Rowan Albright, a junior soccer player at Ohio State University. She had it all sophomore year. A starting position on the team, a football player boyfriend, and four best friends she couldn't think she could live without.
That all changes when she...
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I double knot my laces and lean against the cool metal of my locker. Rap music plays through my headphones as I try to calm myself down. My adrenaline is at an all time high, as it usually is before any game. This game just happens to be the first one with all the students back. I know that Olivia and Luca will be here, which helps a lot. But that isn't what is making me anxious. I have played games in front of them thousands of times and in front of fans hundreds of times. My problem is the people who I am afraid are going to show up. Jax and Easton have been oddly quiet the rest of the week. After seeing Easton twice in two days and that weird encounter during our class, I have been nervous. I honestly am just waiting to see them again.
Although, Easton hasn't talked or bothered me since the first day of our lecture. He has left me alone and left the seat beside me empty. Maybe he really will leave me alone for good this time. I really doubt that.
Something just keeps nagging at me that I'm missing something.
How could I have missed something? The facts were right there in front of my face and suddenly things changed? There's no way.
I tap my phone that is sitting beside me to look at the time. The girls on my team are starting to stand up and Jordan is waving a hand in front of my face. I pull out my headphones.
"Sorry," I mutter an apology to her. She gives me a thumbs up before turning around. Her ponytail swinging along with her. Jordan and I never talk to each other before a game. It is like some unspoken ritual we have with each other. We don't talk to anyone unless we have to or say something to each other unless it's one word. Weird but it works for us.
I put my headphones in their case and toss them in the side pocket of my gym bag with my phone. Our uniforms tonight are gray with black and red lettering. They aren't my favorite jerseys but they are definitely up there. Coach loves these ones, hence why we are wearing them for the game.
I tighten my ponytail before heading to the huddle. Our assistant coach stands beside Coach Carla, both holding clipboards. We are unaware of where exactly everyone is playing tonight. She tends to switch up the midfielders, meaning left and right, so me.
"Alright girls, Purdue is one hell of a challenge and number eight on their team is fast. She is left footed meaning I want Rowan on left wing and Jordan left striker. The two of you are the fastest on the team so if eight gets past Rowan, Jordan you are up. Make sure the two of you communicate in the game. I know you two don't communicate before games but during the game you must," Coach Carla looks directly at Jordan and I.
We both glance at each other with a nod. I look back at Coach who continues giving us our game plan and where everyone is going to go.
"Alright let's kick some ass and warm up," Coach says. Our two captains put their hands in the middle as we do our pregame chant. A rush courses through me at the thought of it almost being game time. Whenever Coach is done and we do our chant it brings an energy out of all of us, it gets us hype.
