Making our Future in History

Day one hundred and fourty- two: After School

     "Admit it. Lacrosse is a good sport."
     "Only because the the other team is hot."
     He looked out at the field.
     "Woodward boys? Really? You like those stuffed shirt preps?"
     "I never said that. All I said is that they were hot."
     Mr. Hanes rolled his eyes.
     "I should get back to assistant coaching my team."
     "Yeah, you do that."
We were waiting for the game to start, and he decided it would be a good idea to talk to me about a sport I could careless about.
"You like it."
"In your dreams."
He tapped his temple and I rolled my eyes.
"I want you to know that I like this sport." Kendal said sitting down next to me.
"You only say that because Kyle's playing this year."
"I'm well aware."
"That's why you like it. You made a pact with yourself to love every sport he took up."
"Well, you have to admit that he does look good in a singlet."
I made a gauging noise.
"Oh hush."
"Never give me that mental image again."
    "What about Bennett in a singlet?"
     "That's almost just as bad."
     "Tell that to the smile on your face."
     "Talking about me again?" Bennett asked, "sorry I'm late. Baseball practice lasted longer than expected."
     "It's cool. It's not like anything is going to happen anyway."
     "Why are you so mean to this sport?" He asked me.
     "I watched it once last year while I avoided running into you at a baseball game." I said, "I found no joy in it at all... Actually my favorite part was when they hit each other in the head with sticks."
     "Then why are you here?"
     "Because Kyle's playing."
     Bennett rolled his eyes.
     "Look, Kyle is still a good friend of mine. You can't hate him."
     "Watch me."
     "Whatever." I said, "I'm glad we're only dating by word and not actually dating."
     "Somedays me too."
"Then why are you two still holding on?"
"Because I cannot be with Mr. Hanes until I graduate, and that's still two months away."
Kendal looked at Bennett, and he avoided all eye contact by looking around her instead of at her.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you still holding onto a lie?"
He looked at her.
"Because by now. It's too late."
It got quiet between the three of us. It was true. By now we were living a lie. The love that he felt for me coming into senior year left with the true realization that he really wasn't going to have me. Too bad we both realized this too late. The damage was done.