They just cold as ice. Entire family dynamic is a means to an end for them people
Zane was raised to find a lane and get going.
Invictus
-
Captain Canada
Topic author - Posts: 5633
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Invictus
-
Captain Canada
Topic author - Posts: 5633
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Invictus
Season II | Chapter VII: Pretty Little Fears
The first true day of summer broke over the field in a slow, warm haze. The air was thick with cut grass and the snap of resistance bands.
Zane wiped sweat from his brow as he finished another set of hill sprints, his lungs burning in that familiar, satisfying way that told him he was getting better. Every sprint, he was covering more area, feeling stronger and stronger with every stride. Around him, a handful of soon-to-be seniors - faces still soft with youth, movements unsure - ambled across the turf trying to match the pace he and Cam had set.
Cam dropped beside him, hands on his hips, panting. "They're dying, man," he laughed, nodding towards the group. "You really think Coach is gonna let that shit slide when camp starts?" His blonde hair darkened from sweat, slicking to the back of his neck.
Zane smirked. "Coach Shazier won't. That's why we gotta get them right before he gets to them."
But even as he joked, his attention drifted toward Malik.
The quarterback was throwing on the far side of the field, a crisp spiral spinning off his fingers as if he had been built in a lab for it. Every throw was perfect. Every footwork drill was clean. And every time Zane got within ten feet of him, the air dropped to freezing. Wherever Coach had found him, they were lucky to have him.
Well, everyone except for Zane.
Cam followed his state. "He still acting weird?"
Zane shrugged, pretending it didn't sit like a hook under his ribs. "He's not saying anything. Just gives me that look. Like I did something without knowing I did something."
Cam exhaled sharply. "I've noticed. Bro is ... I don't know, fucking off. Maybe it's a quarterback thing?"
Zane shook his head, droplets of sweat shaking from his brow line. "I don't know, man. Cedric was cool as hell. Demanding, but cool. It's more than that," he said quietly. "At prom, he got up in my face like I stole something from him."
Cam arched an eyebrow. "You sure you wanna keep brushing that off? Team chemistry matters. If your QB don't rock with their number 1 receiver-"
"I know." Zane huffed, kicking at a clump of turf that had built up. "I'm trying, I swear. Last thing I want is something as shit as this messing with our season. We only get one chance at our last season."
They reset for another drill., Malik threw a dart across the field that smacked into the receiver's chest. Zane jogged past him, giving a short nod out of courtesy. Malik didn't nod back. Didn't even give him a look. Just kept adjusting his wristband, jaw working like he was grinding his teeth.
Cam muttered under his breath, "Yeah, he don't fucking like you.'
Zane tried to force a laugh. "Tell me about it."
Cam and Zane sat on the tailgate of Cam's truck, gulping down water that long turned lukewarm. Cam drummed his fingers against the metal. "So, Bianca leaves this weekend, right?"
Zane leaned his head back, eyes half-closed in the afternoon shimmer. "Yeah. She's moving into her dorm early. Summer courses and all that."
"You good?" Cam asked, but tone already assumed Zane wasn't.
"It's weird. Exciting. A little unnerving."
Cam nodded, waiting.
Zane blew out a breath. "Man, you should have seen meeting her parents last week.: He shook his head. "I've never felt so interrogated. Asking me about money and shit like I'm not fucking 17 years old. It's as if they were trying to figure out if I'm worthy of breathing the same air as their daughter."
Cam's face twisted. "That's crazy, bro. That's not normal parent stuff. Sounds mighty fucking hostile."
Zane stared down at his hands. "Bianca was mortified, wouldn't stop apologizing. But, its weighing on me."
Cam didn't speak right away. When he finally did, his voice was careful. "You think that's gonna be something you need to deal with? Her parents on your ass like that?"
Zane rubbed the nape of his neck. "What you mean?"
"Nah, I'm just saying," Cam sighed. "She's going to Michigan, heading out early. Her family sounds borderline sociopathic. Her world big as shit, right now. Changing rapidly. And don't get me wrong, you got next. We're gonna smoke shit this season. But, does she have enough space for you?"
Zane looked out over the empty field, now quiet except for the flutter of nets and distant hum of cicadas.
"I love her, man. And she said she wants everything with me."
Cam leaned back on his palms, sweat threatening to leak into his eyes. "I'm with you until the wheels fall off, brother. I just don't want you to get screwed trying to fit into someone else's mold."
Zane didn't answer, just nodded in understanding.
He watched Malik angle out of the locker room, something in his gait that spelled troubled. The younger guys joking around the sidelines without a care in the world.
Everything around him was changing - Bianca was leaving, Malik couldn't stand him, senior year at Upper St. Clair was on the horizon.
Weight. That's all he could feel. Some he had asked for. Some didn't ask for his permission - it demanded his attention.
The wind moved through the goalpost chain, rattling like distant chimes, as the first real day of summer shifted into evening.
The first true day of summer broke over the field in a slow, warm haze. The air was thick with cut grass and the snap of resistance bands.
Zane wiped sweat from his brow as he finished another set of hill sprints, his lungs burning in that familiar, satisfying way that told him he was getting better. Every sprint, he was covering more area, feeling stronger and stronger with every stride. Around him, a handful of soon-to-be seniors - faces still soft with youth, movements unsure - ambled across the turf trying to match the pace he and Cam had set.
Cam dropped beside him, hands on his hips, panting. "They're dying, man," he laughed, nodding towards the group. "You really think Coach is gonna let that shit slide when camp starts?" His blonde hair darkened from sweat, slicking to the back of his neck.
Zane smirked. "Coach Shazier won't. That's why we gotta get them right before he gets to them."
But even as he joked, his attention drifted toward Malik.
The quarterback was throwing on the far side of the field, a crisp spiral spinning off his fingers as if he had been built in a lab for it. Every throw was perfect. Every footwork drill was clean. And every time Zane got within ten feet of him, the air dropped to freezing. Wherever Coach had found him, they were lucky to have him.
Well, everyone except for Zane.
Cam followed his state. "He still acting weird?"
Zane shrugged, pretending it didn't sit like a hook under his ribs. "He's not saying anything. Just gives me that look. Like I did something without knowing I did something."
Cam exhaled sharply. "I've noticed. Bro is ... I don't know, fucking off. Maybe it's a quarterback thing?"
Zane shook his head, droplets of sweat shaking from his brow line. "I don't know, man. Cedric was cool as hell. Demanding, but cool. It's more than that," he said quietly. "At prom, he got up in my face like I stole something from him."
Cam arched an eyebrow. "You sure you wanna keep brushing that off? Team chemistry matters. If your QB don't rock with their number 1 receiver-"
"I know." Zane huffed, kicking at a clump of turf that had built up. "I'm trying, I swear. Last thing I want is something as shit as this messing with our season. We only get one chance at our last season."
They reset for another drill., Malik threw a dart across the field that smacked into the receiver's chest. Zane jogged past him, giving a short nod out of courtesy. Malik didn't nod back. Didn't even give him a look. Just kept adjusting his wristband, jaw working like he was grinding his teeth.
Cam muttered under his breath, "Yeah, he don't fucking like you.'
Zane tried to force a laugh. "Tell me about it."
***
Cam and Zane sat on the tailgate of Cam's truck, gulping down water that long turned lukewarm. Cam drummed his fingers against the metal. "So, Bianca leaves this weekend, right?"
Zane leaned his head back, eyes half-closed in the afternoon shimmer. "Yeah. She's moving into her dorm early. Summer courses and all that."
"You good?" Cam asked, but tone already assumed Zane wasn't.
"It's weird. Exciting. A little unnerving."
Cam nodded, waiting.
Zane blew out a breath. "Man, you should have seen meeting her parents last week.: He shook his head. "I've never felt so interrogated. Asking me about money and shit like I'm not fucking 17 years old. It's as if they were trying to figure out if I'm worthy of breathing the same air as their daughter."
Cam's face twisted. "That's crazy, bro. That's not normal parent stuff. Sounds mighty fucking hostile."
Zane stared down at his hands. "Bianca was mortified, wouldn't stop apologizing. But, its weighing on me."
Cam didn't speak right away. When he finally did, his voice was careful. "You think that's gonna be something you need to deal with? Her parents on your ass like that?"
Zane rubbed the nape of his neck. "What you mean?"
"Nah, I'm just saying," Cam sighed. "She's going to Michigan, heading out early. Her family sounds borderline sociopathic. Her world big as shit, right now. Changing rapidly. And don't get me wrong, you got next. We're gonna smoke shit this season. But, does she have enough space for you?"
Zane looked out over the empty field, now quiet except for the flutter of nets and distant hum of cicadas.
"I love her, man. And she said she wants everything with me."
Cam leaned back on his palms, sweat threatening to leak into his eyes. "I'm with you until the wheels fall off, brother. I just don't want you to get screwed trying to fit into someone else's mold."
Zane didn't answer, just nodded in understanding.
He watched Malik angle out of the locker room, something in his gait that spelled troubled. The younger guys joking around the sidelines without a care in the world.
Everything around him was changing - Bianca was leaving, Malik couldn't stand him, senior year at Upper St. Clair was on the horizon.
Weight. That's all he could feel. Some he had asked for. Some didn't ask for his permission - it demanded his attention.
The wind moved through the goalpost chain, rattling like distant chimes, as the first real day of summer shifted into evening.