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[28/08/2021, 8:00]
The morning of August 28th, 2021, arrived with the kind of crispness that hinted at glory or heartbreak. The hotel lobby buzzed with the energy of teammates and coaches all dressed in the Rainbow Warriors' green and black travel gear. Some of the guys looked alert and focused, eyes burning with anticipation. Others seemed calm, their heads bobbing rhythmically to the music playing through their headphones, lost in their own pre-game rituals.
Chevan Cordeiro was one of the early risers, already going through his warmup stretches in the hallway when Coach Graham strolled by, giving him a nod of approval. He felt the weight of his role as the Warrior's starting quarterback in just his sophomore year as he had truly made the role his. That is why more than anyone he looked forward to the start of the season, ready to prove that players from the island are just as good as any other talent.
"Good to see you focused, Chev," Graham said as he continued on his way to wake the few stragglers before meeting up with the rest of his coaching staff.
Graham was the odd kind of D1 coach who liked to personally get involved with his players making them feel like family. So, despite being a millionaire he embodied the island spirit of friendliness and openness when treating others. Part of the reason he was hired was because he embodied what the school was looking for. The fact he was one of the best in his field only helped his case, then again only the occasional fools managed to stumble into a D1 coaching job as anyone who can reach this level deserved to be there 9/10.
Breakfast was served in one of the hotel's conference rooms converted into a makeshift dining area prepared by the staff to separate the rowdy athletes from other customers. This suited the coaching staff best since they planned to go through last-minute instructions before they headed for the stadium. Eggs, fruits, bacon, protein shakes — everything the coaching staff deemed necessary to fuel them for the game was laid out on the buffet table.
The talk around the tables was mostly about the plan, plays they had drilled over and over in practice, and the atmosphere awaiting them at the Rose Bowl. That was until Zack suddenly exclaimed, "These scrambled eggs look like something my mee-maw would feed the dogs." After that the serious mood that had lingered all morning immediately dissipated.
The mood turned jovial as the boys felt the need to share every Idea that floated into their brains no matter how stupid. Some of the things the boys said were so outrageous that even Coach Graham was forced to put an end to it. The morning continued in full swing and before long they were piling into the team bus, the team's equipment managers hustled to make sure nothing was left behind.
~~~
[12:05]
"Alex hurry up we are going to be late," Riley exclaimed as she lounged on her friend's bed. She was dressed in a ripped denim jacket and white crop top matching her Denim shorts.
The white cowboy boots fitted her style perfectly as she lazily scrolled through her phone. On her face two bold yellow and blue streaks in support of her school. Her dark, wavy hair framed her face, falling just below her shoulders accentuating her high cheekbones and expressive, almond-shaped eyes.
Her casual yet carefully styled look was held in place by a white cowboy hat truly making her a sight for sore eyes. She would bite her full red lips every now and then when she discovered something interesting on her feed causing her petite nose to scrunch up cutely. The light of the world hit her at just the right angle as she lounged on the bed eliminating her soft California skin.
Alexandra stumbled out of the bathroom; her hair tides up in a high messy bun leaving only two stray strands to frame her face. Her hair was naturally curly but the way she had her hair styled gave her an entirely new vibe. She adjusted her glasses, as she fought to keep her curls from tumbling back into her face.
She didn't need to wear glasses every day as she only required them when reading but she was just used to wearing them. She had realised that people took her more seriously with glasses on and she just kept on wearing them treating them like Superman's S. Without it he is just some jackass wearing tights and some superpowers but with it, he becomes a symbol and people show him more respect.
Even with her hair pulled back, the golden strands seemed to have a life of their own, defying gravity and spilling over her forehead with casual elegance. Her hazel eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and mild panic as she rummaged through her closet. "Riley, I swear, you're like, the most impatient person on the planet," Alex muttered, pulling out her blue UCLA hoodie which she got complimentary as part of the soccer team.
"Impatient? Girl, kick-off is at twelve-thirty, and we're supposed to meet the others at the entrance by twelve-fifteen. You're the one playing dress-up like it's prom," Riley shot back with a teasing grin, her eyes never leaving her phone screen.
"It's not dress-up, I just don't want to be the hot mess express walking into the Rose Bowl," Alex replied, pulling her hoodie over her head. The oversized fabric swallowed her slender frame, but somehow, she made it work.
Riley rolled her eyes but smiled. "Fine but hurry your ass up. The boys are already waiting, and I am not trying to miss the opening kick just because you needed to make sure your hair was perfect."
"What's there to see, it's just a bunch of brutes trying to kill each other for a ball," Alex retorted as she also fished out a white cowboy hat from her closet. "Tell me why again we have to dress like farm girls just to watch this game?"
"To motivate the boys, nothing is more motivating than a hot cheerleader than even hotter cowgirls. Plus, you grew up on a ranch you should be used to this get-up minus the barn dancing." Riley retorted with a sly smile as she jumped up from the bed and sauntered over to her friend.
Checking out her friend she smiled with a contented smile as she proceeded to smack one of her boobs lightly. "Don't know why you insist on hiding these beauties, this is LA, not a monastery. Wait don't get mad we're already late and no matter how big a crush Dylan has on you he won't wait forever."
"Shut up we're just friends," Alex retorted completely forgetting what Riley had done as she also slipped into a pair of boots rushing out of her room to catch up with Riley.
"Sure, that's why Dylan a Die-hard Bruins fan would risk being late just to give you a lift. Not to mention the boy has been checking in on you almost every day and don't give me none of that journalism crap." Riley retorted the moment Alex reached her side giving her a side eye that told the latter to cut the bs. "There are only so many questions the chief Editor of the Bruin Daily can ask a freshman from the soccer team no matter how much hot shit she may be.
"Sigh just be quiet don't project your horniness onto me," Alex retorted with an annoyed grunt as she strode ahead.
Riley laughed, her voice echoing through the corridor as they hurried down the dormitory stairs. "Girl, you have no idea. Being horny is a state of mind, not something you project."
"Yeah, well, try projecting your ass into Dylan's car before he leaves us here," Alex shot back with a smirk, her words chased by the sound of her own hurried steps.
When they burst through the doors of the dormitory, Dylan's car was already idling at the curb. A grey 2004 beat-up Jeep with the roof flapped down and the sound of the radio blasting with the sound of an energetic commentator pulsed softly from the speakers. Despite being focused on the speaker's narration of the pre-match proceedings his face stretched into an easy grin as his face flushed upon seeing their outfits.
"Wow, I was about two minutes from leaving you two behind," Dylan said, though the smile on his face made it clear he was bluffing"
"More like you were five minutes from sending us a billion texts telling us to hurry up," Riley shot back, nudging Alex forward with a firm shove.
Alex straightened her glasses and forced a smile. "Sorry for the wait. Someone insisted on the cowgirl get up." She jerked her thumb toward Riley, who merely scoffed.
"Uh-huh, blame me all you want, Blondie. You were the one agonizing over which hat to wear. You have, like, five of them."
Dylan chuckled and shook his head. "You both look great. Now, get in before we miss the whole damn game."
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To be Continued...