Captains

Chapter 7

"What the hell?" Brennan is shouting.

"Dude. Shut up." Mason looks at his brother.

"What's wrong with you, Brennan?" I ask. I am freaking out, and to not helping my headache.

Brennan looks at me. "Why the hell did you not tell me you had a boyfriend?"

"Whoa, bro," I say. "Rider is definitely not my boyfriend. We're friends, forcibly, I might add. We have to spend every Saturday together, because I tutor him. Calm down." I roll my eyes.

Rider looks relieved, but still uncomfortable. "I'll leave you guys to it." He waves at me, grabs his keys, and leaves.

Brennan is definitely intimidating, seeing as he is an offensive linemen, but Mason is just more intimidating. Mason is a senior at Florida, at 22, and is also a football player, although he's on defense. For lack of better terms, Brennan protects the quarterback, and Mason hits the quarterback. Their rivalry is so beyond comical.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I ask, trying to ease some of the tension.

"They should be here any minute."

"Great." I say, my voice dripping in sarcasm. "You guys know you didn't have to drive the two hours to get here, right? It was just a car accident."

"It was not just some car accident, Sterling. You have lots of injuries-" Mason starts.

"Minor injuries." I interrupt.

"-and you somehow managed to get a huge bruise on your clavicle." Mason always likes to bring up big medical words when he can. Stupid medical school.

"Did Rider not tell you how I got that?"

"No. What the hell?"

"He bruised it when he out his arm across my chest to protect me when we started getting out of control."

"Oh shit." Mason all of a sudden looks really guilty.

"What the hell did you do Mason?" I stand up and get in his face.

"I may have yelled at him, saying he shouldn't haven't let anything happen, and that bruise was there because he was a piece of shit." Mason can't look me in the eyes.

"Oh my God, Mason! You yelled at him for protecting me! No wonder no guy ever comes around. You can't just yell at someone every time something happens to me. Get over it." I storm into the kitchen.

I hear footsteps behind me. "Give me your phone." Brennan says.

"Umm. Hell no. You guys have done enough. Thank you though." I can't make that statement more sarcastic.

"Shut up and give me your phone. Mason is going to call Rider and apologize."

I roll my eyes and chuck my phone at him. "It breaks. You die."

"Got it." Brennan salutes me, then walks out.

A few minutes later, Brennan walks in with my phone. "He wants to talk to you." He throws the phone at me, and walks out.

I put the phone up to my ear. "Buddy the Elf what's your favorite color?" I say, with a huge grin on my face.

"What the hell?" I hear the confusion in Rider's voice. "Umm. I don't have a favorite color. What's yours?"

"Blue. Like the Caribbean Sea. You must have a favorite color!"

"How about I say blue. Like the color of my jersey?" he starts laughing.

"You suck, Rider Calloway!" I scream, but I'm laughing anyway. "Anyway, what did you want?"

"I wanted to go ahead and set up our plans for next weekend." Since I know we'll have an anatomy test next Tuesday, I think we should spend Sunday just on that, seeing as we'll both need to study."

I walk over to my calendar that is filled with photographs of Paris, proudly hanging over my white desk. I look at the date for next Sunday. September 21st. I stand in silence.

"Sterling, are you there?" Rider asks, concern laced in his voice.

"Shit," I mutter. "Sorry Rider, next Sunday, I'll be busy."

"All day?"

"All day. Sorry."

"Sterling, if you don't want to hang out, that's fine, just don't lie, okay?"

"I just can't Rider, I have something that day." I hang up. I didn't realize how close September 21st was.

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Monday morning, I wake up, and do my game day routine. I set aside my uniform, including my knee pads and shoes. I walk into my en suite, pulling the braid out of my hair that I did the night before, making it fall in waves down my back. Once I'm done getting ready, I get everything I'll need for my game. My uniform, charger, headphones, and 2 bottles of lemon-lime Gatorade.

I pass through my classes without anything happening, and then my team loads the bus for out away game, which is about a 45 minute ride from our school. I plug in my headphones, and get into game-zone.

Right before we get to the other school, Coach Leeson gave us her signature pep talk, which mostly said "win or we sprint forever," which is fine. I plan to win.

I play back row, and I serve first, since we won the captains toss. When the referee tosses the ball to me, I go behind the line, and close my eyes. I take a deep breath, and the referee blows the whistle. Right before I open my eyes, I hear a huge cheer, but can pinpoint Brooklyn and Cali's voices, and I smile. Here we go.

****************************

Brooklyn and Cali take me home, but not after a celebration dinner. Needless to say, we kicked ass. We stop at Zaxby's, which is my very favorite restaurant. When we're done eating, Brooklyn buys me a birthday cake batter milkshake, the best thing in the entire world.

When they drop me off at my house, I talk to my parents about my game, then head up to my room. I take a shower, and then braid my hair down my back. As I'm finishing up my homework around 9:30, I get a FaceTime call, from no one other than Rider Calloway. I hit the answer button. When his face pops up, I roll my eyes and give him my best irritated look.

"What can I do for you Rider?" I ask.

"Are you sure want to ask me that question?" Rider smirks, and raises his eyebrows suggestively. I know that this going to continue, so I plug my headphones into my phone and continue the conversation.

"Rider, get your mind out of the gutter. Just say what you need to say."

"Well, number one. congratulations on the win. Number two. We seriously need to something this week because we have a test in calculus in Friday."

"Alright. Number one. How did you know we won? And number two. Holy shit! I completely forgot."

"Again, number one. I have my ways," he smirks, "and number two, me too. We need to do something this week. I can't fail this."

I try to think. Then I meet his eyes again. "How about Wednesday night. I only have practice until 4:30, and your practice had to be out by 5:30 because it's Wednesday."

His face lights up. "Perfect! Now. Your place or mine?" He raises his eyebrows again.

I roll my eyes. "Shut the hell up." I say, and hang up.