Sticking to Tradition

Chapter Twenty-Three: Theo

Note: All characters and settings are purely fictional. If there are any similarities to real people or places, it is merely coincidental. The plot was written by me and not copied from any other writer.

We lost the game. I'm not surprised. It wasn't KC's fault. He barely had time to work with the team since Coach Fields makes me run all the plays in practice. KC is new to the team, so there is still a lot for him to learn. Our loss is not surprising, but part of me hoped I was wrong. It was everyone's fault. Mines mostly, since I let Preston get the best of me at the game. My actions caused us this game. Pearson's High is a mediocre team in comparison to the teams we've played for the season. It's embarrassing to lose to them.

I'm sitting on the bench, clutching my hair in my hands in frustration. The team huddles in, and that's when it all goes awry. Garrett and a few of the other players rush up to me. Garrett pulls me up by my jersey. I'm caught off guard but it's enough time to irritate me.

"You caused us the fucking game, Bradshaw!" Garrett shouts, clutching tightly to my jersey. The other guys are backing up Garrett, and it agitates me.

"Get your hands off of me, Hutton!" I warn. He brings his face closer to mines. I can see the sweat draining down his face and how dilated his pupils are.

"Or what? You caused us this game fucking around with our tradition. You and that little bitch over there." He points his head in the direction of Rylee. Despite my current feelings for Rylee, it bothers me to hear him refer to her as a bitch. I pull his grip away from my shirt and push him off of me. The other guys try to come at me, but Tatum steps in front of me.

"Back the fuck off," Tatum frowns. Garrett and the others start shouting at Tatum, and it turns to an argument with everyone spewing insults back and forth. Coach Fields interferes and tries to calm us down. It works until Garrett opens his mouth.

"If your bitch ass couldn't handle a bitch like Rylee, you should have stayed mute and useless like you did all these years!" His words silence the group. At that moment, I forgot he was a teammate. I forgot Tatum was in front of me. I forgot who and what I was to everybody.

"We lost the stupid game because you couldn't put into play any of the tackles Coach asked you to execute in the plays. KC couldn't pass the ball because you never kept it open for him to pass." I explain. Everyone keeps quiet, but some of the players nod in agreement with my words.

"Tatum and Hayden couldn't catch any of KC's passes because his throws were off. Our loss has nothing to do with this tradition. We lost because of bad plays that everyone contributed to, and not because I was absent in the game. If my presence is the reason we win games, then what are you saying about everyone else?"

"Theo is right. We made a lot of errors out there. It's not his fault," KC said backing me up. Hayden puts a hand on KC's shoulder in agreement with him.

"You're right, Theo. You not being in the game just psyched us out. We trained so hard to get here. Everyone is just tense because the balance of things took us by surprise." Justin, one of the players standing by Garrett, said. I nodded to him in recognition of his subtle apology.

"Let's get off the field," Tatum advises. We all nod, but I look to Garrett. His words were still clinging to my brain, and I couldn't let them go.

"Next time you call Rylee a bitch, I'll punch the shit out of you," I warn before walking away from the team. Hayden and KC came trotting behind me.

"Wait up!" KC shouts, and I slow down my stride. It takes them a few seconds to catch up with me. I am still upset. Upset that Garrett said those things about Rylee, and upset that I cared so much that he said them. Why couldn't I forget her? Why did she matter so much to me?

"You ok?" Hayden asks, stopping me. He didn't have to ask. He knew I wasn't. He sighs before continuing, "As much as you don't want to do it, you need to talk to her."

I shake my head, "Nah, I'm good." KC is staring between the two of us, trying to figure out what's going on. I'm not concerned about him knowing. He's a pretty decent kid, and I had plans to take him under my wing next school term.

"You're not, O. You love her."

I scoff, "Yeah, but look where that got me."

Hayden sighs, "I spoke to her before the game." My head shoots up in shock. KC is just as surprised. We both look at Hayden. He continues, "She doesn't know how you feel, Theo. She thinks we both played with her emotions."

I frown, "Shouldn't I be the one saying that? After everything she did, how is she the victim in all of this?"

"I don't know, but I'm starting to think there is some misunderstanding between you, her, and me. The way she spoke to me earlier just doesn't make sense."

"Why do you say that?" KC interjects. We both look at him, and he holds his hands up in defense.

"She said we used her for laughs. I didn't understand what she meant. What did we do that gave her the impression that we were using her for entertainment. It seemed like she felt we were bullying her."

"Bullying her?" KC asked, his voice going an octave higher than usual. He seemed to be as shocked as I was.

"Yeah, I don't get it either. I think you need to speak to her. Clear the air and all that."

"Does it even matter now? She's clearly expressed I'm not her type nor will I ever be," I defended. It didn't matter if there was some misunderstanding between Rylee and I. The only thing I did not misunderstand was her disinterest in me. Hayden sighs, and KC uses this cue to start talking about the game. It's enough to distract us all from the conversation.