Falling for the Goalie and Other Dangerous Sports

Chapter 12 - Maddy

MOVE! I wanted to shout at Derek. He had bossed me around before, but somone was coming and he was just standing there, as if he'd want to be caught.

Quickly, I grabbed him and pulled him onto the toilet seat of an out of order stall. I went to take a step up, but my cleats gave away. Suddenly I was jerked up, finding myself being held strong by Derek, stomach to stomach, nose to nose. My hand gripped his shoulder for support.

I had never been in this position before. I've never been so close to a guy like this, never wanted anything more than this, right here, right now. Yet this was the most godawful and unromantic spot that could ever exist in the history of the universe.

Carter came in, doing his business and whistling the whole time. "Don't. Move. Don't. Move. Don't...move..." My careful concentration drifted off as Derek stared at me. Again, the impulse - the impulse that has been the end of me in multiple situations - was about to come, and I bit my lip back, willing myself not to do it, don't do it, don't you dare think about it.

It was a close call when Carter picked up the water bottle, but thankfully he just left. I was too focused on restraining myself to pay much attention. Derek broke our gaze, whipping me back to reality.

"That was close." I breathed, having two seperate meanings to the phrase.

"Yeah, too close," he said. His arm remained behind me, shifting to set his hand on my waist. "Ready?"

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, sorry..." I awkwardly stepped off the toilet seat aand made my way out to fresh air, taking a moment to breath everything. Derek appeared beside me. I saw Coach gesturing for kids to make their last runs. "Think we should go back?" I asked. There was something off about him as I looked towards him for a response. "Derek? Are you feeling alright?" Slowly, he lost his balance and collapsed on the ground, out cold.

"Hey...HEY!" I yelled, trying to wake him up. Lightly touching his forehead, it was unnaturally dry. An obvious sign of dehydration.

"Dammit, Maddy." I said under my breath. I didn't usually swear out loud, but what a stupid thing to drink all the water he had. Sighing, I decided what I should do. Go get a coach is the obvious answer. I combed his hair into place once more. But there was something I had to do. Just for a moment, sat down against the concrete building and looked away from him.

"Thank you. Thanks for everything. Thanks for getting me out of running, and thanks for protecting me, and heck, thanks for the ice pack that one practice. Thanks for complimenting me; it really does mean a lot. And thanks for...whatever happened before you passed out. Whatever sort of embrace of fear that was in the bathroom...whatever compelled me to almost kiss you." I finished that last part quickly, getting red even though he was completely unconcious and had no knowledge of what was going on at all.

I got up quickly, satisfied. I said it. FInally. It was as if a whole weight was lifted off my shoulders. And the best part is that he isn't even able to tease me about it or run away. "Or same the same thing back," the small voice in my head said again. My stomach swooped.

I was ready to start my run for help, but slowly, a figure came into view in front of me.

Wyatt.

"What...happened?" he asked, standing and panting.

"Shit," I thought. "Screwed for sure." Seeing the situation through his eyes, I was standing over an unconscious Derek ready to run away.

"I was just, he, uh, -"

"Passed out."

"Yeah. That." An uncomfortable silence fell over us. I watched as Wyatt gently nudged Derek's limp shoulder with his foot. He hadn't heard anything, did he?