Game Theory × NH

040 | zirconium

× Mercury

"Do you have a certain diet or training during the soccer season?"

Any other day, any other time, I would have loved to take the time to answer all the questions Lily Burnett was spitting out of her mouth. But she had to find me on my way to work, which started in four minutes, and I had absolutely no patience or the time.

But Lily didn't seem to get the hint as I continued to speed walk across campus to The Courtyard Bar because her short, little legs were keeping in pace with mine, pen in one hand and a notepad in the other.

"Listen, Lily," I said as I stopped in my tracks and faced her. "You seem like a sweet girl, but I can't do this right now. I'm running late for work, and if I'm late I don't get my tips for the night."

Lily nodded her head up and down enthusiastically, her brown bob bouncing in the process. "I understand, Ms. Mercury, but this is my last chance to talk to you. The issue of the Lion's Den goes out on Thursday and I was chosen to interview you and Niall. I've never been chosen to do my own article and I don't want to let anyone down. I have to submit it tonight by midnight."

She was pleading with me, and from her doe-like eyes, she was winning. Lily just wanted to prove herself that she can do this article; it wasn't her fault that I had a busy schedule. I looked across campus and saw the bar about a hundred yards away and sighed deeply.

"Alright, I'll answer your questions," I told her and the smile that appeared on her face could have lit up a million light bulbs. "But you have to walk and talk and only until we get to the bar. Also, please call me Lynn."

"Thank you so much!" Lily nearly squealed with delight as I started walking away from her, but her short legs quickly caught up with me. "Do you get along with your teammates? What is it like spending so much time with only boys?"

I cracked a smile at that question. "Honestly? Spending practice, training, and playing games with them is just an overpowering of boy-ness," I told her as she started scribbling away on her notepad. "Sometimes I forget that I don't have a penis."

And the questions continued on from there. How did you become interested in soccer? What do you do on your off time? Do you have a special routine or superstition before you play a big game? I probably answered twenty questions in the span it took to walk to work and Lily seemed overjoyed by the outcome.

"Okay, one more question," Lily insisted even though I was already opening the door to the bar. "And I'm only asking this because it's a high demand."

"Just one more."

Lily grinned and glanced down at her notepad for the question. "Before you came around, Niall Horan was the star of the team. What's it like to steal the spotlight and how do you feel about Horan?"

"That's two questions," I glared. Lily just looked at me pleadingly. "I- I can't answer that, Lily. It doesn't feel right."

"Really? Niall answered when I asked him."

"What did he say?"

She shrugged. "You'll just have to wait for the issue," Lily deadpanned, and it only hit me then that she may be tiny, but she was full of aggression to strive on success. She reminded me a lot of Jamie.

I clenched my jaw. "I didn't steal the spotlight. To my knowledge, Niall is still the star. I came here to win, however people want to label the ladder is all on them. And as far as how I feel about Horan, he's got a thick skull and an ego too big for his own good, but we play well together and that's good enough for me."