The Fault Line (GxG)

3. You're staring

The whole night I spent wondering about the girl that I nearly fell all over at the Dinner. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me. Never before has an individual been trapped in my head like this. The brown hair was resting on the top of her shoulders, which was darker than mine. Her eyes were green with a brown dancing around the iris—most of all, those high, visible cheekbones. I can't believe I've caught all of this in a matter of seconds. But when I looked at her, it didn't seem like that. Somehow, time felt slower.

I figured it was a good idea to have a long, warm shower before I left for the interview, but no, she was still there, and she hasn't left. It's like she built her fortress up in my head.

"Stop it," I whispered to myself as I get out of the car along with the bag where my soccer equipment is. I straighten up my Howlers hoodie and approach the building.

A lady is standing there. However, she lights up as she appears to notice.

"Wilder, welcome," She said as I stood in front of her.

"Hi," I greeted her, unsurely.

"I'm Jae, and I'm going to interview with both of you and then take a couple of pictures," She explained to me as I follow her down the corridor.

"Both of us?" I wonder nobody told me there was going to be anyone else from the squad. I don't mind, and it's great to have someone else here with me. Yet I freeze in my place as we reach the office. The girl from last night is seated in a chair with a smile and wearing a blue hoodie. Of course, I'm the biggest fool in the world.

"Sit down," Jae said, giving me a chair across from Nico. I should have know who she was when I saw her yesterday. A girl is not normally as tall as she is.

I sat down and tossed my backpack on the floor in frustration. I'm not sure if it's because I'm here with one from the Griffiths or because the girl who's been on my mind all this time is one of them.

"Have you met?" Jae asked, sitting in another chair between us.

"Briefly," Nico nodded, and we met eyes, but I looked away.

"Let's get started," Jae said, and we both nodded in silence.

"How do you all foresee the score next week?" She wondered, looking at Nico first.

"A victory, of course," She smiled at me, and I tightened my jaw as I stared at her.

"Wilder?" Jae flips herself around.

"I guess we've got a solid shot; I mean, we haven't lost to them yet," I shrugged at Jae, who's writing it down in her notepad. As much as I wished Nico would respond poorly to my words, she's just grinning at me. Why does she find it amusing?

"Nico, the tallest girl in league with your 1.79 meters, how does it impact the game?" Jae questioned, tapping her pen on her notepad, and I roll my eyes. Of course, her height had to be brought up.

"My height helps me with the range, but I rely more on my reflexes," She answered. Nico looks at me with her hazel eyes, I know I'm not supposed to like her, but her eyes are stunning. Is that permitted to say about your rival? Maybe not, so let's lock it in and throw the key away.

"Okay, good," Jae said, and then she turns to face me.

"Wilder, in four years, you haven't missed a penalty, which is a record; how do you feel about it?" she asks me.

"It's great to be able to contribute, and it's a fantastic team. I'm honored to be part of it," I grinned to Jae, who put a few blond hair strands behind her ear.

Jae continued asking a few more questions until the interview finished. Nico and I have now changed into our soccer kits. Now we're waiting for the cameraman to confirm that it's all ready. If the background for the photo is all right, and to see if the camera is working.

I turn to Nico as she stands next to me. Her goalie kit is black, which fits her well. Like me, she's put her hair in a ponytail that reveals her face. She has a nicer skin tone than I do, darker than most people in Willmont Hills. I'm paler than most of them, but next to her, I look like a snowman.

We both wear the captain's band on our arm and the rest of the soccer equipment. Her shoes are black and blue, which fits nicely with her jersey, while mine is red and white. She's got a small scar on her cheek, which is not impossible to spot.

"You're staring," Stated Nico, not even looking at me, making me face forward. I didn't mean to look at her for so long. I guess I got lost for a little while. The fact that she dared to tell me that I was looking at her made me blush even more. Nico is surprisingly confident, maybe a little bold and cheeky.

Not sure if I like how forward she is. She wouldn't quit pushing my plugs in the interview with how they would beat us in the next game. I'm not going to deny that they have a chance to do that. But this season, I have high expectations for us. We've got to win. Especially if I have a chance to prove that I'm good enough for a higher league. I feel like I owe it to my dad. He's taken me so far, and I'd like to return the favor.

"Okay," Larry says, stopping in front of us. His brown eyes look back and forth at both of us as he scratches his neck. I think he's trying to sort out how to place us-

"I want a photo of both of you, but the height difference might be a challenge," He sighed, deeply seeking to find a solution to the problem.

"She can stand on a chair," Nico grinned my way, and I rolled my eyes to her needless remark.

"Or you can bend down," I offered, which just made her laugh. It's irritating because when I try to insult her, she finds it amusing. I'm average in height. Nico is just too tall; that's the problem.

"Maybe we should just go for it," He suggested, encouraging us to join him. Larry is positioning Nico in front of the white backdrop, and I'm facing her. She's staring down at me, hiding her hands behind her back. I'm trying to escape her glare as she starts to get on my nerves.

"Okay," says Larry, taking up his camera.

"I need you to stand closer and look at each other. We need to catch the hatred between the two teams," He said, and I frown at Larry.

"I think this is fine," I replied, pointing in between the two of us. We're close enough, but he doesn't seem to approve.

"Fine," I sigh in surrender, and we're both going a little nearer. We meet eyes as I raise my head, which is embarrassing. We're so intimate that if I stretched a muscle, I would touch her. My hands start shaking on their own. The heat builds up in my face when her eyes won't leave me. How does anyone get that kind of beauty? It's unacceptable to the rest of us. She's flawless when it comes to appearance. Nico's eyes are drowning in confidence, making me feel more insecure than I already am. It's like she's in complete control.

"I need some resentment," Larry stated, standing right next to us. I take a deep breath, wishing I was somewhere else. We both stare at each other for a minute with a grimace as Larry takes pictures of us.

"Okay, nice," He said, and in a flash, I'm taking a step back and avoiding her gaze.

"We just need a picture of each of you now," He informs us, and I nod in approval. However, all I want to do is leave this place, perhaps even burn it to the ground.