A/N sorry if this chapter is rushed but I had no time to write and midterms are coming up.

Unlike the other days during game's, today was sunny with a slight overcast. The school decided to seize the day and have a pep rally to increase school spirit, the first I'd ever been. Cheerleaders, the team, and student body were present during the most important day of my freshmen year.

I sat in the bleachers of the gymnasium, not entirely paying attention to my surroundings as the cheerleaders cartwheeled and skipped to the middle of the shiny wooden floor, hyping up the crowd. Queenie winked at me as she walked by, looking devilishly as ever with her outfit almost entirely in red but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to react to her promiscuous action.

I was worried about Gemma. I hadn't seen her since the night of homecoming, it was as if she dropped off the face of the earth. No texts, no phone calls, and I wasn't brave enough to face her mother. Jane gave me the occasionally update so at least I knew she was alive. It was unlike Gemma to stay hung up on a boy, it wasn't in her nature. Usually she'd stick it out and stay persistent until she absolutely knew there was no chance. It made me wonder just how strong her feelings for Micheal were.

"Luka?"
"Hey De Angelis!"

"Huh?" I turned my head to the side of me, slowly bringing myself out of the fog in my mind.

"Where's your boy?" It took me a moment to realize it was Alex who had called me as he sat down beside me, his burly body taking up the entire space I had reserved for Dakota and Jane, and hopefully Gemma too.

"Coming." I said curtly without making eye contact with him.

"Alright, no need to get defensive." He said with a chuckle. He sat in silence and I could feel his eyes boring into me.

"What?" I asked as I turned to him, finally meeting his gaze.

"I just wanted to ask..." He paused for a moment as he looked down at his feet and I'd never seen him so defenseless before. His features softened and the permanent smug grin on his face disappeared for a moment.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" Dakota asked as he stood in front of us, along with Jane.

"I was just leaving." He said with that same grin, right back where it had always been. He stood up as he patted Dakota on the shoulder before taking his leave.

"What was that about?" Dakota asked as he sat down beside me.

"No idea." I said as I shrugged.

"Gemma couldn't make it?" I asked Jane over the loud jeers from the crowd and music on top of that. Jane only shook her head in response. I sighed unable to understand why Gemma was hiding away from the world. Maybe I was being selfish and insensitive but I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Come over after the game." Dakota said in a whisper as he leaned closer to my ear. I nodded before turning my attention back to the cheerleaders.

As I stared at Queenie from afar, I began to worry why she had been fairly quiet the last few months of the school year. I was right to worry, predators are quiet before they attack and that's what Queenie thought she was, a predator amongst prey. And why had Alex dropped his defensive exterior earlier?

The end of the school year brought out the weird in people.

The pep rally finished earlier than they had planned and part of me was thankful. It was only making me more nervous knowing that if we came back as losers, it was for nothing.

Dakota and I waited with Jane for her ride on the sidewalk of the school parking lot. She was always independent but I would've felt guilty if I had left her waiting alone. It was odd, seeing her by herself. I hadn't noticed how most of the time she was with Gemma.

"You guys don't have to stay, you know." Jane said with a half-grin.

"I don't mind." Dakota said as he sat on the curb.

"Jane! Thank god." Michael said as he jogged towards us, leaning over to catch his breath as if he was looking for her the entire time.

"Gemma won't talk to me." He said with a worrisome face.

"Did you forget that you left her for your boy toy?" Jane snapped, reminding me just how harsh she could be when needed. Dakota and I remained quiet and out of the way of her wrath.

"No, it's not like that."
"Nothing happened between Seth and I. He just needed some.. closure. Trust me, I wouldn't do that to Gemma. I like-" He paused.

"I like... her." His voice was low and soft as he realized what he'd said.

"I know. I just wanted to hear you say it." Jane said before she crossed her arms.

"Wonderful." Dakota said with a smirk.

"Now lets go." Jane said as she began walking across the parking lot.

"What about your ride?"
"I was only waiting for Michael."

We set out on the path to Gemma's and a tingly feeling started in my stomach as we neared her house. I could see it in the distance and soon before I knew it we were walking up the steps towards the front door.

I stood and waited but to my not so surprise Jane walked in without bothering to knock. The familiar decor and furniture reminded of the night I came over, drunk and upset. I shook the images of Gemma and I on her bed from my head. Images I thought I had almost forgotten.

We walked up the white wooden steps to her bedroom and I wondered if she knew we would be coming over.

Jane knocked on the door and walked in, nothing bettering for Gemma to open it. She was sat on her bed, a book in one hand and a wine glass in the other.

"Hey." She said in surprise as she set down her glass on the nightstand beside her bed.

"It's non alcoholic by the way." She said before downing the rest of it.

"Michael has something he wants to say." Jane said as she nudged him.

"Gemma, I'm sorry. Seth and I, we only talked."

"Mhm." Gemma nodded without looking him in the eyes. I stood awkwardly by, unsure why I was even present.

"It's true, what he said. I left without a word after my dad found out about us. I couldn't explain why and rumours were spread, only making it worse. But it's all sorted now, we're done, friends only." He paused.

"And.. I like you, Gemma." He said as he sat down on the edge of her bed. She looked up at him with bright eyes and a coy smile.

"Really?" She asked in disbelief.

"Really." He said, taking her hand in his. Her cheeks turned a rosy pink as she chuckled before tucking a piece of her dark hair behind her ear.

"I'm done." Jane said with a grin and a look of satisfactory before taking her leave.

"Alright, great. Let's go, we have a game to win." Dakota said as he rubbed his hands together.

I sat, staring out the bus window and watched tall green trees whiz by in a blur. It was the last game of the season, and if we won this game, we had won it all. We would go home champions. As much as football was important to my parents, they were unable to make it and I couldn't shake the home sick feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach.

I was nervous having to face Seth on the field again, afraid of having a repeat of the last game but I was determined to win. I had never wanted to win a game so badly before.

"Alright listen up boys!" Coach said amongst the ruckus.

"I want you all to be fierce, I want these guys to shake in their god damn tights the moment they see you on the field, alright?"

"Yes, coach!" The team yelled in unison like minions.

This time around, the Titans were not waiting for us. We walked straight to the change rooms to gear up with heavy hearts full of adrenaline and fear.

"What do you think Seth and Michael talked about?" Dakota asked as I slid on my jersey and the question caught me off guard. He smeared eye black underneath my eyes and did the same for himself.

"We will never know." I said before ruffling his dark hair with a grin.

I could hear the loud chants from the crowd echoing down the corridor and into the change room as we waited for the marching band finish their performance. I felt like I was going to be sick if we had to wait any longer but before I knew it we were given the signal to go.

We jogged down the corridor and out to the field, chanting and jeering, each and every one of us trying to shake the nerves off. I could tell they were nervous, but it was Dakota that surprised me. He was normally calm during games but his face gave away what he was feeling.

"Go kick some ass." Coach yelled after us as we stepped onto the field. We huddled together and for a moment it was complete and utter silence with nothing but worrisome, anxious stares exchanged.

"This is our last chance boys." Dakota said, breaking the silence that seemed to last forever as we stared at each other.

"Lets make it count." He said before placing a hand in the middle of the huddle. I put my on top of his as the rest of the team piled their hands on.

"Warriors!"

It was half way through the game and the Titans were putting up one hell of a fight, with each point scored, they were right behind. Dakota was in position, waiting for the ball to snap as Michael stood near, ready to kickoff. Each time lined up in their prospective positions.

The ball snapped and I watched from the sidelines on the edge of the bench as it tumbled on the grass and into Dakota's hands. He held it upright as Michael ran towards it, lifting his foot in air to kick but it was a fake play and Dakota sprung up and sprinted towards the end zone with the ball tucked tightly under his arm, avoiding the tackles as each player lunged towards him, missing him by a hair.

My eyes widened in both fear and adrenaline as his sprinting feet crossed over the white painted end line. I instantly shot up off the bench and jogged on the field towards Dakota. The team shouted out in unison as they crowded Dakota, unable to contain their excitement. I pushed my way through to the centre of the crowd, getting closer to him until finally he reached out towards my hand and pulled me out of the sea of sweaty players

"We did it." He said as he smirked and for a moment time had stood still as his smirk turned into a radiant smile. My surroundings blurred as a glare in his eyes from the stadium lights made them stand out as he stared deep into my own. I could see the cold air of his warm breath with each exhale and the red rosy tint in his cheeks. I took off my helmet, undoing my chin strap and revealing my sweat soaked hair. Dakota did the same, dropping it to the ground before cupping each side of my face and roughly pulling me towards him. He pressed his burning hot lips on mine as I wrapped my arms around him. It was fleeting, like a shooting star, one moment it was there and then it was gone but never the less, beautiful.

We really did win.

A/N Vote, comment and tell me what you think!