On Your Level ~mlm~

~ Chapter 2 ~

After saying my final goodbyes to the team I sling my bag over my shoulder and push my way out of the locker rooms. I walk back across the field, watching the grass squish beneath my feet as I make my way to the main road. I look up when I notice the ground has changed from luscious green grass to dull concrete.

The wind blows through my hair, making a shiver go up my back, and I can feel the rush of the cars as they drive past me. The moon is up and the sky is completely dark now, the only light is coming from the orange street lamps that line the road. I pull out my phone and earbuds from my bag, plugging in the cord and pressing shuffle on my playlist. I shove my phone back into my pocket and secure the earbuds in my ears.

I allow the loud music to accompany me as I continue along the street. Tonight's game was the semifinals, and although I'm glad we won, I should have been the one to score the winning goal.

Raven Sparks and I have known each other since he transferred to my highschool school. We weren't enemies, but we also weren't friends. We were like those acquaintances where you have almost all of your classes together, so when you pass each other in the halls you give a small smile because you don't want to seem rude. The only thing I knew about him was that he failed sixth grade English because my nosy-ass was sitting in the seat behind him. So yeah, we weren't friends.

The first time I saw him outside of school hours was a Wednesday, and it was tryouts, almost three years after I first met him. The first thing that I really learnt about him was that he was good at soccer, after that it was that he was a fuck boy. At every party, he could be seen with a different girl - sometimes more than one - and he would come back with hickeys (if he came back at all). He was just your classic high school cliché jock, asshole, douchebag.

So it was a surprise to both me and everyone else when I got voted as captain instead of him. It was probably more of a surprise to him. Considering the fact that when the team was told the news, he stood up very dramatically, walked out the door and slammed it behind him. It was fantastic.

However, I think the worst part is that I had noticed his face straight away and I hadn't wanted the position in the first place. I was sure my brother had put the coach up to it and I froze. If he had waited a few seconds, he would have heard me tell the coach I wanted to give him the captaincy instead.

The coach didn't agree and I was forced to keep the position. I tried to talk to Raven the day after at school. Instead of hearing me out, he opened his locker and hit me in the face with the door, before taking his books out and slamming the locker closed. He then shot me the dirtiest glare I had ever seen and walked away, that was the moment I decided that not only were we now rivals, but I was definitely keeping my role.

I had made it to the bus stop about five minutes ago and was now just sitting and waiting for the bus to actually arrive. I pull out my phone and decide to scroll through Instagram, when a picture that Dane posted of the team earlier today came up and I paused. I liked the photo and went to scroll away when I got the notification that someone had commented on a post I was tagged in. Turns out the post was the same one of the team that I had just seen and the commenter was '@theravensparks69'. Of course his fucking username has 69 in it and 'the', it sounds so pretentious as if he is the only important Raven Sparks, what if I put "@thecaptainofnorthridge", see it has the same asshole-ish ring to it.

I see the bus beginning to round the corner, so I shove my phone back in my pocket and walk towards the road. The doors open and I nod lightly at the bus driver as I tap my bus card and sit in the seat closest to the front.

The drive to my house isn't long, so it only takes three and a half songs to get there. Thanking the driver and tapping my bus card once more, I head off the bus and walk to my house. The bus stop is just around the corner from my house, so it takes me little to no time to make my way up the driveway and into my house. Sighing, I look up at the clock in the kitchen, it's 7:00, training finished at 5:45 and I left at 6, the damn bus was late again. I hurry to the laundry room and open the washing machine. I take my clothes out of my bag and shove them inside along with a hamper full of other clothes. After starting the washing machine, I pick up my bag and head up to my room. Once I'm inside, I leave my bag behind the door as I practically run to the kitchen to do the dishes. Now you may be wondering, why am I so excited about doing chores? Short answer is - I'm not, but my brother will be home in ten minutes and they have to be done before then. That's our deal.

My parents aren't around anymore. I wish I could say it was because they were dead, but that wasn't the case. They're assholes that would prefer to take spontaneous road trips, hug trees, and do weed all day - major hippies is what others would call them. They cared more about their "spiritual waves" than their own kids and just up and left for "self discovery" when I was fifteen. Luckily, Lyon was 18 at the time, so he was able to take legal ownership of me and the house. Since then, it has been my job to take care of the house while Lyon works day-in and day-out to cover the cost of living. I have offered to get a job to help out multiple times, but Lyon always refuses, claiming I should be focusing on my education and soccer first.

You see, Lyon was the star striker of his soccer team when he was a senior, and he expects me to take over the title. I guess in a way, I kind of have. I'm the captain and a striker, and it's not like I'm not popular because that will happen when you become captain. I just prefer not to keep anyone too close, I prefer solitude - though that's not to say that I don't have any friends, because I do, but I only really keep one of them around.

Scarlett has been my best friend since year eight. Lyon actually introduced us because, funnily enough, they used to date when Lyon was a senior. A year eight and a senior, I know it's controversial and I'm not saying I agree with it, but I don't regret it. Without my brother's stupid taste in younger women, I never would have met her. The two ended up breaking up when Lyon graduated, but she still came over almost every afternoon, just for a different, better reason this time.

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