Silver Falls, Colorado
(2020)
- Deep End -

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"Val? Are you still awake?" she heard Lee ask, who was obviously standing right outside her door, hoping to be let in.

"We heard noises coming from your room and wondered if you were okay!" Isaac sounded worried, almost panicked with fear. Valeria took a deep breath before standing up, walking to the door and opening it. Surprised by the quick reaction, Lee and Isaac took a few steps back before entering Valeria's room.

"Why are you still awake, it's back to school tomorrow, isn't it?" Lee and Isaac looked at each other before sighing and nodding. Valeria looked at her brothers and tilted her head. What was going on in their heads right now? Were they worried that she wouldn't settle in at the new school?

"Yes, it's back to school tomorrow, but we just can't sleep knowing our sister isn't well! So what's going on?" Valeria hated to talk about her feelings, especially because she knew that Lee and Isaac now had a reason to play the protective brothers, even though Isaac was 2 years younger and Lee 3 years younger than her.

"Please don't worry about me, boys! You need the sleep, otherwise you won't be fit tomorrow and then I'll feel bad because I have a certain responsibility for you.." as soon as she had said the last word, tears welled up in her eyes again and now she could no longer suppress them. Lee and Isaac looked at each other. Why was she crying? Why wasn't she talking to them?

"Val, why are you crying? What has happened?" Valeria refused to answer Lee's questions because she knew that since she had moved in, her brothers had not been on good terms with Cole and she didn't want to make things worse!

"Lee, it's all right, really! The last few days have just been pure horror and stress for me and now I guess everything I've been suppressing the last few days is coming out! Don't hold it against me that I wasn't there for you when mum found a new boyfriend, I just didn't have the energy left to make the situation easier for you.." she lowered her head and cried into her blanket. She was a bad person, Cole was right. Because what person wasn't there for their own siblings when they needed them the most? That's right: her! Every day she blamed herself for the fact that Lee and Isaac had moved out because of her and their stepdad and slowly she felt that her feelings were coming true.

"Hey, sis, we don't hold anything against you! We love you and we will never stop, no matter what! You are our role model and we want to be as strong as you one day and we really admire the way you deal with complicated and unpleasant situations!" even though Lee was sometimes a grump, he was always honest and caring! Valeria loved her brothers more than anything else in the world and she would always protect them, no matter what!

At some point, the three of them seemed to have fallen asleep arm in arm and legs over legs, because the next morning Valeria woke up to a loudly snoring Lee. She laughed lightly and quietly so as not to wake her still peacefully sleeping brothers. It was definitely still too early to be awake, so Valeria decided to go for a jog.

On the way out, a girl came towards her. She looked friendly and seemed to have spent the whole night in Cole's and Danny's room! Since Valeria didn't know anyone from Silver Falls, she had no preconceptions, except when it came to Cole, because she had a lot of preconceptions about him!

He just fitted the stereotype too perfectly: footballer, girl crush, the most popular boy in school, but still not really interested in the school itself! Valeria wasn't looking forward to the day, not when she had to spend it with Cole and his girlfriend Erin. Erin was the only girl she knew outside of school and of course, on first impressions, she was a complete disaster!

After breakfast, everyone squeezed into Cole's car and then it was off to school. Once there, Valeria was fascinated by the size of the school and Cole seemed to have noticed.

"And what do you say?" Valeria turned her head and looked at Cole. He was leaning against his car and had tilted his head. She took a deep breath before answering him.

"Well, it's big." Cole laughed lightly before leaning off his car and walking towards Valeria. Suddenly, someone called Cole's name and before Valeria knew it, Erin and Cole were making out in front of her.

"Come on, Val, Nathan and I will show you your class!" Valeria was brought back to reality and looked at Danny. Nathan nodded with a smile and they were on their way into the building.

Once inside, Valeria looked around. The school was impressive and Valeria somehow felt at home. Danny and Nathan watched her as she studied the pictures of the football team and then realised that she was probably a football player herself. She stroked every single picture, which must have caught the attention of the team's coach, because before Valeria knew it, she was talking to the coach.

"Hello, you must be the new student who is making the rounds in the staff room because of her good grades and excellent sports performance!" Danny and Nathan looked at each other enthusiastically and smiled. Valeria scratched her head and nodded slightly.

"Yes, I guess that's me. Hello, my name is Valeria Alamilla Garcia and I'm really happy to be here!" the two women smiled at each other and the boys felt a little out of place. At some point, the coach looked at Danny and Nathan and dismissed them to go to their classes.

"Danny, Nathan, you can go to your classes, I will then take Valeria to her class! Thank you for your commitment!" Danny and Nathan nodded at her and then disappeared. Valeria looked after them before she turned back to the coach and was asked into her office a short time later.

"Is your football team successful?" the coach sighed and shook her head. Valeria raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. How could that be? She had read that the Silver Falls High School football team was one of the most successful football teams in the country!

"With our captain out with a long-term injury and probably not coming back, we've been getting worse and worse. It pains my heart to have to say this but it's the truth!" Valeria's eyes widened and she thought for a moment before she said anything.

"Do you have any more absentees in the team or is the captain the only one?" the coach thought for a moment and then shook her head. Now they both seemed to be thinking, but before Valeria could say anything, the coach said something in a flash, which surprised but also pleased Valeria.

"How about you take the place of our captain? I mean you were exceptionally good at your old school and brought your team to every victory! We could really use a player like you and I think my team would be happy to have an exceptionally good player like you!" without giving it much thought, Valeria nodded and seconds later she signed a kind of contract. Then they both stood up and shook hands before the coach took Valeria to her class and took credit for Valeria's absence!

During the lunch break, Valeria sat down with Danny because he was the only one she could stand at the moment. She would have sat with Nathan, of course, if it hadn't been for Alex, who she hadn't been able to look in the eye since the argument with Cole.

Why did Cole always have to destroy her mood? Wasn't it enough that she had to put up with him, did he always have to trample on her nerves?

While she was thinking about Cole, she didn't realise that Danny wanted to talk to her and that Alex was looking at her the whole time.