Sinful (WICKED #2) | ✓

12

THE BUS RIDE WAS the most chaotic one Ella had ever been on. Everyone was standing and running around, not minding the sharp turns the bus was taking at all. Clarkson had been scolding them at first, but he had quickly gotten motion sickness and was now sitting front row with his head in a bucket. Now he had fallen in action Alex seemed to have gotten even more energy, practically jumping as loud music thumped through the bus, Will the center of attention.

Levi had tried protecting him at first by simply using his classic technique of standing and glaring, but he too had perished. Ella was sitting beside him as he leaned his head against the window, looking pale but refusing to admit he was feeling nauseous. Mia offered them one of the motion sickness pills she had taken along just in case for her uncle and in response Levi shook his head stubbornly, Ella taking it from her anyway.

"If you want to survive this three hour trip, you'll take it," she told him.

"I just want to die," he muttered back.

"If you don't take it, I won't kiss you tonight," she threatened.

That worked.

When she looked up, Ella was surprised to see Ava and Alex talking to each other amicably, though that emotion soon faded once she noticed the cups of alcohol they had in their hands. This wasn't the best idea, that she knew, but it didn't feel like her place to interfere. Before she could think of it any longer Mia offered Will a sweet drink, distracting her, the guys around him all beginning to howl and shout. Will silenced them all with a slight wave of the hand once he saw how uncomfortable it was making Mia, his attention focused on her.

"Thank you," he beamed," this is my favorite flavor."

"I know," she said," you told me once." She blushed faintly, continuing on quickly. "I just noticed you were looking a bit tired, which now I'm saying sounds so much like I'm being a busybody, but I just wanted to let you know I think you're doing amazing."

"She thinks you're doing amazing, Tyler," one of his friends began, but he immediately shut up once he noticed Will's gaze.

"Thank you, Mia," Will said softly, looking back at her with a smile," this is sweet. I'll get you one too, next time." He touched the cold drink teasingly against her warm cheeks for a second, a twinkle in his eyes. "Strawberry, right? Your favorite, I mean."

"How do you know?" she said, eyes widening.

"Of course I do," he replied easily," you told me once."

"Look at them," Ella said, placing a touched hand over her heart," how adorable." She raised an eyebrow at Levi, amused. "Why aren't you giving me sweet drinks, Peterson?"

"If I turn around now I will puke," Levi groaned.

Well, she was glad Will had found a good friend in Mia though. He always was so considerate to other people that it was nice to see someone thinking of him for once. Honestly, she saw Will as a really good friend, but over the past week she really hadn't noticed how he had been tired, that smile of his never having left his face. Funny, how in the end Levi was the one she could read better of the two.

He had thankfully recovered enough by the end of the trip to stumble out of the bus, still seeming a bit dazed as he looked around. She pulled him along, following Will and the group towards the large field beside the parking lot. High school students run across the grass and laugh as they pass them, some in an uniform in other colors. Will's is a clean white, his team rowdy as they walk behind him, a few throwing a ball around in the back.

Even without the uniform he would have stood out easily though, everyone seeming to stare as he heads to the baseball diamond, his bat resting against his shoulder. Over the course of the bus ride his hair had gotten messier, excitement flushing his cheeks and adrenaline lighting up his eyes. Even though they usually reminded her of honey, they were like fresh soil in the spring now, flowers ready to bloom in his dilated pupils, mischief and boyish charm radiating from him when he grinned. Ella caught the murmurs around them once they neared the front row, barely able to stop herself from laughing.

"Oh shit, is that William Tyler?"

"Doesn't he look too kind for his reputation?"

"I'm sure he won't be looking as kind with that bat of his on your throat."

"Farrow is having a boxing match soon too, I hear. They say he's going to nationals, if he keeps this up."

"Look at Peterson. Jesus, who pissed him off before he came here? I don't even want to come close."

She knew for a fact that Levi's glare was caused by his nausea still, but by the time they had sat down he seemed to have gotten better, giving Will a thumbs up once his friend worriedly bent down to look at him. Alex took something from his bag, spreading it out towards Will as he grinned at his friend. Ella almost choked, but Levi just shook his head in disappointment, Will's face lighting up.

"I made banners," Alex said proudly.

"Break someone else's leg, Tyler," Ava read out loud, a faint frown on her face," you know the ref is going to get angry at that again, right?"

"You know I can fight, right?" Alex said, a smile curling up his lips.

She rolled her eyes and he handed out the rest of the banners, Mia the only one who seemed happy to have one. Ella glanced at the questionable text on hers, a dramatic "LEGENDS WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN...", Will's name highlighted in fluorescent yellow in it. Levi didn't even seem fazed by it anymore, instead getting to his feet to give Will a solemn handshake in an attempt to wish him good luck. Will immediately pulled him and Alex into a hug, ignoring it completely.

After that he was off, his teammate beckoning him to come to where they were standing on the field. Ella glanced around, not having seen anyone with the leather jacket she was searching for yet. When Levi noticed, he raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"Where's your gang?" she asked.

"I should have clarified," he said," they aren't allowed to get within a mile of this field anymore after the incident last year. They're going to meet us at the afterparty."

"What was the incident last year?" she blinked.

He shivered, eyes far away, as if he had seen something truly traumatizing then. "A horrible experience."

Before he could elaborate the game began, Will beginning in batting position. All the attention was on him, but he didn't seem to notice, eyes focused and playful grin gone. There was a kind of calmness in him which reminded her of the waves, so soothing it seemed to calm his whole team. For her, fighting felt like flying, but when she looked at Will, it seemed like for him sporting just felt like home.

The pitcher threw the ball then and she saw it soar through the sky, straight at Will, who was watching it with that same expression from earlier. And then, with an exact precision, Will hit the ball so hard it flew across the field, the opposite team scrambling to get it as he started running. He seemed like he was moving on air, liquid sunshine spilling from the smile on his lips and glowing on his cheeks.

The cheering erupted all at once when he hit a homerun, even Levi standing up with his banner. He didn't say anything, but his gaze spoke enough alone. Besides, Alex was shouting for three, Ella joining in as she watched Will shyly look up at them. He ran a hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes and flashed them a grin, before getting back into place again.

The rest of the match passed quite quickly, but it was in the tension of Will's last turn that everything suddenly went wrong. Everyone was silent, the tension nearly palpable, and when his foot touched the last base again the shouts were deafening, practically Will's whole team jumping on top of him. Ella pulling at Levi's arm excitedly as he smiled beside her, but the both of them immediately froze once they looked to their left.

Alex and Ava had been jumping up and down happily before, but now they were kissing, a passion there which seemed like it was going to burn the whole place down.

"Fuck," Levi said.