AYANNA'S POV:

"Ok, everyone gather around," Coach says and we all circle around him. It has been a few days since practice started and we are all waiting to see who is going to be on JV and Varsity and who are going to be starters. It's extremely nerve racking.

"So, this year was very tough and i am sorry if you were not picked to be a starter, but you will have a different responsibilty to bring to this team. So, here you go : Jake, Bryson, Max, Jared, DJ, Noah, Nolan, Drew, and Matt you guys are Varsity. Brian, Byron, Ayanna, Toby, Caleb, Christian, Ryker, Peter, and Gage; you guys are on Jv. Starters are..." he says, but i stop listening after i hear my name called for a starter on JV.

Yes! This finally means i can truly prove myself. I mean, i obviously already did sort of prove myself otherwise i would not be starting and i would be a bench warmer, but still.

After Coach gets done talking, everyone wanders away and starts high fiving each other. I sit down in the grass and grin.

"Hey! Ayanna!" Bryson yells and wanders my way with a couple of his friends with him.

"Yes?" I ask suspiciously.

"It's great and all that you are going to be a JV starter, but i hope you know the real reason Coach put you as a starter," Bryson explains and his friends grin at each other.

"What do you mean, the real reason?" I ask.

"Well, Coach wasn't all that impressed by your skills, or should i say no skills, but he put you as a starter because he wants the other teams to be impressed by his awesome coaching skills and then as soon as you make the first play, he is subsing you out and putting someone else out there..." Bryson says and i glare at him.

"it's kind of sad that you have to make up lies just because you are jealous of me," I snap, but my stomach is clenching at the thought of Coach doing that.

"Whatever, don't say i didn't warn you," he says and with that said, his friends and him walk away.

Could they be right? Is that really what Coach is doing? I have never heard of a coach stooping so low, but if any coach did do that, it would be him.

"Don't listen to them, Aya. They are just jealous of your mad skill," Max says from behind me.

"How do you know they are lying?" I ask him.

"Please! Coach would never, ever, stoop that low," he explains and i nod even though that doesn't make me feel any better.

"Congrats on being a starter on varsity," I say to Max and he grins.

"Congrats on being starter on JV," he says back and we high five.

"It feels good," I reply and he nods in agreement.

"So... Uh, how is your friend? Maggie..." Max asks and looks around as if he is not interested in her at all, but i know he is.

"Oh you know. She is having guys ask her out all the time..." I lie and barely contain my grin when i see his jaw drop.

"What?! How in the... Uh, i mean.. Really? That's cool.. Like who?" He exclaims, but blushes when he looks at me.

"No actually, no one... I was just trying to see your reaction," I say and he scowls at me.

"Why in the world would you do that?" Max snaps and i raise my hands in mock surrender.

"Down, boy, down!" I say and laugh.

"Really?! You wanna go there?" Max says, but i can see he is trying to hide his smile too.

"Yeah i do! Wanna go punk?" I ask and hold out my hands in pretend fighting postions.

"Yeah.. No... Because we both know i would beat you," Max says and sticks his tongue out at me.

"Yeah, sure! But anyway, i'm sure Maggie likes you back. Why don't you just ask her out?" I say and Max gives me a look.

"But i'm pretty sure she doesn't like me back, so no. I am not going to ask her out," he says and even though i should just leave it alone, i can't....

~~~~~~~~~~

I walk to my car and Maggie comes running over with a big grin on her face.

"Guess what, guess what, guess WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" She practically screams.

"What?"

"This one guy, Tyler, just asked me out!!! Isn't that freaking awesome?!?!" She states and starts doing a happy dance. I freeze and look at her.

"Tyler? Not someone else?" I ask and she looks at me like i am crazy.

"Yeah, Tyler... Why aren't you happy dancing?" She asks with a frown.

"Oh nothing... I just thought someone else was going to ask you out," I say and she shrugs.

We get inside my car and i look at her.

"So... Do you really like this guy?" I ask her and she shrugs again.

"I don't know.. But i gues we will see on the date," she replies.

"Do you like someone else?" I ask.

"...Well i don't know... Who are you talking about?" She says.

"Max," I reply and she looks at me in shock.

"How did you know?" She asks quietly.

"I didn't... But he likes you. He is just to nervous to ask you out," i say and see practically glows with joy.

"Wait... It will probably give him the wrong impression if i go out on a date with Tyler," she says and i nod. Yes, that's what i've been trying to say.

"Um, yeah!" I say and she scowls at me.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She demands, but we are interupted when someone knocks on the window of my car door. I look over my shoulder to see Bryson standing there by himself.

I roll down my window and look at him suspiciously.

"Can i help you?" I ask.

"Do you want to come tonight for a little get together with the team," he mumbles and i look at him.

"What would we be doing?" I ask skepitcally.

"We all are just going to throw the football around," he says, but won't look me in the eyes.

"And everybody else is going to be there?" I ask and he nods slowly.

"It will be here at around 8 tonight," he says ahnd i nod.

"Sure," I reply and roll up my window before he has a chance to insult me.

Maggie looks at me with wide eyes.

"Was he being nice to you?" She asks and i shrug.

"I don't even know," I reply and we laugh...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8:OO P.M.~~~~~~~~~'

I pull into the parking lot and see all the guys on the football field, laughing and hoving each other.

"Hey, Aya!" Max yells from the field and i jog over to him.

"Hey, Max," I say with a grin.

I sit down beside him and knock him over in the process. He sits back up and scowls at me and shoves me over. We get into a shoving match and pretty soon we are practically injuring each other.

Max stands up and stretches before shoving me one more time.

"'Someone' is watching you," he whispers and nods in Bryson's direction. I look over and Bryson is staring at me. When our eyes meet, he jerks his away and i swear i see him blush.

"Ohhh. Someone has a crush," Max jokes and i glare at him.

"shut it.." I snap and Max just grins.

After everybody gets done throwing footballs, i go and sit down on the grass by myself because Max is talking to someone else.

I look up, though, when i hear someone clreaing their throat. I see Bryson standing there with an odd look on his face.

"Hey... Um... Can i sit down?" He asks and i raise my eyebrows.

"I don't know. Can you?" I ask.

"I guess i can," he replies and sits down beside me.

We sit there in silence for a couple minutes and i sigh and close my eyes.

"Listen... About before, when i said those things about you being a starter. I had no right. I mean, even if Coach did say those things, i didn't have to rub your face in it. I guess what i'm trying to say is that i'm sorry," he says quietly and looks down at the grass.

"It's ok. I don't know why you had to be so mean about it, but it doesn't really matter," I say and Bryson looks at me.

"Thanks for forgiving me," he says and we sit in silence again.

"Thanks for inviting me," I say and he nods.

"Yeah. I thought it was the least i could do after i was such a jerk to you," he says and we smile uneasily at each other....

THANKS FOR READING!! DID YOU GUYS LIKE IT??? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF BRYSON'S MOOD CHANGE??!?!?!?!?!

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thanks lovelies!!1

-becka