Roofers.

28. Lies.

Ronan POV.

(TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter includes heavily abusive scenes, please don't read if you are emotionally/mentally not suitable for this type of content)

Football practice came to a slow, mind-numbing end as the warm setting sun hid behind the treetops, leaving no promise of returning tomorrow as night fell. Some of the team drank water from the canisters on the table. Quiet as they sucked air into their tired lungs. Others had long since went home. I ran a few extra laps as my mind wandered back to Friday night, relishing in the way it felt being with my mommy in public like that. It made me hate having to go back to pretending we hardly knew each other in public. It made me hate myself for even asking her to keep this under wraps at the start. I ran to clear my head of my frustrations. I ran because it made it easier to think. In the distance, echoes of the cheer team's last sonnet for the day came to a tired halt. The whistling breeze blew against the sweat on my skin, making it feel so much colder that it was. It was a subtle reminder as to why this was my favourite time of day.

"Yo, Ronan!" I heard Orlando calling me. Dragging me out of the sweet admiration of my surroundings. I pulled off my gear and looked up to see him waving me over amongst the rest of the team. They sat around in some kind of circle, laughing and joking about whatever came to mind as they did after every practice. I made my way over to them, greeting them all as was customary. In complete honesty I liked being around them, they were funny people, capable of making me laugh even when things got tough. And as sappy as it may sound, the people in this team had become like my brothers. Most of us had been playing together since middle school and they hadn't really left my side since.

"Sup, Lando" I greeted, dapping him up as I held my gear over my shoulder.

"Ah nothing too busy" He replied "You, however have been very busy though. Care to talk?"

Orlando was like the gatekeeper to all this school's secrets. He knew about everything that went on here all the time. He was the first to get info about people and the last to spill. But I guess as you can imagine, that gave him certain abilities. People tried to get on his good side just to make sure it stayed that way. He was a nice guy but he could be your worst enemy if you double crossed him. And for the right price, he could be everyone's enemy. It was just business for him and people often forgot that when they told him stuff.

"About what?" I asked, unsure of what he meant by that. The other guys groaned as if to tell me I knew what they meant.

"Come on, man. You ain't gotta cap with us. We're brothers, ain't we?" He continued.

"No cap, I have no idea what you're going on about." I laughed nervously, still unsure of what was going on.

Orlando pulled out his phone, swiping a for a second before he handed it over to me. It was a video from last weekend's party. All it really was, was a drunken video taken of drunk people dancing with each other with Orlando's high voice saying some stupid shit in the background.

"The fuck does this shit have anything to do with me?" I laughed, handing the phone over to him again.

"Keep watching, hot shot" He nodded, telling me to keep it until I finished. I stared at him for a second, then continued to watch. A scene of Scarlett and I dancing together came into view and I held my breath. Though the memory of the night was enough to put me in a trance, I had to remember where I was. Who exactly I was with. The camera stayed on us for a second just as we began to leave the floor.

"Shit, I didn't know you were paparazzi, Lando. Do me a favour and get my good side next time." I laughed it off, even though I could feel heart racing and my stomach turning over. I tried keeping my composure as I handed him the phone again, not really needing to watch anymore. The rest of the guys started laughing, even Lando. I waited, hoping that they couldn't see right through me.