Adam Finstock

Co-Captian

The light rain had started halfway through the game leaving dark locks of hair stuck to Adam's forehead. The first game he was truly back and it felt like it had before. Adrenaline pumping high in his veins, numbing him to the brutal impacts. Adam sent the winning goal down the field roughly leaving the goalie no time to stop it. Adam heard the whistles blow and he was yanked off his feet by his cheering team.
"Time out!" Adam shouted through his laugh as the guys carried him past where Erica was standing. They had dropped him to his feet before continuing their calibration towards the locker room.
"You did amazing!" Eric cheered once the area had been cleared.
"Thank you." He said leaning down to kiss her.
"You want my keys? I gotta shower real quick and I'll be out. I don't want you waiting in the rain." He asked her tilting his head. Eric opened her mouth to answer before pausing. Adam frowned his brows in concern as Erica's eye started to roll back.
"Erica!" Adam shouted catching the falling girl.
"Dad! Call 911!" He yelled as he gently rolled her over to her side. Her jerking movement sent anxiety through him as he tried to keep her from hurting herself.

It didn't take long for the ambulance to arrive. She had stopped seizing before they got there but was still unconscious when they loaded her in.
"Go, I'll go and find her parent's number." Bobby told his son before jogging back towards the school. Adam wasted taking a seat.

The adrenaline and panic had worn off and Adam could feel the dried sweat on his skin. He had taken his padding off but was still stuck in his uniform. Erica's parents arrived at the hospital the same time they did and her mom yanked Adam into a tight hug.
"She's awake and fine. You can go in." A nurse told them. Erica looked sad and embarrassed as the three people she cared about the most walked into the room. Adam rushed over to her and pulled her into a soft hug.
"I'm sorry I smell." He mumbled softly into her ear. Erica just shook her head and hugged him a little tighter. Adam felt little shakes in Erica's body and pulled back as fast as he could. The fear of her having another seizure calmed and his heart broke when he noticed the tears running down her face. Seeing this her parents excused themselves.
"What is it?" Adam asked her kneeling to the floor next to her bed.
"I'm sorry." She told him, her cries turning into sobs.
"There is nothing to be sorry for. I should be sorry, the doctor said the rain and you being tired is probably what caused it to happen. I love that you came to watch me play but if it's going to be dangerous for you..." Adam said trailing off.
"Can you come up here?" Erica asked him as she moved over in the bed.
"I'm sweaty and covered in mud." He told her shaking his head. Erica nodded looking down at her hands.
"Tell you what. If your parents are okay with it. I'll run home and shower then I'll come stay with you tonight." He told her locking his fingers in hers. Erica seemed to perk up a bit at that. Adam smiled and stood leaning over and kissing her.
"Then I'm gonna head home, let me know the verdict." He told her kissing her one more time before leaving the room.

It was possible Adam drove a little faster than he should have on the way home. Just as he turned the car off his phone started ringing next to him.
"Hello." He answered it.
"They said okay, but only if we keep the door open." Erica told him.
"I promise." Adam told her laughing slightly. The sound of rustling filled the speaker.
"You headed home?" He asked her walking inside.
"Yeah, I'm changing so we can go." She answered him.
"How is she?" Bobby asked once Adam had shut the front door.
"Erica I gotta go, I'll see you soon." He told her.
"Okay, I love you." She said, the smile heavy in her voice.
"Love you too." Adam said before hanging up.
"She's better, on her way home. I came back to shower but I'm going to stay with her tonight." Adam told him jogging lightly up the stairs to his room.
"Condoms!" Bobby shouted up the stairs after him. Adam paused and turned to look at his dad.
"Really? She just got out of the hospital." He told him.
"I know, I just think it's funny now. Have fun." He told him walking away. Adam opened his mouth to say something before finding it a better idea to just walk away.

After showering and dressing in sweats Adam drove to Erica's. Just as he was getting out of the car a pizza man pulled in behind him.
"Reyes?" He asked getting out of the car.
"Yes." Adam told him taking the boxes from his hands.
"Have a good day." He told him before driving off. Adam mumbled 'you too' to himself walking to the front door. He didn't have time to knock before she opened the door and dragged him inside. Erica pulled a box out of his hands leaving him with the other and handing it to her parents.
"Thank you!" She shouted to them pulling Adam down the hall.
"What's happening?" He laughed out at all the sudden movements.
"Dinner." She told him hopping on her bed and patting the spot next to her. Adam stood for a moment smiling at her before kicking off his shoes and climbing in next to her.

The movie and pizza were interrupted by Adam's phone.
"Sorry, Lydia is probably worried." Adam told her answering the phone.
"Hey, what's up?" He asked shifting slightly so he could wrap his arm around Erica.
"How is Erica, how are you?" She asked.
"We're both fine. Just watching a movie." He told her.
"Okay, I'll see you soon. Cover up!" Lydia shouted hanging up the phone.
"I swear everyone thinks I'm going to sleep with you tonight." Adam said shaking his head and dropping the phone on the bed. Erica sent Adam a suggestive look which made him laugh.
"No. You just got out of the hospital, I can't do it. I'd be too worried the whole time." He told her kissing her head.
"Fine." She said sighing dramatically before laughing and pulling him down flat on the bed.
"Then let's sleep, it's late." She told him as she got up taking the pizza box to the kitchen. Adam pulled the blanket over him and pulled Erica into his chest when she returned.

After what Adam would call a perfect night he was now being drug through the woods by Lydia and Allison.
"You know how I said I was staying out of the woods now, why am I here?" Adam asked as Lydia braced herself against him.
"Allison, when you said we were gonna stop for an errand before we went shopping... five-mile hike in the woods was not what I was expecting." Lydia told her.
"Before I forget, I wanted to ask if you're okay with something. Jackson asked me to the winter formal." Allison said.
"Did he?" She asked looking up at Adam.
"Yeah. Just as friends. But I just wanted to make sure you're okay with it first." She said. Adam raised a brow at her snarky tone.
"Sure. As long as it's just friends." Lydia told her.
"Well, yeah, I mean... ha. It's not like I would take him to the coach's office during lacrosse practice to make out with him or anything." Allison told her. Adam groaned and looked down at Lydia only to see her guilty face.
"Look, what she did isn't right in any way but in her defense at least she wasn't shamelessly flirting with him while you were still dating, like, I don't know... allowing him to basically like food off her lip in the middle of the cafeteria, or play wrestling in the school pool." Adam told her. Allison looked over at Lydia to see her hurt expression and dropped her attitude.
"So why don't you both move on? Neither of you are innocent here." Adam told them. The girls nodded and continued walking.

After walking a little further into the woods Allison stopped and pulled out a bow and a tipless arrow. She crouched down and began screwing on a bulb-like end.
"What does that do?" Lydia asked her.
"We're about to find out." Allison told her standing up and notching the arrow. She released it into a tree causing Adam to wince and turn away from the bright light it produced. Lydia reached up checking Adam's face before turning to Allison again.
"What the hell is that?" She asked her.
"I don't know." Allison told her.
"Well... that was fun! Any more lethal weapons you wanna try out?" Lydia asked her. A twig snapping in the trees pulled their attention past where the arrow was embedded in the tree.
"Hold this." Allison said handing the bow to Lydia.
"W-what? Why?" She asks her.
"Because I thought I heard something." Allison told her.
"So... what if you heard something?" Lydia asked her.
"So I wanna find out what that something is. Don't worry. It's probably nothing." She said.
"I swear I've seen a movie like this. What's your favorite flower?" Adam asked her sarcastically.
"What if that nothing is something and that something is something dangerous?" Lydia asked ignoring Adam's remark.
"Shoot it." Allison told her.
"I would go with her but she is kinda pissing me off." Adam said taking the bow from Lydia.
"She's still mad I kissed Scott." Lydia defended her.
"Why did you kiss Scott?" Adam asked her.
"I don't know. I don't remember." Lydia told him.
"You're awful." Adam told her laughing a bit. Allison chose that moment to come back towards them.
"Can we go shopping now?" Lydia asked her. After getting confirmation Lydia was pulling them through the trees back to the car.
"I actually have somewhere I need to be, you two have fun." Allison told them. After Adam dropped her off at Scott's house he drove an exited Lydia to the mall where they spent the rest of the day.

(This chapter got a bit long. Thank you for reading!)