Don't Say Anything

26. Baseball Stars

"Please Will."

"No way."

"You would just come as a friend. I promise."

"Not happening."

"My family would love you."

"Drop it Jess. I'm not going."

"You're not spending Christmas by yourself again."

"I can if I want to."

Professor Moore walks to the front of the room and clears his throat. He called the whole class in for an afternoon review session since he's apparently really worried about us taking the final. I had to drag Will all the way to class. 'Optional' is not a good word to use around him when it relates to studying. 

"This conversation isn't over."

Will hasn't even given my offer a proper chance. His automatic response is always 'No' if the word Christmas is in the sentence. I've already asked him three different times and his answer hasn't changed a bit. I'm leaving a few days after my last final, so I need to be a little more persistent. Winter break is approaching faster than I realize.

I know he would rather spend the holidays with me, but he doesn't admit it. Every time I mention leaving, his good mood fades and he gets really quiet. I don't know if he's trying to make me feel bad for leaving him for over a week, or if he's genuinely that upset. I thought he would have just given in by now and agreed to come with me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you still coming over?" Will asks as we leave class.

"Yes, I'm allowed right?"

We had already planed for me to come over yesterday.

"Yeah, but Ethan's having this big party, so I generally like the stay out on those nights. So we're going to go somewhere else."

Like a date?

"Okay. Where are we going?"

He looks over at me and smirks.

"Can't tell you."

We drive for about ten minutes before I realize that we're heading downtown. There isn't a whole lot to do in the city. It's basically made up of restaurants, hotels, and clubs. I doubt he's taking me to one of the first two options, and I'm really hoping we're not going to the third.

"We'll park here because there's never any parking on the street." He pulls into the private parking lot for World of Art and gets out of the car.

"Come on, Rosie."

I'm guessing we're not going to be studying, so I leave my books in the car.

"Are we-"

"No questions," Will says shoving my shoulder. I shove him right back.

"That's like torture."

"Learn to trust me and then you won't have to question everything." So, that's his reasoning behind the whole 'don't say anything.' He just wants me to trust him. I wish it was that easy.

We walk side by side for a couple of minutes before we get to the edge of town. I want to ask if we're walking far out of downtown, but I don't. Walking past the baseball stadium can be dangerous because of the sketchy alleys that are right next to downtown. He guides me off of the sidewalk and right up to the doors of the closed baseball stadium.

"You know there's no game tonight," I say as we walk around to the side of the building. It's not even baseball season.

"Of course not. This would be way too hard if there was a game." What would be too hard? What are we doing? We can't get in. Is it safe to be here? I never realized how many question run though my head until I'm not allowed to say them.