Seventeenth Chapter

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❝A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.❞ 

- Denis Waitley



[ H U N T E R   W I L L I A M S ]


After we made our way into the locker room, Blake sat my stiff self on a bench and went forward to get the emergency medkit hanging on the wall.


The fact that I was the one who scored the last goal and won Lockwood the game was the last thing on my mind. Instead, my mind was focused on the fact that Mr Featherhead and I were the only ones present in the locker room. Evelyn let go of me when Blake started supporting my weight, probably to torment me.


I wish someone else was here so I didn't have to be here with him, but I guess the universe was playing a cruel prank on me again. You know, a regular crush is bad enough, but when you have an undying thirst for someone and you can't even think about acting it out, that's when it hurts the worst.


Blake walked back to me with a big industrial medkit in his hands, the kind used to treat minor sports injuries. He opened it and rummaged through it, not making any eye contact with me. "Take off your boots, I need to see your ankle." Mr Featherhead instructed me, with a weird tone lacing his voice.


I did as he said and winced a little when I touched my ankle, this was surprisingly one of my soccer-related sports injuries ever. I've been playing for such a long time without getting involved in anything, I guess this was just bound to happen sometime.


The man pulled out a can of what I presumed to be instant ice-cold spray, normally used for sprains and minor injuries like these. "Ready? This is gonna be hella cold." He chuckled, but didn't wait for my response and sprayed the cold stream on my ankle.


I hissed when the spray made contact with my skin, however, soon the pain was getting better and I didn't care about the abnormally cold sensation around my ankle anymore.


"So, uh, what now?" I coughed awkwardly, breaking the awkward silence that had enveloped us. "Can I go shower now? I stink." That was a weak attempt at cracking a joke.


Blake smiled but shook his head in response. "You're supposed to stay here for at least fifteen minutes if I recall correctly. You can just shower afterwards." He explained. Once again, I wasn't familiar with the timings, so he could've been bullshitting me, but I decided to nod along and wait it out, what's the worst that could happen?


I didn't understand why the atmosphere between us turned into this awkward, suffocating mess. My mind rushed to the worst, did he find out that I was into him? Oh god, my life would be over, I would have to switch schools and identities.


I shook those thoughts out of my head and decided to spark a conversation, there was absolutely no way he knew. Unless he was a magician that is. "So, how was your day?" I grumbled awkwardly, searching for his eyes.


"It was okay, I guess." He responded nonchalantly, looking around the locker room, casually shaking the cold-spray can. "You know, that was quite the performance on the field, all the ladies will surely go after you after that one," Blake smirked bitterly.


I wasn't exactly sure as to how I was supposed to respond, so I just smirked and hoped it was good enough.


"I was really worried." He turned to me with a sincere expression. "You wouldn't get up for a while and you were wincing in pain. I didn't even realize you scored the goal until you shot me a reassuring smile."


I held a breath that seemed to have gotten stuck in my throat. Knowing that Blake truly cared about my wellbeing was more comforting than you'd think. My stomach was in shambles and my pulse was racing for no reason whatsoever, I knew he was just expressing his worries, but I couldn't control the way my heart reacted.


"As you can see, there's no need to worry about me." I croaked awkwardly, smiling at him genuinely as a 'thank you' for caring. "God, I can't wait to go to that party tonight," I smirked at him.


This time, his caring expression faded and he shot me a glare, which I chuckled at. Blake had been reminding me of my dumb decisions for an entire week after the police station fiasco happened. "Don't even think that I'm going to let you go to that party." He growled under his breath and suddenly I felt weak, why did I have to find him so attractive? 


"Who's gonna stop me, Mr Featherhead?" I challenged a smug expression dancing on my face.


I could see a small smile forming on Blake's handsome face and I knew I cracked his possessive façade. However, soon his face returned to a serious expression. "Don't test me, Hunter, if you go to that party and get smashed like last time, don't even expect me to come to pick you up again. I mean it."


That warning didn't fly over my head, so I acknowledged it by nodding. Truthfully, I wasn't even intending to go to the party in the first place, all I wanted to do at that moment was assault my comfy bed, order ten boxes of pizza and pass out watching Netflix. Preferably with Blake accompanying me, I shook my dirty thoughts out of my head.


"Oh! By the way, Coach Jennings told me something that you're probably gonna miss out on since you're here. The headmaster and he were planning a ski trip for the team as a small 'thank you' for performing this well over the years." Blake stated with a small smile.


"Wait, seriously? When?" I asked, surprise crawling through the entirety of my body, I always wanted to go skiing, but never had the opportunity. Mr Featherhead better not be joking about this or I will murder him, despite how much that would hurt me.


"Well, it's supposed to happen the week before winter break, meaning you'd miss out on more classes for no reason," Blake grumbled and paused a little. "So would I actually, Jennings asked me to accompany you all, needed a second teacher to watch over such a large group of students."


I blinked at him, brain still processing his statement. I'd be going on a skiing vacation with Blake Carter, I repeated that thought in my head a few times. My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when I realized how horrible that would be for me. This would be the greatest challenge for me when it came to controlling my feelings.


"Seriously?" I asked, just to make sure he wasn't kidding.


"Yup! We're going to Scotland, baby!" He exclaimed, full of hype. My heart twitched when he said 'baby' although I knew it was just a rhetorical exclamation.


Right before my feelings could get the best of me, I heard someone stumble into the locker room. I looked over to the entrance and saw Evelyn making her way here, her face scrunched up in disgust. "Yuck, it reeks of sweat in here."


Her entrance made me genuinely laugh. "What's up?" I asked her warily when my chuckles died down.


"Nothing just wanted to check up on you, it's been like twenty minutes, making sure you haven't died. You missed the photoshoot and coach's announcement. Looks like you're heading up north to the mountains in December." She responded, excitement crawling up her features.


"Yeah, I know, Blake—Mr Carter, told me about it. He's coming along as well." I replied, sort of scolding myself for using my teacher's first name around Evelyn, she didn't exactly know how close we were.


She raised an eyebrow and studied the both of us. "Really? That should be fun," Eve said worriedly, trying her best not to raise suspicion from Blake. I knew I had a long and boring conversation about my feelings for Blake Carter coming up soon. There was no escaping Evelyn's confrontation about this situation.


My best friend turned her attention to my ankle and studied it a little. "That doesn't look too horrible, looks like you'll walk." She said with a smile. "Speaking of walking, should I ask Troy to give you a ride home? I don't think you should go to the party tonight, too dangerous with your leg and your drinking habits." Evelyn teased me, trying to embarrass me in front of my crush, however, it was nothing Blake didn't know about me already. 


I could see Mr Featherhead smile a little at her words, but it soon faded when he realized I saw it. "Uh, yeah, if it's not too much of a burden, I need to shower as well and I don't know how quick I'll manage to do that," I answered with an apologetic tone.


Suddenly, Blake interjected catching both of our attentions. "Oh, don't worry about that Evelyn. I'll get him home safe, you guys go and enjoy yourselves." He said with a smile. Okay, that was totally not suspicious at all.


Evelyn mustered up a worried smile. "Are you sure? It's not a problem here."


"Likewise, I mean it, you guys go get ready for the party and have fun. I'll wait for him," Blake stated, he was pretty adamant about being the one who gets me home. A part of me was wondering where this sudden act of generosity came from, was it him just being a good friend like he usually was? Or was this something much more? A guy could dream.


Evelyn nodded and looked me straight in the eyes. "Alright, then. See you later, text me if you need anything." Her eyes seemed to give off a different message though.


Don't do anything stupid, Hunter.


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