Stress Relief

15: Goals and Pre-Liquor Nausea

"So this is your first game?" Carson was practically folding over the rails as he cheered their team on. He said something about feeling too sick to play, and graciously kept Elijah company by dragging him along and purchasing tickets for them both.

"Yeah, I didn't go to any my freshman year and I was homeschooled for sophomore and junior year." Elijah looked over at him, leaning against the rails, fidgeting with his hands. "You've gone to a lot?"

Carson nodded with a smile. "Yeah, from my last school, before Matt and I transferred here." There was a collective 'ooh' as a pile was made on a player with red and white colors, the guest team.

"That's gotta hurt." Elijah cringed as they got off of one another, freeing the poor guy who had the ball. "Why'd you transfer? Get detention too many times?"

Carson barked a laugh. "Oh I wish! I only got sent to the D-zone like twice." The players took their positions again, before a whistle was blown by the ref and the ball was in the air. One of the home players got past the defenders, running to catch the ball as it made its decent.

"The "D-zone"?" Elijah snorted. Watching in anticipation he recognized the number on the jersey as Jase's.

Jase caught the ball and made a run for it, the stands a cacophony of encouragement as two players started coming his way. He managed to score against them and the stands erupted in cheers, Elijah cheered loudly as Carson screamed "Yeah that's what I'm talkin' about!" With a swing of his fist.

As the players dispersed for half time, Carson laughed. "Oh, yeah, that's what I like to call it. Makes it funnier."

Elijah smiled. "Y'know after getting to know you, that checks out." He laughed when he got a punch to the shoulder.

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?!" The players approached the huge plastic tank of water and got hydrated. A few coming over to them, Diego included. Carson squat down and bumped fists with him and Jase who came up a moment later. "Nice score Jase, you had them chasing you like rabid dogs man!"

"Thanks." He sighed. "I'm gonna be sore like a motherfucker after this."

"No kidding." He nodded. Elijah squat down with him. Carson looked over and tapped him on the arm. "Hey, I'm gonna grab some food, you want anything?"

"Nachos, if they got any. If not just some barbecue chips or fries is fine." Carson nodded, standing up. "Get water too!" He called as he walked up the stairs. He was given a flared, dismissive wave.

As he waited, Elijah found himself chatting to Diego and Jase about things he immediately forgot about the second the topic changed. Nonetheless it felt so easy to talk to these guys. He congratulated them on gaining the upper hand and they talked about how they were feeling about the game.

Eventually another player came up, the number 17 on his jersey. Elijah felt himself smiling. "Hey Chase."

Chase took out his mouth guard and smiled, nodding in greeting. "Hey, I like the face paint."

Elijah remembered what Carson had meticulously painted from his right cheek to his left eyebrow and refrained from touching it. "Yeah, Carson did it. It took longer than I thought." He remembered sitting in the car for twenty minutes straight as he perfected the placement of each dot and the pattern the line followed.

Diego rolled his eyes. "He's such a perfectionist, I'm not surprised." Jase elbowed him in the ribs with a disbelieving smile.

"Don't act like his "perfectionism" didn't save your grade on that one presentation." He argued, much to Diego's mild annoyance. "You so would've failed the class last grading period if he hadn't saved your ass."