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A late in the season home game against the worst team in the district shouldn't have warranted a second thought but things had changed in the past few weeks. Every week the group of leering men showed up the tension among the foxes wound tighter.
“Come on maggots, warm up starts in five!” coach's voice cuts through the lounge, forcing the foxes out of their heads as they file out and onto the court.
They fall into line and begin running laps but it's hard to ignore the wolf whistles. Dan grumbles as she notices the four men. The same four men who somehow always get the seats directly in front of the vixens.
They fill their half of the court and run drills but it's hard to ignore how the usually preppy cheerleaders slowly cave in of themselves under the men's degrading words and hungry gazes. By the time they gather around the coach with seven minutes till the coin toss irritation is dripping from them. Even coach can't hide the stiffness in his shoulders or the firm set of his jaw.
He takes a calming breath before starting his pep-talk. “Our spot in championships is nearly guaranteed but that doesn't mean you maggots can slack off. They are at the bottom, but we were at the bottom once too so-”
“You know I kinda got a thing for red heads,” the leader of degenerates' shouts. The team pauses, the men had been harassing the girls for weeks, but they had never singled out one of them. Never singled out Katelyn.
“That bitch!” Dan growls and Matt wraps a restraining arm around her waist murmuring comforting words in her ear.
“Do the curtains match the drapes?” his friends erupt in laughter; egging him on. Aaron's face turns an angry red and he ignores Nicky's hand on his shoulder. Even Andrew is affected and the freshmen take a step back as his hands settle at his wrists. Ready to draw a blade.
Abby settles a hand on Aaron's other shoulder "I know it's frustrating but there is nothing we can do, i’ll call security and let them know”
Allison scoffs “because they've done so much the last three times we've called them”. Renee grimaces in silent agreement.
“Come on sweet thing, shake some ass for me”. That's the breaking point. Aaron goes to step forward but Neil is faster. He shoves his helmet at Andrew and takes off, letting his gloves and bandana fall behind him.
Coach shouts after him “Neil don't-” before giving up on a defeated sigh and trying again “just don't get arrested!” Neil doesn't bother responding as he skids to a stop in front of Katelyn, putting himself between the cheerleaders and the creepy men.
Katelyn -who was usually a pillar of steel- now stood with hunched shoulders. Her head bowed in humiliation, but he could still see the tears glistening in her eyes. He flashed her a mischievous grin as he turned fully to face her. The girl's mouth dropped open, eyes widening with shock as Neil thrust his hands into his red curls. As he bent forward and shook his ass at the men.
He reached forward and took the megaphone from Katelyn before turning to face the now dumfounded men. “What, wrong red head?”
“You fucki-” the man spluttered but Neil's smile took on a sharper edge as he interrupted him.
“Every time you open your mouth your ancestors wish they had been infertile, being a dick won't cure your erectile disfunction so maybe- just maybe you should learn how to treat a woman before you show your face in public again you misogynistic douchebag”
The man's face had taken on an unhealthy shade of red and his friends couldn't manage more than expressions of horror. Good, it was their turn to stew in humiliation. Neil blew a kiss for good measure before flipping them off.
Most of the vixens were doubled over with laughter by the time he handed back the megaphone, and he didn't bother saying anything. Simply turned his back on them and started jogging back to the foxes- Aaron could handle Katelyn.
“Nice ass” Nicky smirked, patting his back and suppressing laughter.
“Of course,” Matt didn't bother hiding his laughter as he pulled Neil into a side hug “no one had a better ass than my best bud!”
The girls passed by next. Each offering grins and looks of respect before following matt and Nicky to their respective spots.
Andrew was the last to approach him. Amusement danced in his eyes as he stopped in front of him, ignoring Kevin's nagging at them to hurry up. “You're an idiot” even his flat tone couldn't hide his fondness for the feisty redhead.
“I know”
“203%” Neil just grinned in response. Staring back with just as much intensity until Andrew gripped the gage of his helmet. Pushing his face away.
By the time the buzzer sounded the men were nowhere to be found.
___________
Neil had hoped that would be the end of it. That hope shriveled up and died as soon as he entered the lounge. The freshmen were all long gone but the upperclassmen and monsters had taken to waiting till he was out of the shower.
They were all huddled around the TV and Dan quickly waved him over. Displayed on the screen was the typical post-game commentary. He was confused as to why this had caught their attention until one of the reporters' changed topics. “As promised, let's take a look at Neil Josten, Palmetto States number 10 starting striker.”
“Oh, no” but of course that did nothing.
“Their resident spitfire has struck again going viral in record time all because of this clip” she finished before the screen changed.
Someone from next to the group had been recording. The man's words ring out for a second time that day and they pan over to Neil in time to see him turn and- Neil powers off the TV.
There is a chorus of booing but before he can walk away Nicky's shrieked “oh, god” cuts through the team's teasing. He looks delighted and quickly turns his phone to face them. On his feed is what appears to be a thirst trap. Of Neil. A thirst trap of Neil.
It flashes between clips of him shaking out his curls, shaking his ass, blowing a kiss, and flipping them off. Alternating between slo-mo and regular speed. All set to sensual music. He feels like dying. Or running away. Was it too late to run away? All he can do is bury his head in his hands and wait for the latest round of laughter to ebb.