Chapter 46

  If I was given only one word to describe marriage I know exactly what word I would choose. Meaningful. Marriage is meaningful. It's probably the most important or best day in millions of people's lives. The day they truly made their relationship with the one most important person in their life real. Where they each say their either unique or sappy, or maybe a bit of both type of wedding vows. Where they are surround by the other important in their lives, declaring they are ready to move forward with the person they love the most in the world.

  And oddly enough, I had a dream that I was at my own wedding, ten years into the future with my own important people in my life around me. But it gets even more insane. Mc

  The person I dreamed of standing with me, at that reception, someone who I wanted to move forward with, was Spencer.

"Repeat that please?" Spencer says, slightly tilting his head in the adorable way he does when he is utterly confused.

But I worry.

Usually when we surprise each other we look at each other in shock sure, but this is different. He isn't looking at me like he wants to kiss me senseless or anything. Just unsettlingly. Stunned.

"I- I had a dream about me standing with Lily, except it wasn't really Lily like six year old her, she was a teenager...." I shake my head to the side, trying to make my case as Spencer looks at me even more shocked than possible. "That's just the beginning though, we were talking about things, like how she is just as good as me or something. We were playing soccer a-"

"At your wedding?" Spencer blurts out like I'm an insane person.

My heart stiffens at the second word. Your. Not our, or the. Your wedding.

"She looked exactly like me, but she was Lily. I could tell. And it was like I wasn't really there, but the older me wearing that wedding dress was. It was ten years into the future. Or around ten years into the future."

"How do you even know that was even real? It was just a dream. And how do you even know it was our wedding? Ten years into the future and a lot can happen...." Spencer awkwardly scratches his neck at the last part.

  We've never talked about that. Breaking up later on. We've always just decided to live in the moment and only think about the future if we were sure it was good. Not about us breaking up, resulting in both of our hearts breaking.

"I could feel it Spence, that it was real. And when I went to hug Lily isn't wasn't the me sleeping in my bed, it was the me that was getting married. And when I took a step back I say her. The girl in the ravishing wedding dress, oddly enough holding a glass of wine in one hand, my grown up sister by my side, kicking a soccer ball even in heels." I pause. "Who turned around when her newly husband called her to go cut the cake with him. The voice belonged to you Spencer."

"Holy crap." Spencer rubs his face, as if trying to wake himself up from this. This is either a nightmare to him. Or a dream come true.

"It could just be a dream though," I fumble with the bottom of my hoodie. "I mean, what do I know about what will happen ten years into the future? Heck, my parents died even after we all got a warning they would in not one, but two fortune tellings. And in one of them it was predicted that the three most important things to happen in my life in the past ten years of my life since I was eight would be them dying, us kissing, and you getting that scholarship."

"I know it could just be a dream kitten, but if you have a gut feeling that it was real than that means that I have a gut feeling it was real too."

I feel all the worries in my body begin to disappear.

"And for the record I have imagined our wedding before as well, but it wasn't a dream." Spencer shows me his handsome smile.

My heart flutters. "You've thought about our wedding before?"

"Of course I have, we might've just been dating almost six months but that doesn't mean that our relationship isn't deep or strong." Spencer strokes a piece of hair back from my face, just like he has done months ago and practically ten times a day.

I smile. "If our relationship wasn't serious would we even be talking none stop about the amazing loft we are moving into together when we move to New York City together to go to the same university?"

Spencer chuckles at my joke. "I don't think so. And I definitely don't think we would also be talking about our wedding ten years into the future if neither of us thought this relationship was seriously real."

I giggle. "I'm with you on that one."

"Oh and by any chance do I still look fantastically hot ten years into the future?" Spencer gives me a smirk but I even notice the slight look of hopefulness in his gorgeous eyes.

I put a finger on my chin, pretending to be in deep thought. "I don't know, I mean I never even saw you in it. All I heard was your voice, which obviously sounds the same still."

Spencer crinkles his face. "Dang it I hope I am still hot, because I sure as hell better keep up to you because I'm certain you'll still look the same, if not even more beautiful."

I blush, unable to stop my cheeks from turning a faint pink, as I look down at our interlocked hands. "Well aren't you sweet. But I'm sure you'll be hot still babe. From what I saw of myself before I woke up all in a fizzy I looked the same."

"Oh thank goodness, then we can be the hot couple still." Spencer dramatically sighs before giving me a cheeky smile.

I roll my eyes. "Hot couple huh?"

"You bet! And don't even get me started on how lucky our kids will be, with our genes together we better be ready to raise supermodels kitten." Spencer blurts out.

I widen my eyes, but then I give him a blank stare. "Kids is a totally different subject we can get into awhile after we just had the wedding talk."

But I hate to admit it, and before you all judge me I'm not to going to admit that our kids will look perfect or anything.

I'm admitting to myself that I want to talk to Spencer about having kids. After we are married of course.

I guess I'll just have to wait ten years then.
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"Hustle hustle! We can't get into the finals tomorrow if you all keep asking to take a water break every freaking five minutes!"

  I huff and puff as many of my teammates around me groan and complain at Spencer who keeps yelling at them.

"He does realize that we can't play tomorrow in the tournament if everyone is sitting at home  completely exhausted, right?" Parker says to me in between breaths as we run around the track.

I give out a weak laugh. "Well, it is the last time we play as a team, so I think we would all like to at least win our first game, guaranteeing another game to play."

"Pick up the pace!" Spencer hollers, then looks at Parker and I, as we are beginning to fall into the back of the pack.

"Sorry babe!" I holler back at him not meaning what I said, as I challenge him.

  I do pick up my pace though, as I speed up and run right past him, ignoring the deep gasps my lungs are making as they struggle to keep up with my sudden sprint. 

After about five more antagonizing laps around the track Spencer decides to let us stop. We've already been practicing since school got out earlier today at 2:15. It's 4:45 now.

"I hope we are ready for the tournament tomorrow." Spencer looks at me as we all stand at the bench. 

I look around at them team as they all begin packing up their things. "We are ready Spence. This team has been ready since the day Coach put up that team list a few hours after the tryouts."

"Yea, I guess we really have." Spencer smiles, and I watch as his eyes scan the team with a secretly proud look.

My lips lift a tiny bit into the smallest smile. "And we are all going to miss each other."

"That we defiantly are." He agrees as he puts a sweaty arm around my shoulders and I try to shoe him away. "But at least we still have the tournament tomorrow, Prom, Graduation, oh and like ten more days or school together."

I do try to nudge him away still as he gives me a grin. "I don't know why I'm getting all sappy, you are the one who has been a captain of the team since last year."

  Spencer shrugs at my statement as we both catch up to Parker and Brian who are already starting to walk to the parking lot. "I suppose I'm not really the sentimental type of guy."

"Oh as if dude." Parker scoffs, joining in on the conversation. "You probably remember every single important date for you and Jess' relationship. Let me think, first kiss, first hug, ah maybe even first time you smiled at each other, and maybe first time- Hey!"

I giggle as Spencer hits Parker with his heavy soccer bag.

Brian and I exchange bored looks at the two children who begin fighting and running around.

"The point is that we will all miss each other...." I pause when the two idiots continue to shot back and forth childish looks. "And I'm going to die of cancer right after graduation, tragic huh?"

Parkers eyes flicker over to me, rushing to reply, hoping I won't realize he isn't even listening. "That's horrible?"

Brian barks out into laughter, going the other two hooligans as I huff and cross my arms.

"You're all lucky I wasn't serious, or else if I really do die of cancer after graduation you three won't be laughing anymore."

"You're dying of cancer?" Spencer spits out in confusion, looking down at me.

I roll my eyes and sigh. "No I'm not."

"Oh okay good." I relax a bit as Spencer plants a kiss on my head.

"So as Jess was saying beforehand was that we are all going to miss each other." Brian begins. "And that is why we should make tomorrow a phenomenal last soccer game/ tournament."

"Yea, then I could actually have something to talk about in that speech I have yet to start." Spencer grumbles, making me look at him like a scolding mother, well a scolding girlfriend.

"You haven't started you scholarship speech yet?" I squeak out as we all stop and stand on the side of the school and the parking lot.

"Well I was too busy helping you give yourself a break from all the stress you were putting on yourself for your speech." Spencer points out, making a somewhat reasonable excuse.

"And by break I bet you mean a little make out session huh?" Parker disgustingly wiggles his eyebrows at us.

I make a revolted face. "How dare you say that!"

"Why don't you just admit it was true kitten?" Spencer cheekily grins at me. "You don't have to lie about what we were doing..."

"I didn't need a break from writing my speech Spence, besides I've written plenty of speeches before. More than I can remember." I complain. "You should've started your own speech by now, graduation is getting closer."

"Don't worry, graduation is exactly ten days from now, that gives me plenty of time to write my speech and practice it." Spencer responds. "And I actually need to wait until after the tournament tomorrow to start the speech because I plan on writing a part of it about it."

"Oh yea! And about how Brian said earlier about making the tournament phenomenal for us we have to certainly do something crazy to make sure Spencer can write something good in his speech!" Parker hoots, before bowing dramatically at my slow clapping for his brilliant idea.

"Like what?" Spencer ignores Parker bowing to ask. "What's the craziest thing you could do at a school soccer tournament? Try playing for another team?"

I snort at the last part. "Maybe kicking a soccer ball at one of the players from SouthWood High?"

Parker shakes his head. "Nah... But maybe doing that then blaming it on another team...... Actually scratch that, nothing can make that idea crazy."

I huff. "Well why don't we just have a regular old day at a soccer tournament then?"

"Huh." Parker blurts out in thought. "Didn't know you were still such a goodie-two-shoes Jess. I just assumed Spencer forever turned you into a bad girl."

"Hilarious." I sarcastically reply before looking back and forth between Brian and Spencer. "Do either of you have any other ideas?"

Brian laughs. "Don't look at me. You both know math and books is our forte. Crazy crap is Spencer and Parker's."

I shrug then look over to my badboy boyfriend. "What's your idea then babe? Preferably not one that can potentially land all of us in another year here at Northwood High."

Spencer smiles, then looks back at the school. "I have a great idea."

We all stand, waiting for him to tell us.

"I may seem like I have no life Spencer, but I have a moody girlfriend waiting her car over there. So I can't really stand here all day waiting to here your master plan." Brian motions to Nova sitting in her car looking down at her phone as she waits parked, as he gives Spencer a blank stare.

  Parker laughs for a second and gives Brian a high-five before looking down at the ground once he notices Spencer giving him a unsettling glare.

  And there we stand in a small huddle in between the parking lot, the school, and the soccer fields, as Spencer finally blurts out his bonkers plan. The idea to end all of his crazy ideas. The idea to make its way into his scholarship speech.

"We are gonna play our entire first game with our eyes closed."

Now how is that supposed to work?

We all walk him like he is mental as he starts laughing. "I'm just messing with you guys, but seriously, you should've seen your faces. Now that was priceless. But for real now. We are either going to...... Paint our faces with school colours. Or leave the fields where the game is being held during lunch, since we are aloud to.... Go out to eat....And eat as much fast food as we possibly can."

Well you all know which one I am going to chose.
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"Coach actually rented a coach bus for a one hour drive to the tournament!" I laugh as soon as we all stand in front of one of those regular not-so-fancy coach buses. Like the ones you would ride in if you were going on the class trip some where far away. Except this is not a class trip nor is it far away.

"Well yea kitten, he said he wanted us to have the full experience." Spencer wraps an arm around my shoulder. "Even if it means renting a coach bus to drive only an hour to whatever town the tournament is being held at."

"Olean." I answer, looking down at the team schedule.

"Are you sure it wasn't Orlean?" Parker joins the conversation, clearly already missing Emma who just left. Nova, Emma are going with Nathan and Lily to the game. The Golds are all going in another car.

"I'm pretty sure." I give him a serious look before looking down at the schedule again. "It says we play at 9:15, that's in an hour and fifteen minutes."

"Relax kitten, we will get there in time for us to have a proper warm up, I promise you." Spencer says as he rubs my shoulders, obviously realizing the stress in my tone. "And if not, then Coach can just make the driver Mr. Winters gun it down the highway."

"You probably shouldn't have said that." Parker whispers from behind me to Spencer as he sees me tense up.

"You probably shouldn't have." I agree with Parker, my voice threatening to crack. "Because everyone knows I am a worrywart."

"I know." Spencer says from behind me still as he pushes the hair from my ponytail back to behind me. "Which is why I also know you are also worried about if we are all going to throw up during a game after we go for all that fast food at lunch."

"Well yea I am." I turn around to face him. "If we want to win we have to be at our top performance, which includes eating good food."

"That explains why you are drinking some power protein smoothie." Parker jokes as he motions to my weird coloured smoothie in my hand. "Because that is usually like a frap from Starbucks or a soda from McDonald's."

I shot him an unimpressed look before turning back to Spencer. "I'm not joking around Spence. You know I'm all up for eating French fries, pizza, and chips, but I'm going to have a limit. I don't want to throw up all over the ball when I go to take a shot on net."

"Okay, don't worry then." Spencer says as I turn back around and start following the other players onto the bus. "You can do whatever you want, heck if you want you can order a salad."

"Even if she's not feeling well she wouldn't do that." Parker jokes as we walk up into the bus, look at the few empty rows and a few rows with players already seated.

"True." I simply say.

"We are gonna need to sit in the front of the bus with Coach." Spencer exclaims to me, motioning to the first seats on the left. I assume Coach will get the seats across the aisle. One to sit in and one extra one. All the soccer balls and extra equipment was put in the luggage compartment on the side of the bus.

  I sit down in the window seat and stuff my bag by my feet. Spencer sits down in the sit beside me, Brian sits in the window seat behind us and Parker sits in the seat beside him.

"Let's get this show on the road shall we?" Coach cheers as he stands at the front of the bus once everyone is ready.

We all cheer back and as soon as we pull out of the school parking lot Dominic begins blaring Selena Gomez on the radio speakers of the bus. I roll my eyes as he plays the song 'Me and My Girls'.

  Spencer mutter something under the lines of 'why did I leave him in charge of the music' under his breath.

"You like to watch while we shake it!" I fight off laughing as Parker and many of the other boys jump up and down in their seats. "You want us all in the worst way." I'm not even going to mention all the suggestive looks these guys are making right now. Oh whoops, I just did.

"You don't understand I don't need a man." I lip sync along with the weird guys on the bus, meanwhile there is a few guys who don't want to lose their manly pride, and are currently either plugging their ears or pretending they don't like this song.

There is two types of people in this world. The ones who completely embrace their craziness, and right now it is the guys embracing their love of Selena Gomez. And not just because they might find her attractive. And then there is the ones who won't admit they are crazy.

So all in all everyone in this world is crazy.

We all viciously clap quickly to the clapping sound, before going insane at the chorus. I grin at Spencer, who I can tell is trying to ignore my crazy cuteness, as he would call it.

"Me and my girls, me and my girls. Me and my, me and my, me and my, me and my girls!" We all sing along as we turn down the Main Street and onto the small highway.

And this is a moment I will truly, truly miss.

  This is also the rare moment in today in which I complete forget that the whole time has agreed to eat until they practically throw up, right before a big match.
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"Congratulations men, and woman." Coach motions towards me gracefully. "After this game that we just won we have successfully snagged a spot into the finals. Well, since that was the semifinals and all. But that was a close game, and we were slowing down at the end, thinking they couldn't score to tie the game. So we need to be pretend and ready at all times."

"And now we are going to go take a quick lunch break downtown together, we only have fifty minutes though until we all have to be back here in time to get in a nice solid warm up." Spencer adds. "Let's go for lunch."

I don't miss the small smirk he gives when Coach turns away.

  We all quickly pack up our equipment, put it into the bus, and head off to the first fast food restaurant we see in this little town. It's the biggest town in the whole county, making it the host of this tournament.

"Ready to eat some delicious McDonald's fries kitten?" Spencer moves his head ever so slightly from where it is resting on the back of the seat to look at me.

"Just be prepared for Coach to have a heart attack when he watches you all order a family sized order, each of you." I shake my head.

"Ah, well we gotta make this tournament memorable." Spencer points out. "And about Coach don't be surprised if he orders a family sized order of salads, just for himself."

  I laugh as I look over to Coach who is in the seat across from us, luckily he doesn't hear Spencer whisper, as he is too busy trying to tell Mr. Winters about the safety of road. Hilarious, seeing as how Mr. Winters job is driving students.... On the road.

"Why don't we just make it memorable without going crazy with McDonald's?" I suggest, trying to point out the reasonable idea.

"Nah." Spencer disagrees. "I'm gonna need a sick speech. Preferably not including some boring part about how all we did was give it our all and make it into the finals, and reminisce about the good old days when we first played SouthWood High. Seeing as how we are most likely going to be playing them in the finals."

"Actually dude, I'm very glad to break this heart breaking news to you." Parker peaks his head out from in between Spencer's seat and my seat. "But we won't be playing SouthWood High."

"What?" Spencer and I say in unison and in astonishment.

  Our faces both filled with awe we look back at Parker for the longest half a second ever in anticipation. At least it feels like the longest half of a second ever.

Parker nods his head up and down quickly, making his brown hair move. "Hell yea, SouthWood High lost in the semifinals earlier we were playing Riverbank High."

"Yes!" Spencer whoops, smiling at Parker and I.

"That means I won't have to see any of those nasty SouthWood High players ever again in my life, including Luke the loser." I scrunch my nose up in distaste as I think of that idiot and his horrible teammates.

"Anyways, Luke the loser...." Parker makes fun of my secret nickname. "And the rest of his team lost to the best team in the league-"

"The other best team in the league." Spencer corrects him, making sure not to leave our team out, then lets him continue.

"The other best team in the league." Parker repeats. "Making them the hardest team to beat. We had a rough match against SouthWood High a couple of months ago, and the time a couple of weeks ago too. The other teams we easily bet. Except Riverbank High."

"We've lost to them before." Spencer confirms. "Twice. And we've bet them twice, with three ties."

"This really is the final match."

Parker sits back down in his seat behind us as soon as I say that. Leading just Spencer and I alone again.

Spencer kisses me on the top of the head, resting his forehead on mine.

"Time to get some carbs."

I laugh and look down after he whispers that in my ear and gets up out of his seat to stand up. I guess we are here.

Spencer's suggestion: Carbs can fix everything.

Ten minutes later.

"Have you all gone mental?" Coach's voice booms through the restaurant. He awkwardly looks around as we stand at the cashier line, waiting for our food. "Why did you all order enough food to feed an army?"

I sigh as the whole team just shrugs and looks away, as if this was rehearsed. Probably was.

I huff and stuff my hands in my thin spring coat jacket. "They wanted to make this tournament 'memorable', 'crazy', and 'phenomenal'." I pull my hands out of my pockets to make many air quotations.

Coach rubs his temples. "All I have to say is....... Eat some of my salad instead boys! Carbs can't fix everything!"

I stifle in a laugh as I remember what Spencer thought no more than fifteen minutes ago. And the inky different in that last sentence was that Spencer turned that can't into can.

"Sorry Coach." They all mumble embarrassed. I look around to see some people looking at us out of the corner of their eyes.

"Listen, we can win the tournament, even if it means we throw up after or possibly during the game, we're gonna win!" Spencer chants, but lowers his voice at the end when he also notices the strangers watching us.

We must look like quite the group. About twenty boys and one girl dressed in matching soccer uniforms, the classic looking coach scolding them all like a mother hen, and about fifteen family members and friends behind us watching completely lost.

I roll my eyes. "It's a good thing we brought trash cans."

"Wait you knew about this too Jess?" Coach blurts out in shock, looking at me like I just betrayed him.

"I thought my sister was a good person!"

I sigh for what seems the millionth time today, before turning around to Nathan. "And I thought I was the only dramatic person in our family!"

With that last burn, we all get our food and head over to one of the corners of the McDonald's, taking up practically the whole half of the restaurant.

I sit beside Spencer, with Lily and Nathan across from us at our own table.

We all begin eating our food and after about ten minutes me and the family members and friends are all done. The rest of the team and Coach Bennett on the other hand though....

All of them still have there own whole tray of food on it.

"Let us help." Mrs. Gold suggests, not wanting her son and his friends to suffer later.

The other few moms agree, and I join them as we walk around the boys tables, trying to ease the load by stealing a few fries or chicken nuggets. But it's harder than it looks, with them all trying to act tough and swatting us away.

I hear a loud phone start ringing and I turn my head over to the culprit, along with everyone in this half of the McDonald's.

"Sorry, I have to take this." Mr. Gold professionally clears his throat and adjusts his suit before standing up and taking his phone with him as he walks away.

I look at Spencer who immediately seems down. I frown at the sight. Mr. Gold has been getting up and down to answer his phone every since we got to the tournament. I've followed Spencer's depressing looks all day. Even during the five short games we had this mourning and early afternoon.

I know Spencer probably thinks it shouldn't bother him, he thinks he should be used to it. But this is important to him. This tournament is important to him and sure his father came to support him, but he isn't doing much supporting while he is on the phone talking to people at his work.

I wait a few seconds, to not only decide what to do, but to think it over. And of course it's the right thing to do.

"I'm gonna go to the washroom." I exclaim, getting up and walking away in the direction I saw the washrooms to be earlier.

It just so happens to be in the same direction Mr. Gold went.

And I'm not really lying or anything, I really do have to go to the washroom. The closer thing they have to washrooms there is the coach bus washroom and the unsanitary porta potties.

I spot Mr. Gold standing by the doorway entrance of the restaurant.

I walk by slowly, thankful he is too wrapped up in his conversation to realize I'm walking less than seven feet away from him. At the speed of a snail might I add.

"I said this before already John," Mr. Gold has a stern tone, probably to one of his co-workers. "Spencer is capable of becoming a lawyer, and it's actually something he wants to do."

I make a secretive smile, as I stop and rest on the side of one of the walls, so I can hear the rest of the conversation.

"I underestimated my son and I'm actually proud of him, I just wish he would know that." He sighs. "I'm proud of Spencer, he is going to have a great future, and not just being a lawyer."

And Mr. Gold was right.

Spencer really did have a great future.

And Spencer's future became even better than Mr. Gold predict.

It probably didn't even have anything to do with the fact that we later won the tournament.

  And made some crazy, insane, mental, memories. And if wasn't just because they ate an army sized amount of McDonald's.

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Hey perfect people!

*Happily sighs

Spencer's dad actually cares about him, is proud of him, and is a genuinely good father to him! Oh and they won the tournament! The only thing that is left is Prom and Graduation! Everything is coming together! *claps rapidly like a maniac.

Anyways what did you think of this chapter? Thoughts on what will happen at Prom? Thoughts on what will happen at Graduation? And um, thoughts who will win Prom King and Queen? Oh and of course, what sappy romantic thing will happen between Spence and Jess? Let me know in the comment section! Please don't be a silent reader!

Bye for now my lovely bookworms,
                                                                   Ashley🌸