This Winter

Chapter 7

Freshman Year

With football season came the traditional homecoming. The whole week was centered around the big game and dance, they were all taking place Friday night.

I wasn't attending the dance and since I was just a freshman, I was pretty sure I had no chance of getting in the game. I was still excited though, nonetheless. It was my first time experiencing a big football game, so it didn't matter to me if I stood on the side-lines the whole damn game.

Football had to show-up for the game at 6, because it didn't start until 7:30. Tailgating started at 5, and apparently our whole parking lot would be lined with tents, face painting, and food. Noah, seemed pretty excited for tailgating that game, so I decided to show up a little before 6 to see him.

I spotted him in the midst of students, wearing a white Jefferson shirt with blue writing, because the game was a white-out. He was standing by some blonde girl I recognized from yearbook and chatting lightly to her.

I ran up from him behind, ready to scare him as he faced the opposite direction. The blonde saw my presences but kept quite when I placed my finger over my lip. She nodded before trying to refrain from giggling. I grabbed Noah's waist from behind and yelled 'boo' in his ear. His reaction was priceless as he screeched, the blonde girl practically cackling.

A few people looked over towards all the commotion, before Noah turned around, hitting my chest. "It's not funny!" he seethed.

I chuckled, squatting his hands away, "It kind of is." I turned to the blonde as she wiped a few stray tears away. "I'm Ethan," I told her, sticking my hand-out.

"Savannah," she said with a smile.

She was cute, her blonde hair in two weird braid things that I didn't know what they were called. She had green eyes with dark lashes, pretty rare for a blonde but they suited her green eyes well. I couldn't help but notice the white and blue paint dotted around her eyes and the white bandanna on her head.

"Noah, where's all your school spirit at?" He looked at me funny, pointing at his white shirt with a 'duh' look on his face. "No, no, no, that's too easy."

I looked over towards a group of guys, shirts off and covered in white paint with football numbers in blue paint covering them. "You gotta be more like that, Noah." I pointed to the guys and Noah looked at me like I had gone insane. Savannah laughed, shouting a quick yes as she clapped.

"I like this guy," she said, pointing to me. She ran off, laughing as she grabbed some white and blue paint from the cluster of painted guys.

"Noah, take your shirt off," I told him.

"What, no. You can't be serious!"

"Come on, Noah! Lighten up!" Savannah nudged him with her arm. "I'd do it, but I'm pretty sure that's crossing the line," she laughed.

Noah shook his head in disbelief. I saw him debating inside his head, wondering if he should take the risk and have fun or be reserved like his parents. He laughed and decided the first option. Noah could be a lot of fun, I think he would probably be one of the boldest people I knew if it wasn't for his parents breathing down his neck. Sometimes he just needed a little push for him to let loose, and as his best-friend, it was my duty.

He pulled his white shirt over his head, revealing his bare torso. For a second I was caught off guard, my breathe hitching in my throat. I forgot what I was doing, the bottle of white paint still in my hand as I stared at his body.

A second later I snapped out before anyone could notice. I plastered a fake smile on my face and acted as if I was un-phased. I poured some white paint into mine and Noah's hand. He rubbed the white on the front of himself and I helped him with his back.