Chasing Home (NFL)

Burning Fire

            Freya nodded. “Of course.”

            My phone buzzed. I slipped it out of my pocket and looked at the name that appeared. “It’s Eli. I have to take this.” I stood up and started for my room.

            “Thanks for the advice!”

            “No problem,” I said before answering the phone. “Hello?”

            “Hi, Lauren,” Eli said through the phone. “How are you?”

            “I’m fine,” I said. It was not a lie, though I was feeling a strange mixture of emotions that I could not place. “How are you?” I entered my room and closed the door.

            “I’m good. I heard Cooper’s coming to the game in a couple of weeks.”

            “Yeah, I invited him.”

            “That will be fun.”

            “Yeah.” I sat on my bed.

            “Lauren, is something bothering you?”

            “No. I just have a lot on my mind.”

            “Just because you’re a psychologist doesn’t mean you don’t need someone to talk to about your problems as well.”

            A wave of guilt flashed over me. Peyton had told me the same thing. “I know. I just like to try to figure it out for myself first.”

            “Ok, but if you haven’t figured it out by the time I get there, we’re having a talk.”

            “Fine.” I could not say no to him. He was the only person who could get me to talk when I did not want to. The only person besides…

            “I’ll let you go so you can get back to thinking. Call me if you need anything.”

            “I will. Bye, Eli.”

            “Goodbye, Lauren.”

            I dropped my phone into my pockets and fell on my back on my bed. I knew what was bothering me. The whole time I was talking to Freya, one person kept entering my mind. I knew it was dangerous to let him get so close, but I had not been aware how far I had gone. The description I had given my roommate fit almost perfectly.

            We were quickly becoming great friends. As much as I tried not to, I did feel like there was a lot I could tell him that no one else could understand such as my hatred of the Saints. He always seemed to be there when I needed him, and I had a strong desire to be there for him and with him whenever something bad happened like a heartbreaking loss.

            I did not know why, but I felt like I could be myself around him. I always looked forward to seeing him because there was an emotion there I could not describe. Of course I was attracted to him, but there was something far beyond that. As much as we could get on each other’s nerves, there was something that just clicked between us when we were on the same side. It was like nothing I had experienced with anyone else before.

            Perhaps worst of all, I was increasingly finding it difficult to imagine the future without him. If this kept up, choosing between the Patriots and Packers would not be a problem. There was something here that I could never have there. I sat up with a start as I realized the horrible truth: