"How did studying go with Declan?"

I narrowed my eyes at Cyrus while he kept his eyes on the road. It was his turn to drive to school again. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Say it like I don't believe that all you did was study?" he glanced at me with his words and I raised my brows at him expectantly. Then he shrugged his shoulders and did that thing where you say I don't know but really, it's just an mmMMmm sound.

"Don't be stupid, me and Declan are just friends. Besides, you know I would tell you if anything were happening between us."

"Actually I don't, because the last time you were involved with a guy I didn't find out about it until you came to me crying about him."

His name was Adrian and I dated him in the 9th grade. It was a very short-term relationship though, considering he was only nice to me for the first two weeks, and then cheated on me the last week.

"Because I didn't think it was a serious relationship and I didn't want to waste your time too. Besides, I learned from that anyway."

If I had told Cyrus from the start, he could have saved me a lot of hurt. I didn't know Adrian was a sneaky little turd on a stick, but apparently, it was old news to Cyrus.

We parked the car and walked into the school together, the conversation of failed relationships following me all the way to my locker as I twisted my combination.

"I'll be back," Cyrus announced before heading to his own locker at the end of the hall.

"My bestest friend in the whole wide world!" Adam threw his arm around my shoulders, to which I immediately shoved off.

"I'm still not talking to you." He still owed me a sandwich, and probably owed Ryan a new book.

"Come onnn, you can't stay mad at me forever. Who else will I give this gift card to for your favorite diner ever?"

I looked at him for the first time since we arrived. He was holding up a gift card that had Jimmy's diner sprawled out in the big red text that I knew so well. I did not hesitate to reach for it, but Adam pulled it out of my reach.

"You have to say you forgive me first."

"Fine, I forgive you."

He smiled brightly before tossing the card over to me. "I lied. I can't forgive you until you give Ryan a brand-new copy of the book you indirectly ruined."

"Already done. He used to do my homework when we took chemistry together last year, I think I still owed him for that."

"But now you do your own homework because you recognized the value of educating yourself, right?"

"Psssh, no. Now I have Tucker in my Physics class."

"Alright I'm ready," Cyrus said as he rejoined us by my locker.

That's when I saw Declan coming for us, dressed casually in a dark hoodie. He looked to Cyrus first.

"Hey, coach is looking for you. He said to meet him in the gym."

"Right now?"

"Yeah, unless you want to run an extra mile today."

"You good to walk yourself to class?" He asked me. I nodded in response and he was off to find coach.

"Hey I'm going that way too, wait up!" Adam called after him and started following in his direction.

I shut my locker after gathering all my things and turned to see Declan watching me.

"Hi Dec-"

"Finee, I'll walk you to class. You can stop begging me now."

-----------

It was a nice day out with a sweater, so I decided to do some of my homework outside. This was the last practice before the team's game this Friday. Coach was relentless with them as I watched from the bleachers.

"What the hell have you boys been doing this whole time? We have a game tomorrow, and this is what you have to show for it? Hussle, hussle, hussle!"

I would catch Cyrus sneaking glances over at his water bottle that he left beside me. When coach wasn't looking, I signaled him over and he sprinted over and ducked in between the bleachers so coach wouldn't catch him.

"I don't think I've sweat this much in my life, look at this."

He rubbed his hand across his forehead and stuck it in my face, the gloss of his sweat very much visible.

"Yeah and I bet you're stinky too, get that away from me," I said shoving his hand away.

He was taking big gulps when coach seemed to notice he was missing. "Where in God's name did Rivers go?" He mumbled, looking around the field.

Cyrus huffed, then squeezed some water out of the bottle and all over his face. "Is he looking?" he asked me.

"Nope, you're good," I said back.

He leaped back over the bleachers and ran back onto the field where coach was now yelling, "Where the hell is Rivers?"

"Right here coach," Cyrus said from behind him, and coach did his best to hide his very subtle jump at his sudden voice.

"Right," he said casually, checking something on his clipboard, "Alright, it's time for passing drills. Pick a partner and get started."

The team spread out amongst themselves. They were an even number so each player had no trouble finding a partner. There were two sets of partners that were playing a little close to the bleachers and I suddenly had a flashback of the time that one kid almost sent a ball flying to my head. Then I reminded myself that these boys made the team for a reason and that I should be just fine sitting where I was.

Plus, Declan was one of the boys who was around and facing the bleachers. We made eye contact and he gave me a subtle closed mouth smile, passing the ball back to his partner without even looking at the ball.

I focused on Cyrus instead before he could see my blush from where he stood.

After observing for a bit, I personally thought the team was doing well, but Coach Clarke seemed to always find something to complain about.

"Come on boys I need more enthusiasm from you all. I imagine Ms. Salone sitting on the benches could kick a ball better than any of you can."

I heard someone snort from the field. "Yeah right, she's probably one of those girls that scream when a soccer ball comes near them."

I narrowed my eyes at Duncan from where he was standing, still passing his soccer ball back and forth to his partner Jeremy, who had just chuckled at what his partner said about me. What the fuck did I ever do to them? Assholes.

I stood up from my spot on the benches and came to Adam's side. "Excuse me for a bit?"

He stood aside as Declan humored the situation by passing me the ball. I stopped the gentle pass with my foot and looked towards Duncan again. He wasn't standing too far away from where I was, so what I had planned shouldn't be too hard to accomplish.

I saw Declan with a slight frown in brows, probably trying to figure out what I was doing. He followed my line of sight towards Duncan and his face stilled.

I pulled my foot slightly back, tilting my foot in the right direction as I heard Declan shout, "Yo Duncan!"

I didn't have time to process what he was trying to do either as I put all the force into my kick. The ball lifted off the ground before flying forward, straight towards Duncan who had turned a second too late to realize anything happening.

The ball landed straight and center into his stomach and the sharp bounce off his abdomen told me I had kicked it hard enough to hurt. He doubled over, clutching himself as he let out a pained groan.

Declan was the first to laugh and then it hit me what he just did. If Duncan wouldn't have turned around at the last moment it definitely wouldn't have been as amusing as it just was.

Duncan set himself back up after a moment and I stuck up two middle fingers right at him.

"Coach, what the fuck," he said, holding a hand out in my direction as if silently asking what the hell are you going to about that?

I was prepared to get a detention, to get yelled at, waiting for something to go wrong after what I just pulled against his team captain.

Then he let out a deep chuckle of his own, "Yeah that's what you get for talking back. Don't cuss in front of a lady either."

"Yeah, you dumb bitch," I told Duncan. Getting back up from coach made my confidence boost.

"Coach-"

"Duncan. Now hurry, back to the passing drills before I make you all run a mile. Of course, I didn't mean you Rowena. Would you like a fresh water bottle?"

"I would like a fresh water bottle," Adam said.

Coach's smile faded as he shouted over his shoulder, "I wasn't talking to you Myers, back to drills!"

I didn't even say anything before coach went over to the pack to grab one for me.

The rest of the boys were going back to their positions to practice their passing again. As Declan ran back to his spot, he threw out a fist so I could bump it as he passed.

I thanked coach as he came back with a bottle for me, feeling grateful that things worked in my favor, but also thinking about how embarrassing it would have been if my aim was off.

A/N:

Confession time: I was tempted to skip this weeks update because I've been drowning in school work :/

BUTTTTT, I actually managed to get a few assignments done ahead of time so I had the chance to write (THANK GOD BC I NEEDED THIS)
Writing is my happy place. :)

❤️Thanks for reading favs❤️