Excerpt From My Newest Story - Eden Ever After

           “Eden! Catch!” The sound of my best friend, Cameron’s, voice causes me to look his way just in time to see him throw the pigskin – aka football – in my direction.
            I catch it, continuing to run toward the end zone. Once inside the lines of the end zone, I throw the football down and do a little dance.
            I hear the crowd roaring, but it’s all in my head. No one is here watching us, just me and Cam playing for the heck of it. Practicing, more like it.
            He says the quarterback needs to practice more than anyone else on the team. I think he just likes playing football with me. But whatever.
            “Good one, Ede!” He runs to me and gives me a pat – or rather, slap – on the back as a congratulations. “You’re getting better every time we play.”
            “What do you expect? I’m great at this sports thing.” Not really. I stink at all sports – but with the help of Cam, I’ve been getting better at football. Today is the first day that I actually caught a pass that he threw. It’s progress.
            He smiles at me, his dark hair, just a bit too long, blowing in the wind. “Getting better, getting better for sure.”
            I roll my eyes. “Of course I am. I’m amazing.”
            “And modest, too.” He grabs the football off the ground and runs with it halfway out the field. “Come on, Ede, one more time?”
            “Really?” My lungs are on fire and I feel like I’ve run three marathons. I am not in shape. At all. Unless you count round as a shape – then I totally am.
            Okay, I’m not fat or anything. But I’m not skinny either. I’m just…me.
            “Yes, really. Come on. Hustle. Move those feet.” He throws the football up into the air and catches it.
            I jog my way to him, trying not to pass out and die from this exertion. I can’t do this much longer. “One more time, that’s it, okay?”
            “Oh, you’re just fine. It’s good for you.”
            “Easy for you to say, you’re just standing back here passing me that dang football. Barely moving at all.”
            He wiggles his eyebrows. “Great, isn’t it?”
            “Sure, great.” I say sarcastically. “This is it. And I mean it.”
            “Fine.” He nods at me, tells me to start running and I do as I’m told, my leg muscles burning the whole way down the field. I. Hate. Cameron. So. Stinking. Much. Right. Now. I. Have. No. Idea. Why. We’re. Even. Friends. I think as I continue running.
            Turning around when he tells me to, I catch the football again, but this time don’t take it to the end zone. I fall to the ground.
            “What are you doing? Run for the touchdown.”
            I hold up the football. “I’ve been tackled. And I am not getting back up.”
            He walks over to me, grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. “Baby.”
            “Shut up. You’re lucky I even came here with you in the first place.”
            “Oh, you know you love it.”
            “Love would not be the word I’d use.”
            He gives me a side hug. “You smell bad.”
            I push him hard. “Shut up, you jerk.”
            “Hey, I’m just speaking the truth. And the truth is, you need a shower.”