Veiled Affections

Chapter 12

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Copyright © 2024 Cassey9

Even with the late Saturday sun descending in the horizon, the atmosphere in the pitch was intense. The stands, a sea of black versus a flurry of white and green, was filled to the brim.

The Hawks and the Raiders were clashing on the field, the white and black ball the focal point of the intense contest between the teams. The score remained deadlocked at two goals from each team as the crowd roared in anticipation.

Piper's eyes never left the defender, she trailed Mitch every move. Her gaze following with fascination and her heart beating in crescendo. Mitchell Wilder, stood tall and focused. Her movements in the pitch one with great precision and her efficiency was evident as she skillfully intercepted passes.

"Yes! Go Mitch! Go!" Kurt shouted from her right side. The crowd chanting intensified and Piper found herself getting drawn in.

"Go! Go! Go Wilder!" Piper found herself screaming.

~~~~~~

Anticipating the Raider's next move, Mitch swiftly moved the ball to the side evading the tackle. She managed to dodge it but not without a slight stumble caused by the rough contact. With a calculated pass, the ball found its way to Keilah who quickly transferred to Hope who was strategically moving about the penalty box.

Hope's footwork was agile as she evaded her mark who was desperately attempting to claim back the ball. Just as she maneuvered for a shot, a raider lunged forth and clipped her, sending her sprawling to the ground in a tangle of legs.

The referee's whistle pierced the air despite the blend of groans, curses and the continuous buzz of vuvuzelas that resonated throughout the stadium, amplifying the charged atmosphere.

Mitch crossed her fingers as she watched the referee listening in on his headset. His actions that soon followed had Mitch heart skipping in joy. The stadium fell into a palpable tension as the referee blew the whistle, signaling the foul and awarding the Hawks a critical penalty shot.

"Ivy! Ivy! You're taking the shot!"

"Yes coach!"

Ivy, the centre-forward, confidently strode toward the penalty spot. Her movements eliciting a sense of hush in the crowd. With quick talk from the referee, the ball was set on the marked spot and with a check on the goalkeeper the whistle sounded.

Ivy lightly jogged on the spot before moving towards the ball and taking the shot.

Mitch grinned, familiar with Ivy's skill. The Raider goalkeeper leapt in the wrong direction, falling victim to her teammate's tactics, as the ball effortlessly glided past the goal line and hitting the back of the net.

The stadium exploded in a uproar of cheers and cries of disbelief. "Yes! Yes!" Mitch let out in a jubilant scream as she, like the rest of her teammates, ran towards Ivy who'd dropped to her knees in relief.

Their jubilant celebration was short-lived as they swiftly returned to their positions, refocusing on the game at hand. With less than ten minutes left on the clock, Mitch wanted nothing but to hear the sound of the final whistle.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Great game, sis!" Kurt's voice cut through the post-match chatter as he joined his parents and sister by their car. "Hey Mom, Dad."

"Honestly, I'm just glad we won," Mitch murmured, sliding her duffel bag into the back of her parents' car. The last two defeats had affected their standing in the league and the win tonight was a big relief and boost.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Wilder?"

Mitch stiffened at the sound of the voice. Slowly shutting the car door, she turned around to face it's owner. Mitch sucked in a deep breath when her gaze met Piper's, the magnetic force between them hard to ignore.

Mitch felt a surge of longing course within her as she took her in. Piper looked breathtaking in her white ripped skinny jeans and a cropped sweater top that matched her rubber shoes. The smile that was dancing on Piper's lips when their eyes met, hinted her that she'd been caught staring.

"Hi Mitchell," Piper smirked through her words, "You were amazing out there tonight. Nice game."

"Thank... thank you, Piper."

"Piper, I'm you came, that's so nice of you sweetie?"

"It's nothing, Mrs. Wilder, I... I wouldn't miss this day for the..."

"Piper, I thought you were waiting in the car," Kurt interjected, moving to her side.

"Yes, I wanted to congratulate late Mitchell on the win," Piper replied not breaking her gaze from Mitch's.

"Mitchell? Well, of all her friends, you're the one that uses her full name," Mr. Wilder commented with a chuckle.

"Yes Piper, why is that?" Mrs. Wilder added, "Our daughter always corrects us on her name as if we weren't the ones that named her. Can you believe that?"

Piper laughed at the words her gaze shifting to the couple then back to the person she found most interesting in the entire world. "Well, that's because I find her name beautiful," Piper honestly confided, her eyes fixed on Mitch's widened ones, "Mitchell is a beautiful name."

"Okay, that was weird," Kurt murmured as he put his arm around Piper's waist only for his attempt to be quickly shrugged off. "Will you be going home with Mom and Dad, sis?"

"No. Coach Trevin has offered to buy celebratory pizza for the entire team. I'll be taking the bus, and my car is at school," Mitch replied. Piper's unwavering gaze made her feel nervous and somewhat out of control. Even in the dimly lit parking lot, she could still see the beauty in those emerald orbs. She kissed her parents goodbye a hand on her wrist stopped her quickly thought out escape.

"I need to talk to Mitchell. Please excuse us."

"Piper..."

"We won't be long," Piper called out to Kurt as she navigated through the parked cars and moved further away.

"Where are we going?" Mitch asked finally having found her voice.

"To talk?"

"What about Kurt?"

"What about him?"

"You need to be with Kurt. This is..."

Piper reached the edge of the parking lot and made her way toward the curb lined with parked school buses. The spot seemed like an ideal place for the private conversation she had in mind. Glancing around, Piper felt a sense of contentment in the absence of a single soul nearby.

"Piper, I know we need to talk and we should..." Mitch's voice trailed off as she felt herself get pressed against the side of a bus. "Piper?"

"Can I? I mean... I really want to. I want to kiss you," Piper shyly murmured. She cautiously nestled her head against Mitch's chest, afraid of catching a glimpse of the rejection that may lay in Mitch's gaze.

"Piper..."

"I can't stop thinking of our kiss," Piper confessed, laying bare her vulnerability. "I've been replaying it over and over in my mind... And Wilder, I've... I've wanted to kiss you for so long. Don't. Don't deny me this."

"Piper, I... I," Mitch whispered, a strong desire to kiss Piper overriding everything else, yet held back by fear. "Will you let me, Wilder?" Gazing down at Piper, she couldn't deny the request. "Yes... Just... just this once. This... this one time," Mitch whispered longingly. She had an overwhelming desire to kiss Piper, to forget everything and be with her, but fear held her back.

"Will you let me, Wilder?"

Gazing down at Piper, she couldn't bring herself to say no to the request. Torn between an overwhelming sense fear and desire, she had to choose and Mitch chose the latter. Allowing her longing outweigh the fear that held her back.

"Yes... Just... just this once. This... this one time," Mitch murmured, the words feeling strangely alien to her own desires.

Piper released a soft squeal, her arms instinctively encircling Mitch's neck. She'd longer for this moment, and now, with the chance before her, an electric thrill surged through her. Piper closed her eyes, savoring every sensation as Mitch's hand tenderly cradled her face, drawing her into the embrace that pulsed with emotion and longing.

The instant their lips met, an intense blaze erupted within Mitch, setting her whole being alight with fervor. Her stomach somersaulted with the tender caress of Piper's lips, stealing the very air from her lungs as the kiss lingered and intensified.

Eventually, with a soft parting, they drew back, their eyes meeting. Breathless yet content, Piper and Mitch stood in silence, each heart racing in sync with the other. The unspoken words hung in the air, leaving an electric tension between them.

"Thank you," Piper finally broke the silence, her voice a gentle whisper.

Mitch's eyes softened, a faint smile playing on her lips in response. "To be honest, Piper, I... I haven't stopped thinking about it too," she confided her hand cradling Piper's neck.