A TASTE OF SIN

My heart felt like bursting out of my chest.Every breath I took in made my throat raw, dry and desperate, like my body was begging for water and being cruelly ignored. The muscles in my legs screamed with every step, a deep, throbbing ache that traveled from my calves straight up into my hips. I felt unsteady, like if I slowed down even a fraction more, my body would simply give up and fold in on itself.I was right on the edge of shutting down. It was miserable, bonedeep, all-consuming exhaustion and it made the anger burn hotter.Hudson Capaldi, on the other hand, looked infuriatingly composed.He ran ahead of me at an easy, steady pace, posture relaxed, strides smooth, like this was nothing more than a warm-up. Every time I glanced at him, it felt like someone was tossing more fuel onto the already raging fire in my chest. He didn’t even look back. Didn’t acknowledge the punishment, the loss, or the fact that this entire situation was his fault.I was seriously considering the po

“Liam, where were you?”My mother’s voice followed me up the staircase and down the barely lit hall. I startled so badly when I heard that dominant voice of hers suddenly behind me. I nearly knocked over the antique vase perched on its pedestal near the landing, one of her prized possessions that no one is allowed to touch.I caught the vase just in time and exhaled.When I turned, she was already there, arms crossed, watching me with that look, the one that said she’d been worried but would never admit it outright.“I was at school practicing but we lost again,” I said with a groan, tilting my head back until it brushed the wall. “And Hudson got on my nerves.” I added.She clicked her tongue softly, clearly unimpressed, and followed me as I pushed open the door to my room. She stood near the doorway for a moment, then moved closer, perching on the edge of the chair next to my bed.“I don’t like it when you come back late,” she said, softer now. “I get worried.”“I’m fine, Mom,” I mut

"Listen up, boys!" Coach's voice brought me back to reality. I forced my focus forward, jaw tight, hands clenched at my sides as Coach paced slowly in front of us. His eyes swept the room, sharp and assessing, then stopped longer on me than usual. I pretended not to notice.“Tonight’s game matters,” he continued. “Not just for rankings. Not just for the crowd. But for yourselves. I want discipline. I want focus. And I want no distractions.”That word distractions hit harder than it should’ve. I had a lot on my mind."This is the first game of the season, so I don't expect you to be all that great," He went on and someone scoffed at his horrible attempt at a joke. However, Hudson Capaldi's' little moment with me was still moping around at the back of my head, untouched for a later time."But I do expect you to at least win this thing! So what do you say? Let's go beat those Rioting Rascals to a pulp!" Hoots and hollers of praise and approval resonated within the brick walls from the t

I had always been cursed with killer hangovers. The first time I had gotten drunk, which was my freshman year of high school, I had really overdone it. Without ever having a drink before, I drank way too much too quickly and ended up blackout drunk within an hour. The hangover I suffered the next day legitimately made me feel like I was dying. Ever since then, I had always tried to pace myself better but I failed to control myself last night.The hangover I was suffering today morning was nowhere near the caliber of my first one, but that didn't mean it was pleasant. I was glad to have the afternoon shift today, rather than the morning one, so I could sleep in longer.Before I could close my eyes again to sleep, I heard some voices downstairs and I shifted in bed. I sat up rubbing my eyes, and looked around the room. This was my room but I didn’t recall driving here. Puzzled, I got out of the bed and walked towards the bathroom. My feet dragged against the carpet as I made my way t

"Liam." A voice suddenly said my name from a distance away. It broke me from my caging mind, and I was surprised by who it was. Hudson Capaldi. I was so surprised to see him willingly coming towards me.He jogged to where I stood next to the track, his legs adorned in, funnily enough, black joggers and his torso a plain red tee. As he got closer, I could see his hair still soaking from his shower and face slightly more tan from practice. He looked lively and young, while I'm sure, compared to him, I looked like I'd been hit by a brick one too many times in the head. And when he got closer, I could see in his eyes he thought so too, even if he didn't say anything about it."What do you want?" It came out more angry than questioning, but I couldn't have cared any less. Hudson Capaldi wasn't apart of my life, wasn't really my friend. He did one decent thing last night, drove me home when I was drunk off my ass and barely functional. That didn’t make us close. That didn’t erase years of