C12 White heather.
"And... You're fucked." Edric declared.
"Language!"
"Language? Amity! You just doomed yourself to a date with the most annoying guy in school! I've been playing since I was ten! How come you don't know what a down is?!"
"I never go to your games! The one time I went you and Emira drenched me with ice cold sports drink! IN NOVEMBER!"
Edric languished sadly.
"Ah..." He mused. "Right... I... I'm really sorry about that."
Amity's gesture softened.
"It's okay, it doesn't matter anymore." She mused. "Just... Tell me what I have to do, we are short on time."
"Right." Edric said bringing his hand to his chin closing his eyes in annoyance. "Ugh, explaining all the rules to you in such a short time is going to be-"
"Impossible!" Luz interjected. "We don't have to explain all the rules to her! We just have to give her one play, we don't have time!"
"Mittens gets frustrated when you don't explain all the details, she won't get it."
"There's nothing to get! We just have to make a formation where she can run! We load up the right line to feint a run down the left!"
Edric raised an eyebrow, and snorted, amused.
"Since when are you an expert? Didn't you tell me you didn't know the game last week?"
Luz blushed.
"I... Uh... I may have seen all the superbowls... After you told me about the game."
Edric's eyes widened in surprise.
"All of them?"
Luz nodded, still blushing.
"That's fifty-four one-hour games."
" Two..." Complemented the brunette. "That's two hours counting breaks and the halftime show."
"Oh, you saw the halftime shows too?"
Luz nodded cheerfully.
" Lady Gaga's is my favorite so far."
"When did you have time to watch all the games if you're always at the Manor?"
"At night." The brunette replied. " Turns out Eda has all the seasons on tape, plus, I don't spend weekends at your house."
" Till today." The young man told her playfully.
" Till today." Affirmed the young lady with a smile.
"So, what do you think of Tom Bra-"
"GUYS!" Amity exclaimed in frustration. "The game!"
"Sorry!" Both her brother and her friend exclaimed at the same time.
Which disturbed Amity, as it was something she had only seen her brother do with his twin.
But that wasn't important now.
Edric took a breath and sighed.
"Well... For lack of a better option... All right Mittens, each team draws eleven players that-"
Luz grunted in disgust.
"¡Diablo´ loco, pero que e´ lo que te e´toy diciendo!"
The brunette walked determinedly in Amity's direction, taking the red-flagged belt from her hands, secured it tightly around the chestnut's hip, adjusted it, and gave it a couple of tugs to test its grip.
"Is it too tight?" she asked, looking into her eyes.
"N-no." the chestnut replied, nervous for some reason.
"Good." Luz bent down to pick up a ball near the bench and then positioned herself behind Amity.
She aligned her left arm with the chestnut's, wrapped her right arm around her and placed the ball on her left palm.
She closed her hand over Amity's, which consequently closed over one end of the ball.
Amity gasped in surprise.
Luz's hand could cover hers completely.
Luz bent her arm, taking Amity's with her, placing the other end of the ovoid under the chestnut's armpit.
"Hold it tight." She told her in a firm tone, right next to her ear, then tightened Amity's grip on the ball, pressing her body against her own. "if you drop the ball and the other team takes it, it's over.
An involuntary shiver ran through the dean's daughter at the brunette's sudden close contact behind her.
"Got it?" she asked again next to her ear.
Amity swallowed hard as her arm tightened steadily on the ball.
"I-I got it," she confirmed.
Unexpectedly, Luz pulled her arm apart and hit the ball quite hard.
The blow managed to unsettle Amity, but her grip was so firm that the ball didn't escape her arm.
Luz laughed briefly, still not separating from the chestnut.
"Good, girl!" she whispered cheerfully.
And Amity shivered again.
Now what the heck...?
Before she could continue her internal soliloquy, the brunette positioned herself in front of her and held her firmly by the shoulders.
"Now listen." She told her firmly and earnestly. "There's no time to explain all the rules to you, you play on the red team, with me, the quarterback is going to pass you the ball, you just have to run to the scoring area, as fast and as far as you can."
She then grabbed the red flags on either side of Amity's hips.
"These are your flags, if they get taken away from you..." She yanked hard on one of them, it came free with relative ease, but managed to make Amity take an involuntary step forward. "You lose a shot and you can't keep running, yards are measured to the point where you lost the flag."
She reached over to grab the belt to return the flag to its place.
"You have four shots to run, four downs, you have to get farther than Josh before they stop you, the yards add up with each opportunity, again, don't let the ball fumble, if the other team takes it, you lose your chances left. Do you follow?"
"Yes." Amity affirmed, enraptured by her friend's attitude.
"Okay, now, you're inexperienced, so you'll have to rely on your talent, you don't just have to run fast, you have to dodge the ones coming at you. can you handle that?"
"Yes!" the chestnut replied more confidently.
"Okay, lastly, Josh is likely to take the linebacker position, team is going to protect you, but make sure he doesn't catch up to you."
"I understand."
"Now we have to wait for-"
Her voice was interrupted by a shrill whistle.
"TIME!" Eda exclaimed. "Red team defends, green team attacks! ASSEMBLE!"
Luz turned to Amity swiftly.
"We defend first! You're not going to play yet! Pay close attention to the game and when we attack-"
"Noceda!" Eda had approached.
When Luz turned, a red elastic band fell into her hands.
"Linebacker on defense, quarterback on offense, captain of the red team, good luck."
Luz's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Thanks Eda, I'll do my best!"
The white-haired lady smiled sweetly.
Having favoritism wasn't right.
But no one was making her do the right thing.
"Baby Blight, offense, running back, listen to Noceda."
"Yes coach Edalyn."
Eda sighed in annoyance.
"Go with your team Luz." She said finally to head to the high bleachers where she could have a better look.
Luz quickly turned to Amity and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Just focus and watch! I know you can win!"
She let go of the chestnut and started running in the opposite direction.
After a few meters, she slowed down and retraced her steps.
Finding herself in front of Amity again, she reached a hand into her pocket and pulled out a small flattened can.
She opened it and scooped up some of its contents with her right thumb.
She carefully cupped Amity's cheek in her left hand, and gently dragged her right thumb over both cheekbones.
"So you don't get sun blinded!" She told her with a smile that was definitely brighter than the aforementioned sun.
And again she ran off.
Amity put her hand to her cheek, right where Luz had touched her, as her stomach fluttered strangely.
Things were getting weirder and weirder.
She watched Luz approach the red team.
"You have five minutes to figure out a play! START!" Eda exclaimed.
Both teams quickly gathered in a circle.
Amity looked at Luz.
The young brunette held the look and gestures that a few minutes ago had explained to her how to win the bet.
It was something she had never seen her do before.
And she found the idea of knowing other aspects of Luz fascinating.
The chestnut smiled warmly to herself.
She hadn't felt this much affection for someone in years.
Not since... Willow.
"Cutie!" She heard.
And, out of pure instinct, the chestnut turned her head, to find Josh running around and pirouetting at the end.
Amity frowned in annoyance.
"How about that gorgeous?" He yelled at her with a chuckle. "Watch and learn! Maybe then you won't lose so badly!"
"BAPTIST!" a blonde girl as tall as the young man was heard shouting. "WE'RE PLANNING THE PLAY! STOP BEING AN ASS AND GET OVER HERE!"
Josh gasped indignantly.
"Coach Eda! Amanda insulted me in front of everyone! Do you really think that's an attitude a captain should have? More so from a lady-"
"GET BACK TO YOUR TEAM ALREADY BAPTIST!" He heard Eda's even more strident voice.
The young man flinched in fright and ran to meet his teammates.
Amity grimaced in distaste.
And then an unpleasant weight lodged in her chest.
If she were to lose, those were the consequences.
A full day of putting up with Joshua Baptist.
JOSHUA BAPTIST ON A DATE.
Oh no! And if her parents ever found out…
It would be a total nightmare.
Josh's persistence wasn't recent, and it hadn't gone unnoticed by her parents.
Amity had lost count of how many times her mother had asked about him.
"He's a cute, nice boy! From a good family! You should give him a chance!"
Amity swallowed hard as an unpleasant shiver ran through her from head to toe.
She couldn't afford to lose.
Her catastrophic thoughts were rudely interrupted by a loud whistle.
"LET'S PLAY!" Eda shouted.
Swiftly, both teams entered the middle of the field.
Amity watched intently as she continued to warm up.
Two rows facing each other.
She could see Luz behind the red row, a few feet away.
Her gaze was piercing, fixed and determined.
She followed the path of her eyes.
And at the end of the line...
Josh stood there.
Amity was surprised to find his countenance completely serious.
Without losing his cocky, confident smile.
Amity held her breath at Eda's powerful whistle.
"31! 45! 33! HUT, HUT!" Amanda, the green team's quarterback, quickly received the ball.
An instant later, almost half of the players were paralyzed, most of the offense and defense were holding their opponent's flags.
At the same time, Josh was receiving the ball and shooting off like a spring.
Amity's eyes widened.
He wasn't bluffing about his speed.
With the help of a liner, he was able to move forward a few yards.
Until Luz, not quite as fast, but agile enough, snatched his flag.
The young man turned to look at her angrily.
A look that did little to intimidate Luz.
The young Dominican, eager until recently to make new friends, had never felt so much dislike for a person in her life.
The brunette approached the blue-eyed boy and handed him his flag, without breaking eye contact for an instant, speaking loudly to each other with the constriction of their pupils.
Without a word, the brunette turned and returned to her position.
The support team measured a total of six yards.
Quite impressive for a first down.
Eda blew the whistle again, returning the teams to their starting formations.
"HUT!" Amanda said simply, quickly receiving the ball, which was almost immediately handed off to Josh.
The young man burst off, passed the line of defense and-.
He lost his flag.
Somehow, Luz had been able to read their play without Amanda noticing.
Josh managed to move forward a single yard.
"She started early!" The young man exclaimed, turning to Eda.
The woman snorted.
"After Amanda gave you the ball? Really?"
"But-"
"Sportsmanship is important, Baptist." Eda told her with a bored gesture. "And if you're going to cheat, at least try to make it believable."
A whistle ended the complaint and sent the young man back to the line.
His eyes had changed.
There was anger in them.
The whistle blew.
"25, 19, 13, 13, 13, HUT!"
Amanda received the ball again, chasing a spot with her eyes, stretched out her arm adjusting her stance and-.
Josh took the ball from her hands.
"HEY!" The blonde angrily cried out, keeping herself from losing her balance.
Josh didn't respond, and took off running while completely unprotected.
But his agility earned him to overcome the line of defense.
Luz was close, he could feel her.
Josh ran as fast as his feet would allow him.
When he felt Luz's hand tap against his hip, trying to snag the flag, he brought his hand to meet it, grabbing the brunette's wrist in an iron grip and yanking her forcefully forward.
Luz, taken aback, lost her balance not expecting that strong tug, and rolled on the ground.
"LUZ!" Amity exclaimed loudly, and was joined by the indignant shouts of all present.
Eda blew the whistle loudly, stopping the game.
"BAPTIST!" she shouted angrily as she threw a yellow flag. "GET BACK IN LINE!"
The young man, who had almost reached the score zone, with no opponents chasing him, slowed down and stood still, staring incredulously at the coach.
"But I'm about to-"
"NOW!"
The black-haired boy flinched and retraced his steps quickly, finding his companions swirling around the fallen one.
Amity was kneeling next to Luz.
When had she gotten there?
"I'm fine." The brunette reassured as the dean's daughter helped her to her feet. "No harm done."
Amity gasped with concern.
"You're bleeding!" She told her in anguish as she brought her left hand to the Dominican's cheek, examining the small trail of blood coming from a cut just below the makeup line.
"It's just a scratch." Luz replied with a smile, bringing her hand to rest on Amity's, soothingly caressing it. "Must have been a pebble in the field."
Josh snorted.
"If you're going to complain about that, you definitely shouldn't be in the field, ladies."
Amity tensed visibly and Josh could see the skin on her ears and nape of her neck redden as she let go of Luz's cheek.
Amity turned around with a face full of rage.
"Are you a moron?!" She exclaimed making more than one of them gasp. "That's against the rules! She's not wearing protections! You could have hurt her!"
The young man snorted again.
"All's fair in war and love gorgeous, and if Luz wants to stay on the team, she'd better get used to the taste of the earth."
"YOU'RE SUCH A CYNIC! I'LL SHOW YOU-"
"Bligh!" Eda interjected before Amity could plant a slap on the cheek of a Josh cowering in surprise. "Give him a lesson when I can't see it"
The young woman stepped back, still scowling.
The trainer planted herself in front of the young black-haired boy, slightly intimidated by her height.
"Baptist, you're out." She said without room for negotiation.
"What?!" Josh replied in disbelief. "Just for that? That's nothing compared to a real tackle!"
Eda smiled, flashing a golden tusk.
"You're right, it's way worse! What you did would have been illegal even if we weren't playing flag! "
"It was a valid strategy!"
"NO! You snatched the ball from Amanda when she was trying to make a pass and then hurt Luz completely on purpose!"
"I didn't mean to hurt-"
"If you want to show off, find an individual sport! I don't want a running back who can't follow instructions!"
"But I'm the best time! The team needs me!"
"We're not negotiating Baptist! Bench! You'll play when your team defends!"
Josh looked at her confused.
"Uh..."
"You have no replacement, and I'm not going to screw up your team's strategy, you have one chance to prove to me that you deserve to be on the team, now, bench." The teacher pointed out answering the question he didn't get a chance to ask.
Josh, still grumbling, had no choice but to resign himself and walk towards the bench.
When he reached the side of the field, he dropped heavily onto the furniture, returning his gaze to the field.
Someone had brought a first aid kit and Amity, mortified, was cleaning the wound of a laughing Luz who assured time after time that she felt no pain.
Josh twisted his face in discomfort.
Crushing his crush's best friend probably hadn't been the best idea.
There wasn't much he could do about it anymore, though.
If Luz wanted to stand up to a man, she might as well get the consequences.
Besides, in his defense, he didn't really like the brunette.
She was not good company for the Blight heiress.
Just looking at her was enough to realize that this girl meant trouble.
Josh frowned watching the scene as Amity very carefully placed a band-aid on Luz's cheek.
Short hair, flashy clothes that also showed off her body, endless energy, an outrageous attitude and enthusiasm for measuring herself against the males.
All attitudes that a proper female should not have.
She was a bad influence.
When Amity was finally his girlfriend, he would convince her to abandon bad friendships.
Talk about the love of her life.
"Hello there pretty~." He uttered as Amity came to his side, sorting through the items in the first aid kit.
"Fuck you." The brunette replied curtly, only to put a hand to her lips as she heard what she had just said.
Josh was dumbfounded.
"Amity, I never heard you talk like that!"
"It's totally your fault!" The brunette replied angrily. "I don't want to talk to you, so leave me alone!"
"Aw, honey! How will we have a good marriage if I can't talk to you?"
Amity didn't respond.
So Josh decided to play along with her game.
"Amity? Come on! Don't make that face! Luz is fine! I'll make it up to you next Saturday! I promise! We'll go to the water park, the movies, my uncle has a restaurant that-"
"Josh, shut up." The chestnut finally uttered in a calm voice. " I wish I hadn't taken your stupid bet, you went too far."
Amity's soft tone, more laden with hatred than anger, managed at last to render the black-haired man speechless.
Pouting he folded his arms and looked back to the field, where the green team was about to make their last play.
"Okay cutie, I won't bother you anymore today, but a deal's a deal, and I hope you're ready for our date, because I made it to the forty yard line at least."
Amity looked at him with distaste and disbelief.
"What are you talking about? Your play was overturned, you only ran six yards."
"Aw, gorgeous~, the deal was whoever went the farthest won, not whoever won the game."
Amity's eyes widened with indignation.
She prepared to argue, but after weighing her words several times, she sighed, and returned her gaze to the field, where the green team's receiver was catching the ball only to have his flags snatched away an instant later, ending the team's offense.
"I don't need to play dirty for you to swallow your words." She said determinedly without looking at him.
"I don't play dirty beautiful, I play to win."
That was the last thing heard before they both got up again to head off with their teams.
"FIVE MINUTES!" Eda announced with a whistle.
"Amity!" the brunette greeted cheerfully as she saw her friend arrive. "Are you ready?"
The brunette looked at her regretfully.
"Does it still hurt?"
Luz smiled reassuringly at her.
"It doesn't hurt, I'm fine, let's get ready!"
The red team milled around to hear the quarterback's plans.
After a couple of minutes, the team seemed ready.
"Nervous?" Luz asked Amity once the team dispersed.
"A little. " The chestnut replied confidently as she kept her eyes on the field. " But I'm not going to lose.
"That's the spirit, girl!" Luz told her patting her shoulder. "Get into position, you'll do fine!"
Amity nodded and ran toward her spot on the field.
She was furious.
She was fed up with Josh Baptist.
And she was ready to make him pay.
Once Amity walked away, Luz looked around the field.
When she found her target, she waved her right arm vigorously.
"Josh!" she shouted loudly as she approached the young man. "Can I talk to you?"
"Oh, Luz..." The boy said as he saw her coming, while grimacing. "I'm so sorry about the fall, I didn't think you were so light."
"Oh, I'm not, you just took me by surprise and I lost my balance, you didn't throw me, I fell by myself!" She answered him with a smile.
The young man, relieved, smiled with satisfaction.
"How's your cheek?"
"It's just a scratch, I'm perfectly fine! It's like you said, I can't expect not to get hurt in this sport."
The black-haired man's face lit up.
"Right?" He told her cheerfully. "So, no hard feelings then?"
"Sure! Don't worry, it was no big deal!" The brunette took a couple more steps forward, taking a discreet stance. "But that's not why I called you."
"No?" The young man said to her, raising an eyebrow. "What is it then?"
Luz looked suspiciously at the surroundings, and then, with a wave of her hand, beckoned Josh to come closer.
The young man, intrigued, stepped forward and bowed.
"A little more." The brunette whispered.
The black-haired man leaned down until he was eye level with Luz.
"Perfect." The girl whispered again.
Without the slightest warning, the brunette held his shirt collar tightly until she roughly brought her lips close to his ear, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"If you even think of hurting Amity, I'm going to make you regret it." She sentenced with a whisper. "Am I clear?"
The young man, completely thrown off balance, swallowed hard.
"Answer me." Luz whispered again, tightening her grip and getting a gasp from Josh.
"Crystal." He answered haltingly.
"Good."
Luz raised her right shoulder sharply as she tugged downward on the blue-eyed boy's shirt, getting his teeth to clash painfully and harshly against each other.
The young man whimpered and immediately pulled himself upright, rubbing his jaw in an attempt to mitigate the pain.
"Good luck Josh!" A running Luz shouted at him, rushing to her position on the field, as if she hadn't just threatened him.
The young man glared at her furiously.
He clenched his fists as he advanced to his position on the field.
Yeah...
These two' friendship was going to come to an end next Saturday.
FIN CAP12
