Reggie Mantle X Reader

Chapter 3: Dealing

A week later, Reggie and I still hadn't met up to train, and Coach Mendez approached me during lunch break. 

"Miss Y/L/N, I know you and Mr. Mantle haven't been training, so you're off the team." 

"WHAT?! BUT COACH MENDEZ-" my voice screeched up a whole octave. 

"No exceptions. Get your act together young lady. If you start training with our captain like we discussed, maybe in a month we can let you back on. Don't speak to me about gettin' you back on the team before then. Have a nice lunch break." And with that he walked off. 

Tears pricked at my eyes like glass, and my fists were curled so tightly together that there were marks left where my fingernails dug in. 

I rushed into the nearest empty classroom, shut the door, and screamed. Tears flowed angrily down my face as I punched the walls until my knuckles were raw and bloody. 

When my anger finally subsided, sadness replaced it. I slid down the wall, letting my body shake with my quiet sobs. My fists hurt pretty bad, too. 

I was attempting to wipe the blood off my knuckles when I heard someone awkwardly ask, "Is this a bad time or..." 

I lifted my head up slowly to see Reggie with a handful of Jingle-jangle and an expression clearly showing he had no idea what to do. 

I eyed the drugs and held my hand out to him for some. He slowly inched closer and sat down next to me before saying, "You know, you should really get those knuckles cleaned up." 

"Give me the drugs." I glared.   

Reggie pursed his lips, then said, "It's not Jingle-jangle by the way. You shouldn't take it if you've never had any, well you know, before. It's some serious stuff."  

I sucked in my cheeks and gave him a look until he reluctantly handed me a stick while saying, "Stay here. I'll get you something for that hand." 

He stood up and walked out the door, closing it behind him. I blew out a puff of air and tried to open the packet, but it wouldn't budge. 

"ARGH!" I yelled in defeat just as Reggie walked back through the door. He looked outside carefully before shutting it again. He sat back down next to me and took my bleeding hand in both of his. 

"This might hurt," Reggie said as he tore the cleaning alcohol packet open. He looked at me and I nodded to tell him that I was ready, and he lightly brushed the cloth along my injury. 

"AH!" I grimaced as the pain ripped its way into my hand. 

"Sorry," He said. He got a roll of bandage wrap and wrapped it over my knuckles. 

Once he finished, I handed him the packet of not Jingle-jangle since I couldn't open it myself.  

He gave me a look but opened it anyways. I half grimaced half smiled while saying, "Thanks, Reggie." He nodded in response.  I shook the drugs down my throat and sighed.  

We sat in silence for a moment, but then he finally asked me, "So what happened anyway?" 

"You know how you were supposed to train me?" 

He seemed to catch on. "Oh. Dude, that sucks. If Coach Mendez kicked me off the football team, that'd be the end of it for me."  

He looked at me sideways and bumped my shoulder. "Just let me train you, little miss feisty. You'll be back on the team in no time." 

Reggie gave me another side smile, and I broke again. 

"What am I supposed to do until then? Running is my life. It's the only thing I care about" I sobbed. 

"Hey," he spoke softly. "I know it is, but you're gonna get it back. We'll work it out." 

I eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you being so nice to me?" 

He looked me straight in the eye and spoke with the most deadpan tone when he said, "Cause I want you. Emotionally..." he trailed of then looked me up and down "and physically." 

In that moment, I forgot how to breathe. I became all too aware of how close we were; his arm around my shoulders, his face mere inches from my own. I couldn't focus. I tried looking at a different part of him, but he was perfect literally everywhere. 

My vision felt shaky and the fuzz between reality and imaginary was paper thin at this point. How can someone be this perfect? I thought to myself. 

"You think I'm perfect?" Reggie smirked and brought himself closer to me. 

Whoops. Did I say that out loud? 

"Sure did." Reggie was smiling and leaned in closer to me, gazing down at my lips. Then the bell rang. 

I snapped out of his love spell, abruptly standing up, only to find the floor moving beneath my feet. I stumbled but Reggie was there to steady me. 

"I'm fine," I muttered, shaking his hand off. I opened the door and began walking to class.  

I got to the middle of the hallway when I started feeling dizzy. People were rushing, pushing, and shoving past me to get to their next period. 

I put my hand to my head and started blinking excessively hard. The room was spinning. Where am I? I didn't know anymore. Everything was just going by in a blur. It was me against this strange world. I needed to sit. Yes, that's what I needed. 

I crouched down into a ball in the middle of the chaos I was centered around. Next thing I knew, someone was trying to haul me up. 

"Nooo," I hiccuped. "It's all spinningggg."  

Then there was a voice. "I told you that Maple Syrup was strong, but you just had to take it, didn't you?" the voice mumbled in annoyance. 

I knew that voice! "Reggie," I whined, "I think I'm gonna throw up." 

He rushed me to the restroom, but we didn't make it in time. I tried my best to not throw up on him, but I was high and my aim wasn't very well, so my attempts were failed miserably. 

Despite him yelling, "Uhhh! Gross!" I vaguely recalled him setting me down gently and the way he held my hair while I threw up even more. After that, I blacked out.