December Boys (BxB) | ✓

Chapter 15 - Roses and Nosebleeds

I didn't sleep well that night. The beds of Fort Violet were comfortable enough, but listening to Axel breathe was more stressful than I'd anticipated. Then there was the memory, of course, which invaded my mind every time I dared consider sleeping. It was like the universe wanted me to suffer as much as humanly possible, and being away from my bed and Internet contributed to that.

The second day of our stay was dedicated to more filming, more fake smiles to the coach, and more dodging of angry football players. Axel still hadn't asked why I was hated by the December High Dragons, and seemed unbothered by their animosity. In fact, he stayed out of my way even when I would have liked him to stay. Several times I found myself talking to a guy that was nowhere to be seen. Axel really had a talent for disappearing.

It was the second day, and I was standing on the field, all wrapped up in my woolly scarf and winter jacket. The tripod sat next to me, trembling slightly with the wind. Axel was in the middle of the field trying to instruct the players on how to act. From the looks of it, he wasn't succeeding. Coach had marched over and seemed to be arguing about the specifics, and I found myself done with the project in its entirety. The footage sucked, Coach was being a pain in my ass, and the players seemed intent on murdering me if a chance were to present itself. I started shivering.

Axel returned to my side, scowl in place and hands buried deep in his coat pockets. His hair was in disarray, and there was a tension in his shoulders when he finally stopped next to me. He put a steadying hand on the tripod.

"They're not cooperating," he said as if it wasn't obvious. "Coach says it's better if we show off a variety of their skills instead of just a match."

I rolled my eyes and pulled my scarf tighter. Fort Violet was freezing, and the lake did nothing to shield us from the icy gusts.

"You'd think football players would want to actually play football." I scoffed. "I had no idea it was possible to have so many thick headed idiots gathered in one place. It's like they congregate around sports."

Axel let out a mirthless laugh. He had a dark expression on his face, brow furrowed and mouth twisted downward. If he was a cold as I was, he was right to be in a shitty mood. I surveyed the field and prayed for the session to be over. Thick clouds shielded the sun from our film location, rendering the dying grass a dull green. The sound of tussling boys could be heard over the wind.

The team was in the midst of another wrestling match when coach broke away from its ranks. He had his phone clutched in his fist, and was running in our direction. As he got closer, I noted the tight line of his mouth, and how shiny his forehead was in the daylight.

"Montgomery, boy," he barked in Axel's direction. "Got a bit of an emergency at the lot. You've got some meat on your bones. Come with me." Coach stopped in his tracks, remembering my scrawny existence. He scanned me from top to toe and put on an apologetic smile. "Make my boys look good while we're gone, Summers." He stretched his hand out and ruffled my hair, before catching hold of Axel and towing him away. I stood alone with the tripod and my anxiety. 

Well, shit. If this wasn't an opportunity for the team, I didn't know what was.

At first, nothing happened. I moved the tripod around, caught different angles of the players and their antics, and slowly began to relax. Axel's absence was a sharp reminder of my vulnerability. The only thing standing between my short body and the entire football team was a measly camera. Watching them through the lens only strengthened the feeling. The team captain ordered his disciples around, making them line up and perform various exercises. I zoomed in on the midfielder - the one that spat on my shoes yesterday - and witnessed a discreet exchange between him and the captain. I felt a chill wash through me.