I groaned, the blistering heat nearly making me dizzy as the sun beat down on the other girls and myself. July in the valley was miserable, even without the coach making us run around the track. At least it was only running, I thought gratefully. I knew that my legs and arms were much too wobbly to do anything as complicated as shooting hoops. Sometimes I wondered why I cared enough about our unacknowledged university's women's basketball team to do the summer trainings.
My wandering thoughts were put to a harsh end when a foot suddenly shot in front of me, allowing an up close and personal chance to check out the new track. I yelped as a few other girls tripped over me, since I'd been at the front until Jealous Bitch tripped me. I eyed the other girls to make sure no one was seriously hurt before checking the scrapes and soon-to-be-bruises all over my own body.
"What the Hell just happened?" Coach Alan ran up to the pile of girls with an anxious and irritated look on his face, glaring at me shortly. I suppressed the urge to growl at him as I rose and brushed myself off, watching Jealous Bitch continue running with a very distinctive twitch of her little ass. My eyes met the coach's and I kept my face devoid of emotion.
"I tripped." Over your favorite's protruding foot, you asshole. He shook his head and checked the others quickly before going back to his chair, not bothering to offer me a chance to bandage or clean my bleeding palms or knees. I shook my head and started running again, catching up twenty minutes later.
"You know, you could just work a little harder to be better than me and the others instead of trying to turn the team into a bunch of cripples." I smirked as I saw her give me a startled look as I ran past her with relative ease. For the remainder of the hour, I made sure she stayed well behind me.
"Alright girls, come back in!" The coach called us into the middle of the track where he was, along with a table of bottled water. I ignored him and went straight there as he continued speaking, "So, I've made a decision for who will be the captain come the following semester, any disagreements can be voiced at my office later." I heard sounds of excitement from the girls and rolled my eyes, the lot of them were idiots to think that he'd choose anyone but Kayla, Danielle, or myself. He couldn't choose Jealous Bitch, favorite or not, she was a slacker. "Congratulations to Janelle Brander."
I stiffened, feeling as if I'd been smacked in the face. Spinning around, I nearly spilt my water bottle and met Jealous Bitch's eyes just in time to see her foul grin of unjustified triumph.
Then she smiled at me directly, and as the other girls walked sullenly to the showers, I noticed a greedy smile to her from the coach. She stood on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear, and then ran off to the showers. I kept a death grip on my bottle as I followed, unaware of his eyes on my unintentionally swaying hips.
Two hours later, long after the rest of the girls had gone to enjoy their lives as the day was over, I was only just drying off. My tanned skin was red from the water, and I moaned as the cold air of the locker room hit my baking skin. I leaned my nude form against the cold metal, closing my eyes as I felt my heart slow. My hands were sluggish as I dressed, only in my bra and underwear when I heard a low chuckle.
"Janelle, fuck off." I didn't bother looking up at her as I shook out my shirt, hearing her heavy footsteps stop behind me.
"Coach wants to see you, Helen." I threw down my shirt angrily and spun around, freezing when I didn't meet Jealous Bitch's blue eyes. Instead, I was looking first at a wide chest, then up into the dark umber eyes of Coach Alan, and he was smiling widely.
"So, I hear you're not too happy about my decision on captain." My eyes shot around until I found Janelle walking away irritatedly. I looked back to the coach and bit my inner lip, straightening my spine and crossing my arms. Looking tough in nothing but my underwear was, though, quite impossible in front of my massive coach.
"Yes I'm pissed that you chose her, so why don't you let me get dressed and we can talk in your office?" Anger and anxiety joined in my voice, and he smirked down at me as he took a step forward, forcing my back into the lockers as our chests were pressed against each other.
"I think we should discuss it here, Helen." He spoke with his assertive "coach voice," making me flinch and look down. Somewhere between the deep bass of his voice and the all-encompassing physical energy he exerted was a trigger for me, forcing me into a mental space wherein I was small and insignificant. I felt his fingers thread through my hair, sending a shudder down my spine. His voice was low, and I felt his breath on the side of my face as he spoke, "You see, I'm aware that, on the court, Janelle is a bit of a slacker," I let out a short laugh, shaking my head inwardly at how strangled it sounded. "But she is willing to make it up to me, as I wish you would..." I felt his lips on my temple, a small smile imprinted there, and I freaked.
My knee shot up and caught him in the groin, but I couldn't stop to appreciate the sound of pain that escaped his lips, as I was much too busy running through the maze of lockers to the door. Moments later, I saw the metal gate to freedom in front of me, and grasped the handle to open it towards me, but felt my entire body slammed into it. I gasped in pain, my arm pressed into an awkward position between my body and the door, and struggled to back away to free it. Yet I regretted the motion instantly, as it allowed the coach to grasp onto both my wrists and pin them above my head. I closed my eyes and screamed, barely hearing a soft chuckle near my ear.
"No one is here but Janelle, and she is far too hateful to help you." My screams trailed off into small whimpers, as I knew that he was telling the truth. My desire to be alone had been the reason I'd waited so long to leave, and know I was suffering its completely unseen consequence. Another whimper escaped my lips as I felt him take both my hands in one of his, leaving one free to caress my bare side. My entire body was awake, the fear and the bruises making each place of contact more sensitive than I had ever experienced. Oddly soft lips kissed down my neck in an ironically tender motion, somehow complementing the feeling of a stray tear fleeing down my cheek. I felt his hand on my lower abdomen, fingers splayed open as he drew me backwards against him, tight enough that I could feel something hard and long on the small of my back. I shook my head, causing that incessant chuckle again as his free hand went up to the front clasp of my bra, deftly unfastening it and letting it fall between us. I gasped as I felt the cold metal of the door on my bare nipples, instantly making them tiny and erect. The bite of the cold in addition to the intense sensitivity of my hurting body was oddly arousing, and the realization made me squirm and tug down my arms, small, desperate sounds escaping my lips.
"Something wrong?" His voice was deeper than usual, yet the words were softly spoken. His hand stroked up and down my back, pressing two fingers firmly against my bruises. The shot of electricity spun through my body as I grunted in discomfort, and I shut my eyes in confusion and an attempt at denial. It was by no means an unbearable pain, but the situation seemed to bring a new meaning to it as he gripped my hip tightly and pressed his thumb into a large mark from someone's elbow. This time, the electricity went straight to my center, and I drew a sharp breath in.
Seemingly bored of his little game, his hand then wandered up to my breast. Two fingers grasped my nipple and twisted, bringing an involuntary moan to my lips that I tried futilely to suppress. Even with my lips closed tightly, he heard the involuntary sound of pleasure and relished in it. His large hand grasped my entire breast roughly, tightening painfully as he pushed his hips forward, and I couldn't keep down my gasp of shock and pleasure. I had already been primed, and as a low growl vibrated in my ear, my body trembled in both fear and anticipation. I wanted to shriek and slap myself, launch a knife into my stomach, anything but enjoy this. Then his hand snaked down to my underwear, slipping underneath and stroking my entrance, his hand covering me with a possessive edge as two fingers slid inside my wet warmth easily. I gasped at the teasing feeling of fullness, wanting so much more but wanting so much to escape.
"N-no... p-please don't..." My hands tugged down again half heartedly, and then my hands were released and his hand below slipped out. I felt the heat of his body leave me as he stepped backwards, and I whimpered in regret and relief. I didn't look back at him as I bent down to grab my bra, but froze at the sound of a zipper. I rose and turned around to see his lower garments fall, his shirt already beside him on the ground. A cruel smile spread over his lips as I backed against the door, my knuckles white from my grasp on my bra. I shook my head as he stepped forward out of his pants, leaving him completely nude before me. I couldn't help but appreciate his muscular form, and felt fear and longing as I looked down at his erection.