I had expected things to be awkward between us after our near-kiss experience. I had expected myself to be award with him.

But it wasn't awkward at all. I think we actually grew closer because of it. But we also haven't mentioned it since it happened, and it's been a few days since. If he wasn't going to bring it up, then neither was I. As long as we kept the way we were going, I was fine with it.

I had been around the team more frequently since coach has apparently been requesting me to be there.

He mainly has me doing things to help set up for practice, like setting up cones or stacking paper cups for the boys who didn't bring bottles.

In any other circumstance, I'm sure I would've told him he could shove his paper cups up his ass and that I wouldn't be a slave for a herd of sweaty soccer boys.

But watching coach yell at the boys was surprisingly entertaining. He also let me get away with a lot, which meant I could mess the boys however often I wanted and coach would find a way to defend me.

Which came in handy when I wanted to do my favorite after-school activity... pissing off Duncan.

I saw the way Duncan would pick on Cyrus, probably still holding a grudge that Cyrus kicked his ass last year when they were on opposite teams.

He's kind of just a dick to the team in general though. It made me wonder how the hell he ever made team captain. The only person he was remotely friendly to was Jeremy, the two of them leeching off each other's negative energy.

But here's the difference between me and the boys. If the boys spoke out against Duncan and how he managed the team, Duncan would easily pull his rank against them and make practice their living hell.

However, if I were to say something to Duncan and he were to talk back to me, Coach would throw a fit in my defense.

Which brings us to the current situation.

"Man, my insides are drier than the Sahara, coach can we get a water break?" One of the boys asked as he rested his hands on his knees, crouching over himself to catch his breath. I think his name was Nicolas.

"No water breaks until you get the drill right," Duncan grumbled from the side, "That goes for all of you."

It was a hard practice, I could tell from everyone working to catch their breath too. Everyone except for Adam, who was stuck to the bleachers. Coach benched him next game for missing practice this week and ordered him to practice sitting still, which is something he had a hard time with. I could still hear him complaining to himself about wanting to run or something.

Yet everyone else was looking dehydrated and in need of some fluids.

"Duncan, seriously, a little hydration isn't going to hurt anybody. We did the drill over and over again," Cyrus pitched in.

"Yeah we did, and now you can lead the next one."

"I don't mind leading the next one," Adam said from the bleachers, but everyone ignored him.

"Duncan, he has a point man. Even Jeremy looks like he's going to pass out," Declan helped.

"I don't care, we stop when we get it right," Duncan deadpanned, and I saw Declan roll his eyes from where I was standing.

Nicolas looked like he was about to drink his sweat.

"Coach, maybe they should take a break," I said quietly, but apparently not quietly enough for Duncan.

"Nobody asked for your fucking opinion," He snapped in a harsh tone. I almost smiled at what was about to come next.

Coach snapped his head up from his clipboard. "Duncan! Shut your pie hole before I make you run a mile again. What would your mother say if she knew this is how you spoke to ladies?" I gaped my mouth open in mock surprise.

His glare was still set but he didn't say anything back, just crossed his arms in anger.

"Boys take a break," Coach finally announced and they all sighed in relief.

Adam looked up from his cleats, moving his gaze from me to Coach as a lightbulb idea seemed to spark over his head.

"Rowena, go fetch my water bottle, you useless bonehead!"

"Adam, give me five laps around the field!" Coach yelled at him and went back to whatever he was working on.

Adam smiled wide as he hopped over to me, grabbed my head, and slapped a big ole kiss at the top of my head. "You're a beautiful human and I owe you one."

"Name call me again and I'll run you over with my car," I called after him as he ran to do his laps, as excited as a four-year-old boy chasing an ice cream truck.

I saw Declan then, his head tilted as he chugged some water. He took his bottle then and squeezed the rest out over his head, shaking water from his dark locks.

The boys were called to finish their break and they made their way back to the field. There were a few cups that were knocked off the stack, so I layered them back up again.

"You know I don't really care how Duncan feels, I'm glad you're here to make coach see things reasonably." I turned to the side where Nicolas stood, taking a few last sips from his water.

"Glad I could help," I responded with a closed-mouth smile.

"I'm Nicolas, you can call me Nico though."

"Nice to meet you Nico, I'm Rowena."

"Yeah, I know. So, is there a deal with you and Declan?"

I looked up from my cup stacking. "What do you mean?"

"I just thought you were kinda hot, but if you and Declan are a thing, I should probably keep it to myself."

"What makes you think we're a thing?" The only person who confronted me about this was Cyrus. I was genuinely curious on an outsider's opinion.

"Well, I was just judging on the fact that he's currently staring at me like he's calmly plotting my murder."

I looked up at the field and saw that Declan was in fact looking over at us. His gaze was heavier on Nico as he absentmindedly rubbed his jaw. Then he looked between the two of us, his expression watchful. He was thinking something over in his head, I could tell that much.

His gaze finally locked on mine. He gently blinked out of his expression and flashed me a light smile with the side of his mouth before turning to catch a ball with his feet. 

It was subtle but it was there. But did he have a right to be jealous? Would I have a right to be jealous of seeing a girl with him? We were friends, the last we spoke of our relationship, we agreed on being friends.

Friends who almost kissed.

I was thinking about the other day again. I thought of how things would be different right now if we had actually gone through with it or if they would be different at all. I was also thinking that I wanted to try it again, maybe this time actually go through with it.

Not now, obviously. But soon. He planted the idea in my head and I wondered if he couldn't stop thinking of it too.

But it didn't matter right now, and I wouldn't let myself be stuck on something that never even happened. We never kissed.

So as confused as I was on this tiny little change, it was plain and simple. We were just friends, I told myself, even as uncertainty crept into my thoughts.

I turned to Nico who was still standing on the side. "I don't know Nico," I finally said, "You probably know more about it than I do."

A/N: THANK YOU GUYS FOR 10K READS !!!

I didn't expect it at 15 Chapters I'm just SPEECHLESS 😭

I didn't have time to proof read this one so I apologize in advance for any spelling or grammar issues hehe