put that on my love

Landon

I was contemplating leaving right after the ceremony, but I didn't even though I should have. Everyone gathers in hall, where the afterparty was happening. I met some guys, with whose I played in my last team. We chatted and remembered some good old times on a pitch, when some two girls joined our group. According to guys' uninteresting reaction they know them. The brunette one stood right next to me. I know, what she was doing even before she did. I felt her gaze on me from the moment they approached to us. I had no interest to getting acquainted even one, so my plan was to say goodbye ASAP and go back to my boys, but how I said I know what she was doing, all those girls are same, so is not that hard to read them. After I said my goodbye to my old teammates, she looked at me and said; „We didn't have any chance to introduce each other, I'm Mary." and then she reached her hand to me. I shook her hand with arrogance in my face. I use this arrogance face a lot. To let them know my annoyance, to show them my lack of interest.  I hopped that she will be deterred by this attitude, but she didn't look like.

„I'm Landon" I replied, and my posture made clear, that I was leaving right after, but despite of my attitude she seemed to be decided that she wants to develop this conversation. I wasn't in the mood to meeting someone, to talk to someone, definitely not in the mood to flirt with someone, so when she was just about to ask me to get a drink together, I excuse myself and pretended that one of my current teammates is waving on me.

I spotted Jere, Nadia and Costin standing around one of the bar tables, so I decided to head to them. When I joined them, Costin was laughing about something, what Jere was saying, so I asked what's that about? He was just telling story about how Nadia introduced him to her dad, who apparently isn't the biggest of their relationship. „I promised you guys, sometimes I have these nightmares about him, where he is threatening me to break up with Nadia or he break both my legs so I couldn't play football anymore, he hates me!" „You're exaggerating baby, he likes you, he just doesn't like you a lot." Nadia grinned and pat Jere on his head. We stayed like that and chatted a little about the ceremony, no one mentioning Costin and mine nominations, which weren't successful. Costin seemed to be okey with not winning, so did I so there wasn't reason to discuss it further. As we stayed and talked Clara approached us with some guy suspending his arm. His face looked familiar to me and as soon as Jere addressed him by his name, I knew who he was. Connor Donovan was rookie in Slavia, he was transferred more like two months ago. I know that because our derby with Slavia will be held next month and I have already studied our counterparts. He was transferred from Bohemia, where he played center, not sure what he plays now in Slavia but right at this moment he plays on my nerve, why the fuck he is with Clara?

They joined us like that, no one except me seemed any confused. My gaze was locked on them, on his arm, which was touching her hip. She seemed comfortable with it, which made me even more confused. I was standing there, watching my Clara with some Slavia's idiot. They were talking about something with Jere and Nadia when he leaned to her and whispered something to her ear. My confusedness has replaced by anger, which suddenly was in every inch of my body once that Slavia's dude Donavan said; „If you could excuse us guys, we would like to dance." and then she was again suspending his arm and heading to the dance floor. I turned to Costin and blurted out; „Are you kidding me? You let her go dance with that Slavia's asshole?". „I let her date you and look what happened. So yes, one dance with Slavia's asshole don't mind to me." Costin said staring intently right into my eyes. His gaze was telling me everything I've already known. He was pissed at me, and he has every right to be, but did he really think that less of me? Of us, me, and Clara? He knew what she meant to me, still does, so why he is looking at me like she didn't mean anything to me, like I played some kind of sick game with her, because I didn't. I would never. I started shaking my head in disbelieve of his words; „Stop act like she didn't mean anything to me, you know the best that she did, that she still does. I screwed up, I know that, and I know that you will never forgive me that, but don't, don't you ever even suggest that she didn't mean the world to me". With that last word I leaved the group and headed to dance floor to find her, because I desperately needed to talk to her. I heard Costin shouting at me something about where I'm going, but he did know where I was heading. Everyone by that table known, because when I turned back, I saw boys calming Costin, and preventing him from coming to me.