“I SWEAR TO GOD DORI CHEAT ONE MORE TIME,” a 15-year-old Jess screamed; seemingly frustrated after he easily got past her to shoot a goal. She promised she wasn’t usually this bad. He just… wasn’t… not bad. Okay fine he was great and that made it really hard to use her 3-year-old pee-wee football skills on him. She did try though; he was just faster than her… better. She’d never of course admit that to him. But he was. He always had been and that’s why it was easy to cheer him on and support him. Because no matter what he thought. what he deluded himself with – he was always worth it. Always good… it just took time to see it for most people.
”Keep kidding yourself into thinking I’m cheating Jess. You’re just bad at this. Admit it.”
“Never DeLouser. I’m better at football then you are; you’re just a bloody cheat”
“SOCCER JESS SOCCER THIS ISN’T FOOTBALL,” Jess smiled as Dorian got the ball once again; but this time she didn’t let him get past. She simply tackled him almost as if they were playing real American football – using her body weight to push him to the floor; a smile on her face as she landed on top of him; his hands immediately wrapping around her waist to protect her from the impact – even when she was the one to cause it. It was one of the ways Jess knew there was more to him than others thought. His actions always proved his true nature, which was one of the protective sense. He cared and perhaps that’s why Jess resonated to him so well… better than she had Elodie. “And you call me a cheater? she heard Dorian mutter though she only shrugged. “Prove it,”. The night light illuminated his features and Jess could see the twinkle in his eyes. She loved him; yes. There was a still in their actions as she looked at him; clearly thinking about something. He hadn’t known it at the time but thinking back; Jess knew she was thinking about him. The fact that she was falling for him in that moment. After their stollen kiss that she pretended to not know about. In that moment; she could see the internal debate in the girl – almost telling him she remembered. “I…” Jess started; though instead of saying the real worlds she wanted to, Jess chickened out and instead tosstled his hair. “You’re a mess” the girl whispered instead – before trying to get off of him in an effort to steal the ball while he was down.
But before she could he pulled her back on top of him. “Nope. We’re just going to stay like this until you admit it cheater. I’m better than you.” A soft sigh left the girl’s lips as she wrapped her little hands around Dorian’s neck leaning into his ear. “Over my dead body, love,” Watching the scene from the side; a smile reached her lips as she found younger her trying to struggle off of him but it not working. So after a few moments; giving up - she saw the girl leaning her elbows on his chest as she looked at him with the bright eyes of a girl who had no idea what would happen with a few months. Of leaving her best friend… the man she had started falling in love with. or maybe she had always been. “I’m exhausted. Let’s go get some food Dori and forget that you were about to lose this game,” she stated – watching as he rolled his eyes and lt her off with a playful shove, making her fall on the grass beside him with a “Rude” leaving her lips as he got up. “Come on cheater, I’ll buy you some Ihop or whatever,” Her hands intertwined in his as he led her out of the soccer field