by Melissa Jane
“You left school to rehearse with me for a play that means nothing to you? You can get into trouble for this.”
“The play may mean nothing to me, but it means something to me that it’s important to you.” He brushes past me, and I can’t hide my blush. Jacob kicks his shoes off and flops onto my bed, making himself perfectly at home. Jacob Lynch, my sworn enemy of years, is now lying on my bed. What the fuck is going on in the universe. “And besides…” he continues, leaning up on a propped elbow, “… I know coach will turn a blind eye to any absences.”
I climb onto the bed in front of him and cross my legs. “Jacob, why do you play when your heart’s not in it?”
He looks at the script and then back to me. “Because it’s the only thing I’m good at.”
I scoff. “You can’t be serious. You legit put Mr. Johnson to shame with your math skills. And besides, you’ve given your whole life so far to the game, so of course, you wouldn’t know what else you’re good at.”
“If I left before I get scouted for college football, my dad will flip into a flying rage.”
“But if he didn’t, and he accepted you leaving, would you?”
“In a heartbeat.”
My own heart breaks.
“What would you do?”
“See the world first in all its glory and shittiness. Then buy a huge block of land somewhere in the countryside where I can have a beautiful private ranch, a dog and cat… maybe some horses down the line.” There’s a deep-seated sadness in his tone as he rolls on his back and stares blankly at the ceiling. His shirt raises over his pants, revealing a taste of his smooth abdomen, complete with a well-defined V-shape pointing to his groin. I shake my head, clearing the X-rated visions. “If we win the game on Friday, it’ll place us in the semis. Word has it, according to Kevin’s dad, college scouts will be attending the second semis and the finals. Coach won’t confirm because he doesn’t want it interfering with our performance.”
“And if you get offered a contract?”
Jacob sighs as if he’s struggling with the weight of the decision. “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”
I move on impulse, giving no thought to repercussions or possible rejection. Lying down next to him, I roll on my side, take his arm and drape it over me, holding his hand in mine. With his chin resting on top of my head, Jacob pulls me closer against his chest, perfecting our spooning position.
There’s no Taming of the Shrew tonight. There’s no more talk about college football and overbearing parents. The only sound we make is our heavy breathing as well fall asleep until the sound of a closing car door reluctantly pulls us apart.
7
THEN
“I never thought this day would come.” Beside me, Nessa barely dodges the crowds as we try to find our seats. She, like me, shares a particular dislike for anything sporty. This is a huge game between the Giants and our home team, Panthers, as it will decide who gets into the semis. What feels like everyone from two states has come to watch and barrack for their team. There’s a sea of purple and green, predominately purple being home ground. But despite my indifference for the game itself, the atmosphere is so electric it tingles my skin.
My cell chimes, and it’s Anna.
Anna: I see you. Keep heading down. Second row from the front.
I look up and notice she’s waving. I wave back in acknowledgment, and we take to the stairs. Anna is very much similar to Nessie and me in that she’s artistic and doesn’t sway to public opinion, but unlike us, she has a love of football because it’s practically in her blood. Her dad is a Panther’s alumni, and her twin brother is an outside linebacker on the team. Scooting past those who are already seated, Nessie and I claim our spots.
“Having doubts about coming, were you?” she asks, and I take a moment to admire her commitment to the game. She wears the Panthers fan jersey, purple nail polish and lipstick and some purple curly mass of ribbons around her ponytail. I, on the other hand, didn’t think about team spirit paraphernalia and chose a simple pink dress with boots and a light cardigan.
“Well, when I asked my dad to drop us off at the game, he didn’t quite believe us and took some convincing,” I say, recalling how my dad’s brows had practically shot off his forehead at the suggestion.
“We have perfect seats. The Panthers will be running on from the tunnel below us.”
I’m struck by a sudden wave of nausea that has nothing to do with being ill during the week, and I choose to ignore the fact that it has everything to do with Jacob. The crowd roars as the Panthers’ cheerleaders take to the field, ready to do a routine to Bruno Mars’ ‘24K Magic.’ Throughout the routine, the grown-ass man behind me sporting a Giants jersey, hollers vulgar suggestions and catcalls the girls young enough to be his daughters. It takes all my strength to bite my tongue and not give him a serve.
“Just let it go,” Nessie urges, and I take a breath to steady my irritation. “Not even Jesus can fix stupid.”
Agreeing, the three of us watch as Chelsea takes center stage looking as glamorous as she does when simply walking the school corridor. Her beaming smile reaches the audience, and her body moves to the approval of their cheers. She performs expertly maneuvered flips, jumps, and spins and lands like an angel back on her feet, pom-poms moving and shaking in time with the music. When the set finishes, Chelsea and her cheer squad do what they do best, get the crowd amped for the teams about to take the field. People are up on their feet, a mix of Panthers and Giants fighting to be heard.
We turn to Anna who’s hollering for her team as much as the passionate man next to her.
“Do you love anything as much as these people love their football?” Nessie shouts in my ear.
“I thought I did, but now I’m not so sure.”
I think about Jacob and how he simply doesn’t share his father’s passion for the game. And that’s coming from the team captain.
We both stand to join the others in time to see the Giants run onto the field, a sea of green bursting from the crowd in support. Once they’ve lined up, the announcer introduces the Panthers, and the entire stadium erupts. Jacob is heading his team, and the moment I see him, something flutters in my stomach. With his helmet under his arm, he looks confident as he jogs onto the field. This may not be the love of his life, but he sure is made for the game. Everyone remains standing for the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ and while I’m quietly singing along, I’m mesmerized by Jacob’s lips as they move for every word, and I’m transfixed by his perfectly angular jaw that could rival any god. When did he become so damn sexy?
“What the fuck is happening to me?” I ask myself, horrified at my indecent thoughts.
“Huh?” Nessie asks side-glancing me. When I face her, her brows knit together at my horrified expression. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I don’t know, but it needs to stop.”
“Okay…”
How dare Jacob Lynch make me feel this way. And how long exactly has this been going on? Longer than I realize or is it only a recent development? Has he single-handedly managed to unearth feelings I never knew I had?
“I don’t know,” I whisper desperately to myself, wracking my brain for answers. Damn him either way.
“Who are you talking to?” Nessie stares wide-eyed like there’s a possession taking place.
“Myself!” I grip Jacob’s Panthers’ jacket tighter to my chest and feel heat blush my cheeks.
Why am I suddenly feeling irrational? Could it be the drugs the doctor prescribed, or is my brain now catching up with my heart? “Don’t be stupid,” I chide myself with a laugh. “It’s the drugs.”
“Okay…” Nessie says, perturbed. She unlocks her cell and starts typing. “I’m just going to message your dad and then maybe mine to see if he’s ever performed an exorcism—”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’re starting to freak me the fuck out.” Since my religious Nessie just said fuck, she must genuinely think I’ve comple
tely lost all sense. And, maybe she’s right?
“You’re just going to worry him… them. I’m fine, honest. I just had an unwanted revelation, and you happened to play witness to it.”
“Does this revelation have anything to do with the jacket you’re holding?”
We take our seats as the players put on their helmets and move into position.
“Possibly.”
“You still haven’t told me why you have Jacob Lynch’s Panthers jacket.”
I feel a surge of hope. “You mean to tell me you haven’t heard what happened?”
“If I knew what happened, I wouldn’t be asking.”
“No one at school was gossiping about it?”
“If they are, I’m not privy to it.”
My shoulders relax at hearing that news. I’d been so nervous about attending the game because almost all the students would be here, and I felt for certain I would be the joke of the town. Turns out, Jacob ensured that never happened.
“It’s a story for another time,” I say, not wanting to delve into what could easily be the most embarrassing moment of my life. It was also the moment in my life when Jacob Lynch became my hero.
~
We all stand to applaud what turned out to be an easy victory for the Panthers. It was predicted to be the hardest game of the season, yet somehow the Giants were simply no match for the skill Jacob and his team possessed, the scoreboard rolling a new number every few minutes, Jacob himself being responsible for half of the touchdowns. We watch on as the team gathers around Jacob and lifts him on their shoulders. The crowd goes wild knowing they have a very real chance of taking out this year’s cup in the finals, and with Jacob at the helm, it’s almost a guarantee.
The coach calls all the boys over to the sideline, and they have a group huddle before calling it a night. Jacob and Kevin are laughing and jostling each other when they both look up and catch my attention. They unwittingly move in unison, smiling and raising a hand to wave. I’m caught up in the awkward exchange which becomes even more so when Jacob realizes Kevin is fighting for my attention. I swallow hard and feel my cheeks flush as I wave back. Kevin, none the wiser, gestures for me to wait for him. Jacob, on the other hand, seems perturbed by the interest, and I witness his annoyance. That’s interrupted when Chelsea bounds over to him like a graceful gazelle and throws herself into his arms. He catches her, hands on her ass as she wraps her perfectly tanned legs around his waist. She kisses him intimately to the point where I have to look away. Unlike how I felt earlier, I’m now feeling quite the opposite. It doesn’t matter how my feelings have changed toward Jacob, he will never feel the same.
Jacob Lynch, you’ve ruined me, and it’s all your fault.
~
The crowd dissipates as Nessie and I wait at the stadium entrance. Only fifteen minutes pass before the boys make their exit and come over to where we’re seated around the fountain. I’m wracked with nerves because this is such a foreign situation for me to suddenly find myself in—interested in one boy and infatuated with the other.
“You made it,” Kevin exclaims with a wide smile. He steps in close and pulls me even closer into an unexpected embrace. Over his shoulder, I see Jacob’s handsome face and tightly clenched jaw. His annoyance is palpable, but what does he expect to happen? Me to remain single the rest of my life. “I didn’t think you’d come,” Kevin continues. “But I’m glad you did.” He seems pleased at seeing me, yet is he really the main reason why I’m here?
“Had to make it to at least one game in my life.” I laugh nervously, fidgeting with the collar on the Panthers’ jacket. “Congratulations to you both.” While Kevin continues his mega-watt smile, Jacob barely reacts, too caught up in watching the interaction. I feel the heat of his stare and can’t fight off the conflicting messages he’s sending me.
“It’s party time,” Chelsea screams excitedly, running from the exit with two cheerleaders in tow. Cupping her hands around Jacob’s face, she pulls him into an X-rated make-out session which continues far too long for comfort. Needing to free himself from the succubus, Jacob struggles to pull away while Nessie quietly mimics dry-retching, and I become suddenly fascinated with the hideous mural on the stadium wall.
Annoyed, Kevin clears his throat. “Fucking hell, can you two eat each other later… like not around us?”
Chelsea finally releases her victim, and laughs like a hyena before pulling a silver flask from her waistband. “Since when have you ever refused a show, Kevin,” she taunts spitefully. “Looks like you fellas have some catching up to do.” While Jacob wipes his mouth, his girlfriend holds out the flask which no one accepts before she shrugs indifferently and takes another swig. “Whatever, fuckers. Why are we still here?” She eyes me up and down, malice shining brighter than the stadium spotlights. “And what are you doing here? And you?” she says to Nessie. “Since when have you been in our circle?”
“Don’t be rude,” Jacob chides, but being reprimanded by her boyfriend in front of others doesn’t sit well.
“What the hell has crawled up your ass lately, Jacob? You’re always so fucking moody.”
In an effort to not have a very public argument that can escalate out of control in a matter of seconds, Jacob stuffs his hands into his jeans’ pockets, while the vein in his neck twitches.
“Ignore her,” Kevin assures. “Being a bitch is in her blood. You coming to the party?”
I shake my head adamantly. “No, just wanted to give this back.” I turn my attention to Jacob. “Sorry it took so long.” I hold it out, and the harshness on his handsome face fades, and is instead, replaced with something far gentler.
Chelsea, on the other hand, sees red. “What the hell are you doing with his jacket?”
Phew! More confirmation word hasn’t spread about the bus incident. If anyone would know, it’s Chelsea.
“Never mind,” Jacob snaps while taking his jacket, his fingers grazing mine in the process.
“Never mind? This is the reason you’ve had detention every day this week. And all this time it’s because she’s had it?”
My heart falters. “You’ve had detention because of your jacket?”
“Coach saw me turn up to training without it,” he admits for the first time. “It’s just detention, no big deal.” He smiles to reassure me, but I feel stricken with guilt. Chelsea continues to look at me like I’m the scum on her shoe.
Kevin slides his fingers down my arm before clasping my hand in his. “Come to the party, it’ll be fun.”
“No, I don’t think—”
“Don’t think, just do.”
“You’re going to invite her to the party?”
“Shut up, Chelsea,” he snaps.
“Don’t tell me to shut—”
“It’s not her scene,” Jacob interrupts, and we all turn to see what’s got him so irate. The smile he only just wore for me is replaced with an intense glower and anger in his beautiful eyes. He scowls at me the entire time, successfully making me feel the same way his girlfriend just did. Perhaps they are suited to each other. “Posie doesn’t belong at that party. She’ll be the odd one out.”
Posie… odd… so, we’re back to that. My heart plummets.
Chelsea smiles in victory.
“Not if she’s with me,” Kevin rebuts.
“Especially if she’s with you.” Jacob pauses a moment to look me up down with disdain. “She’s hardly your usual sort, is she?” The last line is delivered with spite, and my plummeted heart takes a beating from the sledgehammer.
Why does he have to be so nasty?
Chelsea giggles, and if I weren’t so hurt and on the verge of tears, I’d slap her.
Turning back to Kevin, cheeks red with humiliation, I give a small smile. “Thanks, but I’m just gonna go home, and—”
“Fuck those two,” he says passionately before turning to his so-called friends. “Fuck you two. I’m asking her as my date, and besides, you two will probs be fucking the whole time, so what doe
s it matter if Rosie’s with me?” He turns back before wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Ignore those dipshits. They’re just as cunty as each other.”
Jacob’s jaw twitches in annoyance, and I have a sudden urge to make him suffer. Kevin’s a good-looking boy with a sensitive side, and his interest in me seems genuine, so why should I miss out on a party just because asshole, Jacob, thinks I’m too odd for his crowd of populars?
“You know what, I think I will come after all.”
Kevin’s face lights up and squeezes me tight against his chest. “That’s my girl,” he replies, and I strangely feel safe in his arms.
“I’m going home,” Nessie says, pulling me out of Kevin’s arms and into an uncharacteristic embrace. She puts her mouth close to my ear so only I can hear. “Don’t let him anywhere near your bits,” she whispers.
“Yes, ma’am. No one will be going anywhere near my vagina, I swear to Jesus.”
“Don’t put the words Jesus and vagina in the same sentence, sinner.”
I snort a laugh against her curly hair, and she giggles. She may be religious from a heavily strict family, but she has a wicked sense of humor about it all.
“Message me when you’re home safe,” she says with a final squeeze.
“I will.”
A car horn behind us signals Nessie’s dad has arrived, and with a smile, she runs over to greet him before they pull out of the parking lot leaving me in a foreign situation I should have known better than to get myself into. If I weren’t so competitive with Jacob Lynch, I would have probably flipped him the middle finger and walked away with my head held high. Now, I’m simply trying not to let my tail fall between my legs as I enter what could be, a lion’s den.
“Let’s do this,” Kevin hollers enthusiastically, awakening me from my thoughts.
Jacob walks hand in hand with Chelsea a few steps ahead of us, while Kevin drapes an arm over my shoulders, a wide grin telling me he’s excited to get the party started.