Be Yourself
Chapter Four: Blocking
Raven
Trevor screamed bloody murder at the player on the opposing team. The guy in the green jersey tried to take the ball to the sideline and clear it towards our defensive end, but because Trevor decided to just straight up scream at him, the guy jumped back, paralyzed with fear. He came back to reality after a second, but it was a beat too late because Trevor had already snatched the soccer ball and was advancing towards their goal.
Becky and I roared in the stands. I had tears streaming down my face. I had no idea that a soccer game could be so much fun, nor did I know they could torment the competition like that. The referee didn't call it; they had absolutely nothing to say on the matter. I wondered how much other shit Trevor was able to get away with on the soccer field.
Becky screamed for Matt's involvement as he hung around the midfield line. He was center defense or something so he apparently wasn't allowed to get directly involved in the action unless it meant slide tackling somebody in order to keep them away from the goal.
I looked around to see if anyone else got swept away in Trevor's skills. The parents and students alike cheered hard as if their sheer decibel level would increase the likelihood of him scoring. I turned away from Becky and I made eye contact with two people who looked like they definitely didn't belong here. It was a guy and a girl, both of them wearing dark fabric that covered the tops of their heads.
Freaked out, I grabbed onto Becky's arm and pulled her down to the metal seats. She sat with a huff and we disappeared behind some parents' legs. Thank god Dullsville had a morbid obesity rate of 34% because the woman's legs next to me were saving me from making eye contact with Dracula One and Two.
I snuck a glance around the woman's legs, which was a mistake because I could feel their eyes on me. I could clearly make out Number Two's bright pink lips. She parted them as if she were hungry and awaiting a drink, letting her small fangs see the light of day. I immediately turned away from them and turned my attention back to Trevor's game. This couldn't be happening. Not to me. Not now. I thought once Alexander left so would all of his weird cohorts. I didn't want to think about what they could possibly want with me.
I screamed for Trevor, silently hoping that he would be able to hear me from everyone else. I screamed again as the ball hit the back of the net. Trevor had lobbed it in the area between the eighteen and the six feet line, barely clearing the goalie's gloves as it skated against the top part of the net. It was beautiful goal; one that brought the whole Dullsville bleacher section to their feet. Becky and I cheered on our soccer snobs. I screamed until it felt like I couldn't expel any more breath from my chest while Becky clapped and jumped around. The boys jogged back to the midfield, all smiles.
The players on the other team put the ball in the circle along the middle line. Why they decided to put a circle in the middle of the field, I don't know, but it seemed to act like a force field around the two guys who hovered over the ball. The referee blew the whistle and the play was started. I turned away from the action, not caring much for the opposing team's lackluster attempt to sprint towards the goal. I was more concerned about the people who might be stalking me.
I looked over and there was no one in sight. The two misfits had seemed to vanish. An older couple took their place, probably a couple of the parents from our team. How could they have just disappeared like that? Wouldn't people have had to move in order for them to leave so quick? I glanced over again and a cold sweat broke out over my back. It was true. They were definitely gone. I wondered if they had ever really been there. Were they just a figment of my imagination? Was I paranoid because of everything that happened in the past couple months? But why would my mind make up something like that? The pink and black, red and white. The fangs. It just didn't click.
Becky's screams brought me back to the present. I shook my head, focusing away from the seat and turned my vision towards the field. The game was over 3-0. Dullsville won. Trevor and the rest of the team gathered at the sidelines close to the coaches and met to clap hands with the opposing team. Once they had gone through the whole line and thanked the refs, they congregated into a large circle on the field. They chanted some victory cheer and a couple parents joined in. These people must have attended every game to know it that well.
The team broke off and went to the sidelines. The people in the stands broke off, some going straight to their cars, others walking towards the sideline to wait for their child or friend. Becky and I followed them down the metal steps before pushing our way past them onto the field. Trevor and Matt huddled together over on the sidelines, packing up their stuff while their coach imparted words of wisdom. I couldn't imagine what kind of constructive advise he could give his players after a game like that, but I was positive that he would find something to grill the guys about on Monday when they had practice.
Becky and I made it to the center circle by the time they put their hands in a circle, counting down before yelling the team name. Everyone broke apart after that, Matt and Trevor and another forward walked towards their bags. The forward said something to Trevor and he immediately turned to stare at me. A wolfish grin took over his handsome face and he turned back to pick up his bag. He threw it over his shoulder and did a half-jog towards us.
"Babe! We won!"
I laughed. "I know!"
He dropped his bag on the white line surrounding us and rushed over. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me into the arm. The stench of sweat made my eyes water and I wanted to gag by how strong it was. Not only that, but his arms were sticky and stuck to my skin like half-melted cheese that had been sitting out in the sun for too long on an especially hot spring day. It was gross and I did my best not to choke on the abhorrent smell.
He set me down and the gleam in his green eyes was too strong for me to really be upset about his body odor, especially after a performance as spectacular as that one. He held me out to arm's length and did a once-over before pulling me back in for another hug. It was as if soccer hadn't really mattered after all, and that I was a good enough trophy for him. His breath was hot against my neck, his jagged breath brushing against my ear.
"I know I promised dinner, but we're gonna have to go tomorrow night. The guys are gonna celebrate with each other."
"So," I started, my voice unsure, "what are you saying?"
"I want you to be my plus one."
I pulled back. "Is that even a thing anymore?"
"Yes." He laughed at me. "Of course that's still a thing. And I want you to be mine."
He seemed sincere; he looked straight into my eyes, arms strong in their hold. There was nothing about his body language that made me doubt the words he said.
"Is Becky gonna come?" I didn't want to be without my best friend, especially if I had to be around so many Soccer Snobs. That way if Trevor dipped out, then I would have a buddy to hang out with instead of just slinking my way home.
He tilted his head, a smirk taking over his face. "I have a feeling that Matt's going to ask her."
"Oh, is that so?" I turned to steal a glance at the two of them talking. Becky had a meager hand on her elbow while Matt talked to her. Her smile was shy and her posture made her fold over herself. She had the same smile on when she has to give a presentation to the class; she wanted to seem like she's cool and got it under control, but the nerves sneaked through. Matt leaned towards her though, an amiable smile on his face. So either he didn't notice or he was just too into her to really make a big fuss about it. Sometimes crushes could be blinding that way.
Trevor hummed. "So what do you say? Party tonight and Cricket Club tomorrow?"
I turned my attention back to him and I wore a smirk to match his. My tone was teasing but joyful. "Trevor Mitchell, are you asking me out on a date?"
He had the audacity to let his cheeks turn a light pink. "Well, it wasn't going to be an official one, but now that you mention it…" His eyes gained a mischievous glow and that wolfish smile returned to his face. "I think a date sounds like a great idea."
I groaned. "How did you do this to me? Just tricked me right into it."
"Hey, you wouldn't have mentioned it if you hadn't wanted it to be one, anyway."
"Loser." I rolled my eyes, but he still looked at me like the world was held in them.
He pulled me closer to him, and the sweaty stench of exercise barely registered. I even hugged him back. He buried his nose into my hair and I could have sworn that I heard him say something against my head. I couldn't understand what it was, and I wasn't really sure if I was actually supposed to know.
"Hey Trev, Raven. You guys ready to go?" Matt called.
Trevor pulled back but still kept his arm around my shoulder. "Yeah, man. Just give us a second."
"You guys have already spent five minutes hugging and talking and stuff. We all get it – you're into each other. Let's move though, I wanna shower."
Matt's voice could never sound mad, even when his tone was sharper and it seemed as though he grew impatient. Something about the way that his face never scrunched up in anger made it seem like an impossible feat to trigger Matt.
Matt and Becky continued talking as Trevor and I walked over to his backpack. He picked it up and put it on the shoulder of the arm that wasn't across my shoulders. We walked over to our friends and made our way across the field and over to the parking lot. It was a five o'clock game, so neither of Trevor's parents were present, and Matt's parents had stopped coming by the time that Sophomore year rolled around.
Trevor and I broke away from the two of them, purposefully walking slower. We exchanged little snippets of conversation about the game. His retelling of it, my favorite parts, and the way that the crowd reacted. I didn't mention the creepy people in the stands. I hoped that they were just figments of my imagination.
Trevor leaned his head towards me and whispered. "I don't know about you, but I'm hoping I'll get luckier than the last time we were at a party together."
The scene hit me hard as soon as he said it. The tall, dark trees surrounding us like legs ascending towards a never-ending giant. The pine strong and inflaming my nostrils. The milky white of Trevor's bare chest in the night light as he stripped down to nothing. How he put his clothes on the rock nearby. The way he leaned in for another kiss even though I had a boyfriend. The way I sprinted away from him and his whiskey breath, ditching his liquor kisses along with his wasted ass. My pitch black outfit helping me flee the scene. I wasn't ready for him. I didn't believe that he really liked me. I thought that Alexander loved me. Last year was a very different time.
"Maybe, maybe not." My words came out as a hiss. I didn't mean to be malicious. He certainly didn't mean any harm by the comment and I knew he knew that. So why was I making such a big deal about his comment? Maybe I just didn't want to be another one along the list of girls that he brings to parties to bang and then ditches afterward. I definitely didn't want to make a fool of myself by being the most recent on that list.
"Aww. Raven, I'm sorry. I was just kidding. But you know I've always had the hots for you. It just took a while to get the balls to say it."
"To be honest, I'm still waiting for someone to jump out and tell me that I've been punk'd." I let out a laugh.
Trevor pulled me closer. "That's never gonna happen, Monster Girl. You're stuck with me." He planted a tentative kiss on my neck. It caused my hair to raise. His lips were soft and it had been so long since I had been kissed on the neck, that I nearly forgot what a nice, sensitive touch felt like.
I let out a giggle, my head reflexively moving towards my shoulder, creating my neck to bunch up and Trevor's head to be forced out. "That tickl-"
Before I could finish my short sentence, his lips were on mine. It was present and complicated and different from the other kisses that I had previously shared with Trevor. Past Trevors have been drunk and wondering and unsure of themselves. Past Trevors were all hands and tongue, not paying much mind to what or where their saliva landed. Past Trevors had little to no recollection of what emphasis those kisses left on me. Past Trevors didn't care that I had a boyfriend before kissing me. But this Trevor, this Trevor was patient and sweet, lowly working his lips over mine. This Trevor took his time, drinking in everything. This Trevor wasn't trying to grope at my breasts or butt and he definitely wasn't pressing me against a tree. This Trevor was going from the heart rather than his head. I could tell from the words he used with me in the past couple weeks plus the way that he looked at me showed he had been thinking about me differently. This Trevor didn't just think about me as some unattainable girl that could never love him back. This Trevor saw potential in me and wanted me to be his girlfriend. This Trevor could maybe love me.
I melted into his kiss, leaning my whole body weight into him. Thankfully, he could support us both.
He pulled back and looked down at me. His eyebrows rested low on his face and there was something in his Irish green eyes that I couldn't distinguish, and for some reason that also made my heart flutter.
"No one is going to come out and scream Punk'd, Raven. You're mine."
A shiver went down my back. I knew it was too soon after Alexander to start a new relationship. He had only left a few months ago and there was no reason to believe that he wouldn't come back. Sometimes he went in and out of my life - he went to Romania to live with his parents and be away from me (because he was a 'danger' to me) and then revealed himself to be a purple-haired vampire later. There was something about Alexander that I knew that he wouldn't leave my life so easily, so I shouldn't pretend that this time he would be gone for good because he could return at any time. And if he returned... I still don't know whether I would take him back or not, and being with Trevor would only complicate things.
I tried not to let those thought occupy my brain. I knew that there was something to be said about moving on and being with Trevor. He was good for me, probably. He could take me out of my comfort zone, but still allow me to have fun. Plus, his friend and Becky seemed to get along super well as well, which could lead to a lot of double dates in my future. It would lead to a fun year, and even if things might not work out between us, who am I to nay-say? So what if Trevor Mitchell liked the ex-Goth girl? So what if his cheerleading exes always stared when I walked past? Who cared if we became the talk of the school?
In that moment I didn't care. I didn't care what anybody else thought about the two of us because it was our potential relationship. We were the ones who were going to be in it, so who cares about exes? Forget about the cheerleaders like Jennifer Warren and forget about the boys who break your heart by leaving like Alexander. It was time to forget and time to move on.
"You're right." I smiled before kissing him again.
