CHAPTER 3
RYDER’S POV
I woke up to my alarm screaming at me like a banshee at 5:00 AM. Stretching like I was trying to pull my limbs out of bed, I checked the time and yawned so widely I thought my jaw might unhinge. Today was game day, and I had exactly 30 minutes to get to practice by 5:30 AM—because who doesn’t love waking up at the crack of dawn to chase a ball around?
After a hot shower that felt like a luxury in this early hour, I tossed on my stylish game-day outfit: a cream and brown letterman jacket with “DUNDER” printed across the back, a white graphic t-shirt (the kind that makes it look like I actually try), beige jogger pants, a brown baseball cap, and brown sneakers. You know, the kind of outfit that says, “I woke up like this, but I can still look fabulous.” My hair? Let’s just say it looked like I’d been through a wind tunnel. But hey, that’s my signature look—messy, carefree, and totally intentional.
I strolled into the kitchen, where my football teammates—my lovely roommates—were huddled on the couch like a pack of confused puppies. Seriously, they were doing… something? Probably trying to figure out if it was a good idea to eat breakfast or just roll back into bed.
“Hey, where’s Ash?” I asked, grabbing a protein bar that had definitely seen better days.
Holden, half-asleep and looking like he’d just been dragged from a swamp, mumbled, “Probably dressing or something. You know how he is.”
“I’m driving out to the field in five minutes,” I said, trying not to think about how many carbs I could afford to consume this early. “Tell him to come out fast. And Eric too.”
Jake, still lost in dreamland, nodded like a bobblehead. “Mhm, sure.” The boy was all talk and no action, but that was Jake for you.
When I finally made it to the field, it felt like I had entered a gladiator arena—except the only thing we were battling was the sun creeping over the horizon. My teammates were spread out, looking like they had just discovered the concept of running.
“Let’s warm up!” I shouted, trying to inject some enthusiasm into the group.
As we started our practice, I spotted Eric standing silently in the corner, his bad-boy vibe practically oozing off him. He didn’t say a word; he just stood there like he was waiting for a dramatic monologue to drop from the sky. I was convinced he could intimidate a brick wall without even trying.
We spent the next hour doing drills that made us question our life choices. “Alright, let’s run some laps!” I barked, and the collective groans from my teammates echoed back like a sad choir.
As we ran, I glanced over at Eric, who was maintaining that intense gaze of his. I was half-tempted to ask him if he was trying to hypnotize the field or just plotting his next brooding pose for Instagram.
“Hey, Eric!” I called out during a water break. “You think if you stare hard enough, the ball will magically fly into your hands?”
He shot me a look that could freeze over the sun. I swear, he was plotting a revenge play with that expression. But his silence was legendary. The guy could intimidate a light bulb into turning off just by looking at it.
We continued with drills—passes, catches, and, of course, the occasional hilariously failed attempt at a tackle that sent us sprawling onto the grass. “Watch out, Ryder!” Jake yelled as I dodged a flying football, only to trip over my own feet and land in a not-so-graceful heap. “Nailed it!”
“Let’s save the drama for the game, shall we?” I laughed, pushing myself back up and brushing off the grass.
After what felt like an eternity of drills, Coach finally blew his whistle, signaling the end of practice. “Alright, team! Good work today! Remember, the game is in two hours, so no more fooling around!”
I glanced at Asher, who had that serious game face on, as if he were ready to take down an army. “You ready for this?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, let’s just hope I can keep up with your acrobatics,” he shot back, smirking.
We all headed back to the locker room, where the smell was a mixture of sweat, hope, and Eric’s mysterious cologne—a blend I could only describe as “desperation meets regret.”
After freshening up, we hurried to class. The hallways were packed with students buzzing around like they were on caffeine overload. I spotted my friend Jake trying to balance a stack of textbooks taller than he was. “You know, if those fall, you’ll have enough paper cuts to rival a horror movie,” I joked.
“Ha ha, very funny. I’m just preparing for the inevitable apocalypse,” he shot back, adjusting his grip while eyeing the door with the intensity of a quarterback about to throw a game-winning pass.
In history class, Mr. Thompson droned on about something that sounded suspiciously like “the Treaty of Something or Other,” but I couldn’t help but zone out. I mean, the only treaty I cared about was the one that would allow me to skip this class in favor of more football practice.
“Ryder!” Mr. Thompson’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Care to share your thoughts on the impact of this treaty?”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Uh… it definitely impacted my sleep schedule,” I mumbled, earning a few chuckles from my classmates. Mr. Thompson shot me a look that could curdle milk, but I couldn’t help grinning.
Finally, the clock struck 5 PM, and the day dragged on like a snail in molasses. As students streamed out of class, I stepped outside and looked to my right, spotting Nova—Asher’s sister—who I still couldn’t wrap my head around how they were related. She was leaning her head against the wall in a “take-it-all-in” position, like she was trying to absorb the entire school year through sheer willpower.
Her curls were barely held in a bun, as always, and she looked cute in her oversized hoodie. I fought the urge to go over to her when suddenly Asher wrapped his arm around me, blissfully unaware of my admiration for his sister.
As we walked out of the school porch, Nova’s eyes caught mine. I couldn’t resist; I winked and smirked at her, and I could practically see the blush creeping onto her cheeks. I turned my head forward, laughing internally. It was like I had a superpower—blushing Nova was my kryptonite.
With the football game just two hours away, Asher and I made our way to the field to meet our teammates and coach for the final practice before the big showdown. I was ready to leave it all on the field.
Author’s note
Chapter 3 is finally here y’all, for my posting schedule its kind of messy because of school and some other stuff, I promise to try and get the schedule together, my original plan was 2 chapters per day. Feel free to give corrections about my story, just not rudely. I felt like writing in Ryder’s POV and it was so hardddd, I have a feeling I wont be writing much but if yall like his POV let me know in the comments and I’ll try to write it more often. Make sure to voteee, thank u to Rapheal_Promoter I want you to know that your vote is greatly appreciated (each and everyones vote is) love yall bysiess <3
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