"Remember our first game is a home game against Quinton High School and is this Friday. Make sure to play hard, give it your all, and until Friday, don't get hurt. Alright fellas, get out of here." Coach says after our hardcore football practice today. All I know is all the guys, including me, are sweating like pigs in this California summertime heat. Grabbing some water, I start walking off the field towards the locker rooms to grab my bag.
"Hey Cole, wait up," Raven, star quarterback on our team, calls out and runs up to me.
"Hey, dude. How are you doing?" I ask as he pants.
"Other than the fact that this heat is killing me like a motherfucker, pretty well." His comment on the heat makes me chuckle.
"Yeah, this is pretty bad," I add wiping off the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand, "So what's up?"
"Well, after the game on Friday, there's going to be a party at Jake's house. Music, food, drinks, girls. You should come. Maybe have some fun with some of the cheerleaders?"
I've never been the kind of guy to do mindless hookups. I don't think I'll ever be that guy either. However, guys like Raven and Jake, and most guys in highschool, would never turn down something like that. Actually, most athletes will use the fact that they're an athlete to get hookups. Not me. Like I told Lilianna yesterday, I have different priorities than most guys our age.
"Nah, man I'm good without the parties. And especially the girls just wanting a hookup," I comment.
"Oh is little Colson a virgin?" Raven teases.
"No, I'm not. I just don't do hookups. Like some dudes don't do girlfriends. Hookups just aren't my thing."
"Fine. You don't have to have any fun, but could you at least come? You are our captain."
"I'll think about it, Raven. But if I come I'm not doing anything," I say sternly.
"Alright, man. Catch you later," he says, running into the locker room.
I walk into the locker room and head to my locker. I put in the combination and grab my black bag. After I shut the locker door and lock it, I walk out the door of the locker rooms. Heading to my car, I spot none other than Lilianna, per usual. Wearing a navy blue T-shirt and matching hat, light washed denim jean shorts, and her long brown hair pulled into a low bun. She always comes to my practices and games. I suddenly spot a red slurpee in her hand.
"I thought you could use something to cool down. This heat is pretty mean," she says with a smile and hands me the slurpee.
"Thanks Lily," I say after taking a sip of the icy, cool, treat in my hand.
"Do you want a sip?" I offer to her realizing she doesn't have a slurpee.
"I got one for myself. I ate it on the way here."
"Okay. Are we going out to eat?" I ask because sometimes we go out to eat after my practices.
"Only if I pay th-"
"No," I respond sternly.
"But Cole-"
"No, Lilianna. You're not wasting your money on me. Plus, I'm a gentleman, and gentlemen pay for their girl."
"Fine. If you're not going to let me pay like the independent woman I am, then we'll go home. After all, you stink and are sweating like a pig. Therefore, you desperately need a shower."
"You know Lily, you can be independent and still have people to help you up when you fall down," I say to her. Her gaze shifts down towards her white shoes, she swallows and takes in a deep breath of air.
"I know," she says in a low voice, still staring at the ground.
I bring my hand up to her chin and tilt it up so her gaze shifts to be directly looking in my eyes. "I mean it Lilianna. You have me. You always have me. I will always be there for you. I would drive across the country, in the middle of a blizzard, at 3 a.m. for you. You can rely on me. Please rely on me."
Her eyes are still fixed on mine and light fills them. True happiness brings her brown eyes to life again. God, the amount of times those eyes have been filled with pain, tears, and fear are uncountable. I just want her to know that she is safe with me. That I would fucking murder anyone who dare hurt her.
Lilianna Grace Welt has always been the biggest mystery to me. How could someone who has been through so much be such a kind-hearted person? How could someone hurt the sweetest person ever? How could she, after everything, learn to trust certain people again? How could she be able to function? How is she so damn strong?
Her voice cracks awkwardly and she looks at our cars parked right next to each other. "So who's winning the race home today?" She asks with a smile on her face as she runs to open the drivers side car door to her car. I unlock my car and throw my football bag in the passenger seat and run over to the other side to get in my car. Once the keys are in the ignition, I roll down the passenger window, and Lilianna rolls down the driver's window.
"Street racing is illegal, Lilianna Welt," I say, smirking at her.
"Oh well then I guess I'll just have to flirt my way out of a ticket."
"The only person you should be flirting with is me," I say, joking. Obviously. Yeah, totally. Right...?
She lets out the most adorable laugh, rolls up her window, and waves her hand at me. I give her a 10 second head start. In the meantime, I shake my head laughing and thanking God for giving me an amazing best friend.
*******
"Who won? Lilianna won. Whoop! Whoop!" Lilianna chants as I open the front door to my house.
"Okay Ms. Whoop Whoop, get in the house before I close the door and lock you out," I say.
"How rude," she says with a hurt face as she walks in the house.
"Okay Stephaine Tanner."
"Okay Garrett Graham," she fires back.
"You know, you've yet to let me borrow the book that Garrett Graham is from. I am very interested in learning his ways, or more so why you're so obsessed with him," I say teasing her.
Lilianna is a bookworm. That's a fact. I swear she reads books like others breathe air. She's reading a new book everyday. I honestly can't keep track of the books she reads or hasn't anymore. And her 'To Be Read' list- don't get me started. The list is like 60 pages long.
"Don't expect me to ever let you near the book Garrett's from. Ever. All you need to know is he is a hot hockey player," she says with a smile on her face as she sits down on a barstool at the bar.
"I'm a hot football player," I point out.
"Correction, you're a football player."
"Ouch. That one hurt Lily. So you don't think I'm hot?" I say with a hurt expression clearly visible on my face.
"I'm not a cheerleader wanting to hookup, you know." She says annoyed.
"Speaking of cheerleaders wanting to hookup-"
"Oh, Lord! Not this shit again."
"Jake is throwing a party-"
"Nope. Nada. No." Lily says cutting me off. Lilianna Grace Welt is not a big highschool party fan. She doesn't seem to like the idea of a bunch of minors drinking alcoholic beverages or people hooking up God knows where. And honestly, who can blame her?
"Listen. It's after the game Friday night. To hopefully celebrate our first win of the season."
"Does this mean you're definitely going?" She asks and I can't read the emotion on her face.
"I said I would think about it. But I already told the guys that if I go I am not doing anything." No underaged drinking for me. No hookups for me. None of it. None of that sparks an interest in me. I'd honestly rather just stay home with Lily and watch a movie.
"Would you want to come?" I ask her. If I go I would want her to be there. I would want someone to talk to. It's hard to have a conversation with people drunk off their asses.
"Maybe," she says, dragging out the 'e.' Lily's response shocked me. She's not the type of person to want to be surrounded by the crazy crowd. "How about this? I'll go if you go. Okay?"
"Does Lilianna want to get drunk or hookup with some dude?" I tease her knowing what her answer will be.
"Hell no," she says, shooting me a death stare. Clear proof that neither of those are her intentions. "I'll go to keep you company. Or, if you decide to drink so I can drive you home."
"I still haven't decided if I'm going yet. I mean, I am the team captain, so it would probably be nice, especially if we win," I say thinking out loud.
"Good point."
"Whatever, I need to think about it some more," I reply honestly.
"Can you think about it in the shower? You're stinking up the house," she says practically shoving me out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be back in 10," I say, kissing her forehead and heading to take a shower.
author's note!!
word count: 1,598
i just wanted to mention this is a dual point of view (pov) book! i wasn't sure if i mentioned it before, so wanted to now.
also- why is it so hard to write things from a guys pov? how'd you guys like the first colson pov chapter? they will hopefully get better as the book progresses, but until then, please bear with me y'all.
this chapter was cute, not my favorite, but necessary for interesting chapters coming soon...