Morning practice
936 Words
Renee – POV
We were halfway through cheer practice, running the pyramid for the third time that hour. I was at the top—arms stretched high, smile locked in place, the sun heating my skin. Coach Liza barked cues over the music blaring from the field speakers. The rest of the squad moved in perfect sync below me, a glittering machine of practiced grace.
And then it happened.
Something cut through the rhythm—a shout, a blur—
A soccer ball flew straight at me.
Before I could react, it slammed into my stomach. Hard.
The breath punched out of me. My balance slipped. The world spun sideways. I felt the sickening lurch of falling—air rushing past, gravity dragging me down—
But I never hit the ground.
Strong arms caught me midair, lifting me like I weighed nothing.
Blinking through the shock, I looked up—and met a pair of golden-amber eyes.
Idris.
He held me in both arms, bridal-style, steady and unshaken. His expression was calm but focused, like catching girls out of the sky was something he did daily. His heartbeat thudded beneath my cheek—fast, solid. And for a moment, the field, the music, the shouting—none of it existed.
Just him.
Coach Liza came sprinting over. “Renee! Are you alright?”
Idris gently lowered me to the turf, his hands lingering at my waist a beat too long. “Can you walk?” he asked, voice low and husky.
I nodded, still stunned, my cheeks burning.
He smiled—just a flash of teeth and mischief—then jogged off toward the soccer field like nothing had happened.
Coach knelt beside me, inspecting. “We’re calling it. Practice is over. Go to the nurse. Britney—walk with her.”
Britney popped up beside me instantly. Sophomore. Spirited. Sparkly. The kind of girl who believed every crush was destiny.
She hooked her arm through mine as we made our way off the field.
“Sooo... who was that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Nobody.”
“Nobody? Please. He caught you like a knight out of a fairy scroll. Is he your boyfriend?”
“No,” I said, too quickly. My face was already on fire. “I barely know him.”
“But you like him,” she sang.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
I stayed quiet, but the truth buzzed beneath my skin. The way he looked at me. The way it felt being in his arms.
It felt like I was meant to be there.
—
The nurse glanced up the moment I walked in. “You’re my third ‘took a hit’ today. What happened?”
“Soccer ball. I was at the top of the pyramid.”
She gestured to the cushioned exam bed. “Let’s see it.”
Reluctantly, I lifted my top just enough to reveal the forming bruise—a deep, round mark blooming like stormclouds just beneath my ribs.
She winced. “I’ll apply a chill balm. Let me know if anything stings.”
Her fingers pressed gently, checking for deeper injury. I flinched—but the pain was dull, manageable.
“No cracking, no sharp swelling,” she said. “I’ll let your mom know. If anything feels worse later—shortness of breath, sharp pain—you come right back.”
“Got it,” I said, tugging my shirt back down.
As I stepped out into the hallway, I spotted Annavi leaning against the lockers, arms crossed like a concerned older sister.
“What happened? Someone said you almost died on the field!”
“Drama,” I muttered. “Soccer ball. I got knocked off the top. Idris caught me.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “He caught you?”
“Yeah. Like... bridal-style.”
She blinked. “Shut up. And how was that?”
I paused, the moment flickering through my mind—his scent like sun-warmed linen and mint, the firmness of his grip, the way time had frozen.
“I—it was... fine,” I mumbled, heat crawling up my neck.
“Girl.” Annavi grinned wide. “You’ve got it bad.”
“Can we not do this?”
“Oh, for sure. I’ll totally drop it.” She looked behind me and gasped. “Wait—is that him?”
I spun around.
Empty hallway.
She cackled.
“You’re the worst,” I groaned.
“Love you too, bestie. Now let’s go get changed before your mysterious prince turns up again.”
Idris – POV
Cold water poured down my back in the locker room showers, chasing away the sweat—and the lingering heat of that moment. Catching Renee.
Her weight in my arms. Her soft gasp. The stunned look on her face when she realized it was me.
I hadn’t meant to be so close. The ball came out of nowhere, and I’d moved on instinct—sprinting, diving, catching. I barely remembered it happening.
All I remembered was her.
Coach had ended practice early after the chaos. I lingered behind, rinsing off, trying to calm the surge of emotions still buzzing beneath my skin.
She had felt... perfect.
Like she was always meant to be there.
I dried off and leaned against my locker, heart still racing.
That moment—that single, impossible second when the world narrowed to just her and me—
Yeah.
That changed everything.
I was going to make her mine.
No matter how long it took
- Writer
