Family & Soccer

City Lights

"Do you want to go in and practice with the girls?" Jill asks me as I juggle a ball on the sideline. Luckily Mom packed my cleats or else I'd be totally bored. I stretch before I join the girls. We work on passes, scrimmage and running. This level is faster then high school, so keeping up was a small challenge not being use to it but I love it. When practice was over, we went to the locker rooms, I sat in my mom's cubby. I look over to the younger girls making a ruckus, and I catch someone's eye. Mal, she quickly looks away blushing. I've never dated a girl, nor really touched one intimately but Mal is very attractive. I'm single, why not try something. As I was about to get up, to walk over to the younger girls of the team. My phone dings, and I pick it up.

Derek: I miss you, where did you say you were? I want to see you

Me: Out of state for my mom's job

I didn't tell Derek who my parents are because I don't want someone to want me because of who my parents are. Bringing him home will be an icebreaker. I put my phone in my pocket, and I don't reply to his new text message. I walk over to where Mal is, she's sitting next to Lindsey. She whispers something in Mal's ear and she quickly turns to look at me.

"Hey, how'd you like practice?"

"Loved it" I tell her giving her a smile.

"Alex! Mal is flirting with your daughter!" Sonnett yells in the locker room making everyone laugh. Mal blushes and hides behind Lindsey. I spot my mom shaking her head, I chuckle about it though. I boldly wrap my arm around Mal's shoulder and pull her closer to me. I hear her chuckle and hide herself in my neck. From the corner of my eye, I see Lindsey and Sonnett with their phones up either recording or taking pictures.

"Not so bold anymore are you" I whisper smirking in her ear.

"Shut up" she whispers back chuckling. I can feel her face heat up against my neck. My phone starts ringing, and I pull it out to see a face time request from Derek.

"Hold on" I tell her, and she pulls away from me. I answer the call, and his face shows up on my screen. I miss him to be honest, who am I suppose to annoy? I would annoy Charlie but that guys to nice.

"Hey I need to talk to you"

I nod and he looks a little upset. Am I worried? Hell nah, we aren't dating.

"I just found out you're trying out for the team. Why didn't you tell me" he raises his voice, the girls next to me watching my interaction. It also catches my moms attention.

"Okay, nows not a good time to talk about that Derek"

"Yes it is, babe you can't try out. You'll get hurt" he tells me before I hang up on him. As I did what I did, I instantly regretted it. I'm hoping this doesn't effect us, but you know what.. no one will take my chances of playing, not my mother or dad, not even Derek.

"Boyfriend?"

"No, he just calls me babe." I tell her, and she just nods sadly. She must think I'm an asshole for trying to flirt with her while having a "boyfriend". My mom comes over to me, and her fingers run through my hair.

"He found out, and he doesn't want you trying out" she tells me, and takes the cubby next to me. She holds my hand lovingly.

"I'm going too anyway" I tell her making her chuckle. She leans over and kisses my forehead.

"I know kiddo, I wouldn't let anyone ever take that away from you either"

Time skip

"So your telling me you prefer Marvel then DC? Come on, DC is so much better"

"No DC is nothing but simple, and cringy" I tell Mal, as we sit outside of her room. In the balcony, luckily she was roomed with Kelly. She gave us the night to have a girls night with my mom and Allie. Mal and I have been on each other side since earlier when I took Derek's facetime.

"So tell me, you know about him" she points to my lock screen of my phone that was between us. It lit up, because of a text I got from Charlie. My phone screen was a picture I took of him and I.

"He's pretty nice when you get to know him. He likes me, and I kinda like him too but sometimes I force myself to like him." I tell her looking into the city lights and swaying my feet.

"You think you'll ever find yourself liking him completely without having to force yourself?"

"I don't know honestly, right now I'm torn." I tell her honestly, as I look into her beautiful brown eyes. She nods understanding, I'm always the bold on; so I lay my hand on top of hers. She finally gains her confidence back, scooting herself closer to me to lay her head on my shoulder.

"When's your birthday?"

"January 7th" I tell her, and she adjust her head so she can see me, I feel soft lips against my cheek. It lingers for a while but when she pulls away, I instantly miss her lips.

"For now, I'll wait" she tells me softly. We interlace our hands, the entire night we share stories, talk about what we like. It's so easy to talk to her, and she's absolutely goofy. Once you get her laughing and smiling, you don't want it to stop. She's absolutely beautiful.

❤