Months Later
First Person-ish :) bare with me.
It was the beginning of summer which meant one thing to every single local member of the community. Inter-Family Match Day.
Every family within the community had a chance to compete in any 4 sport games of their choosing: American Football, Basketball, Baseball and Volleyball.
Each game lasted 2-3 hours and within these hours all families that signed up for the game battle it out till they were either eliminated or the last team standing. These games were mostly for the young adults/ teens while the adults found other ways to pass time with their own respective games like Rugby and Football.
The first of the games was always American Football on the field and volleyball in the local sports hall, then basketball and Baseball followed. Everyone gathered around the field as the Football game commenced and sat across the bleachers so all could see.
It was now an hour plus into the game and unsurprisingly the Fosters destroyed the Jacksons but surprisingly the D'Amiano's won the Ryders.
I couldn't help but search around for the new girl who has allegedly been in town for the past few months or so. Searching through each row of seats, I couldn't seem to find any new faces and decided to just watch the brutal family match in front of me as the hours past by.
The Ryders and the Jacksons finished their play for third place with the Ryders winning by a stretch and now it was time for the D'Amianos and Fosters to battle it out for first place.
Our family has never been ones for this sport mostly because our heights gave us a better advantage in basketball and also because the town had unanimously voted against having 6 testosterone induced boys on the field where violence was allowed.
"Such pussies" my dad had laughed in Greek that day. We'd all known it wasn't done out of malice and didn't really take it to heart cause it wasn't even our game of choice. In fact, the thought of Axel and Aspen running wild on the field was enough for our dad to pop pain killers. So we took it with stride and decided on basketball which has less contact and violence...not that we needed it to win the game for 10 straight years in a row and counting.
It was time for the last American Football game to start and I watched as Mrs Day D'Amianio and Mr D'Amiano rose with their team who they'd been coaching for a few years now, once they actually started to care about this whole annual competition.
They began prepping the team for what was to to come and as they huddled together in their signature red D'Amiano jersey.
I still couldn't catch a glimpse of her.
"You're going to need all the help you can get Nova!" My dad taunted Mr D from behind me through a teasing laugh.
"Luck is for losers boy!" he said matching his taunt from the bench as he patted his family on the back while to move along to the field.
"Still so arrogant!" Our mom exclaimed with glee
"He never changes even when I tell him it's bad luck " Mrs D retorted with a light French accent.
"He'll never change!" Dad said without hesitation which Mr D'Amiano replied with "Indeed I won't!"
As the match proceeded the Fosters remained in the lead with the D'Amiano's not far behind. From the field Mr D'Amiano made his way towards the bench to Mrs Day where he stayed for as while before breathing in deeply and calling out a name.
"Maple!"
To my far right replied a soft voice that went along with a small light brown hand that was raised "Yeah?!"
"Come, you're playing "
"You cant be serious." Mrs Day stressed and continued to talk to him as my attention turned towards the petite figure as she nonchalantly approached the two.
How had I missed her.
She had her families signature jet black hair which curled tighter and more defined than mine. Unlike my mom and I whose frizzy curly hair haloed our faces in a loose Afro like state, her inky, silky, curls flowed like a waterfall all the way to her tailbone. I was sure if she'd straightened it, it would fall all the way to her bum.
Am I really thinking about her bum... God give me strength.
"Whoop whoop." My thoughts were interrupted as I looked to 6'1 Dorin who sat at my right, his straight black hair and blue-green eyes matching his son's who was on his lap as usual.
"What was that?"
"That's the sound on the police coming to take your aśś to jail for staring at that 17 year old you perv" Alexander chuckled as he slouched on the chair next to me beside Chachi's slender 5,6 frame and slightly darker skin than ours, with her curly hair (loser and more wavy than Zeno's dark brown curls) tied into a wavy ponytail as she looked at me with laughing hazel eyes .
"I was n-" my words were interrupted from the row in front "yeah you were pedo." It came from Aspen whose eyes were focused on the camera in his hand as he took pictures of the day around us.
"How would you even know?"
"Our pervert senses were tingling" Axel bent his head back to look at me, his eyebrows wiggling, pleased with his own comment.
"I wasn't staring" I curtly state.
"Its okay baby I'll still love you even if you are a pedophile, but it will be difficult." My mum wrapped her arms round my neck from the back then pecked the side of my hair.
"I won't" I glanced over at my dad who shrugged and proceeded to look at the game Callen was playing as he sat on his lap with an iPad in his hands distracted.
I scoffed at all of them as they all chuckle as I bring my attention back to the person by the bench up front. She had made her way from where she sat with Holly to her Dad as he began to talk to her about the rules.
"Are you sure about this Donovan?" Mrs Day looked at him with uncertain eyes "The Fosters are violent."
"She can handle it, can't you...?" They both turned towards Maple who was now slightly under the sun, she'd removed the red D'Amiano family cap and gathered her silky hair into a scrunchy. She wore the matching jersey that engulfed her petite 5,5 frame and tied it in a front knot while wearing grey sweatpants.
She stared towards the field where the game was being played, with the sun beaming, she squinted and used a hand to shade her face so I couldn't see if she also had her families signature piercing blue eyes to complement her golden brown skin.
After a huff she turned towards her dad and asked "do I even have a choice? " He responded with a laugh, her face remaining emotionless with a small squint due to the sun. "That's my girl!" he roared, grabbing her arms then patted her on the back as a sign to go join the family team on the field. She turned to the field while Holly and her parents cheered her on.
As the she walked away to find her position, the sun shone over her skin and reflected off her hair making her look ethereal.
"You're drooling pedo" he heard Sofia say from beside Quentin. Turning to stare into her green eyes with blonde bangs over them, I scowled at her making her laugh with all of her 5,5 frame.
I began trying to defend myself when Zizi interrupted me. Her beautifully coiled black hair and dark brown eyes were covered with a cap and shades while she leaned her dark skin 5, 9 frame against Axel who had his arm round her. "You should close your mouth perv, you'll catch flies before you catch a case."
With that, the Stravos family burst out laughing from the back of the bleachers while the game went on.
"You're all going to hell"
"You'll get there first Thorin." Aspen speedily countered, allowing for more laughter.
*************
Maple's POV
The light sun caressed my skin as I positioned myself for the brutal match to come. Still unsure of the rules, the quarterback for the other team started to yell words I didn't understand giving off a sharp, dark blue hue and the game started with my palms sweating and heart racing.
Lord don't let me die.
About 20 minutes into the game, I had found my rhythm. No one from the other team who wore green jerseys seemed to block or tag me, probably because they didn't think I knew enough to do enough which made me the perfect intermediary. I was always open so when Poppy was crowded she'd simply pass it to me then I'd immediately pass it to the nearest and freest person available to the end zone which was usually Bobby, our star player.
The strategy worked like a charm and earned us a great lead , I'm surprised the others haven't figured it our yet.
As we arrange ourselves in the line of scrimmage, I heard our two families whisper threats amongst eachother and a dark grey cloud swirled around us.
Focusing on my shoes and the green grass below me that gleamed from the sun, emitting the sound of falling rain, I ignored their banter. With palms still sweaty and heart still racing, I wiped the side of my jersey. The game exhilarated me more than I'd expected.
Another dark blue set of calls yelled through before the play began and I ran forward to my usual spot where no one surrounded me. My eyes stayed focused on Poppy who had the ball before I scanned for Preacher who had his own issues to deal with as two guys rallied round him.
Turning to Bobby I saw he was somewhat free with only one person tagging him. I'll pass it to you.
Before I knew it, Poppy had passed me the ball and I locked eyes with Bobby who yelled "I'm open" and burgundy burst through the air. Before I could tell him to "go long" or whatever it is they say in this game. I heard Donovan yell my name through a mint green haze as I felt myself hit the ground with a purple thud.
From the audible burnt orange winces and my stinging left side, I knew I had just been tackled.
The person who had tackled me now straddled my torso above me. Looking up I see a pretty brunette with brown eyes smile down on me. "Didn't think that would work again did you?" Metallic grey sizzled in the air as her fake pouted lips turned into a smirk before she got off me and gave a teammate a cobalt blue high five.
As I rose up Poppy jogged over to me smiling. "Did you feel it?"
"Yeah" I said as I rubbed my left shoulder and gave her a dont-ask-stupid-questions look as her violet words faded away.
We walked back to the rest of the team. "You okay?" Tina's yelled in Tuscany yellow coated French and I rose my two thumb high signally that I was just fine. Donovan's eyes glistened at my response looking relieved and probably joyful that he didn't have to put Holly with two left feet in the game.
No shade
"Same play" I whispered to Poppy creating a turquoise blue clouds and she chuckled violet under her breath.
"You got a plan Miss?" I glance at her and she matched it with a smirk.
"Welcome to the game Maple"