Jeremy

There's something hard pressing against my chest and something tickling my chin as I take a whiff of what smells like coconuts as I inhale. The moment before I open my eyes is the most content I've ever felt in my life. Because when I do, nothing can prepare me for what I was about to see.

There lays Marissa, peacefully sleeping on my chest and I smile to myself. I'm still on my side of the bed which means that she's the one who went over the pillows. However, I do have my hand wrapped around her waist so I have no room to talk.

Her eyes are shut tight as her lashes lay on her cheek and her lips are partly open as she breathes deeply in her sleep.

I decided not to interrupt her peaceful nap, so I laid there with her head on my chest. Her hair was so beautiful and interesting and I couldn't help myself when I started smoothing her hair down.

I ran my fingers through coarse yet smooth strands of hair, very different from the texture of mine but still great hair nonetheless. It was curly and wiry in comparison to mine but as I said before I was fascinated.

"If you don't get your hands out of my hair and your hard on away from me Jeremy, I'll throw a fit," she mumbles in her sleep.

I laugh as I pull away from her and she opens her eyes.

"What are you doing so close to me?" I can see her pulse thumping in her neck as she looks up at me through her lashes.

"First of all, you're the one who crossed the border and secondly, it's morning wood. I don't want to get frisky with you so relax," I explained.

"I'm relaxed."

"Yeah right," I tease her and she slaps me with a pillow before getting up out of bed.

She picks up her clothes that are folded neatly on the dresser while checking her phone as well.

"Oh no. Jeremy, it's six thirty in the morning. I have to leave before your teammates see me here. Put your clothes on we gotta go."

"I'm tired, can't you wait until seven?"

She frowns and heads to the bathroom to put her clothes on, "You don't get it do you? I don't want anyone to see me with you and think I'm one of your season girls."

"No one's going to think that," I stated, finally getting up from my bed.

"Yeah cause you don't fuck around a lot," she states sarcastically.

"I don't, unlike the other guys I have standards. I don't sleep around. Especially not during the season. My only goal is to lead my team to victory."

She steps out of the bathroom now fully dressed, "Are you still talking? We gotta go."

I pull a T-shirt over my naked torso and button my jeans.

"Come on," I urge before grabbing my car keys and leading her to my car in the driveway.

~

I've just finished training and we're all in the locker room freshening up.

Being the captain of this team not only means that I lead us for the games, but I also try to steer my teammates in the right direction with my advice.

But you know what they say about the persons who give advice, they're the ones that need it the most.

Wren comes to me this evening once I'm done putting my clothes on and the locker room is cleared out so it's just us.

"Hey," he greets.

"Hey man. What are you still doing here?" I'm always the last person to leave.

"Just got a lot on my mind..." he mumbles but I hear him loud and clear.

"If you're not busy I'd like to ask you something."

"Yeah sure," I respond.

He takes a seat on the bench across from me.

"So you know it's just my mom who takes care of me and my sister right?" He asks and I nod.

"Right now things are a bit tough at her job, her hours are being cut and I don't know she's going to be able to hold us down. Right now, I don't even know if I'm going to be able to continue to play football because, what if my mom can't pay for my equipments anymore? The point is that, she's struggling and I want to get a job to help her out. However, that would mean giving up on football, what do you think I should do?" He asks.

Fuck, he should help his mom because it's only right, but he's so damn talented I don't want him to give up on his dream.

I take two hundreds out of my wallet and give it to him. "Take this and give it to your mom as a contribution to the house."

He looks down at the cash in his hand then back up at me, "I can't... Jay that's too much bro."

"Come on man, take it. I'll talk to you in regards to your equipment tomorrow. Just, don't worry about it. Focus on school and football for now," I respond.

He looks at the money in his hand before he stuffs it in his jacket.

"Thank you man," he says.

"Go home and be with your sister," I urge him.

He stands with an appreciative smile on his face and he looks at me one last time before he picks his bag up by his feet.

"I'll see you tomorrow cap," he says and I nod.

This is what being a captain is like for me, not just giving pep talks before a game, it's looking out for my family. Looking out for my brothers.

I see their potential, I see their drive for excellence and I want to see each and everyone of us make it. I want to see our dreams fulfilled, because we all have the same dream, as to why we work so well as a team.

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