Ashlin
Beeeepppp!!
Went my annoying alarm that Tuesday morning. I had tried to smack it so many times but it wouldn't turn off. So I was forced to roll over and grab it, fumbling with the buttons a little before It finally stopped blaring.
6:30am
That was the time, a bit early but it was necessary that day. For it was finally the day of the biggest game of the season. St Valdire was going up against the one and only Cidshore High. So everyone was nervous, mostly because Cidshore was always the ones that knocked us out of having any shot at the finals.
You could say Cidshore was St Valdire's biggest rivals. Yet Cidshore only saw us as a tiny problem, like a bug stuck to the bottom of their shoe. We'd always put up a fight but somehow our team managed to get crushed every year.
It was so bad we were on a streak of Cidshore's wins vs St Valdire's and as you guess St Valdire stood at a very embarrassing zero. Making the streak 15:0. Meaning we had been getting our butts kicked for 15 years. It was awful but we held hope to one day emerge victorious.
Luckily for our school, our team was looking better than ever this season. As Jake was the captain of the team and worked his butt off to keep his teammates on point. So I was confident that we had a shot at winning. Infact I believed we had a 30% chance of winning.
It may sound bad to others but last year we only had a 11% chance. So we would work with the 30 this time around. Everyone from school, well at least the people who liked supporting sports teams, had gotten T-shirts to support.
Which meant a great profit for the art club; who got them designed, printed and priced.
So in the midst of supporting our team, other clubs and sports ventures were getting some recognition. It was a win win. So in the midst of all the school spirit... why did I feel weird?
I felt caught between two of my favorite people. On one hand there was my good friend Jake, best friend if you crossed out him sleeping with Claire behind everyone's back like 2 years ago. Then on the other hand was Zion, my new friend or whatever we were because it was complicated.
I felt like I needed to give Zion some support, yet how I'd do that was still a mystery.
So I just decided to do what I usually did each year. Get up early to get my hair done flawlessly, find a nice pair of jeans to go with my T-shirt and do my makeup as close to our school's colors as possible. It was a big thing at our schools for us to be in full school colors for the big game.
So all the girls normally match their makeup, jewelry and hair accessories as best as possible.
After I finished getting dressed and doing my make up, I sat before the mirror for a little while. I looked cute, with my two big afro puffs that had blue and white clips in them. I looked liked someone that adored Football and was filled with the school spirit.
Yet in honesty I had no idea what was the difference between a linebacker and a quarter back. I was more of a Soccer girl and often spent ridiculous amounts of time watching Messi and Neymar edits on YouTube. If I got the chance to play soccer I would gladly take it.
Unfortunately, our school had a swim team, a tennis team, a basketball team, a cricket team, a football team, a track team etc. Yet no soccer team, how disappointing. So I was forced to be in other clubs instead.
After looking in the mirror for a while, I finally felt pleased enough to get up and get to the kitchen. Where my nutritious breakfast was waiting, courtesy of Gabriella. Who dispite being pregnant, woke up early to cook for me and my lazy brother.
"Mmm, something smells amazing in here" I spoke as I entered the kitchen to take my seat at the breakfast table.
Gabriella smiled at me warmly, while she stirred something in the pot.
"Good morning to you too Ash" she greeted cheerily, she was such a warm person genuinely.
It always made me wonder why she'd gotten knocked up by my jerk of a brother. I mean of all people, a girl like her chose him. It made 0 sense but I guess she had her reasons.
"Morning Gabriella, so what you making?" I inquired, the smell of the food was amazing.
I just couldn't wait to know what it was going to be. I watched her as she stirred, until she turned to me with a grin. A grin that meant, she wasn't going to tell me.
"It's a surprise" She stated before going right back to preparing the food.
I sighed at her words and decided to just wait. There was no point in insisting. As I knew soon enough I'd see what it was and devour it.
"Hey, did mom leave as yet?" I asked her.
Daphne King hadn't given my devices back and I was dying to shoot Zion a text. As he was coming for the game and I had hopes of seeing him before he would leave. Yet without a phone, a tablet and a laptop... I had no way to contact him.
I mean everyone in our school already thought we were dating. So it wouldn't be weird to walk up to him after the game. However, I just felt it would seem weird... Like I was supporting another school or something. I was definitely overthinking it, I just needed to relax.
It would all play out as it should, I just hoped there wouldn't be anymore video and articles involved.
"Um Yeah, she did" Gabriella informed me and I rolled my eyes and groaned in defeat.
I was hoping to convince her to give me my stuff back. Now it seems I'd have to stay up late to catch her when she got off work. She was a big workaholic, getting off work at midnight. Sometimes even later than that.
I was worried for her but whenever I brought it up she'd just blow me off. Refusing to cut her work hours, with her excuse being it was necessary. That she was working hard to maintain our home, our status and to ensure her grandchildren were well off.
I got where she was coming from but it still didn't mean what she was doing was healthy.
I was so distracted with my thoughts of how to get back my phone and mom's overworking. I hadn't realized Gabriella was already dishing out the food. It wasn't until she rested the plate before me that I jumped out of my thoughts.
I looked down at what was on the plate and my heart skipped a beat. There before my eyes was a broad plate of cheesy lasagna. It looked breath taking, that I thanked Gabriella about 5 times. Then I said a little grace and dug in immediately after saying amen.
The taste was as remarkable as how it had looked when placed before me. The cheese, the sauce, the pasta. It was all so delicious, Gabriella was really gifted. An absolute blessing to our family. If Ryan didn't marry her, I had no choice but to do so because I couldn't lose her.
She was a great conversationalist, a great cook, a kind soul and a literal angel.
One day, she'd have to sit down and explain what made her choose my ass of a brother.
She'd have to do it. It wasn't adding up not at all. She was too good for him and nothing was going to change my view of her.
"Slow down" she laughed as she pat me on the back.
I was racing through my lasagna like I hadn't eaten in days. When I had a big meal the night before. A meal that she had also prepared.
"It's just so good" I responded, my mouth half full.
She rolled her eyes before speaking to me again.
"I know Ash but you wouldn't want to choke" she spoke as if speaking to a toddler.
I decided she was right, after all I didn't want to choke. So I slowed my pace of eating. While I watched her fill a big bowl of lasagna for Ryan.
..........................................
Around an hour later, I was in the hall of St Valdire with my friends. We we're discussing the game and what we thought would happen. Whether we'd win or lose. Whether our cheerleaders would get into a fight with Cidshore's cheerleaders. Considering the fact that rumors were spreading concerning Stacy and someone named Gabe.
Whose name was awfully familiar to me.
Then it hit me, it was Zion's ex best friend. The one who was currently dating his ex girlfriend Penelope who was the captain of the cheer squad. It seemed the cheater was now being cheated.
So a lot of people were expecting a big confrontation after the game.
From what I noticed, Penelope was a hot headed girl. Who was full of herself and wasn't afraid of a confrontation. Stacy on the other hand was a girl that was a bit calmer. She could kill you with her words but when it came to action she'd easily back down.
If a fight broke out, Penelope would definitely be the first to throw hands. No doubt or question about it. While everyone was hoping they'd confront each other. I was hoping there would be a peaceful game.
However the game wasn't happening until the evening, right after school. So we still had to attend classes and wait patiently to see what the big game would have in store for us.
Since everyone had gotten up early for game day, it gave us more time to chat before classes.
Students were huddled up everywhere in there jeans and T-shirts. Some whispering, some talking loudly. Some drinking already, having their beers disguised as water in their tinted water bottles etc.
"You really think Stacy could beat Penelope?!" Liz exclaimed, looking at Jacob as if he'd lost his mind.
"I mean she is bigger size wise. Penelope is more petite. Her bark seems bigger than her bite. " He defended, yet I knew he was just being biased.
"What do you think Ash, who'd win?" Liz asked and I immediately responded.
"Penelope without a shadow of doubt"
Liz turned to Jacob with a satisfied look on her face. To her she had won their little debate.
"Enough about those two, I'm just excited to see the look on ya boy's face when we crush his team" Jake spoke, looking directly at me.
Everyone fell silent, they hadn't expected him to call me out.
Plus him being overconfident wasn't good. 30% was not a 50%, so the studies were leaning more towards 'my boy's' team. Even though technically speaking Zion Atkins wasn't my boy. We hadn't even kissed before.
We almost did at the field, the night of the barbeque. Yet my brother had come to hunt me down and caused an interruption. So he wasn't my boy and I wasn't going to lie to them about it.
I was about to clear the air, when Liz spoke up and added more fuel to the fire.
"Someone seems jelly over Zion" she commented, causing Gabriana to slap a palm over her mouth and Jacob's eyes to almost pop out of their sockets.
I was more confused than ever, I felt like I was missing something.
"Pshh, as if I could be jealous of that dimwit" Jake spat back, yet it didn't sound too convincing.
I looked at the others, observing their body language and you could tell they didn't believe a word that left Jake's mouth.
"Guys, really and truly... I'm not involved with Zion like that" I assured, trying to just end this discussion.
Yet nobody seemed to believe me.
Suddenly the bell rang, signalling first period would start in a few minutes. So we said our 'catch you later' to each friend and went our separate ways. As I had class with Jacob, we walked in that direction together, discussing the homework that was due.
The hours flew by after that, 2nd period came, then 3rd. Soon we were at lunch, then 4th period and before we knew it school had ended and everyone was piling into the buses that would take us to the game. Which was being held at a huge stadium an hour away.
Apparently ours didn't have enough stands and Cidshore's was too far away. So the football committee had settled on doing it at a place called Forose Stadium. Which was a massive structure, with an impressive field in the middle.
When we arrived at Forose that evening, the Cidshore buses were already parked in the huge parking lot.
Which meant a lot of people were already inside. As fans, rivals, gamblers etc were probably already seated and ready for the game to start. Only problem was they had another hour to wait for the teams to get ready. As they'd get to discuss their strategies once more etc.
It wasn't 5:30 yet and that was the time set down for the game to begin.
As we got off the buses, everyone went in search of their different friend groups. As nobody wanted to sit beside people they didn't know. They wanted familiarity, people to talk shit with and people to talk about who on the different teams they had a thing for.
I found my friends easily, as they were by the entrance waiting on me. They seemed to have come in the first and second bus. I had been in the 3rd one so I got off a bit later than them.
I walked over to them, pushing past the crowd of cheerleaders with Stacy yelling something at them. Then past the band and finally I got to my little squad. Which was missing a friend because Jake had gone in already with his coach and teammates.
"I'm surprised the tickets are this cheap, last game I went to it was $20 dollars for a regular ticket." Jacob spoke up looking at his wristband in content.
"I think we got half price because of the student discount. Remember once your school is competing you get a lower price" I reminded him and he face palmed himself for not realizing.
"Oh yeah, the last game I went to we weren't playing" he replied and I gave him a nod.
We then made our way into the stadium after I paid and got my wristband, since the others already got theirs.
When we walked in to the stadium my jaw dropped at the amount of people that showed up for Cidshore. Their stands were packed, which was wild considering it wasn't even starting time as yet. Our stands had a decent amount of people too and by the time the whole school would get seated 3/4 of the seats would be occupied.
So both teams had pretty impressive amounts of supporters.
As Jacob, Liz, Gabriana and I made our way down the stands to get a seat close to the field. We saw the cheer team and the band coming in in high spirits. They were heading down to the field with their dancing and instrument playing and our side of the stadium was cheering and going off with their horns.
The game was drawing near and we could all feel our excitement and anxiousness settling in.
As soon as we made it to the seats we were comfortable with, we sat down and pulled out our snacks and horns. Plus our water bottles and devices to video the events that would unfold. Which Sadly I wouldn't be able to do because I hadn't gotten mine back. So Jacob had his beautiful camera, Liz had her iPhone pro max and Gabriana had her Google pixel.
I just sat with my huge potato chips bag and my 2 litre bottle of water.
After everyone finally settled in, the clock read 5:15 pm and we could see the Cidshore team waiting under the stands to be introduced so they could make their way onto the field. It didn't take long for the introductions to begin and they all came running onto the field one by one as a slideshow of the team came on the huge screen above the scoreboard.
I watched Zion as he ran unto the field all padded up and ready. The number 17 on the back and front of his attire. His face was a bit hard to make out from behind the helmet but I knew it was him. As it said he was number 17 on the screen.
Soon it was our teams turn to come out and Jake and the others ran unto the field causing our side of the stadium to erupt into cheers. Even I was on my feet blowing my horn and waving my Blue rag. Jake was wearing number 8 and so I knew who to look on based on that detail. Without the numbers to guide me, I wouldn't be able to keep track of who a player could be.
As the players got into position for the start of the game. The cheering and horn blowing died down a bit. Then the coin toss was done and our team won. So our teams place kicker got ready to punt the ball as far as possible down field.
As the ref gave the signal, our place kicker whose name I think was Darren kicked the ball 30 yard down field.
Which caused everyone who was talking to shut up and watch what was going to happen. To watch how the game would play out. Everyone was now consumed by what was happening on the field.
The game had officially begun.
Hey guys! I know this was a long chapter, hopefully the next will be this long. I hope it was an interesting one. Please remember to vote, comment and share✨
See ya in the next bit!
~Axela❤️