The Football Boys (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Thirty Seven : After Party

"Good morning, sweety." My mom said as I sat down at the dining room table, setting down a bowl full of cereal in front of me. In my state of tiredness I didn't bother to question why she had called me sweety or why her voice sounded chipper, like the way it went when she'd talk to Dakota.

"Morning." I mumbled before shoving a spoonful of cereal into my mouth. I could feel every ache in my body with each movement, sore from last nights adventure of wonder but it was well worth it. It cleared my mind, and offered a distraction from the events that were to follow my failure. Sooner or later, my mom would ask how the game went and I'd rather it had been later than sooner.

Maybe I was being too harsh on myself but part of me felt like I deserved feeling like I'd failed, I felt like I hadn't lived up to the title as co captain. Sure, it was one loss but that game was more important than the other games, it would've taken us farther in the play offs.

"How was your game?" She asked, looking up at me, averting her eyes from her knitting. And just like that, the guilt was back, settling deep into the pit of my stomach. I sighed internally and hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth to speak.

"We lost."
"Lost?" She asked with a arched brow as she half smiled, almost as if waiting for me to tell her it was a joke. I had only wished it was, some cruel joke that we'd lost and in the end we'd both be happy for advancing in the season, but it wasn't a joke. It was the truth.

"A fight started on the field and the game ended, so I guess that doesn't really count as losing." I said, trailing off before shoving a spoonful of cereal in my mouth and waiting for her answer with curious eyes, wondering if she'd snap at me like the many times before. Would this one fault, ruin the relationship we'd managed to build?

"A fight?" She questioned once more.

"Between me and the captain of the other team." I said in a low voice, avoiding her gaze. I didn't have to look her in the eyes to know it was menacing.

She scoffed under her breath as she shook her head. I could tell she wanted to say something more as she bit her bottom lip, she wanted to rip right through me like she had before. But instead, she continued to knit with furrowed brows that made me uncomfortable, like she would chew my head off at any given moment if I even so much as breathed.

The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence with no other words exchanged between us, only stolen glances.

I put my bowl and spoon in the sink and walked to my bed room, not daring to make a sound on the way back. It came as a surprise to me, seeing my mom bite her tongue. She wasn't one to do that when it came to me, she never hesitated to tell me when I was wrong.

I sat on the edge of my bed, puzzled before grabbing my phone off the night stand and fiddling with it. It wasn't long before it chimed, lighting up the screen and alerting me of a text message from Dakota.

"Party tonight, you in?"

I rolled my eyes before sending a text back.

"When hell freezes over."

"No drinks, I promise."

Like I hadn't heard that before. I sighed and laid back on my bed, holding my phone up above my face. I stared at my phone screen, thinking of a reply when I already knew what my answer would be.