youngblood | a.i.

thirty three || today's memories, tomorrow's regrets

Tuesday, October 20th- 5:24 p.m.

When I said I said today's memories are tomorrow's regrets, I meant it.

I've had so many occasions where I made stupid decisions one day, knowing I would regret them the next, but at least I had fun in the moment.

But today, I wasn't sure yet if I was going to regret it or not. But I had a feeling I would.

After we had stretched out and Coach had pumped up the team before our game, we stood on the sidelines with just a few minutes left until the refs called go.

I sat on the bench, talking to some of the other players as I watched the starters file onto the field. We were talking about the stats of the other team, and who was rated higher in the state when I saw number 15 run off to the side.

His back was to us as he talked to both of the refs, and I watched closely, trying to figure out what he was doing. Both the refs nodded, flagging up to the announcer's booth as Ashton turned to run back towards the bench I was on.

He smiled when he saw me watching him, flagging me to get up. I looked over to Coach, who just smiled at me before Ashton got to me. Ash wrapped my hands in his, pulling me up off the bench.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused. I tried to plant my feet so he wouldn't be able to pull me since I didn't know why he was trying to get me off the bench.

"You'll be okay," he whispered as he pulled me farther, starting to run with me across the field. I followed behind him, connected through our hand as he pulled me to the goal box. He stopped at the penalty kick line, lining me up with it as he smiled.

He stepped back into the goal box, ushering Andrew out of the goal as he stood in it. He looked around the back of the goal, finally finding what he was looking for.

I watched him as he dug out a ball from the back corner, juggling it out so he was standing in goalie position.

He looked up to the announcer's booth, nodding to them before looking back to me.

"Alrighty Eastside!" the announcer's voice filled the stadium. "Thank you all for coming out to support our Eagles, and in case some of you haven't noticed yet, this is the first year we have a girl playing alongside our guys in a very long time."

I looked back over to Ashton, my expression filling with embarrassment as all the attention in the stadium turned to me. He nodded to me, assuring to me that I was okay.

I shook my head as he dribbled the ball again, watching as he kicked it out to me. I stopped it with my foot, looking down at it. It had silver paint across it, the words reading-

It's my GOAL to go to homecoming with you.

I looked back up to Ashton, shaking my head with an amused smile as the announcer continued.

"Anastasia Hemmings is number 16, currently standing on the penalty kick line, and standing in goal is team captain and star forward, number 15, Ashton Irwin," the announcer explained as Ashton and I both waved to the whole stadium staring at us.

I had a feeling I knew where this was going, and I hated it more than I could explain. I hated all the attention being on me, but Ashton found it quite funny as he watched me from the goal line.

"Ashton asked me to do a favor for him at the start of the game, even getting it passed by the refs and the other team beforehand," he continued, the stadium full of whispers around us. "That ball you just watched him kick to her says "It's my goal to go to homecoming with you" and if he stops the goal she kicks in, she has to go with him."

I felt the inevitable smile pull on my face as I looked back up to Ashton, shaking my head as the stadium erupted in cheers.

"And if you're not aware, he's not a goalie. He is our star forward here for Eastside, and if any of you were here to support our Eagles at their first game, Ms. Annie Hemmings scored the winning goal, so she has quite the chance to get it past him," the announcer continued. "So Annie, I wish you luck. Take your shot."

I rolled my eyes as I pulled the ball back to the penalty kick line, looking up to Ashton as he stood in goal. I couldn't help but laugh at the fact he had set this all up just to ask me to a dance I would have said yes to anyway.

I stepped back as I heard my team behind me start chanting my name. "Annie, Annie, Annie!"

The other team joined in, eventually getting the rest of the stadium in on it. Ashton dropped his head as they were supporting me and not him, but he started laughing along with me.

He looked back up, nodding to me to tell me he was ready. I stepped back farther, setting up my shot as I looked up to him. We both stood smiling as he waited for me to shoot, and I couldn't help but hope I would make it just for the cometic effect and my competitiveness.

I looked back to the ball, feeling how the stadium vibrated with my name. I calculated my every movement, making sure to set myself up perfectly.

The stadium went quiet when my foot connected with the ball, and we all watched in silence as Ashton jumped for it.

I'd set it up the same way I had to Andrew a month earlier. I sent it to the corner he didn't favor, knowing he wouldn't expect it.

And he didn't expect.

We watched as it sunk in the top corner, Ashton bracing off the goal post to stop from running into it from how he'd jumped. The stadium filled with cheers, making me laugh as Ashton fake pouted in the goal.

"Uh oh, Irwin. I can't help you now," the announcer spoke, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You didn't tell me what to do if that happened."

Ashton retrieved my painted ball from the back of the net, juggling it out to me. I stopped it as he got close to me, smiling as he continued to pout.

"You'll still go with me, right?" Ashton asked as I looked up from the ball between us.

"No," I smiled back, watching his face dropped momentarily.

"You're kidding me, right?" he quickly asked back, genuine concern in his voice.

"Yes, I'm kidding. I'll go with you," I nodded to him, watching as his smile pulled across his face. He wrapped me into a hug, kissing my head as he rocked me back and forth.

"Did she say yes?" Coach yelled from the sidelines, the whole stadium quiet after I had messed up the plan by making it.

"Yes! I said yes!" I called back, pulling out of Ashton's arms.

"She said yes!" the announcer called through the stadium, everyone erupting in cheers as Ashton's plan worked.

I moved to get the ball, juggling it back to the sidelines as the rest of the team set up for the start of the game. With everything having worked out, the refs set up the game ball for kick-off.

I sat back on the bench as I reached it, picking up the painted ball as the ref blew the whistle for start.

The words had been painted on with silver paint and sprayed over with a clear sealant to hold it on. It made me laugh to myself as I ran my finger over it, realizing how much work he truly had put into this.

He'd convinced the announcer to get in on it, Coach, the refs, our team, and even the other team all to be involved or okay with this.

"You were gonna say yes no matter what, huh?" Coach asked from beside me as he watched our team do what they did best.

I looked up to him, my eyes flicking over to Ashton as he stood waiting for the boys to get the ball up to him.

I would have said yes even if he had asked me over ice cream yesterday. I would have said yes had he just asked me over text, but he set up this whole thing, all for me.

"I said no at first. Did you see the look on his face?" I laughed, looking up to Coach as he cracked a smile too. "But yeah. I was going to say yes no matter what," I whispered, nodding a bit as I looked up to him.

And there was a pit in my stomach that was telling me I would regret it.