Impact
983 Words
"Hey!”
The shout cut through the air. The girl never heard it.
The football rolled across the grass and struck her ankle just as she stepped back into the line.
Her eyes widened. She lost her balance.
With a small gasp, she stumbled and fell, one knee hitting the turf as she caught herself with her hands.
The music stopped.
“Olivia!”
The girl beside her rushed over immediately, slipping an arm around her shoulders to help her up.
“Are you okay?” she asked, concern written all over her face.
“I’m fine,” Olivia replied, brushing the dust from her uniform, though the irritation in her voice suggested otherwise.
By then, Darren had already sprinted across the field. His heart pounded against his chest.
He stopped a few feet away from her, still trying to catch his breath.
“I’m so sorry,” he said quickly. “The ball slipped. I didn’t mean to—”
“How could you be so careless?”
The words cut him off.
Darren blinked.
“I said I was sorry. It was an accident.”
“An accident?” Olivia repeated, her brows knitting together. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that could’ve been? If you can’t control a football, maybe you shouldn’t be kicking one around people.”
“I lost control of it for a second.”
“And your incompetence became my problem.”
The words landed harder than the football ever could. For a moment, Darren couldn’t speak.
Incompetence.
The word echoed in his mind. It sounded painfully familiar.
“You’re not good at anything.”
“You’ll never be good enough.”
His father’s voice. Always finding its way back. His jaw tightened.
“You don’t know me.”
His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it.
Olivia met his gaze without flinching.
“Maybe not.”
A brief silence settled between them.
“But I know what I just saw.”
She turned on her heel.
“Come on, Louisa.”
Louisa hesitated. Her eyes shifted to Darren, who still stood rooted to the spot, the apology he’d never been allowed to finish lingering on his lips.
It had clearly been an accident.
She offered him a small, apologetic smile, her expression soft with sympathy.
Then she gave him a tiny nod before hurrying after Olivia.
“Wait up!”
The rest of Blue Blaze followed behind them, their voices fading as they crossed the field and disappeared toward the practice area.
Soon…
Darren was left standing alone.
The football rested a few feet away on the grass.
He stared in the direction the girls had gone for a long moment before walking over and picking it up.
His grip tightened around it. For reasons he couldn’t explain…
The sting of her words hurt far more than anything could have.
**********************************************
The cafeteria was a cacophony of chatter but Darren didn’t hear a word. He waited in line, picked the first thing that caught his eye and carried it to a table near the window. He didn’t eat. His fingers spun the cup in lazy circles.
“Your incompetence became my problem.” He closed his eyes. Why did that word sound so familiar? He’d heard it before. Not from a stranger. From the one person who should have believed in him. “You’re useless.” “You’ll never be good enough.” “You ruin everything you touch.” His father’s voice rattled in his head. Darren took a slow breath and rubbed his face.
“Mind if I join you?” He looked up. Ethan stood beside the table, tray in hand. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled out the chair opposite Darren and sat down.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Ethan unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite before glancing across the table.
“You’ve been staring at that drink for five minutes.” Darren looked down. Had he? “I’m fine.” Ethan snorted. “No, you’re not.” Silence. “You skipped half your breakfast after practice.” Silence.
“And now you’re pretending that food is going to eat itself.” A reluctant smile tugged at Darren’s lips.
“You always this observant?”
“Only when my teammates look like they’ve lost a championship.” The smile disappeared. Ethan leaned back in his chair.
“So…” “What happened?” Darren hesitated. Then, quietly, he told him. About the loose football. About the accident. About the apology that never got the chance to become one. He left out one thing. His father. That part stayed locked away. When he finished, Ethan shook his head.
“So the Ice Queen bit your head off.” “I don’t care that she was angry.”
“No?” Darren stared out the window. “I deserved to be blamed for the accident.” He paused. “But she looked at one mistake…” His grip tightened around the paper cup. “…and decided that was who I was.”
Ethan was quiet for a moment. Then he shrugged. “Sounds like she judged you before she knew you.”
Darren let out a humorless laugh. “Maybe.” “Or maybe she was just having a bad day.”
“That doesn’t give her the right.”
“No,” Ethan admitted. “It doesn’t.” For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Ethan nudged Darren’s tray with one finger.
“Eat your food.” Darren raised an eyebrow.
“You planning to become a motivational speaker?” “I’m serious.” Ethan grinned.
“You can’t prove anyone wrong on an empty stomach.” Despite himself… Darren laughed. A real laugh this time. The weight on his chest didn’t disappear. But somehow… It felt a little lighter.
- Writer
