will be facing consequences."

"I know." Why didn't he explain everything? Why isn't he blaming it all on me now?

"The consequences for you are that you will NOT-" Coach Dublin said, putting more emphasis on not,- "be in the goalie position for the next 2 season games, and will not start in goalie for the following 3. Understand?" Whines and pleadings came out of the team. We were screwed, for sure.

"Yes, Coach." Derek mumbled. Coach Dublin then went over practice times and and a routine evaluation of the game. I focused on Coach Dublin's evaluation, hoping, just maybe, I could get a clearer sense of what happened. Everything just became even more unclear, and trying to put the pieces back together in my mind plus my overly fatigued body meant I could barely even distinguish what happened and what didn't anymore.

"One, two three-"

"Ashcrest tigers." we said quietly. I picked up my bag and water bottle, grabbing my phone from inside my bag. I read the text from Mom.

Can't pick u up today :( Called Max Weaver, Derek's brother to take you home, kay honey?

Fuck.

I responded with an okay. I only had the swear word scrolling through my head; nothing was understandable. I spotted the Weaver's car and slipped in the backseat, finding Derek on the other side.

"Thanks for driving me, Max." I said politely. My voice was quieter than usual, and my legs felt sore from standing and running.

"No problem, ma'am." Max responded while I buckled my seatbelt. I smiled a little, but my jaw was sore and my smile hurt it more. Resting my sore cheek against the cold window, I felt my lids get heavy. I gladly let them close, feeling halfway asleep already. I hadn't even set my water bottle down or changed out of my cleats.

Things went very quiet for a long time. I was finally close to forgetting everything, so close to falling in sleep's grasp, I thought I did until Max spoke up. "I think she's asleep. Maddy, are you awake?" He asked, seeming like he was talking in a long tunnel. I was so tired, I couldn't even grunt or managed a yes. I just stayed quiet.

"I screwed up big time, didn't I Max?" Derek's distinct voice said.

"You may not of handled the situation correctly, but you stood strong, little man. Proud of you." Max replied.

"Even after that horrible one-on-one goal?" Derek said. The goal replayed in my mind, me lunging and that player dribbling right by me. Just a dream, Maddy. That might of not even happened.

"Even after that. Although it wasn't all your fault...and I saw you blame her. Don't think you can hide that." Max added, sounding like a parent. Derek had mouthed "Your fault" to me, which I think didn't really happen either.

"You like her, don't you?" My eyes snapped open.

"Wha, where did that come from?" Derek asked. His voice was a little higher than usual. I kept my eyes forward, looking at the rushing road in front of me. What had Max just said? Maybe this is just something else I'm imagining.

"Please. I see the way you two look at each other and how much you tease, too. It's hard to not miss." I thought I saw Max see me in the rearview mirror. Quickly, I shut my eyes, acting asleep. It's fake. I'm imagining things.

"It's against the rules." My unknowingly tensed body relaxed again. Remember; you're asleep.

"That it is, little bro. And I'm sorry about that." Max said. Sorry about what? I retraced the conversation.

"Thanks..." Derek said. Analyzing the conversation, I realized Derek had never denied liking me, and it all became too real. I couldn't imagine anymore. My eyes opened wide again. Max locked onto my gaze in the rearview mirror and smiled a little. I tried to close my eyes, will them shut in one last attempt to say I'm dreaming, but Max had the same mysterious smile Derek had. Derek, Derek, Derek...

"What?" Derek asked Max.

"Nothing, nothing. Don't worry about it." He focused his eyes on the road again, and I slowly closed mine. My brain continued to buzz. It leaped from thought to thought, memory to memory, in some sort of crazed, circus-like fashion. I couldn't stop thinking about anything. I couldn't think. I had to wake up. I needed to be asleep.

"I'm sorry," I heard, and realized it was addressed to me. "I'm sorry you ever met me and I'm sorry any of this ever happened." They still think I'm asleep. He still thinks I am asleep. I am asleep.

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"What?"

"You said you're sorry she ever met you."

"I am. I'm a horrible person."

"No, you're human. Just like the rest of us."

"You know what I said at the sidelines? Do you know what happened? She called me selfish. And she's right, you know that? Of course you know that. I just can't..."

"It all depends on what you replied with. She called your selfish, you called her...?"

"I didn't call her anything. I told her..." It killed you to see me hurt. "Never mind."

"I won't tell."

Say it.

"I don't care."

Say it.

"No."

Say it!

"NOW. Or I will wake her up and tell her every little bit. Maybe even throw in the doctor incident from when you were 5..."

Please wake me up.

"I told her I cared about her, okay? I told her it killed me to see her get hurt. You know the amount of shit I'm in now?"

There was a pause. How could he think he was in some sort of trouble?

"I'm sorry. Crap."

"No, no, it's not the swearing, it's just...that was...that must've..."

Taken some guts?

"That says something, Derek. And I have one piece of advice for you. Don't let Maddy go, no matter how hard it might get. Don't push her away, or let her walk away. Deal?"

"I won't. I don't think I could."

I know I couldn't.

"Good. Now get some sleep." Max said. The shuffling and following silence singaled Derek had finally fallen asleep. And so did I.

<^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^>^<^><^>

"Maddy....Miss Maddy...time to wake up...." someone cooed, shaking me gently. I removed my numb cheek from the window, shaking my head around.

"Wha, what?" I asked, blinking. "Are we home?"

Max laughed. "Your home." he said, winking.

"Well...uh, thanks for taking me home, and stuff..." I said, grabbing all my things and opening the door halfway.

"Have a good night, Maddy." he added, winking at me again. I said thank you once more, and went to unlock to front door. I walked in, threw my stuff on the chair next to me and sat down, pulling off my cleats caked with grass.

"Madeline Joelle Gray, how many times have I told you to take your cleats off on a door mat?" my mom said, walking into the living room with her pajamas on. I looked up at her, and rotated my feet so they were over the door mat. She sighed, me turning around to unlace the rest of my shoe. What happened?

"Oh! Maddy, what happened?" she gasped, kneeling down and touching my jaw. It prickled a little. "Oh yeah," I thought. "That's what happened."

"Don't touch it, mom. It still hurts a little." I said, pushing her hand away.

"Well, will you explain to me what happened?" she questioned aggressively. I sighed and returned to my cleats, telling her the whole story from when I lunged and let the goal in, and everything I could remember from there, omitting all the personal parts. I said I fell asleep in the car. When I was all finished, Mom looked horrified.

"Well, it was a good thing that boy punched that player." she said.

"Yea-wait, why?" I asked.

"Who knows what that player would've done to you if he hadn't stopped him?" I could've stopped it. Maybe. Wait...that must've been something I imagined for sure.

"I guess it wasn't too great he punched him so hard, but still." she explained. "What is that boy's name again?"

"Derek." I said. "Derek Weaver."

She seemed to ponder the name for a moment. "Anyway, it looks like you've had a long day. Why don't you get some rest, honey?" Mom asked. She stood and helped me up, my feet finally cleat, shinguard and sock free. "Good night, Maddy." She gave me a quick kiss on the head.

"Night, mom." I responded, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. I walked up to my room, collapsing into my bed. "Derek Weaver..." I said, the name echoing in my mind. I remebered his face, during a moment that was close to happiness, close to a friendship. I smiled. It was all real. It had to be.

"Derek Weaver..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yay! Upload! I'm really getting into this story, and had a great idea earlier today to put into my book. I'll probably get more ideas at practice tomorrow, and at our actual first scrimmage tuesday. i'll definitely be telling you what happens ^u^ thanks for reading this chapter, vote and comment for my sore arms again? And the fact I'm not up till 1 am as usual? lol :)

(from Bri)