text: [Themes: love & dating]
  
  You never thought it would come to this. Hiding out in the bathroom stalls at school, playing on your phone during your lunch period so you wouldn't be seen alone. You would have laughed at someone doing this back in elementary, but now that all of you're friends have found new people to hang out with your stuck alone. You keep blaming yourself for not seeing this coming and making new friends when you had the chance. Now its too late, or at least that's what you've concluded whilst sitting in this dingy stall.
  
  After losing your friends and talking with classmates, you came to the realization that you were a drifter. You could hang out with anyone you wanted, everyone was somewhat friendly to you but you were scared. Scared of being rejected and looking like a loser, which you already were but you didn't want to think that.
  
  The familiar bell rings giving you another sense of dread as it's now your free time, you save your angry birds level while silently slipping out of the restroom before anyone gets outside, god knows you wouldn't want anyone to see you. Lunch Period is over and now you have thirty minutes of free time. Being a loner for the past months has given you experience on what to do to not act like a loner.
  
  You can go to a teacher's room and catch up on work to look busy, you could go to the library and pretend that you're doing research for something that has been ordered by your teacher.
  
  Finally you can go eat lunch as you warned yourself that if you kept on skipping lunch you would start to become anorexic.
  
  > go to a Teacher's Room
  Whenever you go to one of your teachers' classes you always tell anyone who asks that you've been outside with friends too much to come in and make up your missing work and before they say they've never seen you outside you leave in a hurry. You never wanted to tell them what you did, you didn't trust anyone with your secrets.
  
  You forget to turn in assignments on purpose so you can always have an excuse to come in and do something. You don't really mind as having to do more work is better than being alone outside. Your teacher got used to you coming in everyday and ceased asking questions. You actually got to know a little about him as you two talked back and forth once in awhile.
  
  You almost wish that you didn't have a free break period and just go back to class where you didn't have to worry about it. You just kept telling yourself that once your done with the eighth grade you can stay inside as long as you want for clubs in high school and make new friends. But such a short time seemed centuries away. You felt like you were imprisoned in hell and had a few more months to wait out while being targeted by all the inmates around you.
  
  But as you enter the room and show your pass to come inside to your teacher, you see someone else sitting down. It's the girl Amber from your Art class. You always saw her as the popular girl that always is in a circle with her friends near all the guys playing Basketball or Football outside. Those kind of girls are the ones that sent your heart pounding as you were afraid of what they might think of you and tell everyone else they can.
  
  "Never late to come and finish work, Webster good job." Your teacher says as he gives you your paper interrupting your thoughts.
  
  You see the work on the board from the day before explain how to solve your assignment but you can barely see it from anywhere else in the room other than at the table at where Amber is sitting at. You walk over to the table and sit down next to her. Trying not to think about it you start working on the problems in front of you. The sooner she left the room the better.
  
  "You're working on that assignment too Web?" You hear Amber say as she looks at your worksheet. "Yea, I've been out playing soccer with everyone outside to come in and do my missing assignments." You explain circling another problem.
  
  "But Mr.Henderson said that you're never late coming in." Amber states looking confused.
  
  Shit.Shit.Shit
  
  "Yea, now that my grades are going down I've been coming in whenever I have the chance to raise them back up." You say trying to defuse the situation.
  
  "Well anyway can you help me with number eight, the explanation on the board isn't making any sense to me."
  
  You look down at the problem seeing you solved it easily and decide to help her, trying to get on every ones good side is your top priority.
  
  As the hand hand on the classroom clock rotates you and Amber help each other finish the worksheet in less than ten minutes. You see her look relived that she finished and makes a face that you think is adorable.
  
  "Thanks for the help Web, i thought i would be stuck here all day." Amber sighs as she lays back. You smile for a second, then suddenly you realize what you've done. That worksheet was supposed to take you the whole class period to do and now you still have twenty minutes before class starts. You try finding something else you can do to beat the time when you see Amber up. "Are you going outside to go play Soccer Web, you still have time."
  
  You and your stupid, stupid lies.
  
  Maybe you will go play soccer, maybe some of the people who play are in the same situation and just play sports with everyone else to look apart of the crowd. But what if you get rejected and everyone calls you a nerd, in front of the guys, the girls, even Amber. Something inside you wants to impress her, was here talking to you out of genuine kindness or did she see you as some geek who she could copy off of. What do you decide to do.
  
  > play Soccer
  Better to start now, then to wait forever.
  
  You get up from your seat and turn in your problems to your teacher who looks surprised to see you go so soon. Amber walks next to you as you make your way outside and towards the field.
  
  "You look like your good at soccer Web, Can't wait to see you play out there. Amber smiles as she walks towards her group of friends.
  
  You sigh as you make your way over to the group of guys who are huddled around getting ready to play. You see surprised looks along with smiles and a few stares as everyone see's that your joining in.
  
  "Alright me and Ethan are captains." Tom announces as he holds the soccer ball.
  
  One by one guys are picked as they stand beside their captain. But to your surprise Ethan picked you first. It seemed as if everyone was cool with you playing which relived the weight in your stomach. But you thought again what would happen if you would look like a fool. You had to make sure that you played your best and put a spot for you to come back whenever you wanted to play.
  
  As the teams are picked everyone runs out to the field and gets into their positions. You are assigned defender as the offensive guys go to the middle. Most people would be upset to be stuck defending but you were glad as you wouldn't have much chance to fuck up as you could see your offensive looked more athletic than the other team. The game started with your side taking the ball and keeping it on the other teams side for quite some time.
  
  You could see the other defenders groan as they hadn't had the chance to get the ball and you could see the goalie on his phone leaning against the net. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, coming out here everyday and just standing as a defender and always having someplace to be. You would seem as a sporty guy to everyone while all you did is just stand in one place and talk to the to the other defenders once in awhile.
  
  It was such a genius idea, no wonder all the other guys played, this was the alternative to be with people and not be alone along with showing you have some sports in you. You had to thank Amber when you had the chance as you glanced over at her and her friends. You saw her though look at you with a semi disappointed look with her other friends staring at you as well. Your smile dropped faster than your old friends as you continued to look at the guys playing soccer.
  
  Fuck me.
  
  Why didn't you remember her saying that she was looking forward to seeing you play. To think you would have a chance to impress her. You should have insisted you be on offense when you had the chance. Maybe you could ask to be on offense tomorrow. Then you realize that would probably be to late by then. You had to do something ballsy (haha) to get her attention back. But as a defender you really couldn't do much.
  
  But then you saw Ethan and Tom going against each other for the ball. Everyone nearby got out of the way to let the two battle it out. You bit your lip as you see what you must do to get Amber's Attention back. But should you, you had a golden opportunity where everyone liked you for playing and you could keep coming back instead of hiding in that bathroom stall every day. Did you really want to risk losing what you just had earned.
  
  You had to decide fast.
  
  > stay Still
  You decided to stay where you were. Going after the ball between those behemoths would have been disastrous for you. Ethan and Tom slowly made there way toward your side of the field as everyone tensely watched the two captains. But then suddenly Tom tripped as he tried to sidestep Ethan.
  
  But as he went down his leg made one last attempt to kick the ball towards your goal. Luckily he didn't put much power into the kick only sending it rolling.
  
  But you froze when it stopped went to your feet. Your instinctive feeling kicked in as you started to run with the ball in between your legs. Your memories of how to play started to kick in as you raced to the other teams side.
  
  You kept running with a steady eye on the goal when someone out of nowhere kicked the ball away from between your feet, the end result however resulted in both your feet becoming tangled as you both fall to the floor. As you lay on your back you let out a laugh, you paid to much attention on the ball to look out for other players. The other player that ran into you also laughs as he gets up to his feet and extends his hand to you.
  
  You gladly accept it as he lifts you up with ease and gives you a pat on the back.
  
  "Good shit Web." He says before going back to his team.
  
  You look over to where Amber and her friends where to see them all laughing innocently at what happened with Amber giving you a smile.
  
  Humor seemed better than any win at the moment.
  
  As your team continues to play the bell finally rings signaling everyone to go back to class. Ethan gives you a pat on the back as he walks beside.
  
  "Why didn't you play before Web, your pretty good."
  
  "Just didn't have the time." You laugh.
  
  Today was the happiest you felt in a long time. It was a feeling you hoped would never end.
  
  As you get your things from your locker, Amber comes up next you with a big grin on her face.
  
  "You sure are a awesome soccer player with that goal you made." She says sarcastically.
  
  "One of the best." You respond at her jest.
  
  "You coming to sit with us at lunch."
  
  You freeze for a moment before giving her a confused look.
  
  "Me and my friends sit next to the guys who play soccer at lunch, you going to sit at the table?"
  
  You hesitantly laugh as you rifle through your locker.
  
  > Yes
  "Of course." You reply nervously. "Great! See you then Web." Amber cheerfully walks away as you sigh.
  
  No backing out now Web
  
  The next day comes fast as you breeze through your classes when lunch finally arrives. Nervous at first, you slowly follow the giant crowd heading to the cafeteria, but a arm soon wraps yours as you see Amber come up next to you.
  
  "I thought you were going to try to run." Amber laughs
  
  "You may have stopped me." I semi-joked.
  
  You liked Amber's personality, it was a mixture of friendliness, flirting, and had a bit of teasing, all which seemed to ease your nervousness, it's as if she would protect you from anything that was thrown at you.
  
  Together the two to of you go to the table she had mentioned and sat side by side. "Hey it's Web, didn't think you would come!" Ethan says. Everyone else at the table acknowledges you making you smile with confidence, you and Amber talk throughout lunch until the time comes to go outside.
  
  You go out and continue from yesterday, but before you get to much into the game the bell rings, your surprised how fast lunch goes now that your having fun. You smile at the sudden change of the pace things were going.
  
  Each day you go to the cafeteria and then out to the field, playing soccer with everyone and having a good time. Soon you start to get to know everyone at the table and make some pretty good friends, especially with Ethan. Three weeks into the change and you were picked to be a team captain, it's then that you choose whose on your team, that you realize where you are, and a grin forms on your face.
  
  Was it really this easy, to actually enjoy yourself, why didn't you do this sooner, all the things you could of done instead of being locked up in that prison. Each day you also get closer to Amber, you were thinking of finally asking her--.
  
  "Web, you going to choose?" Ethan breaks your train of thought as you start picking your teammates.
  
  You had exited the dark tunnel and secured your future was secured, but that didn't mean there would be surprises on the way.
  
  "Change" Ending