Archer
Two more weeks pass by with Adrianna ignoring me entirely after the encounter in the hallway, and it feels like I’m being torn apart. Time is slipping too quickly through my fingers. She only has five weeks until graduation. I want to forget about it and pretend like I don’t have feelings for her, but it’s practically impossible.
Every time I see Adrianna, she acts like nothing has happened. As if we didn’t spend the better part of the academic year together in such an intimate capacity. They say men aren’t in touch with their feelings, but Adrianna is as cold as ice to feel nothing at all.
Instead of looking forward to senior gym class, I dread it. And it’s about to start right now.
“Everyone select your partners,” I instruct, keeping my eyes anywhere but on Adrianna.
Adrianna pairs up with Azira, thankfully. I did not want to see her wrestling with any guy. Combat training today is going to involve getting pretty close with partners and I think I’d snap if I saw Nik rubbing up against her.
“You know the moves you need to practice. The same ones we did last week.” Ever since Adrianna and I fell out, I’ve not bothered with doing the demonstrations myself. Instead, I show them the moves I want them to practice on video, as the idea of demonstrating with anyone other than her is unappealing, and yet it’s too awkward between us.
The class grumbles a bit, but then gets on with it, practicing their moves. I walk around, giving instructions to people absentmindedly. And avoid Adrianna and Azira like the plague, no doubt to Adrianna’s delight.
“Coach, can you help me with this?” Azira asks.
Fucking great.
“What?”
Azira’s brow furrows. “So this move where you are supposed to put your arm around your opponent’s leg and take them down?” She’s demonstrating it all wrong, as her arms are too low and not in the right position.
“Yes, but that’s not how you do it.”
Camila nods. “Explains why I can’t budge Adrianna an inch.”
I glance at Adrianna, meeting her gaze. “I will show for you.”
“You were doing this,” I say, crouching down and grabbing Adrianna’s leg in the same way Azira did.
She shudders, visibly affected by my touch. And I notice the way her eyes shut for a moment and her lips purse; Lips that I have been longing to kiss for four long weeks.
“How do you expect to bring your opponent to the ground with no pressure?”
Azira shrugs in response.
“You need to grab Adrianna’s leg higher up here.” I demonstrate, struggling to ignore the desire slamming into me being this close to her. “And then once you are at this point, you trap her leg between your legs like this.” I trap her leg and then put pressure so that she bends her other leg. “And force her to bend her other leg before doing the turn like this and taking her down.” I take her down and throw her to the mat, and the images that flood my mind are beyond dirty. All the times I’ve had her on her back like that for me come rushing back.
Adrianna stares up at me as my hand remains on her knee. Her cheeks flushing as if she remembers the same moments too. And it feels like she’s the only other person in the room for a few seconds as I’m mesmerized by her.
“That makes sense,” Azira says, approaching.
I clear my throat and release Adrianna’s knee, glancing at Azira. “Good. Now you try.”
“Okay.”
Adrianna stands in front of Azira, while Azira does the move, albeit clumsily.
“Perfect, that was a hell of a lot better.” I clap my hands and try to ignore the stare Adrianna gives me. “Keep up the good work.”
Azira smiles. “Thanks, Coach.”
I walk away from them, knowing at this rate with eight more weeks left until graduation, I’m going to go insane having to be around her but not able to touch. My hands feel like they’re burning from being on her for just that short time. Adrianna has infected my blood and I fear there’s no cure.