Straight To You

thirteen

"Come on, Dad," I can't help but tease my father, playfully shoving his shoulder. "You've got this in the bag."

"Thanks, kiddo." Dad glances down at me with a gleam in his eyes and a genuineness to his smile that practically radiates joy. "You'll be rooting for me?"

"Who else would I be rooting for?" I narrow my eyes at my father mockingly, which makes him laugh. We converse for a moment longer, laughing and smiling as if this is just another normal Friday night between father and daughter that don't have a care in the world. The moment that thought passes through my mind, one of Mom arrives. I can feel my heart sinking, my mood instantly darkening.

Feeling slightly put off, I find myself murmuring, "I'm gonna go take my seat, okay? See you later?"

"Go," Dad says after a moment of studying me, almost as if he can sense my shift in moods. Clearing his throat and gesturing toward the bleachers, Dad adds, "Have fun." I don't have to be a rocket scientist to know the hidden meaning to my father's words, to know that he wants me to simply let go for once.

"I will, Dad," I assure him, half-meaning the words. Still, I force a smile and try to sound chipper as I exclaim, "Bye!"

With that, I turn to walk back toward the bleachers, spotting Lana and Lucas in the crowd. I'm halfway across the field when I suddenly feel a hand grabbing my arm, pulling me back into the shadows. A hand covers my mouth before I can scream, only further terrifying me. Before anything else can happen, I bite down on the hand covering my mouth, refusing to go down without a fight.

"Ouch!" the voice that belongs to the hand mutters, uncovering my mouth immediately. I whirl on the person, my arm still in their grasp as I do so.

"What the—?" I stop short when I realize my captor is Jack, the last person I thought I would run into. I recover from my shock quickly, the emotion easily giving way to confusion. "What the hell are you doing?" I snap, jerking my arm out of Jack's grasp as I try to wrap my head around this situation.

"You bit me!" Jack exclaims in response, staring down at his hand in blatant disbelief.

"It didn't hurt," I mutter in response, rolling my eyes at this entire interaction. "Besides, you scared me and put your hand over my mouth. What did you expect to happen?"

Jack's eyes gleam devilishly as his eyes dance up to mine, a smirk crossing his features. "I guess I'll just have to bite you now, Scott. You know, to make things even and all."

I narrow my eyes as I stare at him, as if simply looking at him will somehow put the puzzle that is Jack Crawford together. "That is so not happening, Jack. Don't you have a girlfriend for that?"

"Nope," Jack says the word like he's excited, wearing a grin to match.

"Why are you smiling?" I question, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion as I wonder what is up with him tonight. "Aren't you supposed to be upset after a breakup?"

"Not when their ex girlfriend was the female version of the devil," Jack mutters quietly under his breath with no shame. I barely catch the words, but I end up hearing them all the same. I'm not sure how good at covering it I am, but I can't help wondering when Lacey and Jack decided to part and why. Now that I think of it, I haven't seen Jack and Lacey making out in the cafeteria in days.

"So she was that bad, huh?" I tease, unable to stop myself from smirking. I know I should probably stay out of this, but I can't help but rib Jack a little. In the back of my mind, I still find myself wondering why the two separated, as they're normally all over each other. I refrain myself from asking, because I understand that information is personal. Considering the skeletons I have piled in my closet, I can respect another's privacy.