It just hit me that this story is close to being done and it feels illegal if that makes sense.

Long time no see for this story, but I was working on finishing the rest of the chapters (which didn't take as long as I thought). Then I returned to school and honestly forgot about updating whoops.

XV: The Trio Gets Winded While Trying to Score Some Touchdowns

Most of their cohort is standing in a line on their field while two of them (Dylan and Savannah) stand in front as team captains, facing them, beside Coach. Despite their game for today being football, Coach has his baseball bat in his hands. Dylan and Savannah alternate picking their team until it's narrowed down to Jason, Leo, and Piper. Despite it being Savannah's turn, she looks at Dylan who shrugs before facing Coach.

"Come on, Coach, I don't want any of them," Savannah complains.

Coach doesn't even blink. "Neither do I, Burns. Pick one."

"Ouch," Piper says to Leo and Jason with a smile, "I thought we were his faves. If only we could be our own team of three. A trio, some would say."

"McLean," Dylan calls.

Piper pauses, looking over at him. She glances over and Leo who was fiddling with some pen parts in his pocket. Then her eyes turn to Jason and his heart stops. Dylan picked Piper to get to him. He keeps his face neutral, resisting the urge to ball his hands into fists. Dylan can't see him react or else he'll know that he's getting under Jason's skin. As if attempting to kill him in the shower wasn't bad enough…

"It was my turn to pick," Savannah tells him.

Dylan rolls his eyes. "You wouldn't have picked her anyways."

"Fair." Savannah purses her lips.

Piper walks over to Dylan. He passes her a red bandana that she puts on her head as she stands with the rest of his team. Jason keeps his eyes on her until he looks over at Leo who leans in closer.

"Dylan picked Piper 'cause she's pretty and he hates you," Leo whispers as if Jason didn't know. "Savannah's gonna pick you 'cause you're pretty and she hates me. That's also why Dylan picked Piper because he purposely wanted to be against you since he hates you."

"Wow," Jason states.

Leo grins. "I'm a master at delinquent clique behaviour. I've been here for way too long."

"Jason!" Savannah exclaims.

Leo scoffs. Unlike when Dylan called Piper's name and Jason hid his reaction, Piper happily showed hers off. She's seething, crossing her arms and shooting glares at Savannah who only grins in return.

"Told you so," Leo mumbles.

Jason walks over to Savannah's side, eyeing Piper and Dylan. She's still enraged and he's glaring at him. When Savannah hands Jason a blue bandana, he ties it to his bicep. By default, Leo walks over to Dylan's team. He starts tying the bandana around his neck until Coach yanks it away from him.

The teams huddle to discuss strategies. Jason doesn't listen to Savannah but keeps his eyes on Dylan, Piper, and Leo on the other side. He grins seeing his friends not listening to Dylan. He smiles seeing Piper and Leo tie their bandanas as bracelets and connect them together. Then Dylan catches Jason's eye so he looks back at his team.

"Right, Jason?"

"What?" Jason asks.

Savannah rolls her eyes. "Jason."

"I heard you."

"Well, did you get any of what I said?"

"Sure." He shrugs.

Savannah rolls her eyes again. "Whatever. It's good you're cute."

The team split into their positions on their ends of the field. Jason wasn't sure where to go so he went to the first empty spot he saw. Since Savannah didn't screech at him, he figured he was fine.

Jason wasn't even aware they were playing football until Coach tossed the ball to Dylan.

Dylan crouches with the ball in his hands and looks at Jason before yelling some numbers. Another cohort mate immediately sprints over and kicks the football. Jason watches it soar as both teams run towards it. He turns around, watching the game for a moment since to be frank, he has no idea how to play.

But based on what he's seeing — cohort mates yelling, running back and forth, tackling, laughing, strategizing and yelling orders that follow the flying football — energy surges through his veins. It's … familiar. A memory he can't see unlocks from the thrill of playing and competing, but this time it's for fun.

It's not life or death.

Or, at least, it shouldn't be. Conditions in The Wilderness School are always different.

Jason rolls up his sleeves over his shoulders and catches the ball when one of his teammates throws it his way. Once it lands in his arms, Jason scans the field ahead in mere seconds before sprinting. He side-steps everyone, ducking as someone tries to jump him.

The wind picks up, blowing against him. It grows stronger, nearly sending Jason off his feet. He squints his eyes and ducks, screaming and the wind pricks his face. Jason holds out his arm as he hugs the ball to his chest with the other. The wind's strength shakes his arm, pushing against his palm but he pushes through.

Then, he's knocked from behind. Jason keeps the ball in his arm as he rolls onto his back. As he gets up, Dylan plows into him so far to the left with velocity so high that it feels like whiplash as someone's deafening roar fills his ears. His mind goes blank and a flash of lightning fills the skies. Winds build up so strong that he starts to hover.

Jason's thrown to the ground and Dylan pins him down. When Jason looks up at him, he swears there's a cyclone above him and darkness in his eyes. Jason whips the football right at Dylan's throat and screams. Thunder and lightning crackle through the air, blending with the intense winds.

The sound pours back into Jason's mind. Coach's megaphone blares but he hears circus music. Other students scream when Dylan decks Jason. Piper and Leo yell his name but it's only darkness.

-o-

"Jason, wake up."

A voice so compelling breathes air into his lungs and forces his eyes open. Her voice is so low and charming, sweet and hypnotic. It floats through the air like a battle hymn, luring Jason to chant along before fighting. Once the light hits his eyes, he gasps for air, choking on dirt. When his vision clears, he sees Piper with a smile and tears rolling down her cheeks crouched beside him. She wipes his face and kisses his forehead. Jason calms as he hugs her tightly. He looks and sees Coach and Leo standing above him, both relieved.

"I'm gonna kill him," Piper states.

"McLean," Coach says.

Leo shrugs. "He clearly doesn't know how to play football … not that I know how."

Jason clears his throat, spitting some dirt. "Where am I?"

Jason looks up at the sky that's now overcast with the sun peeking out but not strong enough that he has to squint. The storm disappeared. All he remembers is seeing a fusion of elements and then he awoke with a throat full of dirt. His head is in immense pain and he isn't sure why. Weren't they playing football? He remembers a girl on his team complaining about how prone to concussions and head injuries football players are … so maybe he was listening.

"We're still outside on the field," Coach explains. "Everyone else is in the library for independent reading although I know nobody's reading. You could've taken Dylan on easily."

Jason tries to stand but stops when he sees that his legs are buried in dirt on the field. Jason looks around him and sees that the hole he's in is shaped like his body. Soil, pebbles, grass, twigs, and leaves surround him as if he burst out of the ground, which is what it felt like when he suddenly awoke. Life re-entered his body.

"Was I buried?" Jason asks. "Did I die?"

"Sports medicine, Coach's specialty," Leo explains.

Jason has never been more confused and he just awoke in the ground. Leo continued on a spiel about Coach's uses of sports medicine at The Wilderness School. He'd put it on a post-it on a Gatorade bottle and all the students thought it was drugs. It's almost as suspicious as Wilderness 10-in-1. (The almost is because sports medicine actually works unlike the 10-in-1 and any of its possible 10 uses.)

"Completely natural," Coach adds proudly. "Always works."

"Coach, it's dirt."

"The Cherokee rely on natural methods," Piper adds.

Coach gestures to her. "Exactly. And see? He's awake. It always works."

Leo shrugs. "I would've just given him some duct tape. Solves all my problems."

Coach ignores him. He walks up to Jason and hands him a napkin with a golden brownie on it and a bottle of Gatorade (without the sticky note). Jason looks at it skeptically.

"Sustenance. Gotta get your vitals up again," Coach tells him.

"What is it?" Jason asks despite knowing what it is based on what it looks like. Oddly, it doesn't have a scent and the napkin has grease spots on it.

Piper gasps. "Eat it!"

Leo nods excitedly. "Yeah, it's really good."

Jason is hesitant, but he bites into the golden brownie. His stomach growls as a deep and rich chocolate taste fills his mouth. He wasn't expecting that since the brownie wasn't fudge-coloured. Then, it turns bitter but he can't help but smile. Aside from the mouthwatering sensation bringing him back to life even more, Piper and Leo are watching him eat the brownie happily while Coach is grinning.

"What?" Jason asks, covering his mouth with the napkin as he finishes chewing. He sips some Gatorade.

"What does it taste like?" Piper asks.

Jason raises a brow. "What do you mean? You've had it before."

"Coach has different flavours. He gave me one that tastes like the black bean soup my dad always made."

"Dolce de lèche," Leo adds before looking down at his shoes. "My - my mom would always treat me to some after a long day in the shop. So what does yours taste like?"

Jason takes another bite. "Burnt brownies."

Leo cringes. "Damn, Coach, you gave him burnt pot brownies?"

Coach narrows his eyes. "Valdez."

"Your mom or someone was bad at baking?" Piper asks.

Jason shrugs. "Doesn't taste like that. I don't even know the last time I had brownies let alone burnt ones. Either way, I love them. It tastes like nostalgia I should have but am missing."