《Bulletproof (Publishing 2023) ✔》42: Tyler
Advertisement
"Coach!" I yell as I run unsteadily down the small hill that leads to the football field.
Coach looks up and walks over to me, hand shielding his eyes from the sun. I come to a stop in front of him and take in a deep breath.
"What do you need, Ty?" Coach asks.
"Can you help me get onto a football team outside of school? I know you sometimes help train one and all I need is a tryout and that's it. If I don't get in, then I'll stop for good."
"Ty . . . "
"Or I can come back for another year here and help you coach the team," I say and Coach looks at me before letting out a long breath.
"Trying to come onto a football team at your age and this far into the season isn't easy," Coach says slowly.
"I know." I nod. "And I know that it's practically impossible—"
"I said it wasn't easy, not impossible," Coach corrects me.
"Wait, so you'll help me?" I ask.
Coach pats me on the shoulder. "I always said I'd help you. Luckily, this is something I can actually help do."
A relieved smile falls across my face and I nod. "Thanks, Coach. I won't let you down this time."
"Keep saying that and you'll jinx it."
Walking around the back of the school where most of the druggies usually hang out, I find Ethan sitting against a wall, cigarette in his mouth. He looks up when he notices me and gives me a small smile.
I give one back and he gestures towards the ground beside him. I lower myself down and sit up against the wall.
"What are you doing here?" I ask. Ethan gives me a lopsided grin.
"Nothing else to do," he mumbles.
"You can get kicked off for being on school property when you're not a student," I tell him.
Advertisement
Ethan shrugs. "I look enough like one."
He blows out some smoke and I watch as it fades into the air. "Can I ask you something?" I ask.
"Already did," he mumbles and I roll my eyes. "Yeah, sure."
"What are you going to do when the school year is over?"
Ethan huffs and puts out his cigarette. He reaches into the back pocket of his jeans and throws a piece of paper at me. Catching it awkwardly, I open up the folded pamphlet and frown.
"Army?" I ask incredulously. "So you were really serious about that?"
"Have been for a while now, actually," Ethan admits. "Even got off drugs to get in."
"You've already been accepted?"
Ethan reaches over and takes the paper out of my hands. He crumples it up and shoves it back into his pocket.
"Look, I need to do something with my life and the army feels kind of right," Ethan says.
"Yeah but the army is different. It's dangerous."
"So is dirt bike racing," Ethan points out. "And that never bothered you."
"But no one's gonna shoot you while you race," I try to reason.
Ethan sighs. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Honestly. I've thought about it for a while."
"You couldn't just work at the garage?"
Ethan laughs, crossing his arms over his chest, and shakes his head. "No. This is what I want to do now. It feels right."
"And what if you're wrong? What if you get there and it isn't what you want?" I ask.
"Then I'll have to just figure that out for myself."
Franny is at her locker when I head over in the morning just as the first bell rings for class. She looks up at me from where she is grabbing her binders and smiles slightly. We haven't talked too much about what we're doing after graduation, which is slowly approaching. The day we have to decide what we do.
Advertisement
"Hey," she says.
"Hey," I reply.
"Not long now," Franny says. "Soon it's prom and then . . . "
"Graduation," I finish.
She nods silently and empties the binders from her bag into her locker. I want to reach out and put my arm on her shoulder. Or hold her hand. Or kiss her head. Just touch her. But how long will this last? Are these touches just a countdown until they no longer exist?
"Franny," I begin hesitantly and she looks up at me, wide eyes and an open face. I falter. I look at her and I fucking falter. "I . . . "
"I know," she says quietly. "We have to talk about it." She runs a hand down her face and lets out a long sigh. "I was hoping we wouldn't need to. That somehow things would just, I don't know, fix themselves."
I step forward and place a hand on her shoulder. I run the hand down her arm until her fingers cling to mine.
"But things never sort themselves out," I say.
"No," she whispers. "The longer you leave it, the worse it gets."
I tug at her hand and pull her from her locker which she closes up. "Come on. Let's go somewhere private."
The bleachers are empty as we walk over and climb to the top. Sitting on the bright yellow bench, I look out at the football field, remembering the days when I would play a game with the lights glaring down on me and rain dripping from the ends of my hair. Franny's shoulder touches mine and she drops her head down on my shoulder.
We sit in silence for a few moments before Franny lets out a long, sad sigh.
"I don't want this to end," she whispers, hand gripping my sleeve.
I rest my head on top of hers and clench my eyes shut. "I don't want it to end either," I admit. "But I'm not too sure a long-distance relationship will work for us."
Franny sits up and wipes at her cheek. "We could try . . . maybe."
"Franny," I sigh, cupping her face. "You're going to college in a whole new place you've never explored before. I'll just hold you back as much as you would hold me back. We can sit here and say it will work but let's be honest, it won't, will it?"
Franny's gaze locks with mine and she puts her hands over mine. "No. No, it wouldn't work. But it doesn't mean it can't one day."
I nod and stroke my thumbs over her skin. "One day. But it's not going to be today, or tomorrow, or the day after. Just sometime in the future."
Franny's eyes well up with tears and I feel mine blurring over too as I lean forward, kissing her on the forehead.
"Don't make me cry," I mumble against her hair.
Franny gives me a watery smile and presses her lips to mine gently. "We're not breaking up today."
"Franny . . ."
"We're just going to take it day by day," she says. "And when it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and it ends. We'll both know when it ends. And it will be okay, it will be okay."
I kiss her again, marking her to memory and imprinting her hand against mine. "I love you," I breathe.
"And I love you," she replies. "And I'll keep loving you even when you can no longer say it to my face."
Advertisement
ORPHANAGE GIRL
How does it feels to know that your mother left you at the doorstep of some orphanage as soon as you were born? abandoning you? This story is about a 22 year old orphan girl, who spent her childhood in an orphanage having no friends. She never had a boyfriend before. she never felt love before but have a dream of having her own familyafter she was 18 she started living on her own. getting through life, when suddenly she came across a well known billionaire businessman who she can't stop thinking about.A ruthless, anger issued businessman who just want his business to always be on top, his mom is his life. After a bad incident he swore to never love anyone but then he met this girl with green eyes, and his find himself feeling things he never felt before.Is he the man she waited for?Will she finally get a family of her own?to know more about her and the strikingly handsome billionaire, read the storyRatings ⭐#1 in wattpad #1 in jealousy #2 in heartbreak#2 in boyfriend #3 in romance #3 in billionaire #3 in Iloveyou#5 in Lovestory #7 in India
8 534Forcefully Yours (Mafia Love Story)
"Why don't you leave me?" I shouted, trying to mask away the fear that filled inside of me this time. "Oh Darling I wish I could." He smirked, almost leaning onto me. I could still feel the authority in his husky arrogant voice."Don't you fear Allah?" I questioned him and soon began to realise that my hijab was falling loose. This can't be happening, atleast not in front of him. I cried within the walls of my heart. He didn't deserve my love. "Don't teach me about Islam. Mind your own fucking business." He spat back. He surely had anger issues but unlike everybody else I always stood up to him. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he derived from dominating everyone, but today I felt weak, weaker than ever before. "My business? Well guess what mister you are my business. Remember you were the one who married me forcefully?" I tried pushing him back but all my efforts were in vain. "You know that I can do a lot of things forcefully but I don't. So be thankful bitch." He Snapped, hitting my heart exactly where it was weak. Tears soon filled my vision but I held them back. "Why? Aren't those girls enough to satisfy you?" I pointed back to his girlfriend who stood behind him half naked. "Enough!" He shouted, his grip tightened around my arms and I knew that I had pushed him off limits by now but guess what? He deserved it. ***She was not your typical girl because she knew the hard reality of life. She was a hard core feminist. In one moment she could spit fire but at the same time she could cry her heart out like a baby. Meet Syeda Anaabiya Ahmed, married to the man with the darkest soul to have walked on earth, Syed Humza Junaid. He was forced to marry her, after the love of his life Hazel betrayed him. He hated Anaabiya to his guts, for she was the only one not scared of him. But Allah chooses who he gives Hidaaya. What do you think? What will change Syed Humza Junaid?Join Anaabiya in her journey of ruin or maybe love. ❤️
8 244The Sacrificial Queen
Deep within the heart of Translyvannia lays the Barn Castle home to the Dulra, the Vilkros and the Malagi. The ruling Golden Oracle Council dictates the behaviours of all the supernatural creatures including the vampires, shapeshifters, witches and warlocks. Isabella O'Brien, the Queen of the kingdom must face a contentious decree set by the Council to procure an heir within a year. Levied with an impossible decision, she wrestles with her duties to her people, her responsibility to the Council and her own hopes for the future.
8 100Obsession, Madness & Love (#6)
Having a childhood enemy and then falling in love with each other runs in my family. So, when I ended up in a similar hateful situation, why did it excite me? Because Althea Coleman has been mine since the moment a three year old me held her in my arms.Yes, her bratty attitude is a pain in my ass and she loathes me but that won't stop me from marrying her. And that's fucking final.I ain't a prince charming like my father or grandfather. And I wasn't stupid enough to stay in denial like them about what I want. And I want her and no one is going to stop me. Because I am fucking obsessed with her.______________________________________________"Why are you so obsessed with me?" "Honestly, I don't fucking know, Althea. And it's maddening but at the same time so fucking addicting."
8 203You're the risk I'm willing to take
Bella is in her senior year, and she meets her new chemistry teacher, Ms. Brandon. Why does Bella feel so drawn to her? Contains rape, so consider yourself warned. The Twilight Saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer, I only take credit for my idea's.
8 177The Wrong Path
She's a disgraced socialite; he's a rodeo star on the rise. When they're forced to fake a relationship, what happens when the sparks feel a little too real?***Sophia Huntington is a socialite. She likes rooftop cocktails, perusing copies of Vogue, and rubbing shoulders with Toronto's elite.Finn Hoag is a farm boy. He grew up wrangling cattle, riding horses, and having tailgate parties every Saturday night.Their worlds should have never collided. But when Sophia's caught on camera in a compromising position, she's sent to a small town in Alberta where she decides to repair her reputation by dating a wholesome farm boy - and Finn just so happens to be in need of a favor. The question is, can they stand each other long enough to pull it off?*SECOND IN THE TORONTO GIRLS SERIES***CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE**
8 88