Mature Content Ahead!
I quit. I quit football. I never want to play this game again. Okay, so maybe I'm being a little bit dramatic...
A little bit?
There are about four minutes in the last quarter and guess what? We got seven more points... but so did Quinton. Meaning we are now tied 14-14. The bottom line is we are tied and this game is getting absolutely nowhere. I stopped counting how many times I have been tackled, oh I don't know, four quarters ago.
Forget partying, all of us guys are going to have to be icing our joints. My body hasn't been this sore since ever.
Okay, maybe Lilianna is right. If the NFL fails, I should try acting. I got this whole dramatic factor down. Granite, half of that is the fact that Lilianna Grace Welt is my best friend and has been for the past nine years. My girl is dramatic beyond belief. Wait... my girl? Since when did it become-
I get snapped out of my thoughts when a referee blows his whistle and the clock freezes. I glance over to the time and see we only have three minutes and four seconds left of this quarter. If no team can score a point in the next three minutes and four seconds, we go into overtime.
Lucky us!
The referee points to our side, meaning the ball from the latest tackle, which was between our player, J.B. Hudson, and a player from Quinton, who's name I am unaware of, goes to us.
J.B. runs back to where I am on the sideline and everyone in the stands from our side is clapping for him.
"Nice job J.B." I comment, patting him on the back.
"Thanks, captain," he replies.
"Miller, get out there!" Coach Patterson yells at me and I can tell he is just as frustrated with these referees and this game as we are.
What is it with football coaches always getting pissed at the slightest things?
I run towards center field and the referee tosses me the football. I crouch down low and when the clock starts again, I hike the ball backwards to Raven.
Before I know it, the ball has gone from our team to Quinton and now, we again have control of the ball.
With about a minute left on the clock, Jake Trent looks at me from where I am across the field. I nod and he throws the football at me. It's a long shot, and for a second I doubt I will catch the ball.
For a second...
From where I am located on the field, I run diagonally up, towards the away side and catch the ball.
Once I have the ball that could possibly be the winning touchdown for Lopelle, I turn around and book it to our end zone. There is T-minus thirty seconds left until the game is over, so I run as fast as my feet can carry me. If I don't make it to the end zone in time, I will have let down my team, my school, my coach, and myself.
No pressure at all, right?
I look straight ahead to see I'm almost at the end zone. I look over to the right and who do I see? Lilianna Grace Welt crouching down on the track with a Canon EOS R5 camera in her hand.
It's at that moment I know I have to get this touchdown for Lilianna. Everything and everyone else disappears from my mind and suddenly I'm only doing this for the girl trying to get a winning touchdown photo, the girl I've known since I was nine. The girl who means the world to me.
She looks up at me, making eye contact just as I pass our end zone scoring a touchdown for Lopelle, only a second before the clock touches zero. The scoreboard changes to 21-14.
We won. I get my touchdown, and she gets her photo.
See, Lilianna I told you I'd win this game for you.
The bleachers, cheerleaders, and my team go crazy, but all I'm looking at is her. I fumble with the ball, letting it drop onto the turf and I desperately wish I could run towards her. Unfortunately, I have to go back to the team to line up to do handshakes with the Quinton High players.
Once our team is done shaking all fifty-two players' hands, I head directly to Lily. When I reach her, I waste no time wrapping my arms around her waist and her arms fly to my neck. I pick her up so her feet are off the floor and spin her around.
Once I set her down, I lean into her and whisper in her ear. "See, I told you I would win the football game for you." I back away and she looks into my eyes with a smile. Before she can get a word out, we are interrupted by none other than Raven Johnson.
"Yo, captain, get over here!" he yells at me.
"You better go attend to that," Lily says with a giggle and her signature smile.
"You can come walk over with me," I point out and she hesitates for a second until I finally pick up on what she is trying to say. "Don't worry, they won't pour ice over your head. They already did that to Coach," I say pointing to the ice particles that are now on the green turf and Coach's wet shirt.
Lilianna just laughs and starts walking to the other side of the field with me.
"What?" I question
"Nothing, it's just that that is such a football player thing to do."
"Darling, what do you expect? You are at a football game."
"Yeah, yeah go see your teammates Mr. Captain who-scored-the-winning touchdown," Lily remarks.
"Damn right I did. On the first game of the season too. And you better have gotten a picture of it, or I will bring all these people back into the stands and the players back onto the field so we can do it again," I say, sounding like the world's cockiest person ever. She must think I'm not joking because she starts laughing again.
"Yes, Cole. I got a few pictures of it actually."
"Good-"
"Cole! Stop kissing up to Lilianna and get your ass over here!" Raven yells again. I swear this dude has no concept of patience.
"He doesn't have to kiss up to me, Johnson. I'm his best friend," Lily replies for me.
I don't know what it is, but something inside of me was hoping she would say 'girlfriend'. Which is ridiculous because she's my best friend and has been for seven years. We're nothing more than friends.
"Well hurry up, Welt. I want to talk to my boy Cole," Raven shouts. At this, Lilianna crosses her arms in front of her chest and turns to shoot daggers at Raven with her eyes.
"My boy," she replies sternly and Raven puts his hands up as if to say he surrenders. Turning back to me, Lily scoffs and says, "You should go deal with the guys before the party. I'll meet you in your car?" she asks, whipping out my car keys and twisting the keychain around her finger.
"Sounds good. I'll be in the car in ten," I say, kissing her forehead before jogging off to see my teammates.
*******
"Are you 110% sure you want to go to this party?" I ask Lily as I am in the driveway in the car at Jake's house.
"Yes, Colson," she replies, sounding annoyed. Which is fair, considering the amount of times I have asked her to clarify since she told me she wanted to come. I know she'd rather be at home with a book cuddled up in her favorite fuzzy blanket, but I know she's doing this for me.
I also happen to know she's doing this for me because she feels guilty about all the times I've done things for her. She thinks I saved her, but I think we both saved each other in a sense.
Liliana told me once, "The best part about having a best friend who's been there through one of the hardest, darkest chapters of your life is that you know they will always be there for you. If they are a true friend, it won't matter how many times you call them at 3 a.m. crying because you had a bad memory. They will always be there for you. Thank you for always being there for me, Colson. You saved me."
"You do know that even though we are here, we can still turn around and go home," I tell her.
Without hesitation she replies, "Colson if you don't get out of this car and take me to the party I will kick you in the dick," she says with an evil glint in her eye and a wicked smile.
"You cruel woman."
"Mhm and?"
"Lil, I'm serious. If you feel uncomfortable at any point please tell me. If someone dares to touch you wrong- or hell even looks at you wrong, I will not waste a second going to beat them up. I promised your Mom I'd keep you safe and I meant it. I will always protect you. Always."
Lilianna just smiles and gives me a quiet "I know." For a moment, the car is silent until she says, "You know, you're a good man, Cole." And damn, if that didn't make my heart swell and a smile appear on my face.
"Alright, are we going in?" I ask
"Hell yeah!"
*******
After we get greeted by people congratulating me on the win, me and Lily ended up by the kitchen island where there was an assortment of red Solo cups, some filled, some not, pizza boxes, different brands of chips, paper plates, and napkins. There is music blasting, flashing lights, people dancing on each other, some doing drugs outside, and some getting completely wasted.
I take two paper plates, one for me, one for Lil and open the pizza box.
"How many slices do you want?" I ask her
"Oh, I'm good. I'm not hungry."
"C'mon Lil, you need to eat something."
"No, really, I'm good," she adds.
"Please, Lily? Just a small piece?" I bargain, having a feeling she didn't eat before the game.
"Fine."
I pick the smallest slice of pizza and put it on a paper plate and hand it to her. I take three regular sized pieces and put them on a plate.
Once I'm done, I realize Lilianna has only been nibbling on her piece. Before I can say anything about it, she speaks. "Umm... Cole?"
"Yes?"
"I'm going to go to the bathroom. Okay?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I'll wait outside the door for you," I say, putting down my Coca-Cola and grabbing her hand to walk to the bathroom.
She pulls her hand away from mine and says, "No, no, you can wait here. It's good." She says it with a smile. A smile I would notice anywhere. Lilianna's fake smile. Something is wrong. I can feel it.
"Lilianna Grace Welt, what is going on?" I say getting protective because I am genuinely worried.
"Whoa, whoa! What's with the full names?" she says trying to turn this conversation playful as a cover up.
"What's with the lying to your best friend?" I snap
"Cole, I just have to use the bathroom!" she exclaims
"Then there should be no problem for me waiting outside," I point out. My mind is running. What's wrong with her? What is she not telling me?
"Colson," she warns. We make heavy eye contact and I give in and let her go although I know something's wrong.
"Fine, Lil. But if something's wrong, please tell me. Got it?"
Her eyes shift to her white Nike's and she swallows then replies, "Yeah. Got it."
And just like that, she heads to the bathroom. And just like that, I know my gut was right. Something is wrong.
*******
It's been 20 minutes. 20 minutes since Lilianna went to the bathroom. 20 minutes since she hasn't returned. I know girls take their time in the restroom, but 20 minutes?
I've texted Lily's phone 32 times in the past 3 minutes. No replies.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I'm supposed to be making sure she's okay. What if somethings wrong? What if someone hurt her? Without another thought, I slip my phone in my back pocket and toss my Coca-Cola can in the trash. Against her previous protests, I walk past all the people to the nearest bathroom.
I knock on the door and call out, "Lilianna, are you in there?"
It takes a moment for a response, but she responds, "Yeah." She doesn't sound like herself. She sounds sick.
"Lilianna, are you okay?" I ask with worry in my voice.
"No," she says and it sounds like she's holding back tears. Fuck.
"Lilianna, open this door! Now!" I yell, only now realizing how much I was panicking. Thankfully, she isn't in a mood to be stubborn and opens the door. When I see her, I want to cry.
Her black mascara is running down her pale cheeks along with an assortment of tears and her hands are clutching her stomach. I walk in the bathroom and close and lock the door behind me.
"Lilianna what's wrong? What happened?" I question and she points to the toilet. Only then do I realize she was throwing up. It all clicks after that. Eating the pizza slowly, being hesitant to eat the pizza, why she looks pale, consuming an insane amount of water, why I haven't seen her eat a lot the past few weeks, all of it clicks.
She must have noticed the question on my face because she quickly wipes her tears with a Kleenex and says, "S- someone must've drugged my water."
"Bullshit. I'm not a 5 year old Lilianna. You haven't been eating," I say and she looks down, unable to look me in the eye. "Damn it. I'm such an idiot for not connecting the dots sooner." She starts crying again at my words.
"I'm so, so, sorry Cole. I'm sorry-"
"Stop it," I say, cutting her off and my words coming out a little harsher than I meant for them too. "Don't do that. Don't apologize for this. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not realizing what was going on and helping you sooner," I say, pulling her into my arms. Her head fits in my shoulder while her body is shaking as she is crying.
"Shh, ssh. It's alright, baby. You're alright. It's all going to be okay. We are going to clean you up as best as we can right here, right now. Then we are leaving this bathroom and this party to get you home. You're going to go home, take a shower, get into your favorite pajama set and then go to bed because you need some rest. Okay?" I say and I feel her nod against my shoulder.
"You'll stay with me right?" she aks
"I'll do anything you want Lily. Anything."
*******
When we got back to her house, Lily's Mom was asleep in her room, and Lily took a shower and got into pajamas like I told her to.
"Cole?" she asks as we are laying in her bed, her laying on her left side, me laying next to her, on my back.
"Yeah?"
"Can you stay with me tonight?"
"Anything for you, Lilianna," I say, turning to her and wrapping my arms around her waist. Before I know it, Lilianna's breathing becomes steady, proving that she has fallen asleep.
"Goodnight, Lily," I whisper before falling asleep myself.
author's note!
word count: 2, 638
so, this was a long chapter... a very interesting one too. you now know that lilianna has an ed. (eating disorder) so if you were wondering, that is why there is the trigger warning at the top of this chapter. i won't be listing the trigger warnings at the top of each chapter, due to possible spoilers, but on chapters that deal with heavier topics, there will be something that says 'mature content ahead!' if you need to refer back to the list of trigger warnings, all are listed in the character aesthetics & author's note. i will add to the list if needed.
remember, if you ever need someone to talk to, i'm always here :)