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— CHAPTER THREE —
"So maybe I'm NOT ok."
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*•DAISY'S POINT OF VIEW•*
After the news of me joining the football team spread, all I got were judgmental stares from people in school. I can't lie and say that I didn't expect this.
I walked towards my locker, trying to pretend I don't see the girls pointing at me and snickering amongst themselves.
"Daisy, wait up!" I heard a familiar voice that made my skin crawl. Gabriella, or Gabby, captain of the cheer team and also the most popular girl in school was calling my name.
She was tall, blonde, tan and had the type of body you'd see on a Victoria's Secret show. She was also extremely intimidating. Think of Regina George but meaner, that's basically Gabby.
She didn't intimidate me. I just hated her.
I turned to face her. "Gabby, hi! Do you want something?" I said with a fake smile on my face.
"Do I want something?" she laughed. "Come on, you know what I wanna talk to you about."
Gabby and Claudia were friends because they're both on the cheer team, so that's why I try to tolerate her.
"Let me guess, the football team," I rolled my eyes.
"Obviously," she crossed her arms over her chest. "So, who'd you fuck to get in?"
I tightened my grip on my phone in anger. I can't believe people think I fucked someone to get on the football team.
"Oh my God, did you suck Coach Johnson's dick?" she whispered when she noticed my silence. "Can't believe I thought he was a family man."
I felt my blood boil. "You know I didn't do that, Gabriella." I said through clenched teeth.
I'm ok. I'm fine. I don't need to punch her in the face. Calm down, Daisy.
"Yeah, probably not. I don't think you're Coach J's type," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I got it! Your daddy bribed someone. I bet it's Bader, right? It was his decision after all."
My mouth twisted in distaste. This is just the type of person Gabby is, and I'm not going to let her win.
"You know, as a woman, you should be one of the people who are supporting me, not putting me down," I started.
People started to notice, and everyone's eyes were on us before I knew it.
"How would you feel if someone said that stuff to you?" I asked. "Don't you wanna go to Stanford and be a lawyer? What if you worked your ass off for years and had to go through people telling you you'll never make it, and when you proved everyone wrong and got in, they say you're actually talentless and must have fucked someone to get in, and if you didn't, then you definitely bribed them, because women can't just be simply good at something, right? There has to be something wrong, she can't just be talented, no way! Right?"
I finished off with an exhale, my death grip on my phone tightening even more.
"So no, Gabby. I didn't fuck anyone or bribe anyone. I'm simply. Fucking. Talented."
It was dead silent in the hallway.
"Wow, that was some speech." I looked to my right at Tristian, who was leaning against a locker with a stunned look on his face.
Was he . . . complimenting me or something?
His expression was unreadable.
"Is that a praise or a sarcastic comment?" I crossed my arms over my chest.
Tristan chuckled. "Of course it was sarcastic, Adams. You're fucking pathetic! Going to university and getting a degree isn't the same as playing football. You shouldn't be playing sports like this. You're a girl, Daisy. Girls are too delicate to do something like this."
Oh my god. After all I proved to get here, he was still doubting me.
"Have I not proved to you enough that I can handle getting tackled? Most of you tackle like my four year old cousin, by the way."
Some people chuckled, I didn't care that I was shitting on the team I was part of. Tristian needs to be put in his place.
"Oh please! It's been one week for you! Maybe you played with your dad or your brother or something, but they were soft on you. Have you ever played an actual football game, Daisy?"
I internally winced. He got me. I had never played an official football game before.
I didn't respond, causing him to smirk. "That's exactly what I thought, just go back to talking about movies and nails and hairstyles or whatever you talk about. You're not worthy to be on the team!" he raised his voice a few octaves.
"Listen, Tristian. Whether you like it or not, I'm the quarterback and you're one of the wide receivers. Either you accept it or not, I'm PART of the team. And you are too!" I also raised my voice. "And also, don't you think any of your little pranks are going to make me quit, because they're only making me angrier and more driven to prove you all wrong."
I hadn't forgotten about how they ditched me a week ago, even if it got me a date. It was a fucked up thing to do.
Tristian rolled his eyes. "You're right! You're a part of the team, but you're that part that should be scraped off and thrown in the trash, where you belong," he said harshly and walked away, leaving me stunned.
"Told you guys she's a freak," Gabby said and everyone laughed.
I walked away in embarrassment all the way to my locker. I felt angry and I wanted to cry. I mean yes, I expected people to judge, but I didn't expect it to get that far.
I opened my locker and started angrily putting my books inside. I can't believe Tristian won the argument after everything I said.
"Hey, QB," I turned to see Zack, looking at me with empathy. "I heard what Tristian and Gabby said to you, that was harsh. Are you okay?"
Zack and I grew a lot closer since our date. He was one of the funniest guys I've ever met. We were still pretty casual, I like to take things slow with guys.
However, he's doing a really good job proving to me that he actually likes me and that he's patient. I liked that.
"I'm not so sure," I said, my voice cracking at the end.
Don't cry, Daisy. Don't you dare cry. You're better than this. Don't let Tristian win.
"Hey, don't let them bring you down," he started. "I'm sure you're a great QB, they wouldn't have let you on the team if you weren't. You have a passion for football none of these guys have. So, don't let anyone shake your confidence, D."
I smiled widely. Zack was a blessing.
"Thanks, Zack. That really made me feel better."
"No need to thank me, D," he smiled. "I gotta go to Algebra now, I'll text you later, okay?"
I nodded. "Okay."
He may not know it, but him having my back means the world to me. I'm used to only having my circle be on my side, and now I have Zack and Kyle by my side.
Kyle actually had a family emergency when we were at Tornado Lounge, he apologized to me on behalf of the guys, I told him he didn't need to apologize for their shitty behavior.
Zack was right. I shouldn't let them shake my confidence. I will prove myself worthy to these boys, even if it took me all season.
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*•TRISTIAN'S POINT OF VIEW•*
"SET! HUT HUT!" I yelled and Ian threw me the ball, but I got tackled within 0.5 seconds.
Fuck me.
"You're losing your game, bro," Dylan said, helping me up. "You need to get your position back before this Daisy chick causes you to lose all of it."
I sighed. "Yeah, that bitch is ruining everything for me."
Keep telling yourself that, Tristian.
I shook off my inside voice and got up, walking over to Coach Johnson, who was looking at me in disapproval.
"When you warm up before practice, make sure you're playing your own position, Harris," Coach said.
I nodded quietly. I couldn't argue with him, my future in football is currently in his hands, and I couldn't lose my place in the team, it's enough I'm a wide receiver now.
"Now, gather here, men!"
Daisy wasn't here yet. She changes in the girl's bathroom and comes all the way from the other side of the school. So, she's always five or so minutes late.
"I have some news," he started. "Liberty High requested to play a friendly game against us next Friday and I agreed. So, I need every one of you to bring their A-game next Friday."
The guys cheered. It's been way too long since we played a game of football. The first friendly game of the season is always the best, it gets us pumped for the official ones.
"Alright, today I wanna focus on offense. So, we're doing sixty percent offense drills this practice, and then we're going twenty percent defense drills and twenty percent game play," Coach explained and we all nodded. "Five laps and then warm up. Bring it in, 3, 2..."
"BEARS!" we all cheered, then started our warm up laps.
Daisy arrived when we were on our third lap, she talked to Coach Johnson quickly, then started her first lap.
After everyone was done running, we started doing our dynamic stretches, which consisted of high-knee runs, glute kicks, lunges, side lunges, high kicks, and skipping rope. Each exercise performed twice over twenty yards.
"Excited for the first game, Daisy?" Kyle asked Daisy as we did lunges.
Daisy nodded excitedly. "I can't wait to play an actual football game with a team! Friday can't come soon enough."
"Friday can't come soon enough!" I repeated to Mason in a sarcastic, high-pitched voice, causing him to laugh.
Daisy noticed and raised an eyebrow at me. "A sarcastic voice? Come on, you can do better than that."
I thought that after what happened in the morning she'd come here all embarrassed, maybe I need to pump it up more with showing her where she belongs.
"Just trying not to make you cry during practice, wouldn't want that if we're stuck with you."
Kyle rolled his eyes at me.
I can't believe Kyle's taking her side in this. We've been friends for ages, he should know to support me and have my back. He knows how hard I worked to become quarterback in the first place.
"I'd say you should be happy you got me, since I heard someone got tackled in less than a second during warmup, yet asked why he isn't quarterback anymore. Shame," she replied meekly and looked away from me, continuing her warmup like I wasn't even there.
I looked at Kyle in anger. He had to have told her, right?
Kyle wasn't looking me, so he didn't see the pure rage on my face. I shook off the anger and continued warming up.
I need to get Daisy kicked off the team as soon as possible, before shit hits the fan even more.
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"Yo, Kyle, can I talk to you for a sec?" I called Kyle over after practice. He nodded and we walked away from the team. "Why did you tell Adams about the tackle? You know I was just a little off my game, bro," I asked in annoyance.
"I didn't tell her about the tackle, what are you talking about?" he said confusedly.
"You're her only friend, it has to be you," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "I always thought you go with 'bros before hoes' but I guess you chose the hoe, yeah?"
Kyle sighed and rolled his eyes at me. "Okay, first of all, I'm technically not interested in 'her type' at all. Second of all, she's not a hoe. And third, I didn't tell her anything. Believe it or not, Tristian, I wouldn't do that to you. You're still my friend, even with your questionable behavior recently," he said and walked away from me.
I stood where I am, not walking away. What does he mean 'questionable behavior', I'm the same Tristian I've always been.
If Kyle didn't tell her, then who the heck did, though? She wasn't anywhere around when it happened.
I will get my position back even if it was the last thing I do all season. Girl quarterback my ass.
I walked over to Mason, who was talking to Gavin. "Kyle didn't tell her about the tackle," I told him when I reached them.
"No, he didn't. I did. It happened to come up in a conversation Adams and I had when you were running, do you have a problem with that, Tristian?" the coach said.
I stood silently. "No, coach, no problem at all," I said, looking down at the ground.
Damn it.
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Alright! Here's chapter three all redone! I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it!
What do you think about Daisy's monologue? How about Tristian's misogynistic response?
Don't forget to vote! I'll see you next chapter! - Lana.
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