Ellie Webber
"That barely covers your ass. Absolutely not," I rolled my eyes as I walked past grandma.
The entire ride to the stadium was awkward. First of all, something had crawled up the girl's asses and died. Especially Sloane's ass. Sloane was scowling at me for everything that it was worth. Finn avoided looking at me. Naomi was the only one that was able to look at me without any expression.
I mean she looked like she had zero thought behind her eyes.
But it's okay, I was used to being stared at. I was used to being looked at as if I were a weird girl. This time I wasn't. I was not going to be looked at as if I were the weird girl. As far as I was concerned I was hot, and this was my future home. I refused to let someone invade my space and make me feel lesser than when this was my home.
I was going to this game and I was going to get into his head.
That's what Sloane's character would do right?
"Okay, well. Go find grandpa and you stay by his side until you both are on the field. Then stay out of his way, promise?" Grandma spoke as we walked into the large stadium. Giving her a knowing look as I walked right next to her.
"I've done this before you know," I said.
Grandma shook her head, "The last time you did this you were ten. I mean, if you insist on being on the sideline today then go ahead but I don't know why you must insist."
Why must I insist? Because. I was hot. I know I was hot. And I have read way too many sports romance tropes to not know the fact that male athletes love it when girls wear their jerseys. However, I wasn't wearing it for him.
I was going to fuck with him.
Until he cracked.
Nothing was holding me back. I was going to be gone in a semester and so was he. He was going to the NFL and I was going to Ohio State. I would be away from him and everything he caused me to go through.
It fucking hurt to put a smile on my face and act like everything was okay.
As much as I disliked him and I never would have admitted it, this hurt like a bitch because of the friendship that we had built around us. That was the worst feeling is knowing we had a base around our home and it shattered all because I told him the truth and he couldn't spit his emotions out.
If he couldn't be mature, I would be mature enough for both of us.
And maybe deep down inside of me, I felt like I was being irrational for judging him for his inability to spit out his emotions. But he laughs with me, he wipes my tears, he smiles with me, and he even dances with me– he fucks me! But he can't tell me how he feels?
So when I consider all of that, no– I don't care about what I am doing or how it may affect him because for once I am putting myself first. I am sticking to the original plan, I am my person and if he ever wanted me again he would have to suck out all of the ocean water in his hometown with a fucking straw.
"Aunt Helen, you don't know why she wants to go on the field?" I turned to face Naomi as she pointed at the jersey. Grandma looked at my jersey before sighing, "How many times do we all have to hear to stay away from the quarterbacks until we do?"
Don't talk as if I wasn't here.
"Ellie, I really think you should come to the box with us." Finn urged me as Sloane just continued to stare at me. And for once, I wanted to literally scream at her.
"Don't you agree, Bologna?" Naomi nudged Sloane whose eyes hadn't left the number on the front of me. Sloane's eyes locked with Naomi's before looking back at me.
"Let her wear what she wants and let her do what she wants. I've been around her more than any of you this year– trust me, she'll be fine. She might get a little bit banged up, but she'll be fine." What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
"I'm wearing it because I wanted a jersey to wear. I'm going on that field because I want. If you don't like it– that's fine. I'll catch you guys later," I walked away from the group and I could feel their stares in the back of my body as I walked forward.
It's fine if they don't like it because you know what– I don't have to associate with you guys anymore. I was leaving. I was leaving and getting the hell out of Happy Valley.
"Miss–" I flashed my badge at the gate guard. I walked back into the 'opposing' team's side walking down the hallways to where I knew grandpa was. I knew this university like the back of my hand.
I mean, you too would memorize your dreams if you could remember them.
I knocked on the locker room office door, I heard the chair on wheels roll as the door was opened. Grandpa took a step back, viewing what I was wearing before sighing. "Let's go," I smiled at him.
"You going to let me call a play today?" I teased. He side-eyed me, chuckling. "If I could keep you away from everyone on that damn team I would. But I have a strong feeling I can't control who you would like to be around," He muttered walking to a cabinet.
He grabbed a clipboard, a whistle, a headset, a walkie-talkie, and he grabbed the whole four seasons to walk onto the field. And once we walked onto the field, there was a mixture of screams and boos.
Cameras were shoved in our faces as I kept my head down.
Okay, I didn't want the entire world's attention, I just wanted his.
A whistling was heard before grandpa wrapped his arm around me. "Well, if we suck today, I know you'll definitely distract every single boy on the Ohio State team." I laughed as he unwrapped his arm from around mine.
We approached a huge group of linemen from Penn State as they parted ways to let us walkthrough. However, when the pathway opened, I didn't expect to see him standing there staring at me.
Hell, I mean they all were.
Matti, Griffin, and Blake.
Blake– wait, Blake!
As I walked around grandpa who stopped to talk to someone, I walked forward charging at Blake who immediately wrapped his arms around me. "I missed you," My words were muted as his arms squeezed me back to life.
However, when I was released Matti spoke. "Elliebean where is the other half of your outfit?" His eyes kept darting from mine to a person behind me. I mean, I already knew who was behind me.
Griffin laughed, "Matti come on man, are you blind? She's wearing the blue jersey and her other half, the white jersey, Reese is wearing." Speaking of the devil. I turned to face him.
His eyes were locked in on mine. I watched as his eyes didn't move from mine and his grip loosened on the helmet that was in his hand. "Right, Ellie– I must say I am a massive fan of the outfit. Please tell me you had purchased that yourself?" Griffin asked, a smug grin on his face.
Ignoring his question I turned to face Matti. "Where's your spawn?"
He chuckled, "I think we both have questions to ask each other, don't we?" He teased. I was keeping up my end of the deal. I was here, I was happy, and I was–
Being grabbed.
"El," My eyes met Blake who stood in front of me. However, he was not the one speaking. The blonde boy in uniform was. Blake's ice blue eyes daringly met min, almost amused. I was not amused though because hearing that nickname roll off of Reese's tongue like melted lava was excruciating.
Fuck.
His hand was wrapped around my wrist, his thumbprint gently massaging my skin like he had done a million times before. Like he didn't just ruin all of the chances I gave him. Like he didn't just take me on a date only to rip my heart out.
Sucking in a deep breath, I turned to face the brown-eyed, blonde haired boy. He had two smudges of black paint under his eyes, they were smeared due to the heat in the atmosphere. The way he looked at me made me feel as in the heat in the atmosphere was nothing compared to the heat between us.
Don't crack, Ellie. He had put the fire out less than twenty-four hours ago. You shouldn't be feeling heat, you should be smelling smoke. Smoke, loss, and despair should be filling your lungs when you are near him breathing the same air.
Game time, Ellie.
Time to Even The Playing Field.
"Oh hey," I greeted him, a smile on his face. Fake it until you made it, Ellie.
He took a step trying to closer to me but I dropped his hand, feeling more uncomfortable than ever. Not because of the fact that he was trying to get close to me. But because of the fact that he was acting as if he hadn't broken my heart. He reached for my hand again and I took a step back. Blake's grip on my waist stopped me from walking further away.
"Ellie– we have to talk– we can talk now, I can make time to talk now–" The whistle blew. I shrugged at him looking bummed.
I don't want to talk. You had all night to come and talk to me. You had all night to come and tell me how you felt. You had all night to come and wrap your arms around me while I sobbed in my bed hoping that I would fall asleep to the sweet dreams of you.
But the sweet dreams never came because knowing the reality of what you had done was enough to make me feel like a nightmare was approaching.
You had all night to talk to me, Reese. You don't deserve me to listen when I told you something yesterday and you had acted as if it were nothing. As if I were nothing. Just like the first time.
I reached out, tapping his arm.
"What do they say in football? Break a leg? Oh no– I mean, break a shoulder! Break a shoulder Reese, have a great game!" I watched as every emotion in his body shut down at my words.
The boys coughed behind me but I didn't care.
I didn't give any fucks anymore. Crack for all I care, Reese Joseph. You didn't want to show me your real, true emotions before– you can crack and show me them.
He went to say something, dropping his helmet but another whistle blew and he looked at the referee on the field. "We'll talk later," He tried to grab for my face but Matti let out a loud laugh.
Reese glared at him before picking up the helmet he had released. He tugged it on before jogging off for the coin toss. "Fuck Ellie– you are kidding right?" Matti had amusement in his tone.
I turned to face him and suddenly it was three against one. Matti stared me up and down. "Like come on– are you fucking blind? Or are you blind? Don't put yourself in this damn situation."
I smiled at him.
However, that confused him even more.
"What are you doing, Ellie?"
"Living."
"Thank god it's somewhat cloudy out today. I would hate to see someone standing in the shadows," Blake's words took me back. Snapping my head to face him instead of the field, he continued to pay no attention to me, or the words that he had just muttered.
"Ohio States quarterback is so good. He and Reese went to the same high school, you know that? He was second string while Reese was first." Griffin spoke to Matti. Matti nodded, walking over to the bench with Griffin, taking a seat.
Which left Blake and me standing.
Another whistle was heard as someone approached next to my open side. "So you did get the jersey then," Mitch muttered. I turned to face him as he smiled small at me.
I stepped closer so Blake couldn't hear me. "When was it put there last night? Was he outside when you left?" I asked. He shook his head, "It was there when I came to your room last night,"
Another whistle blew and Penn went jogging past us.
"I have to go but I love you, Webber." He smiled at me before jogging onto the field that was about to become a battlefield.
I observed was Reese annoyingly threw perfect spirals through the air sending them right into the hands of the wide receiver. However, across the field was his opponent. The team he really wanted to be on.
The team that he had built a bond with.
Maybe the shoulder comment was too far.
He opened up to me on the rooftop about his fears and I just threw them back in his face.
"So, two men in one night, yeah?" Blake's tone was teasing from beside me. I sighed, squinting to see how much time was left on the clock for warmups. One minute and thirty seconds.
"I mean, good for you, Webber." My mouth dropped open, facing him.
"You can admit you were scared to lose me last night, you know," I said. I watched as grandpa marched around the field, acting all cool and collected.
"You wouldn't have the balls to do anything, Webber." I smiled at him. Tilting my head first, I then shrugged my shoulders.
"I did it once before. What's the difference now?" I teased. I watched as, like Reese, Blake's face dropped of all emotion too. He took a step toward me in concern but I held my hand out in front of me.
"Trust me, I don't want to die anymore. Life is starting to get good," I walked away from him and towards the bench where Matti and Griffin sat. Blake's footsteps followed me though.
"He called me you know," I know.
"You gonna give him a chance? I think you were pretty harsh with that shoulder comment." He spoke, but I ignored him.
"Cut the kid some slack, Ellie. You don't get pissed at me for not explaining my feelings." I stopped, looking at him.
"What do you suggest I do then Blake? Call ESPN and exploit him? Last time I checked you weren't a professional in the relationship department." He raised his eyebrows before giving me a slow clap.
"He called me, as you already know. He called me crying because he wanted to know everything about that night. Everything from the blood on the sheets and how much pain you were in. He cared. He just can't show that he cares like everyone else does, Ellie."
I wasn't going to listen to him.
"There are things that you don't know, things that aren't our place to tell you except his. Trust me when I say this, Ellie– he cares for you. He likes you a lot and I think you two need to talk it out."
Matti and Griffin caught the final words of the conversation as I sat next to Matti on the bench. Griffin sat to his right while I was on his left. Blake huffed before slamming his body down on the bench right next to me.
Reese Joseph
"You are such a key player to this team, Reese. I'm sure that we wouldn't have a good team without you. Do you know that? And I'll miss you so much next year. You may get on my nerves but you are the perfect fit for my football family." Buddy's voice was loud through my headset as I went out to call a play.
The tone in the stadium was insane. The feeling overwhelmed you. The chatting made your ears ring. Nobody could focus on anything, and they trained us for this. They trained us for the loud noises. They trained us for the hecklers.
They did not train me for Ellie Webber wearing barely anything underneath my jersey while she glared at me from the sideline.
I'll admit it, it was hot to watch her point out plays to coach on the clipboard. He was listening, he was telling me the plays and I swore, she knew my weak spot and my best angles. I had not thrown like this in ages, and maybe it was from the fact that I had a point to prove.
She was here.
She wanted me to fail and I refused to fail again at something that I was good at in front of her again. I knew that I couldn't speak my feelings. But I knew that I could throw a damn football better than most of the people in this country.
It was the fourth quarter and it was neck and neck. To be neck and neck with Ohio State was very intimidating. However, I knew deep down that I was going to win this game for my team. I was going to win this game for her.
She did not come here for me.
Well, she came here for me, but definitely for the wrong reasons.
The shoulder comments stang more than the injury itself but it was okay. I could take a hit or two, I could. She could throw a lightning strike at me and I catch it just because the feeling of her electrocuting me is something that I wanted more than anything.
21-21.
The score was intimidating.
But do you know what was more intimidating?
A brunette girl, around five foot six with blue eyes that captured the sea. The same girl who wore my jersey better than I ever could have. A girl that deserved the world. Would I be the one to give it to her though?
I made a few errors throughout the game. Luckily they weren't game costing errors but the entire time I couldn't stop looking over and thinking about the fact that they could tell her the truth before I even get the chance to.
When she needs to hear it from me.
But I couldn't stop staring at her. Coach read out a play to me. I called for the play, we spit up and assembled into the position, and then somewhere in the middle– I didn't throw the ball. I got hit, hard.
As the pain rushed through me from the one brutal hit I had just taken, I looked up at the sky seeing butterflies. "You good?" Penn asked, breathing heavily over the top of me. The crowd was quiet as I lay on the field.
My head turned to the side instead of answering him.
The coach was looking like he was ready to jog onto the field and check on me as I lay on the ground still. My eyes kept moving until they found her. She was crouched down on the ground, trying to get a look at me.
I watched as she fidgeted.
I would get hit every day by a million men if it meant her looking at me like she cared about me again. I care about her so much, I care about her so much that it hurts. Had I done the right thing by leaving the jersey at her door? Had I done the right thing by not being able to spit out my emotions after she told me the truth?
I had to get out of that moment with her on the rooftop. How would you tell someone 'Oh hey, I was making out with you because I wanted to pretend you were your cousin but whenever you asked me to move you to a different room I realized that this had gone too far'. How do you tell someone like that without losing them?
I just needed time.
Time that I don't think the three idiots behind her would give me.
I stood up from the ground, shaking out my shoulder before getting back into playing mode. I ran off the field as their offense took the field. However, I was not running to coach, I was running to her.
I had to talk to her.
Her eyes widened as I was barreling toward her. She went to walk away, "No, wait. Please, Ellie." I heard her release a sigh loud enough for me to hear. She stopped in her tracks, everyone staring at me.
"Please, I'm so crazy for you. I am fucking crazy for you, Ellie. I am so sorry about the roof okay? I am sorry and I ruined it. None of it was your fault. There is a lot we have to talk about and I promise I will explain everything," I rushed out helmet in hand trying to say as much as I could in a few seconds.
I saw it in her face, she was fighting the urge to agree with me. Or to even acknowledge me.
"Let me win this game, and then I promise I won't be running to anyone else but you. Wait here for me. I promise I will tell you everything you need to hear," I would get down on my knees and beg if I had to.
You couldn't say goodbye to someone like Ellison Webber. You just couldn't, she was like a book character who didn't get a happy ending. She was like your favorite person in a movie that you got excited whenever they came on the screen.
Leaning forward, I cupped her cheek, kissing it without a reaction from her as I walked over to her grandfather. I ignored the stares from everyone.
"You think we can win this?" Coach asked as I chuckled.
"Talk to me after I throw the winning touchdown at ten seconds left, yeah?" I was cocky but I knew that I could do it. I could do anything when I was near her.
Just like they had sacked me, we had sacked their annoying piece of shit quarterback. He was a year younger than me, but he was always so jealous of me back at home in California. I knew what it was like to be second string. It was not fun.
I ran out on the field and there were fifteen seconds left to go.
I took the play that Coach had yelled at me through my helmet and repeated it to the team. And by the grace of whoever the holy hell was looking out for me, I threw the ball so long that I could've sworn it traveled miles.
It traveled miles and by one second left it landed in a wide receiver's hand in the endzone.
The time was out, and we had just won.
The flood gates had opened and everyone on the field was charging for me. But I was pushing past mounds of people trying to get to her.
Her.
Her.
Her.
Searching everywhere throughout the crowd I couldn't find her.
She didn't wait.
"Reese, congrats on the win. This is the Dallas Cowboys head coach," I turned to face my future while my dreams were walking somewhere out of the stadium.
Hey besties!
Happy April fools day.
Now I truly am not updating until Monday. Goodnight.
I love you all thanks for everything.