× Horan

Girls are always stereotyped for being gossipers who can't seem to stop talking. Ever. Whether that's true or not, it doesn't matter because it's not fair. Because boys are not any better at shutting their damn mouths than the girls are. Gossiping a natural thing for either gender, really, because it's almost always out of envy, boredom, anger, or attention. Everyone wants to feel part of the group, so they spread lies to make things interesting or to feel better about themselves.

So I wasn't the least bit surprised to find my teammates conversing about the new player of our team as I walked into the locker room to change.

"Where have you been, mate?" William asked from the bench. I could physically feel every eye on me as I walked to my locker and did the combination.

"He's been with Lynn," James responded for me, wiggling his brows. I ignored both of them and took a seat on the bench and started tugging on my knee socks. "Abby told me you showed her to her room. I bet you stayed the night with her. You know, to make her feel more at home, of course."

There were some laughs from the players but I brushed them off. They always did this, asking who the latest "victim" (their words, not mine) was that I slept with, how it happened, and if it was any good. James was the first to ask because, well, he was roommate and wanted to know if it was worth kicking him of the room for - and let me tell you, kicking James out of the room was always a blessing. And every time they asked, I would refuse to give them the satisfaction of my words because it wasn't any of their bloody business.

I tugged off my shirt and jeans and took out a clean shirt and some shorts along with my shin guards and cleats as the conversations started back up around me.

Jace slid on the bench next to me. "Did you shag her?" he asked, wondering not in a way to spread gossip, but because he sincerely wanted to know.

Jace Layton was the type of person who knows you better than you do, but plays dumb about it. So even though I knew he already knew the answer, I told him anyways just so there wasn't any confusion.

"No, Jace. You know how I feel about Lynn. James knows I didn't either, he's just being an arse."

"When is James not being an arse?" he said slyly.

Jace Layton was also the type of person who was sure of himself, but I've known him long enough to hear his self-doubt to see that it only shows on the outside. Saying he was loyal to his mates would be an insult, but he was not afraid to put you in your place if you do something even remotely stupid - which was probably why he had to make sure I didn't do anything with Lynn, he was ready to smack me upside the head and give me a lecture if I had.

After I got all my things on, I walked out with the rest of the lads to the arena, wanting practice to be over with. When we all got out there, Lynn wasn't to be found. I instructed the lads to do a quick stretch before they ran around the field while I talked to Coach.

"What's the game plan?" I asked, standing next to him.

"I reckon we should keep it light," Coach said as he looked out at the players who had started running. "We have two weeks until our next game and I want to focus on Lynn for today. See how she works and what I can do to have her and the players work well together. That means you, too, Horan."

"So, are you thinking of just scrimmaging today?" I asked because if I knew anything about football (and I did, obviously) it was that scrimmaging was the best way to learn your players strengths and weaknesses.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, contemplating the idea with furrowed brows as he looked down at his clipboard. "But I also want to see the two of you work against and with each other."

I stared at him. "What? Why" It was a stupid question, but I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, I had heard him wrong.

"Because you're the one I'm most worried about with her," he answered, a small grin on his lips. "You're so anti-Lynn just like she's so anti-you that I need to know how to fix it so the two of you can work together."

"You want us to play one-on-one?"

"Sorry it took me so long," Lynn interrupted, coming up behind us. "I was having shin guard difficulties."

She had on a matching outfit with a navy long sleeved shirt that looked to be made out of silk with a Nike logo on it. She wore matching football shorts with her number thirteen on them along with socks, shin guards, and cleats. Her brown hair was up in a ponytail and pushed back with a pink headband.

"It's perfectly fine," Coach said with a smile. "You have to remind me to get you some jerseys along with your locker. And since no one on the team has your number, you can keep it if you like."

"I'd like that, thank you."

"Brilliant! I'm about to start practice so how about you run around the field once and I can start. You, too, Horan."

Lynn nodded and started taking off.

"Hey, Niall!" Coach shouted a second after I started following after her. I turned to look at him. "Where's your knee brace?"

I looked down and cursed under my breath. "I must have left it in my room," I told him honestly. "It was a long day, it just slipped my mind."

He nodded. "Alright, just don't strain yourself."

I started running and quickly caught up to Lynn, easily getting past her. Not even a moment later she zoomed right by me, and with that, it was clear that she wanted a challenge. And a challenge she would get.

I picked up speed the same time she did and we sprinted around the field. Neither of us seemed to have the upper hand in the race as we pumped our arms at our sides.

We were turning the last corner when I heard Coach shout at us.

"Horan!" he boomed, his voice easily heard through the arena. "Your knee! Take it down a notch!"

I knew he was right but I almost didn't listen to him. Seeing Lynn win - even as something as dense as a race to the finish line - was hard to stomach, but I knew risking my knee wasn't an option, so I slowed down.

Lynn ran by and didn't even look over her shoulder at me as she finished the lap and joined the other lads on the field.

Once I got back to Coach, I snatched up my water bottle and tipped my head back with a long drink. I caught Lynn's eyes on me and I turned my back to her, not wanting to admit defeat. It was just a stupid, unvoiced competition, but it still hurt to know that my knee betrayed me.

"Were you in track?" I heard Lynn ask, breathing heavily from the run as she walked over to me. I dropped my water bottle and looked at her. "I'm just assuming because you're fast. I was in track for sprinting in middle school."

"Well, good for you," I said sarcastically before joining my teammates on the turf.

For a good hour of practice we did different drills for passing, dribbling, shooting, and defending. It was the longest hour of my life - and that's saying something since I spent an hour in history class one time watching the Pope read a speech in a monotone voice in 30 different languages.

Not to mention Lynn annoying the fuck out of me.

It was more the fact that she was a girl. The lads tiptoed around her like a freaking princess she thought she was. Reese was especially careful since he plowed her to the ground back in California. I didn't though, every chance I got I rammed into her, even if she was on my team for one of the drills. Not hard enough to knock her down or anything, but enough to know that she wouldn't be able to play the "I'm a girl" card with me.

The whistle blew and we all turned to look at Coach. "I'm going to mix it up a little," he said as he walked toward us. "There's going to be a couple one-on-one games between the center line and a goal. And then after that I'll do two-on-two. Layton, go get two cones and set them up as a goal on the center line."

Jace nodded and did what he was asked as the rest of us stayed to hear our instructions.

"Walker and Moor, you two are starting out on one side of the field against each other," Coach said, looking at Reese and James. "And on the other side I want Horan and Mercury. The rest of you not playing are going to watch and observe as you wait for your turn."

I almost laughed. Coach was really getting on my nerves by constantly putting Lynn in my way, and he knew it, too, which was probably why he was doing it.

I looked over at Lynn with a stern look before grabbing a football and walking to the other side of the field from the other two boys.

With a blow of Coach's whistle, the game began.

If you were to ask me how the other team was doing, I couldn't answer because all my attention was on the ball in front of me as I dribbled my way past Lynn the best I could. But no matter what I seemed to do, she was always there.

I swore, Lynn Mercury was only placed on this earth to get in my way and get on my every last nerve.

Every time I think I was clear to shoot it into her goal, Lynn would be there taking the ball right from under my feet.

I was a little surprised how she played. She was most definitely not afraid to touch. She would use all her body parts to trip me up, shoving her shoulder into me, her elbow in my gut, and one time she even used all her momentum - and by doing that, her whole body - to get me away from the ball. Personal space? Not in Lynn's radar when she was on the field.

Neither of us scored in the five minuets we had been playing. It had been going back and forth on the half field, taking the ball back and forth between us like robbers stealing from each other over and over again.

Whenever I had the chance to look at the other players on the bench, I noticed that their attention wasn't on the other half of the field with Reece and James, but on the two of us going back and forth. Coach's eyes were on us, as well, with a grin on his face that made me want to hit him.

Losing my patience, I kicked out my foot and snatched the ball from Lynn, spinning around so I was going the other direction to my goal. Lynn was right there, of course, her shoulder ramming into my bicep, but I didn't budge. I shoved her back just as hard but she didn't even flinch. Then she did something fancy with her feet and managed to wedge her foot between mine to get the ball.

Quickly changing my curse for probably the thirtieth time, I ran after her once again.

But then a shooting pain started creeping up from my knee up my thigh and I instantly stopped in my tracks, letting Lynn run off without me on her trail for the first time since this one-on-one started.

I shut my eyes tight as the pain overtook me and I bent over by the waist, hands around my knee. A second later I was on the ground hunched over, my forehead into the turf of the field as I clutched my thigh tightly in a lame attempt to stop the spasms up my leg. This pain wasn't new to me, not at all, but it still took me by surprise at how much it could hurt.

I could distantly hear my name but the blood running behind my ears was pounding too loud for me to even open my mouth.

I knew I shouldn't have played without my brace, again my ego got the best of me and now I was dealing with the consequences.

"Niall," a soft voice said, close to my ear. A hand was suddenly on my back and started rubbing up and down as the person desperately tried to get my attention.

Turning my head, I looked into Lynn's eyes. She was on her knees leaning over, concern written all over her face. I should have thrown her arm off me, but I couldn't, it felt nice... the soothing motion of her hand on my shoulder blade was definitely a higher contrast against the pain in my knee.

"I told you to take it easy, Horan," Coach said in a harsh voice as he made his way over to us. Beyond him I saw the other players still sitting, but alarm was obvious on their faces. "Now look what you did."

"This isn't his fault," Lynn said to my surprise. "I was... I was pushing him to his limits."

"I'm fine," I finally said, sitting up. Lynn removed her hand from my back like she was burned - like she just realized what she was doing. "I just stepped wrong or something."

Coach looked down at me like I was lying, but shook his head and looked behind him at the other players. "I think we should call it a night. Two weeks until our next game, and with having a new player, I'm going to have practice almost every evening until then. I'll text you the dates so you know not to plan anything for that evening. Have a good night, and good job today, everyone."

He walked off and grabbed his clipboard from the bench and made his way into the building without another look behind him. He was pissed, which meant I was going to get the talk the next time I saw him.

Lynn stood up and held her hand out for me to take. I ignored it and pushed myself up from the grass, moving my knee a little to see if I could walk. She nodded like my attitude toward her helping hand was expected and started walking off in the direction Coach went.

"Why did you defend me?" I asked her suddenly. The other players started going into the building to change, James and Jace waiting just outside the door for me.

Lynn spun to look at me and shrugged, her blue eyes looking into mine intently. "I didn't want you yelled at for something you had no control over. I don't know the story with your knee, but if it's anything like my ankle, then you just simply don't know how far you can push yourself before you crumble."

From over her shoulder, I saw James and Jace give up and exit through the doors to change, leaving the two of us alone on the field.

"What is the story with your ankle?" I asked her, walking closer. I think this was the longest I've gone without yelling or giving her sass since I met her.

"What's the story with your knee?" she shot back. When I didn't answer, she smiled cleverly and started walking backwards toward the doors again. "That's what I thought."