Chapter 25

The drug tests came back negative and proved that we were both clean and had been clean for at least six months. A year and a half for me, since my hair was longer. Either way, most people wanted us gone by now. After the optional max lifts, Finn and I convinced everyone that we were to be taken seriously. David and Devin were in two separate groups but they each pointed us out when we were going. Literally everyone saw us do our max lifts.





That night Finn and I were entering the hotel lobby after going to dinner when some of the college boys called out to me.



"Hey. Man arms. You get a boyfriend with a body like that? I'm not sure I know any guys into real life Hulks." I almost punched their teeth out after that one. My arms weren't even large. If anything, they were on the smaller side compared to other people's. I just had a lot of power. I didn't let their comments get to me, but mostly because Finn didn't let me.



If he hadn't dragged me away I would have KO'ed those two douche bags.



Day two was probably going to be my worst day. We did the 40 yard dash, 20 yard shuttle, 3 come drill, and 60 yard shuttle. Later that day we competed a Cybex test to be analyzed by the team doctors. My times weren't bad. But they weren't good. They were in the upper middle of the pack. Jason, as I predicted, got first in all the events. Finn did good and beat me in all the events but wasn't in the top three.



Day three was definitely up my alley. I got first on the vertical and broad jump despite my height. Sadly, that boosted the steroid rumors that had been proven false. I ignored the ones who said nasty things and was pleased to see that they were the ones doing the worst. Everyone took a Wonderlic test before lunch which was easy and then after lunch we were starting lacrosse specific events. Tomorrow would be position specific and scrimmages.



Right now we were doing the aim test. Everyone started at the 10 meter arch and took three shots on goal with a goalie in it. If two of the three made it, than you would move back 2 meters. Everyone made it to the 40 yard line but then they started dropping like flies.



When we got to the 60, it was down to Finn, Jason, two college guys, a pro player, and me. I was going last so I waited patiently off to the side. I had seen Finn make an across field goal once before but that was rare.



He rocketed the first one down the field and it hit the inside of the post as it went in, but it still went in. He scooped up the second one and side armed it. The goalie snapped the stick down on the ground and caught the ball. On the third attempt he went for another bounce shot but it was stopped.



Finn flashed me a million dollar smile as he walked off the field though. After all, he made it to the top six.



The other two college players got out leaving Jason, his buddy, and me. Jason missed his first shot, made his second, and his third bounced off the post. His friend made all three shots easily.



I took my position in the center of the field. The sun beat down on my skin harder than the weight of all the eyes. It was still hot and humid in Atlanta and it made me want to die. I adjusted my gloved hands on the stick. I scooped the yellow ball and brought it up into a shooting position. My torso twisted a I whipped the ball down the field, the crosse snapping wind in my ear. I watched it go right into the top left corner of the goal.



I scooped the second one and did the same thing, but for a bounce shot and it was blocked. I let out a shaky breath when I loaded the last ball into my stick. All or nothing. I wound up and fired the ball through the air. I held my breath as it descended. A smile broke out on my face when it bounced and went right in. I let out a sigh of relief and stepped back for the other player to take his shot from two meters back.



He missed the first two and made the last one.



Holy shit. I could win this thing.



I knew today was my day.



I took the first shot and missed. The second one barley made it. By the time the third shot came, I was practically shaking. When my right hand slid down the stick and the ball became airborne, I felt it in my bones that it would go in. I was practically on my knees praying as I watched the yellow sphere move through the blue sky. It moved towards the goal with rocket speed and my heart pounded. The whole ordeal was happening in slow motion so I saw that it was going to be a goal before it even went in.



I let out another sigh of relief followed by a smile when I saw the net swing as a result of my ball going in. I had won every event today, just like Finn had won every event thursday and Jason every one yesterday. I don't know how, but somehow we ended up being the dream team.



After that we had a moving target competition for dominant and non-dominant hands. I won the dominant and got second to David on the non dominant. Maybe I wasn't destined to win all the events today.



Then there was a reflex challenge where we were all playing goalie basically. There were five trainers who fired shots at you left and right. You had to catch as many of them as you could. They were coming so quickly that I had three balls in my stick before I couldn't dump them out.



There wasn't a 'winner' for that one. Instead, the coaches wanted to review the tapes and see how well we performed with our stick work. Somehow, I managed to not get decimated by any lacrosse balls and that surprised me to no end.



Tomorrow would be the scrimmages. There would be three teams of ten with two subs in each and three subs on one team. I already knew that the Attack and Midfielders would have the subs, since there was exactly nine defensemen. There would be five midi subs and two attack subs.



I didn't want to think about tomorrow though. It would be the most stressful and most important day of the whole trial.



"Do you want to watch a movie?" I asked Finn while settling under the covers of our bed. He was writing some essay for English. I had done all my homework Tuesday night just to get it over with because I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to have to worry about that on top of trials. Finn was more of a procrastinator.



"Depends. Are you going to fall asleep thirty minutes in again?" He asked without tearing his emerald eyes from the google doc on his screen. His large tanned hand raked through his somewhat messy and wet hair. He had just taken a shower about ten minutes ago.



"And you had a long day today." He replied again without looking at me. "Nice job by the way. You're making the team."



"So are you." I replied confidently.



"No. I'm good at strength. You don't need that for lacrosse."



"Finn. You're the fucking captain of the best high school lacrosse team in the world and you won everything on thursday and placed in third or fourth in everything on friday. Even today, you were in the upper middle. Don't give me that."



He didn't reply so I knew he had no better retort but his own insecurities so he shut up. Finn was doing better than me and if he thought he wasn't going to make it, then I stood no chance.



I shook my head, tired of thinking about lacrosse. I needed a few hours off. Google docs saves automatically so I had no quelms about using my left hand to shut Finn's laptop. I picked it up before he could and I leaned over his lap to put it on Finn's wooden bed side table.



I could feel the warmth of his skin radiating onto mine as I leaned over him. When I settled back onto my side of the bed, I felt cold from his absence. He wore just a pair of adidas track pants to bed every night and it drove my hormones crazy. I still didn't like Finn like that, but it didn't mean I couldn't admire his body. It let's be real; hot people are usually assholes.



We both settled into bed and he turned on the tv. "What do you want to watch?" His voice sounded deeper than it did during the day.



"You pick."



After a few minutes of his scrolling, I decided that he didn't have the authority to pick and announced that there were no good movies on. Then he turned and looked at my face. "You don't even have your contacts in. Why the hell am I letting the blind girl who forgot her glasses at home pick the tv show we are going to watch?"



I had taken my contacts out for the day already so I couldn't argue with his point. Instead I rolled my eyes and ignored him.



"Hope you like the Bills and the Giants because that's about all you're going to get."



I loved football but I couldn't help but groan in frustration. The Giants sucked and I just didn't like the Bills. I would so much rather see my baby Aaron Rodgers take it home on the Vikings. Can't win them all, I guess. Finn was a Patriots fan and that tidbit somehow made him even more unbearable.



I closed my eyes having resigned from the idea of television. Finn wrapped his arm around my bare waist and pulled me into his side. It had just become a thing that we slept together. We were sharing a bed and ever since we both woke up from our alarm, wrapped up in each other like we were that one morning, it had just become a silent thing. I wouldn't complain about it though.



I shifted onto my side so I was facing his body. My forehead rested against his shoulder and the tip of my nose brushing his skin as my head rested on the pillow. I always liked the feeling of his bare skin on my waist and stomach. I only wore a sports bra and spandex to bed (similar to my work out atire). Some nights I skipped the bra and wore a T-shirt instead but tonight wasn't one of those nights.



Despite the stressful day tomorrow, I drifted off to sleep quickly to the noise of the Giants getting the shit kicked out of them and the feeling of Finn rubbing small circles with his thumb on my lower back.