Maddox got up from the bench, cursing. "Forty fucking two over Twenty-five." His gear was drenched in sweat, and his heels hurt from standing and running on the turf, in the blazing afternoon heat. Forget the wind, this fucking 102 degree weather was going to give him a heatstroke. Should'a drank the water at halftime. What was I thinking?

"Hey," Riley said, looking at him, sticking out his tongue tiredly and doubling over. His hot breath let out as he panted and rested against the water cooler. "Let's go get sumth to eat, yeah?" Riley walked over and rested a sweaty hand on his shoulder. 

"Fine, but you pay. I'm fucking pissed. Those Jerks." The end play, was, unsurprisingly a cheat. I was running and put an arm out to stop their defensive, but from the referee and the coach's point of view, it looked like I grabbed onto his jersey. Riley was shaking his head, before peeling off the jersey. Number 10. "It's alright. Even if you didn't grab that dude's gear, we would'a still lost." 

"Hit the showers, y'all did good out there." Said Coach H. He usually had an angry face, from his strong build and features, but today it was more softened, more relaxed. Maybe he noticed the depressing feel in the air, and his playful side was gone. Or maybe it was something else entirely. "Riley, I need to talk to you. Privately." 

"Yes, Coach H. Come on Dox." Riley said, motioning down the hallway that Coach H. had gone. Maddox followed Riley. "So Ry, what's for Din," Maddox asked, finally out of his anger bubble.  

"I was thinking some waffles." 

"I don't know. Sounds too sweet. Why not...a burger?"

"We ate that last time." Eventually, they made it to the office, which was just a door in the wall, with a large window with student pictures and dates, scores and other papers. They covered what was inside the room, and to this day, as a Senior, I had hardly seen inside it. 

"Good evening Riley," said Coach H. "Maddox, if you could please stay outside while I talk to Riley, thank you." Maddox looked at Coach H with a slightly annoyed face, but stepped outside. The door of his office closed with a soft pressurized door sound, and the soundproofed room drowned out the voices inside. 

"Hello, Riley. Sit down. How are you?" Said Coach H, getting something out of a black floor to ceiling filing cabinet in the back of the room, next to a large desk with the new jerseys and helmets. A new design, that the students were going to get next week. The room was kind of musty, and the musk of them both added a dirty scent into the air. 

"I'm good, sir. So why did you call me again," Riley asked, getting straight to the point.

"Can't even have a talk to my own boys. Anyways, I wanted to personally give this to you, since it's kind of a big deal." He handed him a brown and white envelope. UTA, University of Texas at Austin. "It's full ride. They see potential in you kid, so you better do good."

"Thank you, Coach. But the season doesn't end for another end, and I ain't going anywhere."

He walked out of the room, trying to hide his happy and dazed expression. The silly little smile, his sharpened canines peaking out. He tried keeping his cool, but his heart was racing now, and it seemed his whole future was being handed to him. I can't wait to tell Maddox. The team, everyone. 

He put the thought away, and cleared his face. "Ry!" Maddox got up, still in his jersey, and walked over, eyeing the brown and white and then looking back at me. "Let's go already. I want to get outta here already." 

"We should go shower first though, before heading out."

---

Riley's POV - 

"Aight, so tell me what that is already. I want to know," Dox said, picking up the empty orange box off the table. We ended up getting pizza, and took it to my house. I finally took off my shoes, and changed into more comfortable clothes, my grey wool joggers that flexed and stretched at the bulge of my calves, my thigh muscles. I was good enough to run as the QuarterBack, which was thanks to me focusing most of my workouts to legs. Now I had a more complementary lower body to top ratio. 

Turns out girls like legs, since my body count doubled when my leg size became more prominent, making me look less of a "Skip leg day" kind of guy, to an "Everyday leg day" kinda guy. I snuggled on the soft fitting black tank top and crocs, and walked back out to the living room. Dox was wearing my pair of black pants and my black tee, since he was putting the clothes he wore to school to wash. 

My mother, who worked at the hospital downtown had just gone in for her nightshift, and we jumped onto the couch in the small living room. Being a single mother taking care of me alone, we didn't have lots of things, and the console, which was my PS4 I bought with my summer job.

I thought back to that envelope. On the drive home, I was a bundle of joy, practically vibrating on the drivers seat and when I picked up our order, I was so content, I casually asked the girl for her number at the register. I saved "Lily from Little Ceaser's" on my phone, and sat on the couch. "That's right. The reason I'm so fucking excited, is because...I got recruited. To UTA. I start next fall." 

"Wait, No fucking way, man! That's actually awesome," Said Maddox, looking away, and then glancing back at me. I thought I saw something there, but I guess it was just me. 

"I should def call Lily over, for like a reward or something," I said, flipping the TV to "Call Of Duty: Black Ops 1". Even though I had other games, many other games I bought with my small part time job at Starbucks, yeah I know...Starbucks. Even though, I liked this one most, since the zombie map was fun, and I've gotten pretty good at it. Working at Starbucks was a bet, and I lost, but to be honest, it was alright, and I met more girls. Win-win, I guess. 

"You should get World War 2. Sick as fuck." Dox said, jumping onto the couch next to me. He laid down, resting his head on my lap. I was busy playing online, and now I was getting distracted. The zombies were coming left and right, and I finished my gun's ammo. Fuck. Guess I'm going melee. 

He started shaking his head, and his hair tickled against my thigh. "Ah, you fucker!" I shifted, and put my thigh on his face. I held it there, since I was already on the ground in-game and until I finally died, I didn't let him get out of that makeshift chokehold. The stats rolled onto the screen, and my depressing numbers flashed by as I let him out. 

"No, why'd you stop?" He said, before sitting up next to me. "I was enjoying it. Feeling your cheeks on my face, so soft."

"Shut up. I invited Lily over, and she'll be here any minute, and if she goes away because of you, I swear to god." 

"Okay. Such a buzzkill. Sorry...Daddy," Dox said, bursting out laughing, before jumping off the couch, narrowly avoiding my lazy jab. I stood up, putting down the controller. I got into my football stance, and in a low mocking gruff voice I said "Ready, set hut!" And ran at him, about to tackle him. But before I could do that, the door rang, and the pretty little junior made themselves comfortable. 

"Umm...Hi," She said, pushing her bleached blonde hair away from her face. She looked at the ground then at me, then to Dox and then back at me. Woah, she's pretty.

"Hey there, cutie," Said Dox, walking over to her. She glanced at me, before looking at Dox again, and smiled. He looked at Lily with soft eyes, that innocent face of his that off-sets his muscular build. All his exes said it was addicting. But, before he could pounce on his prey, she quietly put down his arm from around herself. 

"Sorry, but I came here to see him." She said, with such a soft voice, it sounded like it would shatter like glass. She spoke those words with barely a whisper, before walking over to me. I heard a "Fair 'nough. Cool with you I crash on your couch?" Dox said, before laying down on the couch. 

"Sure, I mean, you were going to sleep there anyways." I rarely let him into my bed, even though my mother got a bigger one for the both of us to fit. At least that's what I tell myself. 

"That's not true, but okay. Anyways, Imma go to bed now. It's already one in the fucking morning." 

Putting Dox to sleep when I have someone over is like putting a baby to sleep. The only difference is he always asks for the details afterwards. I could already hear his taunting "What position," when I hear him snoring. Like the good friend I am, I get him his blankets and pillows from my room and throw them on him. 

"Y'alls dinamyc is so weird," I heard from behind me. Lily. Forgot she was here. "In a good way. It's really wholesome, but also really messed up. Like good friends." 

"Yeah, well, me and Dox, we've been friends since we were kids. Ever since his...what happened, he's been my best friend." Remembering that day, it brought back disgusting memories, a past that musn't be resurrected. No. Not now, not ever. What happened that day, it was too much for him. For me. For us.

I led her to my room, and long went the hours that I talked to Dox, but I still kept that memory on the back burner, a grim reminder.