Beside Him

Chapter 12// Apologies

The second the whistle blew, the balls began flying.

I smirked.

"Go on Carter!" I yelled and others joined as I threw my head back on the cool wall and attempted to calm the adrenaline through my veins.

I caught the snap of Archer's head in my direction and couldn't pent up the satisfaction in that.

"Carter! Carter! Carter!" I yelled enthusiastically, even though I would rather play against Archer, just so I'd get the pleasure of breaking his disgustingly gorgeous face.

Archer and Carter locked eyes at opposite sides of the room.

Archer kept his gaze on Carter and a gasp escaped my mouth as he threw a ball, landing it straight to some other guy on Carter's team and getting him out, never once leaving eye contact with Carter.

I licked my lips and took a long drawl of water from my bottle, relishing in the way the cool liquid trickled down my throat.

Carter through his ball and with superman's agility, Archer dodged.

I payed close attention, watching his moves to see his challenges and strengths.

"Right leg, just above the ankle. He twists it ever so slightly to his left before moving, even when going straight." I muttered to myself, my eyes zoned into the action as it occurred again and again.

"That was amazing." Penny whispered beside me and my head snapped to her direction.

"Huh?"

"What you just did, with Tanya. It was awesome. Takes real balls."

"Tits." I corrected her with a small smile. "It takes real tits."

She grinned, showing the slight gap between her front two teeth and I couldn't help but find it slightly cute- innocent.

The whistle blew and I looked just in time to see the victorious look on Archer's face.

I grinned.

Perfect.

"Rivi, Get your team up and ready to go, 2 minutes. Archer do the same."

I gathered up my team, pinpointing to them specific people that they had to get out.

But as it usually happens, they were less eager this time, in fear of embarrassing themselves in front of the boys. They didn't wanna look too masculine, or awkward, and instead chose to follow the stigma of 'like a girl'.

Not today.

I clapped my hands together, gathering the attention of all my girls and others in the room.

"If I see one person, and I mean one person slacking you are all doing laps for an hour after school. Girl or not, boy or not, one person decides to not throw 'like a girl' you can kiss your afternoon goodbye. Do I make myself clear?"

All the girls nodded, knowing I would do it considering it wasn't the first time. When I'd first said something like this they'd thought I was kidding- big mistake.

"Places. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

Everyone got into their place as Mrs Dale counted down, her husband watching her with a look of pure adoration that caused my heart to melt a little.

She jogged past me to get to the other side and whilst doing so whispered, "atta girl".

I smirked, grabbing a ball coming at me from a direction I couldn't see, my gaze locked into Archer's.

His was something swimming with something I instantly placed- rage.

And so I did the same, allowing the pent up anger I'd felt all day rise as I bounced the ball between my hands.

"Take it easy on the girls, boys." Mr Dale laughed and nobody else noticed it, but I watched the way his eyes flickered to his wife, wanting to trigger a reaction.

"Knock 'em dead, girls." Was all Mrs Dale replied, causing her husband to smile instantly.

"Happily." I muttered over the sound of the whistles.

I kept my gaze flicking between Archer's feet and his hands, allowing him to take the first shot.

I gritted my teeth when the ball came with more force than necessary, hitting the back wall with a loud slap.

I just about managed to crouch before it whacked my eye out.

Then I waited again, still with the ball in hand for his foot to twist lightly to the left.

And it did as he went for another ball, that's when I attacked.

I snarled when he dodged it, tightening my hands into fists as the fast ball rammed into the opposite sides.

The world around us disappeared as we locked eyes, Penny kindly throwing me a ball so that I didn't have to break focus.

"I hate you so much, Archer King." I muttered under my breath, my eyes tightly narrowed, watching his eyes darken to that mossy green and his jaw tighten.

He attacked first and it just skimmed my arm, his grin mocking me.

I gritted my teeth while he celebrated, aiming straight for his nose and throwing the ball with every inch of power in me.

As expected, a deafening 'crack' could be heard throughout the room, and the guilt over powered any sense of pride.

I ran over to him quickly, dropping to my knees beside him as his nose poured blood.

"What the f*ck... River... ah- sh*t."

"I'm so- actually d*ck head. That's karma kissing up your ass." I ground out, my eyes flicking up to Poppy with narrowed eyes.

Thank f*ck she was on my team otherwise I'd be responsible for two broken noses.

"Rivi! Nurses office, Now." I ground my molars together.

I placed my hand on Archer's bicep and pulled him up behind me, dragging him behind my by interlocking our hands and placing them on the small of my back as I weaved my way through students.

"I won, arse face." I muttered when we were in the nurses office after she finished cleaning him up, me speaking to break the awakened tensed silence.

"You wish." Was all he replied before walking out.

I scrambled after him and sighed, pulling me sleeves down to pull them over my hands and balling them up.

"I'm sorr-" I began to finally push away my pride and apologise when suddenly, before I could process what was happening, my back hit the lockers hard, probably destroying some of my nerve cells.

"Sh*t-"

"What the f*ck is your problem?" Archer's eyes were dark, his touch deadly- not in painful way by any means, more a hot way that got me more bothered and fidgety than it probably should have. "You've been a prissy b***h all f*****g day. Why?"

I opened my mouth but was cut off again. "Is it because I wasn't there this morning? Because if it is I swear to God-"

"Get over yourself, Archer." I muttered pushing his arm off of my waist for the simple reason that he was disturbing my butterflies.

I mean, the poor things only had today off from the past however many years and they were fully appreciative over it.

Now, his touch was waking them again.

"Then. What?" He ground out, searching my eyes for answers. I looked away, waiting for him to put me down.

He didn't. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his nose into my neck, taking a deep breath in.

Oh, f*ck.