Strength

Monday

I woke up in a really good mood. A lot more than usual. It was 6:15. That's actually early for me believe it or not.
I blasted music through the house while getting ready. I decided to go a little different today and dress in my ripped jeans, a purple wolves shirt and my purple converse.
I was singing to Hall of Fame when I got text from Xavier.
Xavier🤘: Want a ride to school?
Me: I'm good. I'll just meet you there. I'm going to talk to coach and Mr. H anyway. Thank you tho.
Xavier🤘: Ok. No problem. See ya later.
——
7:00 tolled around fast so I grabbed my shoes and bag and headed out the door.
I got to school at 7:15 going straight for Mr. H's room where I found, of course, Mr. H along with Coach and Ace?!?!
"Morning." I said.
"Morning. You seem happy." Coach said.
"Extremely." I said turning towards Kelsey and Carter.
"Kelsey, Carter. I have something for you."
"Really?" Carter asked.
"Yeah."
I pulled out the two Dog tag necklaces and gave them each theirs.
"These are called dog tags. They have your name one one and fear quote on the other. These represent the strength you each have and the strength you give others."
"Thank you." Kelsey said.
"These are cool. Thank you." Carter said.
"We are a team. You each have one, I have one and Xavier has one."
"Is that it?" Kelsey asked.
"Actually-" I said standing up and turning around, "I have this one for Mr. H and this one for Coach."
"Oh. Thank you." Mr. H said.
"Carter's right. These are awesome." Coach said.
I looked at Ace and he gave me a look of sadness. He didn't seem right at all. He seemed broken.
"I gotta talk to you both sometime today, but you look busy. I'll be back." I said leaving the classroom.
I walked into the hallway and down to the nurses office.
"Morning Nurse Amanda."
"Morning Skylar. How ya doing?"
"Good. Just wanted to come for a clean up/ check up sort of thing on all this."
——
"It looks good. Seems to be healing slowly, but surely."
"Good."
"Though you will be left with a scar."
"I figured that. Thank you."
"No problem."
——
I walked back into the hallway and into Mr. Hs room where it was just him and coach.
"There you are." Mr. H said.
"You have to go talk to Ace." Coach said.
"Not until I talk to you two."
"No need. He told us."
"What exactly did he tell you?"
——-
They explained what we had told them. It's all true. It's all right. Not one word out of place. Damn.
——
"That's all he told us."
"That was all right. There's no lie there."
"Well he's in my room. He wants to talk to you." Coach said.
"Ok. Thank you."
——
I stepped inside coach's room where Ace was pacing around the room.
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor."
He stopped and looked at me with that, still, cute ass smile on his face.
"Alright. What's this all about Mr. Kendrick?"
He gave me that look of 'really? Why?'
He leaned against the wall and looked at me.
I looked at him with a look of 'no more jokes. Proceed'
"I'm a dick. Straight up. I'm sorry. You were my friend way before I met Nevaeh. I should have believed you all a long and I don't know by I didn't. I understand now why is was so hard for you to tell me and I should have never pushed you so far to where you screamed it out of you. I'm a dick and I'm sorry."
I looked at me and a smile came into my face.
"Ace. You have been my friend for almost three years. I wasn't ever mad at you. I didn't ever want to go off on you like that. Let me tell you, it made me feel horrible, but yet relieved somehow. I want you to know, I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at her and I took it out on you. I should have told you in the first place when it happened. I'm sorry."
He came over to me and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my head and pushed me back a little to look at me. He sat on the arm of the chair and looked at me.
"I broke up with her yesterday. It's when I found out that you weren't lying. My heart shattered and I went off. I am truly sorry."
I shook up and looked at him. I looked at him and at that moment sparks flew. I kissed him.
When we released he hugged me again. He stood there like that. I heard his heart beat. It was fast, yet musically.
"Skylar?"
"Yes?"
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
I looked up at him and smiled.
"Absolutely."
He hugged me again and we stood like there for about three minutes and I remembered.
"I have something for you."
"What?" He asked.
I took off his dog tags from around my neck.
"I had ones made for you. You're part of the team."
"Thank you."
He put it around his neck and then opened the door.
We went back into Mr. H's room where Xavier had join them.
"Guess who's back?" I said holding Ace's hand.
"More than back I see." Coach said.
"Hey, I lost her for almost seven days. I'm happy to call her mine."
"Happy for you two." Mr. H said.
"Thank you and look at this." I said pointing to his dog tags.
"You already had ones made for him?"
"Out of hope, yes."
——
•English•
I walked into English with Xavier and Ace behind me.
I put my stuff down and I went to the window. I looked out at the bright sunshine beaming down.
I was joined by Ace to my left and Xavier to my right.
"You boys wanna come over after school?"
"I'll be there" Ace said.
"Same."
——
•Practice•
"Alright. Thank you. I'll see you later."
"Yeah. Bye."
"Who was that?" Ace asked.
"Surprise for Xavier."
"What did you get him?"
"You'll see, but I do know Xavier has to talk to you about something."
"K. See ya softer practice."
"Yeah."
After Ace headed to the locker rooms, I climbed the bleachers.
"Skylar."
I looked down the bleachers to see Carter and Kelsey.
"Hi dudes."
"Hi."
"Hi Mr. H."
"Hi Skylar. I actually have a question for you."
"Yeah."
"Can you watch these two for a little bit? I got a lot of papers to do. I'll be back before practice is over."
"Yeah."
"Thank you."
After he left back to school Kelsey looked at me really curiously.
"Skylar are you Ace's girlfriend?" Kelsey asked.
"Where did you hear that?"
"Dad."
"It's true."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Yes!" She enthusiastically said causing me to laugh.
I turned to face Carter.
"What's up with you Carter?"
"Nothing really."
"Bad day?"
"Not really. Just kinda bored."
"Hm. Stay here. I'll be right back."
I ran down the bleachers over to coach.
"Coach."
"What?"
"You think today Carter can join? He seems a little bored."
He looked out to the field and up to Carter.
"Sure."
I climbed back up the bleachers.
"Carter guess what?"
"What?"
"You can join the boys today."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Coach is good with it."
"Ok." He dashed down the bleachers out to the field.
Kelsey and I sat down by the railings and watched Carter try to be like the other boys.
——
Practice was about twenty minutes till over and Mr. H came back.
"Where's my son?" He asked.
I pointed out to the field just as Carter tried to throw the ball.
Mr. H joined coach on the field as Kelsey and I continued talking.
——
Practice was over and all the boys went to the locker rooms.
"Bye Kelsey. Bye Carter."
"Bye Skylar." They both said as Mr. H lead them to the parking lot.
"Coach." I called.
"Yo."
"Whatcha thinking?"
"A lot. I just can't believe the whole situation. It down, up, down and now it's up so high it's a star."
"Yeah. It's been rocky, but I now have some of the best people ever in my life."
"Glad to be part of it."
I smiled and stood up leaning over the railing.
Coach made his way over to his office and I looked at the ground. when I heard a gate swing open. I looked at the fence to see a very angry, evil eyed bitch. I just stood there watching her. She didn't even notice me so I just stood there watching her. She stormed over to the locker room. She stormed into the doors of the school and I ran over after her. I looked through the door to see her turn the opposite direction of the locker rooms.
The boys stared coming out and is roped then at the door.
"All of you run over there around the corner of the building. Nevaeh is here and she's in the school."
They all ran around the corner and Ace stayed next to me.
"Go over there with the guys."
"No. I'm taking care of this."
"No. I got this. Go over there."
"If she lays a finger on you I'm coming out."
"Ok, but I doubt this will happen."
I looked into the doors again and no sign of her.
I totally forgot about Coach until he came out of his office.
"Coach go ice there with the boys."
"What?! Why?!"
"Nevaeh is in there. I'm going to take care of this."
"You sure?"
"Yes. Ace has my back and so do al the boys. That includes you."
"Ok. Good luck."
As soon as coach went around the corner Ace peeked around and looked at me.
"Stop." I said.
"One finger and I come out."
"I understand. Now go."
As he hid back behind the corner the door opened. I up against the wall as she stormed out heading towards the corner of the school.
"Nevaeh Waters" I said.
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.
"How ya doin' ?" I asked.
"Bitch. You stole him from me."
"Who?" I asked playing dumb.
"Ace. You know, my boyfriend before you stole him."
"Yeah, your lips keep moving, but all in here is Blah, Blah, Blah."
She huffed out and moved closer to me.
"Save your breath-you'll need it to blow up your date, if you ever get one with that face."
"God Damn girl." One of the boys shouted from around the corner.
He smirked at Nevaeh as she came closer to me.
I caught grabbed her wrist an inch from my face.
"May wanna rethink about doing that again." I said putting a tighter grip on her wrist.
I caught her other hand just as she was thinking about slapping me.
I had both of her wrist gripped in my hand.
"If you don't let go, I'll get my people."
"People. That's what spoiled little rich girls say. Well FYI I got people too. Actually, I got a whole team behind me" I stated as all of them filled out from behind the building.
"I'm not afraid of you." I said letting go of her wrist.
She looked at me, then eyes the football team, spending a little more time on Ace.
"Hey, I know he's cute, but he's mine. Touch him and I'll call my people. That goes for every person here too. I got my ways of knowing."
She looked at me and stormed away, but it before breaking her three heal causing all of us to burst out laughing.
After she was out of site I was bombarded with hugs and high fives from the the whole team.
——-
"Well that's it for me today. Anyone else wanna say anything?" Coach asked.
"I do." Ace said.
"First I want to say thank you, to all of you. We have made an impression and together we make one heck of a team. We have one heck of a Coach and I know we are all proud of. We never feared anything cause all we have to fear is fear itself."
They all chanted and the dad their weird chant thing.
Everyone left out to the parking lot and it was two hours from Xavier's surprise.
"Ready to go boys?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Wait, Skylar." Coach called.
"What?"
"I have something for you." He said giving me a bag.
I looked at Xavier and Ace. They both had smiled on their faces.
"Open it." Ace said.
I opened the bag and pulled out a Jersey.
It looked just like the boys home jersey, but the number was 1 and the back said Strength and the front said Wolves.
"This is awesome. Thank you."
"Least we can do." Coach said.
I put on over my shirt.
"Perfect. Thank you again."
"It was nothing. I'll se you three tomorrow."
"Bye Coach."
"Bye."
——
•Home•
I stepped into the house just as my phone rang.
I looked at Ace and gestured from him to take Xavier into the kitchen.
"Hi Levi."
"Hi Skylar. I'm about five minutes away."
"Ok. Ill be on the porch when you pull up."
"K. See you in five."
"K."
"Ace come here."
"What?" He asked coming into the living room within a sandwich.
"Hungry much?"
He looked at his sandwich and smiled.
"Xavier talked to you right?"
"Yeah. He said I could meet Levi either later tonight or tomorrow."
"Ok. Well he will be here in t minutes five minutes. I'll be outside. I need you to take Xavier up stairs and act like you're going to watch a movie. Tell him I had I'll be right back. I ran to the store or something."
"Ok."
I saw Ace take Xavier up stairs and then went outside.
I stood on the porch probably three minutes and I saw a car pull up. Levi.
"Levi." I said as he stepped out of the car.
"Skylar." He said.
I gave him a hug.
"Thank you so much for coming. Not having seen him in a month and a half."
"No, thank you. I can finally meet you guys in person, you know except Xavier."
"Yeah. So here's the plan. We go into the house and when we get in you shout honey, I'm home, I'll throw a blanket over you and we'll let it play out from there."
"This will be good."
We walked I into the house and I shut the door quietly.
"Honey, I'm home." Levi called. I threw the blanket over him.
All of a sudden we heard stampeding come down the stairs.
Xavier stopped right in front of me, Ace right next to him.
"Xavier, for being an awesome friend, I got a surprise for you."
"What?"
I pulled the blanket off Levi and Xavier's went wide. His smile was literally ear to ear.
"Levi." He screamed running to him and hugging him.
Ace came behind me and hugged me.
"How are you here?"
"Skylar."
"Oh my god. Thank you Skylar."
"Least I can do for helping me."
——
After introduction between everyone and talking for a while we put a movie on.
I snuggled up against Ace as Xavier and Levi shared one of the love sacs.

This, right here, is one of the best moments ever. I got my best friend back who is now my boyfriend. I got my other best friend an awesome ass surprise. I have a team that supports me. I have people that protect me and people that I can protect. No fear is generating off anyone.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself because we have strength.

Strength

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Thank you for reading my story. I really appreciate it. I wanted to let you know that if you enjoyed this story could please go over to SilentCreators who is also me and read my story Strength 2.0 I would very much appreciate it. Strength 2.0 is just another creation of this same story except I took out a part and replaced it with a twist. Appreciate you all that read this. Love you.