pretend it only happened in a dream | bakuiida

part seven | party hard future dropouts of riverside !

I take the papers for my dad and set them in his office, which is just where the piano used to be before my sister moved out. My sister, Mykiah, used to play the piano all the time. She would spend hours practicing, and when guests would come over she would impress them with the same song. She would play Lacrimosa until her fingers hurt, and mom would always tell her that she should learn more songs.

I was too little to see why she played that song over and over again.

I hope Mykiah is having fun, far, far away from us. I can only imagine how nice Florence is. I hope she gets to play Lacrimosa for audiences much large than Mom could ever provide.

Dad clearly left for work again, or else he would be on the couch or at his desk. Mom is also working. Work, work, work. I never want to be an adult and work as they do. Sounds like it sucks.

The house is all mine. If it was a year ago, I would have the whole gang over and we would smoke. No time for smoking nowadays, especially with everything we have to do- hell Mina can't smoke, not with a baby on the way.

I sit on the couch and stare into the blank TV. I guess since I have nothing better to do, that I should ask Mina to come along with me to the game. I send her a text, and she immediately replies yes. Stuck at home, she's probably bored all the time and craving an opportunity to get out.

I change into a hoodie Mykiah gave me ages ago. It's the only school spirit I have, and it says "Graduating of 2007, rock on!" Our mascot is a rocker, like a guitar player guy. Kind of unique, right?

Mina has plenty of school spirit things. She used to have this purple and black tutu that she would wear with any sort of school t-shirt and she would tie her hair into pigtails with purple and black scrunchies. She would go all out. I'm really not sure why she hung out with me back then, all things considered. Mina was popular, she partied and loved school spirit and she's so gorgeous. So why hang with me?

I guess Mina had higher expectations for best friends.

When I hear her car pull to the curb, I hop inside and plug my phone into the aux chord. She smiles wide. "So, why are we going to a football game?"

I roll my eyes, "Because Tenya Iida wants me there," I explain.

She gasps and hits my shoulder. "You're fucking kidding, really? Oh my god how- what?" she exclaims.

I shake my head. "I don't know, we just like, became friends somehow." I choose R U Mine? by Arctic Monkeys to listen to on our way to the game.

"Oh I love this song," Mina says and turns it up. "But wow. Crazy how things work right?"

I nod. "Very crazy." Mina runs a hand through her hair as she rocks out and drives. She used to have blonde hair but dyed it pink. It's starting fade out, but it doesn't look awful against her dark skin. I bet she and Kirishima are going to have a cute kid with their features combined. "Oh, by the way, Kirishima is gonna come later. He has work off for two hours so he's gonna spend them with us," she says.

"Sounds fine with me."

When we get to the game, the sun has already set and the Hard Rocker section is already filled. That's what we call the very front and center section. It's where the most spirit is. 

Mina and i stand behind the large section and look out into the field. The field is empty except for the opposing team's football team. We wait a few minutes in silence before Mina cracks a joke about how she shouldn't be in the student section since she's a dropout. I laugh and begin to say something, but then there's the loud banging of drums, and the band comes marching onto the sidelines. Behind them comes cheerleaders, Momo and Kendo first in line. They blow kisses into the crowd, and the boys cheer extra loud.

And then the football players run out. They're so fast, and they look giant. "Which one is Tenya?" I ask.

Mina shrugs. "Kirishima says that he was number 78 when he played, but it might have changed since then," she says.

I search for 78 on the field, and sure enough, there is a 78 out there. He looks like he's giving the team a pep talk, giving them orders and everything. They do jumping jacks in perfect uniform, and then they throw the ball around and do- something. I know nothing about football.

Over the announcements, I hear a very familiar voice. "Welcome to Riverside Highschool's football game party rockers. Tonight number 78, Tenya Iida, and number 25, Shoto Todoroki, number 34, Ojiro Mashirao..." He lists off eight more players' names before saying, "Will be starting. Team captains Tenya Iida and Shoto Todoroki will flip the coin to see who gets first possession." It finally clicks for me that it is Mr. Wilbert announcing.

He does the same thing for the other team, and then both teams line up in positions. Tenya and Todoroki step up to two other team members, they flip a coin. "Home team will start with the ball," Wilbert announces.

And then the game really starts. I don't understand it all that much, but I cheer when everyone else does. I watch 78 get switched out for another player. The coach tells him something, he nods and then retreats to the water to get a drink. He pulls off his helmet and pours water all over his head. He looks so sweaty. Tenya stares into the crowd, scanning and squinting. His eyes land on mine.

He smiles and winks.

After that, he gets put back in and I gulp. Perhaps perfection only exists in the form of a six-foot, closeted nerd named Tenya Iida.

~*~