University Story - Chapter 7
Sorry for the long wait, but I just finished my first year of University (woot), and I had a lot of packing to do and stuff. Plus, it was kind of a tough chapter to write. Enjoy anyway! -Tidus-
Chapter 7 - Heads or Tails
The crowd roared with excitement as the start of the game approached. It was Saturday night, and Duke's first football game of the season. They weren't playing anyone special, and looking at Duke's reputation and expectations, it was going to be an easy win. A perfect way to start the season people thought!
"First game of the season! YAY!!!" Paul yelled at the top of his lungs. He and the gang had showed up, and were really psyched to see what the team could do. "Man, you think Alex'll get a touchdown?"
"I dunno. He's pretty good, but he's new so he might not even play much." Jet said, "Oh, and where's Ryan and Robbie?" For the past week or so, they had been late to everything.
"Ya, weird. Wonder what they do to make themselves late all the time!" Jeff asked. It wasn't a huge deal, but they were all more than a little curious. "You got any idea Syd?"
"Ummm, no..." Syd practically whispered. He had been pretty distant ever since Alex decided to join football.
"What's up man? You've been in the dumps for like ever now! Cheer up!" Paul smiled reassuringly, and Syd tried smiling back. He hated feeling this way, but he really was feeling bad. He had been 'busier' then usual now that Tyson had gotten pretty close to him. He hadn't been able to hang out with everyone as much as he used to. He was scared that they thought he was avoiding him, and felt horrible looking at Paul's big, stupid grin. He was really nice, and Syd wished more than anything that he could tell them what was wrong, but Tyson made him swear to keep it secret. He shivered thinking what he would do if he found out he told.
"Jeez man, your shivering. You sick or something?" Paul put his over-sized jacket around Syd, and looked at him, concerned. "better?"
"M-Much. Thanks Paul..." Syd blushed and looked away. Paul was always nice to everyone, and his kindness sometimes even shocked Syd.
"No worries. Oh, the games starting!" Paul had looked down to the field to see that both teams were beginning to walk out. They made a pretty big show of it too. Cheerleaders jumping around, jumping through a banner, all the cliché sort of stuff. No one seemed to notice three of their team's players lagging behind, walking slowly onto the field.
Alex was the last of the team to make it to their benches. He knew he should have been happy. He had been chosen to play offensive, first string, with Coach Morgan's recommendation. He had pretended to be really happy when he heard the news, but he still felt horrible about what had happened the day before. He, Shane and Keith hadn't talked since, and any time they looked at each other they either wanted to cry or scream. Alex could feel his emotions, piling up on top of one another, overflowing his heart. He had chosen to take the burden though. Looking back and doubting himself would only make this harder. He had never been a strong person before, but he cared too much about Shane and Keith to see them worrying about him. This was his battle, and he wasn't going to back down. Alex put his helmet on and ran to the huddle that had started. They had won the coin toss and got offense first.
Keith walked sluggishly into the huddle. Football was the last thing he was thinking about, and being around Alex was too hard to handle. He just wanted to cry. He had always been strong-willed and tough-skinned, but this was just too much. He wished things were different...
Shane felt no different. He was in the first string as well. It was predicted that he and Keith would lead the team to victory. Some people even bet on who would score more touchdowns, but Shane was in no mood. He felt angry, and as if his whole life had sunk into nothing. How could playing a game help him? He just wanted this to be over...
Tyson told the team the play, and they got into position. Alex was far right, with Shane and Keith the team's running backs. Everyone knew that one or the other was getting the ball.
With a booming voice, Tyson started the play, Brock snapping the ball to him. The field turned into a battlefield. Tyson looked to see if either Shane or Keith was open, but he didn't see them. They should have gotten passed easily, but their minds weren't in the game. Tyson growled loudly, and was prepared to run for it himself, seeing as Shane and Keith were nowhere near open, when he saw something. Alex had gotten through. No one had expected him to do much, but because of this, he was wide open. Tyson snapped the ball to the little dog. It was much farther then Alex, and Tyson almost cursed himself for throwing it so hard. He was pissed about his two "star-players", and he let it out in that throw. He turned his head, annoyed at what was going to happen, when he looked up to hear the crowd roaring.
"Say what?" Tyson was just as surprised as everyone, but Alex looked back, just as he did weeks ago against Zac. He was standing in the end zone. No one had taken him seriously, and he could have walked there. Duke's side of the stadium was booming, the other team silent in surprise. Alex threw the ball to the ref, and ran back to the huddle.
"Nice throw Tyson! Didn't think it would be that easy" Alex was grinning ear to ear, and everyone on the team was dumb-founded.
"Shit man! NO ONE thought it would be that easy! Nice one dude." Tyson slapped Alex on the back. He started heading back, when he noticed Alex's smile waver a little. Keith had walked by him, spewing a silent "good job" as he did. What the hell is up with him? Tyson thought.
The rest of the first half went very similar to this. Tyson would throw the ball, and Alex would find a way to get to it. It took the other team a while to admit how seriously good Alex was doing, but once they did, they were losing, 22-6. They were not happy about this, and weren't going to let the puny pup walk all over the field anymore. This would be his last play...
The teams got into position again, the last down before half time. Everyone knew where the ball was going, and when Tyson got the ball he looked to see where Alex was.
Alex was running as fast as he could, but it was getting harder and harder to get open. Almost the entire other team was on him now, and he ducked and weaved as best he could. Tyson noticed the swarm around Alex, ready to pounce if he got anywhere near the ball, so he looked for someone else. Before he could even think to throw to another team mate he stopped in his tracks when he heard a loud yelp in the corner of his eye. The other team wasn't kidding when they said they were going to stop Alex, and they didn't wait for the ball to go to him. The group around Alex had tackled him down before anyone noticed, or could even process the situation. The small dog tried to get out of the pile, but he lost all his strength as his breath left him. One of the other team's players had landed with his elbow right into Alex's ribs, and it killed. Alex was practically tearing from the pain of half a dozen guys blind-siding him.
The ref blew the whistle as the clock timed out. The other team sauntered off the field, almost proud, and clearly confident for the second half. Now that Alex was out of the way, they could easily make up the points. Duke's team ran over to Alex, Tyson pushing through the crowd to see how his new star player was.
"Shit man...you don't look so good." Tyson tried to lift Alex up, but Alex whimpered and fell back down. He held his side tightly; clearly he had been hurt pretty bad.
Alex looked up at his team, standing around him. He felt horrible, like he was going to let them down if he left the game. He forced himself to stand up, and sputtered painfully "I'll be fine" between his pants. He started walking to the locker room, when he lost his footing. He thought he was going to hit the wet, cold ground, but he didn't. He felt weak, and hurt, and he couldn't even hold himself up. So what was?
"Don't worry. You did amazing, so sit this next one out, ok? You're in no shape to play, and I hate to see you like this..." Keith had caught Alex just before he fell, and was holding him, furious of what had happened. "If I had just kept my head in the game, you wouldn't have had so much pressure on you..." Keith was practically growling, and he lifted Alex up and brought him back to the locker room. He wasn't going to be so lazy in the next half.
In the locker room Keith put Alex down on a bench and then walked over to the huddle that was forming around Coach Williams. Alex was looked at by Coach Morgan, and the news was as expected. He had a bruised rib, and there was no way he was going to play the next half.
"Sorry kid, but I can't let you go out there like this." Coach Morgan sounded upset and agitated. He was usually very calm and relaxed, but clearly the situation was enough to anger even him.
"I-It's ok..." Alex was upset, but there was nothing he could do. Coach Morgan gave Alex a small smile, and a reassuring look. Alex knew he would be alright and lay his head down on the bench as Morgan walked away to join Coach William's pep talk before they went back out.
"Alex, I'm sorry." A strong voice said just as Alex had shut his eyes. He jumped up, startled. It was Shane. He was sitting next to Alex.
"My mind wasn't thinking anything even close to football, and I let this happen to you."
"I-It's not a big deal Shane, really!" Alex tried to reassure the bigger fur, but it didn't change the fact that he was hurt. Shane felt horrible because he could have done something. Alex had been strong, but he let his emotions weaken him. No matter how much bigger he was then Alex, he felt like nothing compared to him.
Alex could tell that Shane was angry. His fur was on end, and a growl escaped the side of his muzzle as he muttered "It won't happen again." And Shane got up and walked out to the field. Keith was the next one out of the room after Shane, and he had the same strong, determined stride.
"Yo, Shane." Keith said, pulling the leopard away before they went back on the field. "You and I are feeling the same thing, but that doesn't change anything. I want to be with Alex, and I'm ashamed I couldn't protect him."
"I know. You don't have to lecture me." Shane pushed Keith aside and walked onto the field, "You're not the most important person in his life."
Keith let out a low growl and his hackles rose as he wished to pummel Shane just as much as the other team. They hurt his love in front of his eyes, but Shane kept Alex away from him. It was different kinds of pain, and Keith wanted to save Alex from them both.
As both teams lined up, the other team laughed out loud when they saw that Alex wasn't there.
"Shut the fuck up!" Keith boomed, people even in the stands hearing his deep, angry voice. He looked over at Shane, and they gave each other the same look. They felt the same, and their competition made for a great team. The other team thought that they would have it easy without Alex, but they only made it worse. Shane and Keith were thinking less of winning, instead just bulldozing through the people who hurt the man they loved.
The second half was a haze, but by the end, the score hadn't changed. The only change was the amount of limping players who left the field. Shane and Keith hadn't let anyone get by. They were a wall of angry muscle, and they had never played better. By the end, everyone was too scared to even catch the ball, knowing at least one of them would be right on their tail.
Duke's side of the stadium was cheering uncontrollably as they won their first game. It had been a crazy game, but Duke pulled through, and their season started off as expected.
Paul, Jet and Jeff were cheering to the point that they even stood out among the massive crowd. They had wanted to go down to see if Alex was alright, but Coach Williams wouldn't let them in the locker room.
"Alright, let's head down and see what's up with Alex." Jeff said, pushing his way through the swarm of people filling the stands.
"I'm sure he's fine." Paul said
"Fine? He wasn't even allowed to play the second half! And did you see the size of those guys? I just hope he lived!" Jet said, clearly exaggerating, but it was true that they were all worried about him. They had made it just to the bottom of the stairs when they finally saw Ryan and Robbie.
"Oh, Heeey! Where have you two been?" Jeff called to the pair. They were standing outside the stadium.
"Hey guys! Ya, we were late and there was no place to sit by the time we got in." Ryan said. He was annoyed with himself that he missed the first game, but he and Robbie had been 'busy'. Ever since their first encounter Ryan hadn't been able to keep his hands off the little raccoon. It just felt so great to be with him, and the freedom of being who he was with his lover was too much to give up.
"Ya ya, you guys really need to buy a watch or something! You're always late!" Jet said jokingly.
"Sorry guys..." Robbie felt pretty bad, but judging on the applause he assumed Duke had won, "At least we did well."
"Well the team did, but Alex might not be doing too well." Paul said, looking at the locker room door. "We were just on our way to see how he was."
"Why? What happened?" Ryan said, a concerned look on his face.
"Long story." Jeff said, entering the locker room, with his friends following close behind.
* * * *
The team was louder than ever as they stomped into the locker room, yelling and cheering. It was considered a cause for celebration, and more than one party was being planned for that night. The locker doors closed as two players walked in, well behind the rest. They were less then enthused.
Shane and Keith walked to opposite ends of the locker room, Alex still lying on the bench. He was between them, and was thanking God he couldn't get up because he wouldn't know who to go to if he could. A few guys passed him, patting him on the back, congratulating him, all sorts of nice things. Even a few of Zac's friends shot him a happy grin. Alex felt like he belonged. All the time he had spent at Duke had made him feel this, and he was confused, but was happy about it. His happiness left him as both Shane and Keith approached him, both standing side by side in front of him. Alex was sitting down, which made him look even smaller in front of them. He shrunk down, not being able to look them in the eyes. They were still agitated from the game, but the second they saw Alex all of their anger was gone. They only felt concern for the shrinking pup. No matter how much Alex tried, they still felt responsible for both his injury and his sorrow.
They tried to say something to him, but there was nothing to say. They both sat down beside him, one on each side, and just sat with him. They pretended they were the only one with Alex, and that they were together under happier circumstances.
"Alex." Shane finally said, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. All I've done is made things worse...but no matter how hard it is, I can't change my feelings for you..."
Alex wanted to say something to make the big leopard feel better, but he knew he couldn't. He knew this because he felt the same. Just as inconsolable.
Keith stood up fast, and kept his back turned away from both of them. He couldn't stand listening to Shane talking to Alex like that. He wanted more than anything to be with Alex, but Shane was pulling him away. He felt a tear on his cheek, and turned to face Alex.
"I can't stand this." Keith's voice was deep and serious, but his true feelings made him waver in his words. Alex had never seen him like this. "I can't sit here and listen to him. It hurts too much."
Alex tried to stand up to console Keith, but he quickly fell back, holding his side. It hurt to stand, but it hurt even more to see Keith so upset.
"He's right Alex." Shane stood up next to Keith, "Whenever I see both of you, my mind goes crazy, and I lose all control of my emotions. We can't live like this."
"W-What do you want me to do? I thought I said to forget about me!" Alex was almost crying now. Being alone was his biggest fear in the world, but here he was, telling two people he loved to leave him forever. He knew that fighting over him was useless, and painful. He had tried to take the burden before, but it was impossible.
"Alex." Shane said, very seriously, "You have to choose."
The words burned through Alex's heart, and he almost fell backwards. The notion wasn't insane, but it was so hard. Looking at both Keith and Shane, he saw the grief and desperation in their eyes. They all needed to be able to move on, but living like this made it impossible. Shane was right, but it overwhelmed Alex.
"I-I, I can't..." Alex could feel the tears on his muzzle now, and he couldn't bear to look at the two furs he loved. He didn't want to see the tears of the one he didn't choose.
"I-I just can't...please..." Alex stood up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his side, and bolted for the exit. He couldn't face the choice, and he ran. He was sure this would only make it worse, but what could he do? They meant so much to him. He thought he knew who he loved, but it was too hard. Everything used to be clear, but all he saw and felt was the pressure of the choice.
He pushed through a bunch of people entering the locker room, and didn't even realize who they were. He just ran, not knowing where to go...
* * * *
"Woah! Alex, wait up!" Paul yelled to his friend, who had just sprinted out of the locker room, seemingly not even noticing them. They all called out to him, but he was gone.
"I thought he was hurt?" Jet asked.
"He looked hurt to me..." Syd said quietly, and they all exchanged looks. Syd had seen the look on Alex's face, and he knew the pain he saw all too well.
"What the hell is going on?" Ryan asked. Jeff said Alex may have gotten injured, but they had all just seen their friend running away, tears staining his face.
"Let's go find out." Jeff said, pushing his way into the locker room. Most of the guys had already left, making their way to all the parties. However, there were still two furs sitting on the bench. It was Shane and Keith. Shane was laying his back against the lockers, his eyes shut tight, and Keith had his head in his hands.
"Hey, you guys! Sup with Alex?" Jeff said, pushing Shane in a friendly way, thinking he was sleeping or something.
"Back off man!" Shane said, jumping up to his full height. Jeff stepped back in surprise, especially at the tears that were still in the corners of the leopard's eyes.
"Woah, calm down!" Paul said, stepping in front of Jeff. He stood at almost the same height as Shane, and tried to push him back to his seat. "What's going on?"
"Ask him!" Shane said, pointing to Keith before bolting out of the locker room, pushing his way past Paul on his way.
"What the hell is with everyone?" Ryan asked, looking around the room, as if he'd find some answer.
"Maybe we should run after Alex-" Jeff suggested, before being interrupted.
"Don't." Keith said, his head still in his hands, "the last thing he needs is company. Though it hurts to say it, he needs to be alone..." Keith stood up, and tried to make his way to the door, but Paul grabbed him by the arm.
"No way, tell us what's up. Alex is our friend, and he shouldn't be alone if he's that upset."
"Trust me; it would hurt him more if he was forced to explain things to you. If you don't know by now, then he's not ready to tell you." Keith turned his face away from them, hiding his tears, and forced himself out of Paul's grip, and walked to the door, but stopped right before leaving. "All you have to know is that, if it was up to me, Alex would never have to feel like this..." Keith walked out before they could hear him panting from sadness.
"What should we do now?" Robbie asked. So much had just happened, and they wanted answers. They wanted to help, but it was clear that their help wasn't wanted.
"This is above our heads." Jeff said, "When Alex is ready, he'll come to us. I guess he needs his space."
"I don't like it." Paul said, his paws were in fists now.
"None of us do. But Alex isn't an idiot! If he needs to do this alone, we just need to trust him." Jeff said, "Come on, let's get outta here." He walked to the door, his friends following close behind. They left the room and the stadium behind, but no matter what they said, they felt like they were leaving a friend behind as well...