Hailey

"So you've finally decided to show up." a harsh voice startled me and I stopped mid step and raised my gaze from my bag just as Logan Dawson stepped in, frowning down at me.

"Well, hi." I smiled, but he didn't return it. Instead, he was sizing me down. "Mm, how was the convention?"

"Well, considering I lost a once in a lifetime interview for that..."

I rolled my eyes, hanging the backpack properly now with my notebook and pen in hand. "Don't be melodramatic. It's just one interview. I was practically forced to take it."

"Oh, you surely were."

"Hails?" Ted called me from the second row, finally noticing I wasn't following since I had been caught at the bottom of the bleachers. Now that I noticed, we were kinda obstructing the flow of incoming students. I blushed a bit, but at Logan's expression I knew he wasn't done.

"Go take a seat with Shane and Taylor." I told my brother and moved aside to let a couple climbed up the steps. "I'll be there in a bit."

"Okay..." he hesitate, but turned around and did as I said, taking one of the free spots besides his twin, that now was sitting on the fifth line, legs over our seats and holding the big foam rubber hand he brought from home while Taylor painted green and yellow lines in his face with the other -Roosevelt's colors. Shane, at his fourteen years, was our home's biggest freak about football after Matt and there was no doubt when he reached the proper age he'd get in the team as well.

Logan scoffed. "In a bit, she says..." people behind was starting to complain so I let Logan lead me out their way, standing almost in the line of the field. "If you're in charge of the sport's section you can't go enjoy it with your family, Gracie. You need to get in the mud."

"Oh please." I laughed, but he was dead serious and my chuckle died. "What do you mean?"

That was when he glared. "You must already know it, but this is the most readed section in Roosevelt's Daily. It must be perfect. I've been keeping it up for over a year now and I won't let my work fall short only because Glennson decided to lend it to you."

"Well!" Now I was offended. I mean, yeah, this wasn't the field where I was most comfortable with, but the draft I made last night was pretty good. Also, "I never asked for this you know? It just got handed to me."

"How causal." he huffed and I frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, only that it's curious how someone not even nearly as prepared as requested got to do this huge interview and not, I don't know, someone who actually work for it."

Liquid ire flowed through my veins like fire. "Excuse you! I work really hard for the Roosevelt."

"Okay, Hailey. Whatever."

"I mean it. I get you're mad I got this chance, but I didn't ask for it." I repeated and his jaw clenched. "That's it, right? You just want it? Well, I'm so sorry, but I can just handed it like that, you know."

"Yeah." He huffed. "I tried talking Mrs Glennson but she wouldn't allow it."

"You... Whoa!" I gaped at him, getting irritated now. "You tried to steal my interview?"

"It's my section!"

"Yeah, well, that was before you go missing this week. I only took one article, you backstabber." I folded my arms. "How dare you Dawson?"

"Okay, my bad. I did wrong. But the work is yours so you better do it properly or the whole section will resent, so pay attention."

"Oh, so you're bossy on top of manipulative..." I narrowed my gaze, but he sighed, scratching his nape a bit remorseful.

"I'm sorry, okay? But you've won in the end."

"Not thanks to you!"

"Whatever. Come." and he pulled me across the sea of people and towards the hallway that linked the field with the changing rooms.

"Em... Logan?" My face flustered, but I breathed again when realized most of them were already out and ready, hanging in the corridor chatting among themselves or simply stretching up.

"You won't be able to talk to them once they start so I suggest you to begin here."

"Okay." but I stayed glued to my place, self-conscious at some weird glances our way. This was so not my place. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and met Logan's impatient stare again. "I don't know what else to do."

"What?"

"We've already done the interview. I'm just here to take a few pics."

"Pics?"

"Maybe some side notes too..." I shrugged biting my lip.

"Oh my fucking God." Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "You must be kidding." I smiled sheepishly and he sighed loudly. "Okay, just follow me and write it all down. We'll work on it later." he gestured towards the notebook I was fiddling with and stepped forward.

For the next minutes I let him work, doing the proper questions and wandering throgh the players, pacing around with me hot on his tail, taking note of everything.

Man, it was more complicated than I thought. They talk a lot about matches and movements I couldn't even remember. They sound familiar from Matt and Shane but that's how far my knowledge went.

Logan finally made its way towards coach Grey and I followed, a bit unease. My fears were confirmed when he raised his gaze from the clipboard and saw us.

"Oh, isn't this Gracie here?" I dryly swallowed the cringe. Yep, he was familiar with that awful nick as well. But instead I ignored Logan pointed look and smiled shyly as the coach lowered his folder at our approach. "How's Matt doing, dear?"

"Good," I answered timidly. Sometimes I wished teachers treated me more like a student and not like we'd met at a friendly dinner. When it wasn't for my mother, it was for my brother. "Everything is new and he's been entertained with all this stuff and new classes."

"Mh. And football?"

"He entered the team."

The coach let out a short laugh and palmed my back. "Of course he has. That boy is awesome. I'm telling you, he's gonna go far, match my words." Of course everyone always was eager to talk about Matt. As much as I love him, it only dug me harder in self-consciousness about how small I was beside him. "I was talking to your mother the other day." Perfect. Her mention was missing. Cheers. "She said one of the twins was interested too."

But ignoring the slight warmth in my cheeks at his digging in front of other wandering players I embraced the notebook to my chest. "Yeah, he'll do the tryouts next year."

"Good boy, sent him to me someday, we'll work on him."

I nodded, wishing he would just drop the topic so I could stop feeling Logan's stare like wanting to prove his earlier point. That mom's name and Matt's reputation helped me through.

That's what I was always fighting against, but it seems futile at times. It was so hard to be treated as my own self when I was always my brother's sister or my mother's daughter. I was always Gracie. I hopped if Shane did make it to the team he won't have the same problem.

Luckily it was Dawson himself who cleared his throat: "We need to take some pictures, Mr Grey. Hailey is doing my section this week. An interview." I was shocked at how gentle he sounded now. Especially knowing how on the edge he'd sounded so far, mad at me for stealing it from him.

"Oh, really? To who?"

"Me."

And there he was. The man of the night. All changed into the green and white uniform. The huge shoulders pat made him look even bigger than usual and a large yellow nine was written all over it. Seth stood there by his side, number twenty-two in his case, even taller than the quarterback and eying us curiously.

Nate gave me a brief glance, like testing my mood after yesterday outburst, but I did my best to remain impassive.

Coach Grey's eyebrows shot upwards startled.

"Really, Herond? You never told me."

"I didn't think I was supposed to."

"Of course you are. Anything related to my guys is relevant to me, got it?"

Nate shrugged and the coach wrote something else on his clipboard.

Someone called him from the other side of the hallway -which now was getting really crowded with both teams out the locker rooms and glancing one another warily.

"Alright!" Coach Grey turned towards Nate. "Have you stretched out?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." he glanced his watch and clicked her tongue. "Then go with them and do your thing once everyone is on the field. You could take a picture on the grass or whatever. Now, everybody line up!" his voice rose at that last part and people in the hallway immediately did as he told.

Logan pulled me to the side where we don't bother the players, all firm and ready listening what their coach was saying. It almost made you think as if they were in a war or something. That too, thanks to the harsh tone and volume he'd taken now.

After that and the other coach also encouraged the visitor team, both of them jumped on the field and were met with loud cheers and yells from the crowd. It was overwhelming. I'd never perceived this side of the whole thing, it could be daunting knowing all this pair of eyes were fixed on you.

I mean, I was sure they didn't even notice the both of us scurrying away straight to the benches and yet I felt its weight. Matt never told me that. But well, he also happens to enjoy attention so...

After the presentations both teams separate, the referees did whatever referees were supposed to do and the cheer team jumped on the field. We managed to take a few good pics from both the team lined up and the quarterback alone, but still I wasn't allowed to go where Taylor was with the twins. Apparently my place was there, with the reserves. First line to notice if something happen.

I wondered if Logan realized the article wasn't about the match but about Nate particularly, yet seeing it was that important for him I decided to stick to what he said. After all, this was his section. If something I care so much about was in the hands of someone else even for only a week, I would probably be twice the freak he was being.

During the break I went back to the spot my friend and brothers had but at Logan narrowed glare I promised I'll be back before it started again. Man! If I knew I would have to spend all this amount of time there... maybe I would have insisted harder to Mrs Glennson.

"So," Taylor cleared her throat perking one brow when I finally took the seat they'd saved me. "Are you gonna watch it with us after dragging us here or what?"

I smiled, sheepishly. "For the break." and she huffed.

Taylor Lans' really tiny and look like an innocent doll with her bright doe eyes, but once she opened her mouth that first impression shattered. Her assertive belligerent personality is anything but innocent. Her confidence is admirable and more times than I would like to admit I found myself wishing to be more like her.

Five minutes before the game started again players were jumping back to the field, getting ready to start again and I decided it was time for me to climb down before Logan himself come look for me and maybe chop my head off.

Shane came down with me, saying he wouldn't bother the players; but that he wanted to know how it felt to be down there in a match. I couldn't refuse his puppy eyes.

When we reached the grass I went to the Roosevelt's bench and introduced him to Fred and Kurt, a couple guys from some of my classes. They were nice and we've been paired two weeks ago for a small project. So Shane was impressed as if they were superstars or something and they guys actually enjoyed the moment. I could see their ego getting bloated.

I turned around and as if fate I caught Nate's form, on the side and very close to Roosevelt most popular girl: Trish Palmer.

She was the nearest as perfect as you could think. Smart, extremely beautiful, kind... and the list goes on and on. Oh and she was Nate's ex. They'd been the couple for almost a year, but turns out things didn't exactly work with them. Rumor had it there had been third persons, but they keep it silent. They were leaning on the side of the bleachers and in appearance they were good even after the break up.

She laughed alluringly at something he said and let the hands she had over his chest to slide up 'till grabbed his shoulder pads and brought him down for a quick peck.

Wow, I wasn't expecting that. Something in the pit of my stomach curled and I diverted my gaze, focusing back on Shane and the guys.

Finally, my brother had to move back to their spot on the fifth line, but had this beaming smile that made me feel grateful to Kurt and Fred for being this nice to him. I told him so as they were to move to where the coach was analyzing a couple last minute things before calling the players back to the field.

"Was that your brother?"

I jumped at the unexpected voice from my side, driving one hand over my frantic pulse. "Jeez." I met Nate's green amused gaze. "You've scared me."

"Sorry." he shrugged, but didn't sound apologetic at all. I had to suppress the instinct to roll my eyes. "I don't see the resemblance to you, tho. He's like a mini copycat of Matt. They both are."

I smiled as I watched my little bro moving to his seat as Taylor and Ted were laughing at something she was showing him on the phone. "Yeah... They get that a lot."

The three boys shares the same featured, Matt's more rough and Shane's rather skinny, but it's pretty cleare they're all from the same. Ted's the only one that got light chestnut hair like mine, and to this day we still unsure where did we get that from. Both our parents and other brothers and relatives had rather dark hair but not us.

The got this inner joke our softness repealed darkness. Yeah, Ted was a sweetheart and me myself weren't at all tough. We were the softies in this family so I guess the hair just matched.

As for me, the only other thing that I shared with all my siblings was that we got the same blue eyes from my mother. To which I was so thankful.

Nate hummed beside me. "Make sense."

"Yep." the tension was too thick. What was he doing there? We'd already taken the pics and after our fight yesterday we literally got nothing to talk about. Nothing. And this was escalating to awkward pretty quick so my mouth ran on its own. "So you and Trish, uh?"

I regretted it right away. Just as the words left my mouth and I saw his eyes flickered with the same surprise as mine. Who on earth came up with something so personal with someone you don't know and with whom you're having an already awkward silent? Well, obviously that shall be me.

"What?" he asked, tilting his head and I shrugged, like it wasn't such a big deal, knowing I could erase my big mouth and just deciding to play along.

"I thought you had broken up?"

"We had."

"Oh." I frowned. "Okay." such a loving attitude from two exs. And wasn't he somehow with Nadia? Who by the way was down here as well as a part of the cheer squad... But well, it wasn't my business anyway.

"Okay." he repeated, apparently as uncomfortable as myself. "So... are you still mad at me?"

The heck? Now was my time to be surprised. "Of course I am." he sighed, looking the ground. The fact that he was acting like he was the 'victim of my anger' when in reality I had every right to be mad only spiked my rage. "Why does it bother you so much? It's not like you care anyways."

He looked back up at me, almost glaring, and despites the people constantly moving around I suddenly felt as if they were far away. "Who says I don't?"

My chest clenched and I narrowed my own eyes. "Em, you? When you say all that bullshit."

"For fuck's sake, Hailey! That was four months ago! And I was drunk as fuck. You can't blame me for whatever shit I said. I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did." I argued.

I wasn't going to allow him to put the blame on the alcohol. Nah ah. No way. He should man up and face the consequences.

He'd been doing great so far, indeed, since we don't have any kind of relationship it must be easy to just forget it but now that we're forced to do this... Now the super popular quarterback star couldn't handle not being adored by everyone, uh?

Well, boo-hoo.

"It's not like it matters either way." I went on calmly. "Next week we could move our separate ways and it will be like nothing happen."

"But it doesn't have to." my heart skipped a beat I forced my neutral face to remain still. Maybe added a bit more scowl... there, perfect. He huffed and I suddenly couldn't be more eager for the break to be over and for coach Grey to call them again. "Come on, it's all a facade. You can't still be mad at me for that crap."

That crap? Well, that crap was important for me. Maybe he really didn't mean part of it. But the fact was that he used all that crap that I'd shared with him thinking he was trustful and used it against me. He took my insecurities and turned them into weapons. What if he actually didn't mean it? The fact that he used my vulnerability to hurt me was what I couldn't forgive.

"Leave me alone, Nate." my voice trembled at the end and I inwardly cursed. Ashamed I went to go away -sure I had enough material, Logan would have to settle for that- but he stopped me.

"Wait, hold on. I thought you wanted to be friends?" there was a tone there that made my chest fluttered. Distraught? but couldn't be. No. He proved to me how he really felt that night on the highway. "I... I would like to try."

Another pang crossed my chest.

"Me too, but not anymore." my jaw clenched, but I held my chin high, if he thought he could treat me however he want and then had me eating from his hand with a few kind words he had another thing coming. "Whether I felt like letting you in back then, I changed my mind. I don't want to be your friend anymore. In fact, I don't want anything to do with you. And since I'm pathetic and lame, boring, plain-"

Nate grimaced. "Stop."

"-You won't want me around anyway. This is our last year and I would like to spend it with people that actually made me feel wanted and not like the very last choice."

"You know I didn't mean that." he insisted but I shook my head, not actually believing we were having this conversation.

"You said you didn't want to be my friend. You said you wouldn't even if I let you..." my voice drifted away, unable to repeat his crude words and my cheeks inevitably warmed up.

A quick glance around and I notice that whether we were half hidden, the bleachers were right at our side. Bleachers full of classmates. And also players were stretching and wandering not that far from where we stood.