Chapter 10
'I'm sorry.' He said again, his eyes dropping to the floor.
Ten smiled, patting him on the shoulder.
'It's fine.'
'Now, come join us. It's been wild.' Nine grinned.
Eleven grinned along with him, running toward the throng of people, feeling the music go through his soul, the beats of his heart thumped to the rhythm and his head was spinning. He joined Twelve, where he rocked out to the songs he played. What a feeling to be here, in this group of people he hardly knew, but connected to in a sense of community. Jumping around with enthusiasm he was reminded of that feeling, of living freely. He was glad he had been persuaded.
•••
'Oi, Eleven, we need a favour.' Twelve called out.
'What do you need?'
'We need the numbers.'
'For what?'
'The rugby match.'
'What? No! No, I am not doing rugby. I will get knocked down as soon as it starts.'
'Come on, Eleven. We need a full team. Jack's injured, he can't play. Do this for us, please. Be a quarterback, and if you get knocked out, we'll be fine without you. We just need the full team to start with. Please.'
It was a rare moment when Twelve asked for help, or even said please. He really didn't want to do it; he was so weak and gangly compared to everyone else, literally the last person anyone would choose to put in the middle of a scrum.
'There's so many other people who are much stronger than me. Go talk to them.'
'No, you have to do it, because we'll all be part of it. Me, Ten and Nine play it. We need you to complete The Doctors' smash down! Come on, Eleven, worst case, you could be in the medical wing and miss lessons the next day! What do you say?'
He deliberated, biting his lip as he did so. I guess it couldn't hurt that much, could it? And if he really let the team down, it would only be a direct 'I told you so' to Twelve. He met his turquoise eyes with a sigh of defeat.
'Fine.' He surrendered, and Twelve hollered.
'Wait, when actually is the game?'
'Right now.' He said with a wink.
'What?!'
'You heard me, now get changed quickly. Everyone's waiting down there.' He threw a large rugby kit at him and helmet.
'Oh I am so gonna make you pay for this.'
'Don't worry, it'll be fine. The worst injury we had was only a broken jaw and a fractured spine. You'll be fine.'
Eleven didn't feel quite so reassured at his comment, but put on the kit anyway, just as Twelve did too. It rested on his shoulders like armour, making them look ridiculously disproportionate to the rest of him. For others, it made them look even more muscular and broad. On him, it looked like he was wearing something two sizes too big.
'I can't get this fucking helmet on!'
He grasped with the buckles and the shield round his face. Twelve helped him with it, dressed in the same matching kit but sporting it very differently.
'Come on, let's go. We're already late.'
They hurried down the stairs, and Eleven was already regretting his decision. He knew there was a rugby game on that day, but he didn't know when and never dreamed of participating himself. Rushing out onto the pitch, Eleven looking the weirdest of the lot and supremely out of place, he settled into the group of quarterbacks and looked out at the crowd. They were raising their eyebrows at him, causing quite a stir at his unexpected appearance. Nine looked over at him from his position, smiling encouragingly and giving the thumbs up. He caught sight of Clara, looking confusedly at him and trying not to laugh.
'What the hell are you doing there?' She mouthed.
He just shrugged in reply, observing her face and smiling too much that he didn't even notice the whistle going off. Both sides started to tackle and beat each other, pounding each other into the ground. He saw Ten running with the ball, ready to touch down. Trying his best, he pushed aside a heavy looking opposition player and ran to Ten for support. His teeth were chattering beneath his helmet and he could only just see from his line of vision, but he felt less stupid. A scrum had developed in the centre of the pitch. He ran toward it, reacting quite helplessly to it. He shoved a player aside, trying to get to the middle. Yet a burly man knocked him so hard to the ground he was surprised his skull didn't crack on the dirty ground. He had tossed him aside like a doll, and Eleven saw only stars as his head reeled. The scrum finally dissipated, and a player on their team had hold of the ball. Refusing to be beaten, he bounded over, tackling the guy who had knocked him over ferociously. It wasn't enough though, and Eleven suddenly found himself lying on the floor again. He punched him repeatedly, the jaw, the forehead and multiple on his cheeks. He groaned, his limbs heavy, and his attacker was eventually dragged away from him. His head was spinning, the pain like sharp needles splitting his skin open. Twelve momentarily checked if he was alright, then resumed on with the game. A rush of feet, and then teachers were at his side, looking concerned, their faces blurry and looming above him. The only face he saw and recognised properly before he passed out was Clara's, looking shocked and horrified at the injuries he had sustained. He smiled lazily and relievedly up at her.
'Clara...' He breathed, and then his eyes closed.
••••
The first thing he noticed when he came to was that he was in the medical wing, his face was hurting like hell and he realised that the prediction of his survival in the game had been very accurate. He groaned, his bandaged hand going to his head.
'Hey, hey...take it easy.'
Her voice, soothing him instantly, ringing in his ears like the songs of angels.
'What happened?'
'You scared me to death, that's what happened.'
He smiled. 'Glad to know you care.'
'I always care. Anyway,' she continued, grabbing a cloth and tissue and putting it to the wound on his head, 'you got knocked out pretty hard. Several blows to the cheek, a cut lip, bruised jaw and bleeding head. It's quite a list. Apparently you've been the worst they've had for months.
'Brilliant.' He replied sarcastically.
'What where you even doing out there anyway?'
He sighed. 'Twelve needed the numbers, a full team. He wanted me to go on. It was a very bad idea.'
'Why didn't you just say no?'
'I did. But he told me not to really do anything. But I can't help getting involved.'
'No, I can see that.'
She cleared away the blood on his forehead, kissing it gently. He smiled, laying comfortably on the bed.
'Is the game still going?'
'Yes.'
'And you're the only teacher who abandoned it to care for me?'
She nodded. He threw his arms wide, gesturing her to lay with him.
'I can't.'
'You can if no ones here. I'm ill, and I need curing. Where are you, doctor? I need healing, I need to get better.'
She deliberated quickly, and slid in with him, her head resting on his chest. His arm wrapped round her and he was pleased that he had been knocked out, for this was much better.
'You want me to cure you?' She said, her lip curling upwards.
'Yes, you see, my cut lip is very sore and I need help with that-'
Her lips pressed to his, murmuring against his mouth, with their foreheads touching.
'Its weird doing this somewhere other than the classroom.' He admitted.
'Woah, woah, we're not going the full mile here, Eleven. That stays within the classroom, boy.'
'Who are you calling a boy?'
'You...you adorably stupid, innocent and youthful rugby player that's actually shit at rugby and wears fezzes.'
'Hm,' he smiled, 'that pretty much sums me up.'
'Yeah.' Her fingers tilted his chin lower to kiss him again.
'You're actually my chin boy. Look at that, have you ever actually noticed how big you're chin is?'
'I thought you were supposed to be helping me!'
'Oh yeah, sorry.' Resuming the kissing she let his hands slide up and down her waist while her own embedded in his hair. She was gentle in touching his face as it still hurt, but when he fiddled with the buttons on her blouse she had to stop him.
'No.' She said breathlessly, her forehead touching his and moving his hands away.
'Why not?' He moaned.
'We're out here doing this, I don't even know when the game finishes.'
He clenched her waist in response, causing another shake of the head and laugh at his eagerness.
She eventually collapsed on top of him, until she slid off and hugged his side.
'Don't make me fall asleep.' She said dreamily.
He turned to face her, eyes blazing.
'I wish we could sleep together. Like, properly sleep with each other. I would hold you like this,' he demonstrated, putting his arms round her and leaning her further back onto him, 'and I would wake up in bed the next morning and find you there in my arms...'
'I want it too. But unfortunately, that can't happen.'
'It could.'
'How?'
'Come up to the dorm with me.'
'Eleven, we can't sleep in you're dorm together.'
'Please. Everyone's out there.'
He placed a kiss to her neck, making her shiver.
'You're friends will come back afterwards, though.'
'Not if they win. They hold a massive celebration.'
He could feel his fingers drawing circles on her back.
'And what if they lose?' She turned round to face him.
'We take a chance.' He smiled. Locking lips again she felt almost helpless under his grip. Their lower bodies rubbed together and his hands made it to her shoulders and all the way down to her hips. Breaking away and hearing the heavy breathing that made he instantly and spontaneously aroused she took his hand, and together they ran up the flight of stairs to his dorm room.
