Tainted Souls [ #wattys2015 ]

: four

My breath, harsh and dry, snapped against my lungs as I jogged to the soccer field. All the boys were sweaty, hunched over and breathing as heavily as me.

Slowly, the adrenaline evaporated from my limbs, yet a small ache remains, and I couldn't but help but feel the disappointment seep throughout my skin.

Slowing my pace to a walk, I crossed the field.

Coach Benson - a tall, burly man with broad shoulders and eyes so sharp they were on par with scalpels - collected all of the team into a circle, folding his arms over his chest and saying something I couldn't yet hear.

None of them smiled as he spoke, though I doubted that his words weren't encouraging.

A few steps more, and his rough baritone voice was clearer, louder, firmer.

"So make sure you don't do anything stupid this weekend," he said, ignoring me as I joined them. "We have a game on Tuesday night and I can't afford for any of you to have sprained ankles or broke bones."

"Yes, coach," the team collectively said, voices like monotones, yet the respect that they hold for the man was easily noted simply by they way they stared at him in awe.

"Now get going," he replied, brushing them off and turning away, walking off the grass.

Sebastian found me quickly, and slung an arm over my shoulders. I pushed him away, shoving his body forcefully as I grimace. "Can you not? You're all sweaty and I'm clean. I don't want to drown in your sweat. And you smell, too."

He whistled cooly, sound high and sweet as it passed his lips. "Shots fired."

"What are you? Twelve?" I rolled my eyes, following him to the bleachers. The team walked with us, surrounding us in no real order.

Sebastian smiled, nudging me in the ribs. Not enough to hurt, but enough for me to feign a grimace.

Sebastian stepped up the first step of the bleachers, eyeing me as he leant down. "Eighteen, Parker, but we all know I have the brain of Einstein." He reached for his black tartan sports bag, lifting it with ease. Grabbing a bottle of Powerade from his bag, he sighed loudly, feigning exhaustion, despite the fact that an hour of soccer training had probably made him him so. "It's so hard being a genius."

I watched him down almost half the bottle, but shook my head and scoffed at him. "You're literally only eighteen and all you do is play soccer, Sebastian. Please, chill." I raised a hand up, emphasising my point.

He chuckled, smirking, as drank more, until there was barely enough liquid in the bottle for a sip, but, knowing Sebastain, he was probably stocked up with the stuff.

"You're so disappointing sometimes, Parker, really." He reached down to put the bottle in the bag, but lifted it and slung it over his shoulders, groaning a little as he did.

"I'd say sorry," I mutter, "but you're probably sick of my lies by now."

Sebastian whacks me on the arm sharply, making me wince, yet I can't help but laugh at him and his stuffy demeanour. It's so not Sebastain, but he keeps the brooding look up well.

"Anyways, are you coming to this party tonight?" he asks, and my reply (no, thank you) is already on my lips, but I don't have any chance to reply, because he was continuing.

"Your boy, Seokjin, is going to be there, too."

And I'd be lying if I said that hearing that didn't stop my heart-because it does, yet so much more. It makes my breath halt, my limbs freeze, and it makes me panic, because Sebastian knows.

He knows that I've been staring, looking at you, and he knows the reason why I've been going up to the roof all week. Even if he doesn't say it, his eyes do.

He knows that I care.

Yet my true worry is if he knows why I care, because if he knows that, then I am doomed, well and truly.

My mouth parts, half to reply, half because I'm in such a need for breath that I don't understand why I'm not on all fours, crawling for air.

"He's not my boy," I force out harshly, not viciously, but the way my voice strains over the words indicates my discomfort instantly. "Despite, I still don't want to go."

Sebastian's face looks almost crestfallen as he reaches for his car keys. "Okay, then."