Game Theory × NH

049 | indium

Out of habit, my eyes landed on Lynn, and this time she was looking back. Her deep blue eyes were hooded and there seemed to me a permanent frown on the ends of her lips.

"No, Coach," I said.

"Then belt up."

I could feel eyes on me, burning through my clothes, but I just clenched my jaw and forced myself not to look at them. I stood there, listening as Coach went on to tell us that we only had one more game left after this one until the BUSA and that from then on, we were going to be working harder then we have been before. Which sucked, because ever since Lynn joined the team I had already been giving 110%.

"What are we going to do when we get out there!?" Coach shouted after he was done with his speech. "We're not going to show them our weaknesses!"

William snorted from the back of the group. "What weaknesses?"

Coach grinned. "Exactly! We're going to show them nothing but aggression, determination, and strength! Now get you're arses out there and make me proud!"

I was the first one out of the locker room, not wanting to challenge any of my teammates that might have the guts to ask me what the fuck was going on with me. But more specifically, I didn't want to face Lynn again.

Jace was right beside me as we walked down the hall to the pitch. "After the game is over," he said, leaning in closer so none of our teammates could eavesdrop, "you're going to tell me everything that happened."

I just waved him off as I opened the doors. My ears were instantly filled with all the sounds of the large crowd that had gathered and the smell of fresh rain that had started to pour down, making everything glisten in the stadium lights.

× × ×

"They figured out that Lynn wasn't our weakness, and instead our advantage," Coach was saying from beside me, twenty minutes into the game. He was watching the field in front of him as he chewed his nails in anticipation, the rain drenching his black hair. "So they're making her our weakness - wearing her thin, having her work harder than the other players. At this rate, she'll be too fatigued to play by half time."

On the pitch, Lynn was giving her all into the game considering the weather conditions, but at the rate the opposing team was ganging up on her, her "all" wasn't as much as it was in the beginning of the game. She was running behind everyone else, trying desperately to keep the pace. And whenever Lynn had the ball, four or five players were right there, trying and succeeding to get the ball away from her. They were persistent and strong minded - something to admire, I had to admit.

It was a close game, but unfortunately Loughborough University had the upper hand at 3-5. They always had the upper hand.

"Put me in," I said to Coach. "With the two of us, we would be unrelenting."

Coach looked me up and down, eyes landing on my knee brace before looking back up and into my eyes. "Your knee better? You know I can't have you playing if it's acting up on you."

What Lynn did in the locker room with my knee had helped, but it wasn't enough for me to not be worried about it. I didn't want to, but I ended up telling Coach about it, knowing damn well I would be sitting out on one of our most important games of the season.

"It's better," I lied through my teeth.

"Coach, you really need to get Lynn out," William said as he stood up next to me. His red hair was a mess on top of his head. "She's getting beat up out there."