Intriguing precedence. I wonder how they would know each other though.
This a football chise, homie. I got you.
Misplaced confidence, it seems
At some point, you would think.
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Captain Canada
Topic author - Posts: 6164
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
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Captain Canada
Topic author - Posts: 6164
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Invictus
Season III | Chapter V - Two Faced
Ann Arbor felt quieter than it ever had.
Bianca closed her laptop with a soft click, the final whistle still ringing in her ears, the scoreboard frozen in her mind. Upper St. Clair 38, Harrisburg 31. She sat there for a second longer than necessary, hands resting on the keyboard, heart light and buzzing like she had just been there herself.
They did it.
He did it.
She grabbed her phone, thumbs flying.
"YOU DID THAT.
I'm so proud of you I could cry.
Call me when you're free, okay? FaceTime celebration. Non-negotiable
She smiled to herself, already picturing his tired yet proud grin, the breathless laugh he always had. This was how long distance was supposed to work, right? Parallel nights, shared victories. Making something normal out of something hard.
A knock interrupted her spiral of happiness..
She looked up, confused. Another knock - louder this time.
Bianca padded to the door and pulled it open.
Katie stood there first, already glowing with intent, a mischievous smile plastered on her face. Darius hovered just behind her, holding a bottle of vodka like an offering.
"Victory tax," Katie said, lifting it slightly.
Bianca laughed despite herself. "You guys are insane."
"Congratulations are in order," Darius added. "We heard the screaming through the walls. I'm shocked your RA hasn't been on your ass yet."
She stepped aside and let them in.
As they settled onto her bed and desk chair, Bianca retold the game, going intricate detail - Cover 1, post route, the late touchdown that won them the game. Her hands moved as spoke, reliving it.
"My boy is really like that?" Darius asked, leaning forward. "He sounds fucking sick."
Bianca nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, he really is."
"Pull up the highlights," he said, already reaching for his phone. "I need to get in y'all good graces before he gets to the league."
"Maybe let him graduate High School first."
Katie hummed politely, eyes flicking around the room, interest clearly on a different frequency. "Yay, go Team Zane, but there's a party on South Quad that's been calling our collective name all night. Like, everyone is there. Girls i lived with last year, too."
Bianca hesitated. "i was kind of thinking something a bit more lowkey. Darius was mentioning this Open Mic that was happening, right?"
Darius chimed in with a subtle shrug. "I'm coolin' with chill, my body is still hurting from my lift this morning."
Katie groaned. "You guys are so allergic to fun."
She worked them patiently, relentlessly, selling the night like a campaign. The music. The people. The energy. Bianca resisted longer than usually would, but eventually - worn down, smiling despite herself - she caved.
"Okay," she signed. "But seriously, not for long. An appearance."
"An appearance, just a little drink."
All throughout Upper St. Clair, the parking lot buzzed with chaos and laughter.
Zane spotted them immediately - Felix's arm around his grandmother's shoulders, both of them beaming like they had won something themselves. He jogged over, bag bouncing against his leg with every stride he took.
Felix pulled him into a hug that was tighter than he expected. "You fly out there," he said, voice thick with pride.
Mary cupped his face, eyes shining. "We're so proud of you, baby boy."
The warmth hit him deep - bone deep. In a way only they could instill in him. Familiar and rare.
Cam bounded over moments later, buzzing. "I know you guys are proud of me, too." he laughed. "You see Zane blocking for me? That's brotherhood."
Felix scoffed dramatically. "You're not stepping foot in my house, boy."
Cam raised his hands. "Come on, Grandpa."
Felix looked skyward, hands at his sides in exasperation. "We are not related, Cameron."
"Went full government on that one. You didn't see me point to you when I scored?"
Felix laughed to himself, shaking his head. He waved him off. "Go on. You boys earned a responsible celebration tonight."
They laughed, and then the night started pulling them forward again.
In the car, Cam talked nonstop - about routes, about touches, about how it felt to finally matter. "That block was fucking ferocious," he said again, quieter now. "That meant a lot to me, brodie."
Zane smiled. "Wasn't going to let you get ran down like a bitch, my boy. I got you. You deserve it."
Cam smirked. "You know what this mean? Girls gonna start to notice now."
"Let's take a beat here, yeah?"
"I'm just saying bro," Cam said. "You're wingmanning me now. You got Bianca last year, and I give you your props. Older woman. Love that for you. But, I'm up now."
They laughed all the way home.
The party in the South Quad pulsed like a living thing.
Bass rattled Bianca's ribs, neon lights slicing through the dark in violent flashes of color. Sweat. Laughter. Movement everywhere. She stuck close to Darius, nodding along, sipping lightly, watching more than participating.
This wasn't her world - but she at least had to try and fit in.
Darius eventually vanished into the crown, a girl with glitter on her cheeks pulling him away. She rolled her eyes when the sheepish grin he hit her with was the only thing she could see as he was swallowed by the crowd of people.
Bianca checked her phone. No messages yet. She scarred the room for Katie, weaving through bodies, apologizing as she passed. These were the moments that frustrated her that Katie stood a stout 5-foot-5 on a good day.
She reached the hall of bathrooms on the top floor - quieter, oddly - and knocked on a door that wasn't fully shut.
It creaked open.
Katie sat on the counter. Two guys leaned in close. An iPhone lay flat between them, its screen illuminated - white lines stark against the glass.
Bianca froze.
Katie looked up, grinning. "There you are."
One of the guys slid the phone closer, finally perceiving her entering the room. "Want a bump?"
Bianca swallowed. Her heart thudded. The pit in her stomach grew in diameter. Drugs had never been her things. Athletics, her studies. Back in Pittsburgh, it had always been so easy to deny. Almost as if people were too intimidated by her to think she would sink to their level.
Suddenly, she wished she had the experience in that sort of rejection.
Katie tilted her head. "Oh, come on. It's good stuff - Ralphie over here always hooks us up with premium shit."
The music throbbed outside. The door clicked shut behind her. Her phone buzzed in her pocket - she didn't check.
Bianca stood there, caught between the noise and the quiet, between the girl she was and the one everyone expected her to be.
The moment stretched.
And the night kept breathing.
Ann Arbor felt quieter than it ever had.
Bianca closed her laptop with a soft click, the final whistle still ringing in her ears, the scoreboard frozen in her mind. Upper St. Clair 38, Harrisburg 31. She sat there for a second longer than necessary, hands resting on the keyboard, heart light and buzzing like she had just been there herself.
They did it.
He did it.
She grabbed her phone, thumbs flying.
"YOU DID THAT.
I'm so proud of you I could cry.
Call me when you're free, okay? FaceTime celebration. Non-negotiable
She smiled to herself, already picturing his tired yet proud grin, the breathless laugh he always had. This was how long distance was supposed to work, right? Parallel nights, shared victories. Making something normal out of something hard.
A knock interrupted her spiral of happiness..
She looked up, confused. Another knock - louder this time.
Bianca padded to the door and pulled it open.
Katie stood there first, already glowing with intent, a mischievous smile plastered on her face. Darius hovered just behind her, holding a bottle of vodka like an offering.
"Victory tax," Katie said, lifting it slightly.
Bianca laughed despite herself. "You guys are insane."
"Congratulations are in order," Darius added. "We heard the screaming through the walls. I'm shocked your RA hasn't been on your ass yet."
She stepped aside and let them in.
As they settled onto her bed and desk chair, Bianca retold the game, going intricate detail - Cover 1, post route, the late touchdown that won them the game. Her hands moved as spoke, reliving it.
"My boy is really like that?" Darius asked, leaning forward. "He sounds fucking sick."
Bianca nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, he really is."
"Pull up the highlights," he said, already reaching for his phone. "I need to get in y'all good graces before he gets to the league."
"Maybe let him graduate High School first."
Katie hummed politely, eyes flicking around the room, interest clearly on a different frequency. "Yay, go Team Zane, but there's a party on South Quad that's been calling our collective name all night. Like, everyone is there. Girls i lived with last year, too."
Bianca hesitated. "i was kind of thinking something a bit more lowkey. Darius was mentioning this Open Mic that was happening, right?"
Darius chimed in with a subtle shrug. "I'm coolin' with chill, my body is still hurting from my lift this morning."
Katie groaned. "You guys are so allergic to fun."
She worked them patiently, relentlessly, selling the night like a campaign. The music. The people. The energy. Bianca resisted longer than usually would, but eventually - worn down, smiling despite herself - she caved.
"Okay," she signed. "But seriously, not for long. An appearance."
"An appearance, just a little drink."
***
All throughout Upper St. Clair, the parking lot buzzed with chaos and laughter.
Zane spotted them immediately - Felix's arm around his grandmother's shoulders, both of them beaming like they had won something themselves. He jogged over, bag bouncing against his leg with every stride he took.
Felix pulled him into a hug that was tighter than he expected. "You fly out there," he said, voice thick with pride.
Mary cupped his face, eyes shining. "We're so proud of you, baby boy."
The warmth hit him deep - bone deep. In a way only they could instill in him. Familiar and rare.
Cam bounded over moments later, buzzing. "I know you guys are proud of me, too." he laughed. "You see Zane blocking for me? That's brotherhood."
Felix scoffed dramatically. "You're not stepping foot in my house, boy."
Cam raised his hands. "Come on, Grandpa."
Felix looked skyward, hands at his sides in exasperation. "We are not related, Cameron."
"Went full government on that one. You didn't see me point to you when I scored?"
Felix laughed to himself, shaking his head. He waved him off. "Go on. You boys earned a responsible celebration tonight."
They laughed, and then the night started pulling them forward again.
In the car, Cam talked nonstop - about routes, about touches, about how it felt to finally matter. "That block was fucking ferocious," he said again, quieter now. "That meant a lot to me, brodie."
Zane smiled. "Wasn't going to let you get ran down like a bitch, my boy. I got you. You deserve it."
Cam smirked. "You know what this mean? Girls gonna start to notice now."
"Let's take a beat here, yeah?"
"I'm just saying bro," Cam said. "You're wingmanning me now. You got Bianca last year, and I give you your props. Older woman. Love that for you. But, I'm up now."
They laughed all the way home.
***
The party in the South Quad pulsed like a living thing.
Bass rattled Bianca's ribs, neon lights slicing through the dark in violent flashes of color. Sweat. Laughter. Movement everywhere. She stuck close to Darius, nodding along, sipping lightly, watching more than participating.
This wasn't her world - but she at least had to try and fit in.
Darius eventually vanished into the crown, a girl with glitter on her cheeks pulling him away. She rolled her eyes when the sheepish grin he hit her with was the only thing she could see as he was swallowed by the crowd of people.
Bianca checked her phone. No messages yet. She scarred the room for Katie, weaving through bodies, apologizing as she passed. These were the moments that frustrated her that Katie stood a stout 5-foot-5 on a good day.
She reached the hall of bathrooms on the top floor - quieter, oddly - and knocked on a door that wasn't fully shut.
It creaked open.
Katie sat on the counter. Two guys leaned in close. An iPhone lay flat between them, its screen illuminated - white lines stark against the glass.
Bianca froze.
Katie looked up, grinning. "There you are."
One of the guys slid the phone closer, finally perceiving her entering the room. "Want a bump?"
Bianca swallowed. Her heart thudded. The pit in her stomach grew in diameter. Drugs had never been her things. Athletics, her studies. Back in Pittsburgh, it had always been so easy to deny. Almost as if people were too intimidated by her to think she would sink to their level.
Suddenly, she wished she had the experience in that sort of rejection.
Katie tilted her head. "Oh, come on. It's good stuff - Ralphie over here always hooks us up with premium shit."
The music throbbed outside. The door clicked shut behind her. Her phone buzzed in her pocket - she didn't check.
Bianca stood there, caught between the noise and the quiet, between the girl she was and the one everyone expected her to be.
The moment stretched.
And the night kept breathing.
-
Captain Canada
Topic author - Posts: 6164
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Invictus
'Ye of little faith
Thank you, we're not as toxic as those two other RTG chises we ain't gotta talk about
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Captain Canada
Topic author - Posts: 6164
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Invictus
Season III | Chapter VI - Please Believe
The light was merciless.
It poured through the tall dorm windows like it had something personal against her, slicing straight into Bianca's skull. She groaned, rolling slightly onto her side, only for the movement to send a fresh wave of pain pulsing behind her eyes. Her mouth felt dry, her head heavy - like someone had stuffed cotton and regret behind her temples.
"Jesus fucking Christ." she muttered.
She reached blindly toward the nightstand, fingers searching for the glass of water she knew she had set there before passing out. Instead, her hand closed around her phone.
It was warm. And vibrating.
Bianca cranked one eye open and squinted at the screen. Notifications stacked on top of each other.
Katie - u alive?
Katie - last night was wild omg
Darius - you good?
Darius - sorry i dipped like that
And then - Zane (2)
Missed Call - 12:41 AM
Her stomach dropped.
Bianca pushed herself upright slowly, one hand smoothing back her tangled hair as if that might also smooth out the knot forming in her chest. She didn't think. She didn't overanalyze. She tapped his name and hit call.
It rang once.
"Hey," Zane said, voice thick and sleepy.
Relief washed over her so fast it almost hurt. "Hey babe."
There was a soft pause, the a small smile she could hear through the phone. "You good?"
"Yeah," she said quickly. "Just hungover. A smidge. Nothing too bad."
He laughed quietly. "Same. I tried calling you last night, but I was kind of late. We were at a thing with Cam and some of the guys. Phone went straight to voicemail."
Bianca winced. "Yeah. My phone died. I was out anyway."
"Out-out?"
"Out," she confirmed. "Like unconscious."
Another pause. "So, how was your night?"
She stared the wall, choosing her words carefully. "It was alright, I guess. That girl Katie I've told you about dragged us to a party. Not really my scene, as you know."
"I got you," Zane said. No judgement. Just listening. Just as he always did. He was a God-send.
She swallowed. "Something kinda weird happened, though."
That got his attention. "What's up?"
Bianca hesitated, then exhaled. "Katie offered me cocaine. In the bathroom."
There was a beat of silence on the other end.
"I'm sorry, run that by me one more time?" Zane said, not angry - just genuinely caught off guard.
"Yeah."
"She really is a snow bunny, huh? What did you say?"
"I didn't touch it," she said quickly. "I turned around and walked right out. Sat on the front steps until Katie came outside and we went back to the dorm."
Another pause. Longer this time.
Then, warm and certain. "I'm proud of you, B. That's a tough situation to encounter, but you handled it really well."
Her chest tightened at that. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," he said. "Coke isn't really your thing. And you didn't let anyone push you into something you didn't want. That's great."
She closed her eyes, letting the words settle. "Thanks, babe."
From somewhere downstairs, a voice cut through the line - muffled but unmistakable.
"Zane! You up yet?"
Zane sighed softly. "My grandpa is calling me. I'll text you in a bit, alright?"
"Sounds good, babe."
"I love you," he said easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I love you too."
The call ended.
Bianca held the phone against her chest for a moment longer than necessary, her heartbeat picking up in a way that had nothing to do with the hangover. She drew in a slow breath, then another, before letting herself fall back onto the pillow.
The day could wait.
Just a little longer.
Zane took the stairs two at a time, phone still warm in his hand. Bianca's voice lingering in his ears. The house smelled like coffee and old wood, the familiar creak of each step grounding him after a night that still felt half-dreamed.
Felix stood at the kitchen table, sorting through a thick stack of envelopes. He glanced up as Zane entered.
"Morning, superstar," Felix said.
Zane smirked and pointed to the mail on the counter. "So, the tax man finally catch up with you or what?"
Felix barked a laugh. "Nah. If they had, I'd be a lot less calm about it." He nodded toward the pile himself. "This is all for you."
Zane stopped short. "Mine?"
Felix slid the stack across the table.
Zane flipped the top envelope over. Then another. And another.
University logos. Thick paper. Official seals.
His brow furrowed. "Wait - what?"
Connecticut.
Buffalo.
Georgia Southern.
A couple smaller programs. A few Division II schools he recognized from passing conversations. Every single on addressed to one Zane Jones.
"We played one game," he said quietly. "There's no way."
Felix shook his head. "You don't get it. These went out before last night. You been on them radars, my boy."
Zane ran a hand through his hair, suddenly unsure what to do with the weight of the envelopes in his hands. They weren't Michigan. Not exactly Penn State or Alabama. But they were real. Proof that something was happening.
"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with this," he admitted.
Felix leaned back against the counter, arms folded. His expression softened in a way Zane didn't see often.
"You know what you should do with it?" Felix said. "You should take a second and let yourself be proud."
Zane looked up.
"I'm proud of you, you know?" Felix continued. "More than you know. And your dad -" he paused, searching carefully for the right words. "Your father would be too. If he was here instead of ... you know. He would be telling anyone willing to listen how good his son is."
The words landed heavier than Zane expected them to. It was always the unexpected one that landed with the most weight.
His throat tightened. His eyes strained.
He nodded once, jaw set, shoving the emotion down where he had learned to keep it. "I appreciate that, Pops."
Felix reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "We just getting started, Zane. Don't get it twisted."
Zane let out a small laugh, lifting the stack of mail. "Great, we about to become opps with the postal service."
Felix grinned. "There are worse problems to have."
Zane looked down at the envelopes again - possibility stacked in his hands - and for the first time, it felt real.
The light was merciless.
It poured through the tall dorm windows like it had something personal against her, slicing straight into Bianca's skull. She groaned, rolling slightly onto her side, only for the movement to send a fresh wave of pain pulsing behind her eyes. Her mouth felt dry, her head heavy - like someone had stuffed cotton and regret behind her temples.
"Jesus fucking Christ." she muttered.
She reached blindly toward the nightstand, fingers searching for the glass of water she knew she had set there before passing out. Instead, her hand closed around her phone.
It was warm. And vibrating.
Bianca cranked one eye open and squinted at the screen. Notifications stacked on top of each other.
Katie - u alive?
Katie - last night was wild omg
Darius - you good?
Darius - sorry i dipped like that
And then - Zane (2)
Missed Call - 12:41 AM
Her stomach dropped.
Bianca pushed herself upright slowly, one hand smoothing back her tangled hair as if that might also smooth out the knot forming in her chest. She didn't think. She didn't overanalyze. She tapped his name and hit call.
It rang once.
"Hey," Zane said, voice thick and sleepy.
Relief washed over her so fast it almost hurt. "Hey babe."
There was a soft pause, the a small smile she could hear through the phone. "You good?"
"Yeah," she said quickly. "Just hungover. A smidge. Nothing too bad."
He laughed quietly. "Same. I tried calling you last night, but I was kind of late. We were at a thing with Cam and some of the guys. Phone went straight to voicemail."
Bianca winced. "Yeah. My phone died. I was out anyway."
"Out-out?"
"Out," she confirmed. "Like unconscious."
Another pause. "So, how was your night?"
She stared the wall, choosing her words carefully. "It was alright, I guess. That girl Katie I've told you about dragged us to a party. Not really my scene, as you know."
"I got you," Zane said. No judgement. Just listening. Just as he always did. He was a God-send.
She swallowed. "Something kinda weird happened, though."
That got his attention. "What's up?"
Bianca hesitated, then exhaled. "Katie offered me cocaine. In the bathroom."
There was a beat of silence on the other end.
"I'm sorry, run that by me one more time?" Zane said, not angry - just genuinely caught off guard.
"Yeah."
"She really is a snow bunny, huh? What did you say?"
"I didn't touch it," she said quickly. "I turned around and walked right out. Sat on the front steps until Katie came outside and we went back to the dorm."
Another pause. Longer this time.
Then, warm and certain. "I'm proud of you, B. That's a tough situation to encounter, but you handled it really well."
Her chest tightened at that. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," he said. "Coke isn't really your thing. And you didn't let anyone push you into something you didn't want. That's great."
She closed her eyes, letting the words settle. "Thanks, babe."
From somewhere downstairs, a voice cut through the line - muffled but unmistakable.
"Zane! You up yet?"
Zane sighed softly. "My grandpa is calling me. I'll text you in a bit, alright?"
"Sounds good, babe."
"I love you," he said easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I love you too."
The call ended.
Bianca held the phone against her chest for a moment longer than necessary, her heartbeat picking up in a way that had nothing to do with the hangover. She drew in a slow breath, then another, before letting herself fall back onto the pillow.
The day could wait.
Just a little longer.
***
Zane took the stairs two at a time, phone still warm in his hand. Bianca's voice lingering in his ears. The house smelled like coffee and old wood, the familiar creak of each step grounding him after a night that still felt half-dreamed.
Felix stood at the kitchen table, sorting through a thick stack of envelopes. He glanced up as Zane entered.
"Morning, superstar," Felix said.
Zane smirked and pointed to the mail on the counter. "So, the tax man finally catch up with you or what?"
Felix barked a laugh. "Nah. If they had, I'd be a lot less calm about it." He nodded toward the pile himself. "This is all for you."
Zane stopped short. "Mine?"
Felix slid the stack across the table.
Zane flipped the top envelope over. Then another. And another.
University logos. Thick paper. Official seals.
His brow furrowed. "Wait - what?"
Connecticut.
Buffalo.
Georgia Southern.
A couple smaller programs. A few Division II schools he recognized from passing conversations. Every single on addressed to one Zane Jones.
"We played one game," he said quietly. "There's no way."
Felix shook his head. "You don't get it. These went out before last night. You been on them radars, my boy."
Zane ran a hand through his hair, suddenly unsure what to do with the weight of the envelopes in his hands. They weren't Michigan. Not exactly Penn State or Alabama. But they were real. Proof that something was happening.
"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with this," he admitted.
Felix leaned back against the counter, arms folded. His expression softened in a way Zane didn't see often.
"You know what you should do with it?" Felix said. "You should take a second and let yourself be proud."
Zane looked up.
"I'm proud of you, you know?" Felix continued. "More than you know. And your dad -" he paused, searching carefully for the right words. "Your father would be too. If he was here instead of ... you know. He would be telling anyone willing to listen how good his son is."
The words landed heavier than Zane expected them to. It was always the unexpected one that landed with the most weight.
His throat tightened. His eyes strained.
He nodded once, jaw set, shoving the emotion down where he had learned to keep it. "I appreciate that, Pops."
Felix reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "We just getting started, Zane. Don't get it twisted."
Zane let out a small laugh, lifting the stack of mail. "Great, we about to become opps with the postal service."
Felix grinned. "There are worse problems to have."
Zane looked down at the envelopes again - possibility stacked in his hands - and for the first time, it felt real.
-
Captain Canada
Topic author - Posts: 6164
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Invictus
Why would she ever lie to her beloved boyfriend?
You spreading slander, sir. Darius left the party before she did.
You really got it in for Bianca getting blacked, brother. You got something you wanna tell us?