Challenge Accepted

Chapter 14

Hey! So I'm just going to finish this in one stretch in order to start other writing and editing. I hope you like the 'big moment', I had several other ideas in mind but this one seemed the most likely. Hope you like it! One more real chapter and an epilogue left, feel free to comment and vote!

As soon as Marek's sleek car had turned the corner, I fell onto the concrete steps before my door, tears streaming out of my eyes. I wasn't sure why I was crying, maybe I was just emotional. Maybe it was just the consequences of the challenge hitting me.

I sat there for what felt like days. I wished for my hair to turn to icicles, my feet to turn blue, and my body to freeze within a pile of snow. That way I wouldn't have to deal with Marek, and the challenge. That damn challenge.

I felt a hand tap me on the back of my shoulder. Expecting Marek, I shoved it away but in response I got a full-blown hug from behind. Turning around, I saw the heart-shaped face of my mother. The wrinkles in her forehead creased and her eyebrows were furrowed in worry. I shifted my body and I wrapped my hands around her.

It felt so good to be hugged, I couldn't remember the last time my mother had hugged me. "Boys?" She murmured. I nodded, not trusting my voice to be stable. I didn't even understand why I broke down the way I did, nothing happened today. In fact, Marek assured me I was not temporary and left me with a hug, a kiss and a heartfelt goodbye.

My mother didn't ask. I didn't answer. She just held me as I cried, and I cried for quite a while.

The next day at school I was quiet. Marek noticed, tried to gain my attention, mouth words to make me feel better, but I ignored him. It made me feel better that it bothered him, my state bothered him.

When the last bell rung in history class, I darted out of the room as quickly as I could. Rushing past everyone in the corridor, I made my way outside, tears already streaming down my face. With the sleeve of my cotton jacket, I wiped my face, facing the car park.

My mother's car stood parked across the street, in front of a dull brick building, my mother's figure on the phone in the driver's seat. Last night she'd promised to drive me home to insure I didn't have to spend the ride home in awkward silence with Marek.

"Alessa!" I heard a strained cry echo from behind me, from the emotion and the deep tones in to his voice I could tell it was Marek. Taking a deep breath of cold December air, I turned, tear tracks and blood rimmed eyes still visible.

I continued to back away towards my mother's car, probably hoping that if I got in now nothing would have happened. The look in Marek's eyes is what struck me the most, he looked utterly vulnerable, like every wall he had carefully crafted had broken down and I was his saviour.

His stance wasn't threatening in the slightest, his shoulders slumped and his head hung low, like a prey walking up to their personal predator. Submission; that's what he was doing, he was giving me full control of the situation. I didn't like it.

"I—I—I'm sorry," my breath came in ragged intervals, my voice shook and my knees felt weak, like they would buckle given the chance.

Worst part was, I had no idea what I was sorry for, but we both felt it. There wasn't an action or event where either of us did anything wrong, we had just both woken up from a rosy daydream, finally seeing this challenge for what it truly was. A dare. Nothing more than that and nothing less, I should've kept to the tactics and the scheming. Perhaps then I wouldn't have felt so broken. Like Marek had grown to be a piece of me, and then ripped away violently.

"Alessa, please—just let me talk for a moment," He pleaded, his expression sober and his voice desperately sincere. I stayed still, not saying a this, keeping my expression neutral in order to conceal every treasonous emotion running through my brain. Still, I stopped backing away, and he took that as a okay.

"I—Please don't let me loose you. You are the most important thing in my life right now, there's just—I can't loose you. I'll give up my football captainship, I'll—I'll—I'll do anything to keep you. I need you now, please, please Alessa, don't walk away." My heart was beating so violently it bashed into my ribs. My thoughts became foggy and less rational, I was acting on instinct now.

"Marek, don't do this. Not now. You-You just can't. It's not worth it, this. Keep your captainship. I'll tell the truth about what happened and we'll both be out of the deal."

"But—"

"I don't know what your doing, if you think this is going to win you attention or sympathy. Or maybe you are being a noble prat and doing as 'you should be'. Plus, I don't mean anything to you. Never have, never will. So please, please, stop acting like I'm special. "

At this point, my vision was bleary, tears were flowing freely and I could hear my heart bashing in my ears. I was sure the blood in my head was dissipating fast and fainting seemed plausible.

"But you are." And then his voice cracked, and I cracked with it. 

Hope that lived up to your expectations, don't forget to comment and vote if you enjoyed it. It means so much to me :)