Chapter II

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Chapter II ─ Anxiety



[ M I C H A E L   G R I F F I N ]


It was just another Monday in East Aredale, but here I was, sitting in my last period of calculus, silently dreading what was coming next. 


Normally, I wouldn't mind Mondays, they were chill - I was a bit of a morning person myself so I didn't mind the stereotypical fatigue everyone experienced at the start of a week - however, this particular Monday, I wanted to lock myself in my room and never come out.


Today was the fateful day my team would meet the West in an attempt to make amends, but I knew all it would end up in was a chaotic mess. Don't get me wrong, I loved the meatheads in my team, otherwise, I would have quit a long time ago. But I knew a storm was brewing and there was nothing I could do to avoid it.


I was supposed to meet Coach Williams right before practice, apparently to discuss some things before the West invaded our ground. Unfortunately, the idea of seeing him after this period was more dreadful than calculus itself.


I knew I was likely panicking for no reason, but you have to keep the fact that my team was full of dumb jocks, who loved picking fights, and the fact that I was the quarterback in mind. I was partially responsible for their attitude and the progress we would make as a team and, believe it or not, I was willing to try and settle the rough patch between our teams. 


It's not that I particularly wanted to have to befriend people from the West, but it was a better option than potentially losing my chance to play football in college over this, I quite literally could not afford it.


I had a single mother working overtime as a nurse trying to keep up with the bills, I couldn't strain our financial situation more by not getting this god damn scholarship. I might have been a varsity jock, but I wasn't by any means dumb or reckless, unlike my teammates.


Which leads us back to my real concern - fights were bound to break out and my scholarship was hanging on a thin thread because of it. I knew my coach wanted to talk about particularly that, he knew how overwhelming the guys can be. We just needed to get ahead of them and make sure us making amends with the other team doesn't turn into a blood bath fueled by testosterone.


Before I knew it, the bell rung and the sixth period had come to an abrupt end, I quickly shoved my books in my bag, ignoring the teacher's rambling about a test on Friday and dashed out the classroom door.


I decided against procrastinating and involving myself with small-talk, even running past my girlfriend Ash, a fellow redhead with striking green eyes, without much interaction. I had informed her of the commotion last night, so I wasn't surprised when she mouthed a quick 'good luck' my way.


I made my way straight to Coach Williams' office. I opened the door and was immediately welcomed by the smell of coffee wafting through the room. 


The coach was seated at his desk like usual, he raised his gaze from the papers on his desks and shot me a worried smile. "Sit down, Michael, we have something to discuss before practice starts."


Practice usually started at three in the afternoon, to make sure every member was done with classes for the day.


I nodded and sat down on the chair in front of his sturdy hardwood desk. "What seems to be the problem, coach?" I asked absentmindedly, already knowing what the conversation was going to be about.


"There's no problem, Michael. Yet. I honestly don't know why John thought this would be a good idea, but we have no other choice but to trust him, right?" I nodded and let him continue. "Anyway, we need to make sure the boys don't do something stupid again, I know it's a lot to ask, but can you keep an eye on everyone? If there's trouble brewing come straight to me and we'll figure something out." I wasn't even surprised that coach thought this would be a bad idea, he knew his boys, he knew how stupid they could be, it didn't matter that they were amazing on the field.


"I don't have a choice, do I?" I asked cautiously.


"Not really, no. The team is hanging by a thin thread at this point and it's taking everything in my power for you guys to stay relevant in this school. I know how much you care about your career, Michael, don't let the goons drag you down, though, you're in charge of them, I trust you to make everything right." Knowing that Coach Williams trusted me was comforting in a way, he knew I had nothing to do with the incident, he knew about the importance of my scholarship and the situation at home - coach and I were like good friends.


He was right, I was in charge of the guys whether or not I wanted to be, and I was going to make it work.


Mark my words.


"I'll see what I can do. Is there anything else you wanted from me before practice?" I questioned, I was a bit peckish and I wanted to get some food, knowing I still had time to kill. I shouldn't have skipped lunch today, it was becoming a bad habit of mine.


Coach Williams paused to think for a moment. "Actually! Yes, guys from the West should be arriving at two-forty-five, think you could be there for their arrival? You're my best bet to make a good first impression, we're supposed to be becoming friends - or well - frenemies, right? I would ask Jackson or something, but there's no guarantee he'd show up on time." I snorted at the thought of Jackson showing up on time, I think the day Jackson shows up early or on time - pigs will fly.


I sighed, guess the time I had to eat was slowly disappearing. "I'll be there," I responded with a swift nod and made my way out the door.


I had around forty minutes left to find some food and be there on time to meet our new 'friends'. I was growing more and more bitter by the minute, truthfully, I didn't mind having more people to train with, I just wished it could have been anyone but Bryan Clay.


I wasn't fond of him, you know this already, but I was even less fond of the idea of having to befriend and deal with him again.


My childhood had been magical because of him, he was such a quirky boy, never failing to make me smile. We liked the same things, played the same games, ditched classes from a young age to go and get frozen yoghurt. He was my rock, my best friend, that was until he did a complete one-eighty and everything changed.


I had a hard time struggling with my emotions and I didn't even know where to begin with repairing the connection that went away so suddenly, much less befriending him again.


I knew that I didn't have to become his best friend again, and I honestly doubted that it was even a possibility. But despite our feuds, his agenda to take me down and him leaving so suddenly, I still - secretly - hoped that he'd come around eventually.


I wasn't the kind of person to just let go of people I cared about, maybe I was just stubborn or delusional, but ever since my dad left my mom and me, I couldn't even think about handling the aftermath of someone else leaving again.


My dad was the source of many of my flaws, he was the reason I had severe trust issues, he was the reason I got anxious all the time, he was the reason for my emotional instability. But I can't ignore the fact that he helped me realize myself as a hard-working young man.


Bryan speeding out of my life at two hundred miles per hour was devastating, but at least a part of me knew, that we still had a chance to recover.


I hoped this Monday would change my life forever, it was about time to set things straight.

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