Chapter 35

The last two lessons of the day dragged on painfully slow.

Geography was just as boring as the lesson before. I loved history, but geography never really clicked for me. The teacher was talking about physical features of the earth—rivers, mountains, and stuff that just didn't seem to matter. My mind kept drifting as the words blurred together. I tried to focus, but it felt impossible.

Chloe and Sophia were already making weekend plans, whispering excitedly in the corner of the room.

I sighed, resting my chin in my hand. Just get through it. That was my plan. Not that it was easy when I cared so little about what was being said.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.

I stretched my arms above my head before shoving my books into my bag. As I grabbed my phone, I sent a quick text to Lucas.

Me: Finally done. Heading out now.

"Heading out, Shorty?" Chloe asked with a smirk as I threw my bag over my shoulder.

I groaned. "Stop calling me that," I muttered, though I couldn't help but smile slightly at the teasing.

"You'll get used to it," she said with a wink.

Sophia laughed. "We'll see you later. Don't forget about the study session tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving them off before heading toward the exit.

As I stepped outside, I spotted Lucas near the gates, hands in his pockets. I waved, and he came over, his usual grin in place.

"Got anything fun planned?" he asked, falling into step beside me.

I shrugged. "Nah, just heading home. Easton's picking me up. You?"

"I'm going home with my mum to get ready for the match," Lucas said, sounding a little less enthusiastic than usual. "I'm mostly just there for the donuts afterward. You in?"

I smirked. "Don't think I'll be able to resist the donuts."

Lucas grinned, clearly pleased. "Great, I'll save you one."

"Sure," I said, though I had no intention of letting Lucas pick out my donut for me. "You'll be there cheering, then?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll yell at the refs a bit and maybe mock the guys, but mostly donuts," Lucas joked.

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "You're something else."

"Yeah, I know. Catch you later, Shorty," Lucas said with a wink before heading off toward his mum's car.

I watched him go, shaking my head before making my way to the other side of the parking lot where Easton was waiting.

"Hey," I greeted, sliding into the passenger seat.

"Ready to go?" Easton asked, starting the engine.

"Yeah, let's go," I said, leaning back in the seat, already thinking about the donuts.

The moment we got home, I bolted up the stairs, eager to get out of my uniform. I tossed my bag onto my bed and immediately started stripping off the stiff school blazer and tie, throwing them somewhere in the corner of my room.

Jeans and a hoodie were my go to choice as it was comfortable and warm enough for standing around outside. I pulled on a thick hoodie (one I may or may not have stolen from Lucas a while ago), then ran my fingers through my hair to fix it.

Just as I was about to head back downstairs, Easton's voice rang through the house.

"Adrian, you better not think about leaving without eating something!"

I groaned, dragging my feet down the stairs. "I'm not even hungry."

Easton raised an eyebrow, arms crossed as he leaned against the counter. "That's not an excuse. You're eating before we go. You'll be standing outside for hours, and I'm not dealing with you getting lightheaded halfway through the game."

I scowled. "I won't get lightheaded."

Easton just gave me a look.

With a dramatic sigh, I flopped into one of the kitchen chairs. "Fine."

He slid a plate in front of me—a simple sandwich and some fruit on the side. "Eat."

I poked at it. "This is so unfair."

Easton rolled his eyes. "It's basic survival, Adrian. Just eat."

Muttering under my breath, I took a bite, chewing slowly just to be annoying.

Easton smirked. "You know, the slower you eat, the later we'll be."

I shot him a glare before speeding up. "Happy?"

"Getting there."

Despite my initial protests, I was done quicker than I expected. Easton tossed me a water bottle. "Drink too."

I groaned. "You're worse than Elijah."

"Thank you," Easton said, completely unbothered as he grabbed his keys.

Once I finished, we headed out to the car. Easton pulled out of the driveway, humming along to the radio while I stared out the window. The sun was starting to set, casting long shadows over the streets as we drove back toward the college.

"So," Easton said after a moment, "excited for the game?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I mean, yeah, I'll cheer for the guys, but the only reason I'm going is because if I didn't, Henry and the twins would probably kill me."

Easton chuckled. "Sounds about right."

I sighed. "Lucas and I made a deal, though donuts afterward. So, that's something."

Easton smirked. "You and Lucas are always scheming."

I just grinned. "It's a talent."

By the time we pulled into the college car park, it was already packed. Students, parents, and teachers were all making their way toward the football pitch.

Easton parked the car, and we stepped out, the cool evening air immediately hitting me. I shoved my hands into my hoodie pocket as we started walking.

The sounds of the crowd, the distant echo of a whistle, and the excited energy in the air made it clear that the game was going to be intense.

"Come on," Easton said, nudging me toward the field. "Let's go find our guys."

I sighed but followed, already preparing myself for whatever chaos was about to unfold.

As soon as we reached the edge of the field, I spotted a familiar group standing near the stands—Diana, Oscar, and Jonathan were already there, chatting with Elijah, who must have arrived just before us.

Elijah turned when he saw us approaching, raising a hand in greeting. "Hey, there you are."

"Hey," Easton said, giving Oscar and Jonathan a nod.

I barely registered their conversation before my attention was pulled elsewhere.

Lucas.

He stood a few feet away, hands tucked in his pockets, his usual lopsided grin appearing the second our eyes met. Without thinking, I slipped past the others and walked straight to him, wrapping my arms around him in a quick hug.

Lucas huffed a small laugh, hugging me back easily. "Hey, Shorty."

I scowled. "Shut up."

Lucas pulled back just slightly, his eyes flickering over me before his smirk widened. "Wait a second... is that my hoodie?"

I froze.

Before I could react, Lucas reached out and tugged at the hem, his grin growing. "It is, isn't it? I knew I was missing this one."

Immediately, I crossed my arms. "No, it's mine."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? When did you buy it?"

I hesitated for a split second. "That's not important."

Lucas laughed. "Uh-huh. It's fine. Looks better on you anyway."

My face heated instantly. I glanced away, not trusting myself to respond without making it worse.

Before I could dwell on it, Diana clapped her hands together. "Alright, boys, let's go find our seats before the game starts."

Jonathan nodded. "Good idea. The place is filling up fast."

We all made our way up the bleachers, finding a decent spot with a clear view of the field.

I plopped down next to Lucas, still hyper-aware of the hoodie clinging to my skin. My heart was still racing slightly, and I cursed myself for it.

Lucas leaned in slightly, nudging me. "Ready to yell at people for an hour?"

I smirked. "I was born ready."

Lucas grinned. "That's my Shorty."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I hate you."

Lucas just laughed as the game kicked off.

The match was intense from the very start. The moment the whistle blew, both teams launched into action, sprinting across the field and shouting commands to each other as they maneuverer the ball with quick, precise footwork.

Henry was already standing out. He weaved past defenders effortlessly, keeping perfect control of the ball as he pushed toward the goal. Around us, people cheered his name, his confidence only growing with the attention.

"Come on, Henry," Elijah muttered under his breath, leaning forward slightly.

I barely had time to process before Henry sidestepped a defender, faked left, and took the shot.

The ball soared past the goalie, hitting the back of the net with a satisfying thud.

The stands erupted in cheers.

Henry turned toward the crowd, grinning as he pointed toward us before jogging back into position.

I rolled my eyes. Show-off.

But the opposing team wasn't about to back down. They picked up their pace, their forwards pressing aggressively as they pushed into Henry's team's side of the field. I watched as their midfielder sent a sharp pass to their striker, who barely hesitated before taking the shot.

The ball sailed through the air, and before anyone could react, it slammed into the net.

"Damn," Oscar muttered.

I sighed. "Well, that sucks."

Lucas stretched his arms over his head lazily. "Eh, they'll get another one."

And, of course, he was right.

This time, Leon had control of the ball, moving quickly as he darted past defenders. One of their teammates—a tall, muscular guy I vaguely recognized—ran up alongside him.

Leon didn't even hesitate. He sent a clean pass right to him, and just as the defenders tried to close in, his teammate shot the ball straight into the net.

Another goal.

The crowd cheered, even louder this time.

I clapped lazily, but, if I was being honest, my attention had started to drift.

My eyes wandered to the sidelines, where the cheerleaders were bouncing and twirling in perfect formation, bright smiles on their faces as they waved their pom-poms. They looked so... put together. Confident. Outgoing. Pretty.

Exactly the type of people Lucas would be into.

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling small.

Not awkward. Not someone who constantly needed reassurance. Not someone like me.

I pulled my hoodie sleeves over my hands, sinking slightly into my seat.

Lucas, who had been watching the game, must have noticed something was off because he suddenly nudged my side.

"Hey."

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. "What?"

Lucas tilted his head slightly. "You okay?"

I forced a small smile. "Yeah. Just cold."

Lucas narrowed his eyes, like he didn't fully believe me, but he let it slide. Instead, he leaned in slightly. "Wanna go get donuts now?"

I hesitated for half a second before nodding. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Lucas grinned. "Come on, Shorty."

The cheerleaders were on the sidelines, jumping and twirling in perfect formation, bright smiles on their faces as they waved their pom-poms. They looked like the kind of people Lucas would be into.

Confident. Outgoing. Attractive.

Adrian swallowed hard.

Not awkward and shy. Not someone who constantly had to be reassured.

Not someone like him.

He pulled his hoodie sleeves over his hands, sinking a little into his seat.

Lucas, who had been focused on the game, must have noticed, because he suddenly nudged Adrian's side. "Hey."

Adrian blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "What?"

Lucas tilted his head. "You okay?"

Adrian forced a small smile. "Yeah. Just cold."

Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly, like he didn't believe him, but he let it slide. Instead, he leaned in slightly. "Wanna go get donuts now?"

Adrian hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Lucas grinned. "Come on, Shorty."

Adrian tugged on Elijah's sleeve before he and Lucas left. "Hey, can I have some money?"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Adrian huffed. "For donuts, obviously."

Elijah smirked, crossing his arms. "Didn't you just eat dinner before we left?"

Adrian scowled. "That was hours ago."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're starving."

Elijah sighed dramatically before digging into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. "Fine. But don't spend it all."

Adrian grinned as Elijah handed him a ten-pound note. "You're the best."

"I know," Elijah said. "Now go before I change my mind."

Adrian and Lucas made their way toward the food trucks lined up near the car park. The smell of fried dough and sugar filled the air, making Adrian's stomach rumble. The donut truck was easy to spot, the warm glow of its lights standing out against the evening sky.

They stepped up to the counter, scanning the menu.

"Alright," Lucas said, rubbing his hands together. "What are we getting?"

Adrian pursed his lips, eyes darting between the flavors. "Chocolate. Obviously."

Lucas nodded. "Good choice. I'm getting cinnamon."

The lady behind the counter smiled at them. "Anything to drink?"

Adrian thought about it. "Hot chocolate."

"Same," Lucas added.

The lady nodded and rang up their order. Adrian handed over Elijah's money, getting a few coins back as change, which he stuffed into his pocket without caring.

A few minutes later, they were handed a small bag of warm donuts and two steaming cups of hot chocolate.

Lucas took a careful sip, humming in satisfaction. "This is good."

Adrian, meanwhile, just held his cup, blowing on it to cool it down. "I don't wanna burn my tongue."

Lucas smirked. "Because then you wouldn't be able to complain properly?"

Adrian shot him a glare. "Exactly."

As they turned to go back to the bleachers, Adrian eyed the crowd. "Ugh, I don't wanna walk through all those people while carrying this."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, let's just sit over there." He nodded toward an empty bench near the edge of the car park.

Adrian didn't argue. They made their way over and sat down, the night air cool against their skin, though the warmth from the donuts and hot chocolate helped.

For a while, they just ate in silence, the only sound being the occasional cheer from the game and the hum of distant conversations.

Lucas glanced over at Adrian. "Better now?"

Adrian licked some chocolate off his finger, shrugging. "Yeah."

Lucas smirked. "Told you donuts fix everything."

Adrian huffed but didn't disagree. Maybe they did.

Lucas and I sat on the bench for a little longer, enjoying the warmth of our hot chocolate as we finished our donuts. The night air was crisp, but the heat from the drink kept my hands from freezing.

"Alright," Lucas finally said, stretching. "We should probably get back before they think we got kidnapped or something."

I sighed, standing up reluctantly. "Fine. But if we get trampled walking through that crowd, I'm blaming you."

Lucas smirked. "Blame me all you want, Shorty. Just don't spill your drink on me."

I rolled my eyes, but as we made our way through the crowd, I held my cup carefully, trying not to bump into anyone. The stadium lights were bright against the night sky, and as we got closer to the bleachers, the energy from the game was impossible to ignore.

I glanced at the scoreboard. There were only ten minutes left, and our team was up by one goal. The crowd was buzzing with excitement, people on their feet, shouting encouragement.

Lucas and I squeezed our way back to our seats, where Elijah, Diana, and the others were still watching the game. Elijah gave me a quick glance. "Took you long enough."

I shrugged. "Didn't wanna spill my hot chocolate."

"Priorities," Oscar said with a smirk.

I ignored him, turning my attention back to the game just in time to see Henry sprinting down the field, skillfully dodging an opponent before passing the ball to one of his teammates.

The game was intense. The other team was pushing hard, trying to even the score, but our defense was holding strong. The seconds ticked down, and the pressure on the field was palpable.

Then, in a blur of motion, Leon stole the ball, maneuvering past two players before lining up a shot.

I held my breath.

With perfect precision, he kicked the ball straight into the net.

The crowd erupted.

I jumped to my feet with everyone else, shouting as Leon was immediately tackled into a celebratory hug by his teammates. Henry ran over, ruffling his hair as they cheered.

The buzzer went off, signaling the end of the match.

Our team had won.

On the field, the celebration kicked into high gear. Leon and Henry were lifted into the air, their teammates shouting and chanting. Even from here, I could see the huge grin on Henry's face as he pumped his fists in the air.

Lucas nudged me. "Your brothers are loving this."

I snorted. "They better. They made me come to this."

Lucas grinned. "Well, at least it wasn't boring."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't deny that watching Henry and Leon get celebrated like this made me feel... kind of proud. Even if they were annoying, they were still my brothers.

Elijah stretched beside me. "Alright, let's go congratulate them before they get too full of themselves."

Diana laughed. "Too late."

I shook my head but followed the others as we made our way down toward the field, where the players were still celebrating.

As we walked toward the field, the energy from the win was still electric. Students and parents stood in clusters, talking excitedly, while the team continued celebrating. Leon and Henry were still being jostled around by their teammates, both of them grinning like idiots.

Lucas walked beside me, hands in his hoodie pocket. "Think they'll ever stop bragging about this?"

I sighed dramatically. "Doubt it. I'm never gonna hear the end of it at home."

Lucas chuckled. "Good luck with that."

As we reached the edge of the field, Henry spotted us and immediately jogged over, his face still flushed from the game. "Did you see that?" he asked, grinning.

I gave him a lazy thumbs-up. "Yeah, yeah. You did alright, I guess."

Henry scoffed. "Alright? I was amazing."

Leon appeared beside him, wiping sweat from his forehead. "He actually passed for once, so yeah, pretty amazing."

Henry shoved him. "Shut up."

Elijah ruffled Henry's hair. "Good game, both of you."

Diana beamed. "We're so proud of you boys!"

Jonathan clapped Henry on the back. "You played like a pro out there. Keep it up, and scouts will start looking at you."

Henry puffed up at the praise, and I rolled my eyes. "Great. Now his ego's gonna be even bigger."

Miles and Alex jogged over, both grinning as they clapped Henry and Leon on the back.

"Alright, fine," Miles said, smirking. "You two actually pulled your weight today."

Alex nodded, crossing his arms. "Yeah, we might even admit to being related to you—for now."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Oh, lucky me."

Henry smirked. "Yeah, yeah, keep talking. I didn't see either of you scoring."

Miles scoffed. "Excuse me? Did you miss the part where I set up half your plays?"

Alex grinned. "And did you miss the part where I saved your sorry ass on defense?"

Leon laughed. "So basically, we carried each other."

Miles ruffled Leon's hair. "Sure, let's go with that."

Leon groaned, swatting him away. "You guys are the worst."

Henry, still full of energy, turned to me. "Where'd you disappear to, anyway?"

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Getting donuts."

Henry blinked. "Without me?"

Lucas crossed his arms. "To be fair, you were a little busy."

Henry scoffed. "Still. You could've waited."

"Not my fault you decided to play a full game of football," I said, smirking.

Leon sighed, shaking his head. "I swear, all you care about is food."

I grinned. "And?"

Leon just groaned.

As the crowd started to thin out, Elijah checked his watch. "Alright, let's get going before traffic gets bad."

Diana nodded. "I'll see you boys later," she said, pulling Lucas into a hug.

Jonathan patted Henry and Leon on the shoulder one last time before saying goodbye to us all.

Lucas turned to me, smirking. "Guess this is where we part ways, Shorty."

I scowled. "Do you ever get tired of that?"

"Not at all," Lucas said easily. "See you tomorrow?"

I hesitated. "Yeah. Study session."

He grinned. "Can't wait."

With that, he jogged over to his mum's car, leaving me standing there, watching him go.

Elijah nudged my shoulder. "You good?"

I blinked, quickly looking away. "Yeah. Let's go."

We all made our way back to the cars, Henry still grinning like an idiot. Miles and Alex kept teasing him about his "big moment," and for once, Henry didn't even fight back probably because he knew he'd won this round.

As we drove home, I leaned against the window, already feeling the exhaustion creep in.

Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

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Word count: 3300

Hey Guys Thanks for reading this story so please be nice and kind. I am sorry if there are any spelling mistakes or bad grammar.

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More chapters will be coming out soon.

*EMMA HETHRON*