"I. Understand. Nothing!!!" I groan as I hit my face with a pillow for each word. "Why don't you take a break Ellie? You've been studying pretty hard for a while" Mal sighs as I stare down at my textbook. "Nothing seems to be sticking and I've been studying for the past hour now" I groan as I flip to the next page.
I can hear Mal sigh before she gets up and grabs my book, "Hey!" "Look Ellie there's no point in keep going if your not retaining any of it. Your just stressing yourself out and getting frustrated. You need a break" Mal explains as she tosses my book onto my bed. "How about we head down to the field early and just mess around for a bit before practice?" She asks. I sigh and nod getting up from my chair, "Sounds better than staying here. One more minute and I think I will throw my textbook out the window". "Well that solves that doesn't it" Mal laughs.
We both start to change into our training gear but I need to ask Mal what happened, "Mal can I ask you something?" "Sure what's up Ellie?" Mal says while looking for her slides. "What....what happened between you and Jessie while you two were in the closet?" I ask fidgeting with my fingers. I could see Mal tense but quickly relaxes and turns to me. It happened so quickly that I if I wasn't watching I wouldn't have seen it. "Nothing really happened. We just went into the closet and talked" Mal sighs but she didn't look at me.
Which instantly told me that she was lying to me
"Mal you sure nothing happened?" I try one last time. She sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, "I don't know what happened". I tilt my head at her, "What do you mean?" She sighs as she sits on her bed, "One minute we were just standing there talking and then for some reason I find myself leaning into her but then times up before anything can happen".
I can feel my heart twinge with pain a bit at the confession but I'm able to keep my face neutral, "So do you like Jessie?" "I don't know!" Mal cries as she frails her arms up but dropping them on the bed. I move to sit beside her on her bed as I put my arm around her as she leans onto my shoulder, "Don't worry. You'll figure everything out Mal. Everything will work out in the end". We sat there quietly for a few minutes before Mal speaks up, "Ellie?" I hum letting her know I'm listening, "Yeah Mal?" She pulls away from me as she looks at me, "How...how did you know you...liked girls?" I think for a second before replying, "I don't know really. I guess I've just never really been attracted to any guys before, I always found myself looking at girls instead". She just nods before throwing her head back, "Why is this so confusing?" "I don't know Mal Pal. I don't know" I breath out as I rub her arm.
We grab our stuff before heading to the locker room to get our cleats. "Are you coming to the Halloween party tonight?" Mal asks as we walk. I shrug, "I don't know Mal. Parties aren't really my thing". "Cmon Ellie you have to come. It will be so much fun!" Mal begs. "Mal..." I sigh but she stops me, "Please Ellie it'll be fun I promise". I turn and look at her to see her puppy eyes out in full effect and so I sigh, "Fine. Fine I'll go". Mal claps her hands with a huge smile in her face, "Yes! Ellie tonight is going to be so much fun. Your going to need a costume though". I shrug, "I'll throw something together". I link arms with her, "but for now I'm going to kick your ass in one on one".
..............
"I need a favour" Jessie says as she walks into my dorm. I chuckle as I put down my book, "Oh hey freckles! I'm great thanks for asking". She laughs as she sits next to me, "Sorry. Hey Lee". "I'm just teasing Jess what's up?" "Can I borrow your glasses for my costume tonight?" She asks trying her best to give me puppy dog eyes.
After I agreed to go to the Halloween party with Mal, Teagan and I spent the whole of training begging Jess to come with us tonight. After about an hour of bothering her and me actually getting down on my knees and begging, she agreed to come with us.
"Sure what are you dressing up as?" I ask as I take off my glasses and hand them to her. She grins as she slips them up the bridge of her nose, "I'm going as a nerd". I snort, "You know your suppose to dress up Jess, not go as yourself". She rolls her eyes as she shoves me and sticks out her tongue at me while I giggle. "What are you dressing up as?" Jess asks. I shrug as I hug my pillow, "I don't know. I'll find something to wear". Jess rolls her eyes and hits me with my pillow, "Your giving me grief about my costume when you don't even have one!" I grab the pillow off her, "None of that now. And I wasn't even on planning going tonight". She rolls her eyes, "Neither was I!"
I just grin at her as she sighs, "You do know the party is in like 2 hours". "I know I'll figure something out. What are you doing for your hair?" I say standing up and going to my closet. "I don't know probably just a ponytail why?" She shrugs. "Well do you want me to braid it? It will go well with the costume" I offer. "Yeah that would be great" she smiles. "Well how bout you get changed and come back here and then I'll braid your hair and then I'll get changed" I suggest. "Cool I'll be back in a bit" she calls as she walks out. "Bye Freckles" "Bye Lee".
I sort though all my clothes until I come across my leather jacket, or as Kelley calls it my fuck boi jacket. I grin as I know what I'm going to wear tonight. I grab a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. I drop the clothes on my bed as I start to put on a small bit of makeup. I'm just about finished when Jess comes back wearing a white dress shirt with pants and suspenders along with my glasses, "Hi". I smile as I look at her through my mirror, "Hey you look great J". She smiles, "Thanks. Have you figured out what your going to wear yet?" I nod, "Yep but first let's braid your hair". I get her to sit on the floor in front of me while I bed on the bed.
"Are you wearing makeup?" She ask as I start the first braid. "Yeah" I answer focusing on not messing it up. "Why?" She laughs as I tilt her head slightly. I shrug, "Kinda goes with the costume. What about you?" She starts to shake her head but I flick her ear as she whine, "Sorry. But no. I'm not really into make up and all that stuff". I finish off her first braid as I start on her second one, "Well you don't need it anyways. Your too pretty for make-up". Jessie giggles, "Well so are you. You don't need makeup". Thank god she couldn't see my face because even with the makeup I could feel the blush come out in full force.
I pat her shoulder as I finish her hair, "And your done". She stands and goes to look at her hair in the mirror, "This looks amazing! Thanks Lee". "Gimme a few minutes to change and then we can go get Teagan" I say grabbing my clothes and heading into the bathroom. I swiftly changed and looked over myself once more before stepping out. Jess looks up from her phone and laughs when she sees me, "Biker girl?" I shrug, "Bad girl or troublemaker". I grab my aviators and my phone before I turn to Jess, "Cmon nerd, we gotta go". She laughs bit follows me out as we go get Teagan. "You know your not going to be able to avoid pictures tonight right?" I smirk as Jess groans. I knock on the door and as it opens Teagan had her phone pointed at us, "Look who it is the bully and the nerd!" I laugh as I grab Jess in a weak headlock while she whines.
Teagan laughs while she posts it to her story, "And here I was thinking you were going to go as a jock". I shrug, "I've been told that I had to dress up but I guess I could have seeing as Jessie is going as herself". Teagan laughs again while Jessie nudges me. "Cmon let's head. And please don't get too drink. I'm your ride and I don't want you ruining my backseats cause you can't hold your liquor". Teagan salutes me before we walk out the dorms. Teagan directs me to where the party is taking place and lucky for me it's a frat house.
God give me strength
The minute we step in I was hit by a wall of heat and the strong stench of alcohol. Teagan pushed herself through the sea of people in front of me as we tried to find some of the girls. Seeing as Teagan had the height advantage and was easily able to push her way through, I grab Jess's hand behind me so we don't get separated by the crowd. I follow Teagan to see she's heading to the kitchen and I don't know whether she's trying to find the girls or get a drink.
Luckily when we get into the kitchen I find Mal and Anika there. Mal was the first to spot us as she comes over and hugs me first, "Ellie! I was starting to worry you weren't going to come. Love the costume". I roll my eyes, "Who else is going to make sure you do get black out drunk? You look great Mal Pal". Mal rolls her eyes and shoves me before turning to Jess, "You look amazing as well Jess". My eyes focus on the two of them trying to get a read on them both as Jess gives her a small smile, "Thanks Mal. You too". Mal smiles before she grabs my wrist, "Cmon Ellie's let's go dance".
Mal drags me out to where everyone was dancing and before I know it I can see Teagan doing the same with Jessie. I don't know how long we had been dancing but when I looked across to where Jess was I could see a guy trying to get a bit too close to her while she tried to shy away. When I looked back over Mal seemed occupied but I caught her eyes and pointed that I was going for a bit which she nodded. I slowly made my way towards Jess but by the time I got there the guy had his hands latched onto her hips trying to pull her back into him which Jessie clearly wasn't comfortable with. "Hey back off" I shout over the music as I shove him backwards away from her as I step between him and Jess. "Hey we were just dancing!" The guy slurred out raising her voice at me. "Well now your not. Come on Jess" I say as I lead her out of the party and outside for a bit.
"Thanks Lee. He was getting a bit too close there" Jess sighs as I close the door a bit but we could still hear the full thumping of the music. "No problem Jess. It was obvious you didn't feel comfortable" I give her a gentle smile as I sit in one of the patio chairs. She follows my lead as she sits in the chair beside me, "Yeah I think I panicked when I couldn't see Teagan. But then you were there. Just like always".
I smile and look up into the sky staring at all the stars shining down on top of us and sigh, "I honestly don't know what I'm doing here". Jessie quirks her head at me, "What do you mean?" I sigh, "I've never been to a party before". Jess looks at me shocked, "Wait seriously?!" I groan as I lean back into the chair and run a hair through my hair, "This is my first time at a party that wasn't with the team. My parents and I were moving around so much because of their business so I never got to go to any party's and then when I went to England I was bullied so I definitely wasn't getting any invites. The only time I know what I'm doing is when I'm on a pitch". Jess shakes her head, "Don't say that. You do know what your doing. Your an amazing soccer player but your an even better person".
"Thanks Jess" I smile as I get up from the seat and lean against the railing looking up into the sky. After a minute or two I can hear Jess stand and walk beside me and shows me her phone, "Look". I see she took a picture of me looking up into the sky with my back to her, "You know after soccer you should go into photography". She blushes and pushes the glasses up her nose, "It's more of a hobby than anything". "But Jess your amazing at it. You need to take all my pictures from now on" I laugh. "I guess I could do that" she jokes. We stay out there for a while almost forgetting there was a party raging in behind us.
"I guess we better head back in shouldn't we?" I sigh not really wanting to. "I suppose. Gosh we've been out here for an hour now" Jessie laughs. "Time fly's I guess" I smile at her. "Well I much rather stay out here with you than go back inside" She smiles back at me. I bite my lip failing to hold back a smile as I open the door for her and gesture to her, "Lead the way nerd". She punches my shoulder as she walks past me as I follow her back in. I follow Jess inside as we try to find some of the team. I stop when I hear someone call my name though, "Elliot!" I turn to see Callie dressed as a doctor come up to me, "Hey Callie! How are you?" "Good I was just wondering if you've seen Avery? I swear I turn around for one second and then shes gone". "No sorry. Do you need help finding her?" I ask over the music. "No it's fine. You look like you were following your nerd" Callie grins as she wiggles her eyebrows at me. I scoff but I can feel a blush coming on, "Don't act like you aren't looking for Avery for a certain reason". Callie blushes and looks like a dear in headlights, "Uh um I-I'll see you later Elliot!" I chuckle as Callie scatters away from me in aims of finding her friend.
I push my way through the house but I can't find anyone familiar. Eventually I stumble into the kitchen and I already know I missed something. Mal and Jess are giggling excessively and holding onto each other up while Teagan talks to them. When I walk over Jessie cheers, "Lee! Your here! I thought I lost you!" She untangles from Mal as she clambers over to me and wrapping her arms around my neck so I hold her waist. "Freckles you feeling okay?" I whisper into her ear but she just nuzzles into my neck. I pull back to check her over but she looks physically fine but I notice she has a cup in her hand, "What are you drinking Jess?"
She giggles as she takes another sip, "Water". I take the cup off her and sniff it and I can't safely say it isn't water but something a lot stronger, "This isn't water Jess". "Oops" she slurs. I sigh and turn to Mal and Teagan, "I thought she wasn't drinking tonight". Teagan shrugs, "I thought she was drinking water. I saw her get it from the kitchen". Mal shakes her head, "But then she put it down I think maybe she just picked up the wrong cup". I sigh, "Look I'm going to bring her back to the dorm. Teagan can you get a lift with someone else?" "Sure no worries" she smiles before heading back into the crowd.
I turn around to get Jess but shes not there, "Shit". Mal puts her hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry we'll find her. I'll help". I nod as we walk through the house trying to find her. She's no where on the ground floor so I start to panic. "Maybe she is in the bathroom upstairs" Mal shouts over the crowd. I nod as I head upstairs. I open one door to find an empty bedroom and the next there were two people making out on the bed. "Sorry!" I call before I shut the door. When I open the third door I see red. Jessie was slumped against the wall pretty out of it while the guy from earlier had her trapped between the wall and himself.
I grab him by neck of her shirt and pull him away from her, "Get off her!" "It isn't what it looks like!" He defends holding up his hands. "So it didn't look like you were about to try something with her barely awake" I growl at him. He cowers away from me but I cock my arm back and hit him clear across the face. He falls to the ground but I'm quickly on top of him as I hit him again and again.
"Ellie. Stop stop he outs. It's okay. Jessie's okay". Mal says quietly behind me. I snap out of my rage at her voice as I stop hitting him to see he is knocked out. I get off him and turn to see Mal holding Jessie up as she seems barely awake still. I take a deep breath as I look at Mal, "I'll take Jessie back to the dorm can you tell everyone we're gone?" Mal holds as she passes Jess over to me.
I half walked half carried Jess outside and the whole way there she babbles absolute nonsense in my ear. I struggled to get her into the passengers seat of the car but eventually I was able to click her seatbelt on. I could tell by the drive back tot he dorms that she definitely wasn't going to remember this in the morning.
She wasn't going to remember me dragging the guy off her.
She's wasn't going to remember me driving her home.
She wasn't going to remember us stumbling into her room as I tried to get her to sleep.
And she definitely wasn't going to remember kissing me.....
Hey guys!!! What's there to say other than I'm sorry 🤷 I'm sorry I had to!! Anyways I hope you enjoyed. Until next time, stay safe and goodbye!