Grace cashed out her slot machine winnings and accepted six free prime rib dinner coupons for every night over the duration of her stay at Mandalay Bay. Grace, Brody, Mom, and I followed the aquarium's directional signs towards cobblestone floors in the hotel. After we passed a restaurant and actual wedding chapel, we stood right in front of Shark Reef Aquarium's entrance.
"Ohh..." In the very first tank, Grace cooed at a long, bright yellow eel that bared its teeth between two pieces of coral. "Brody, this is what you look like when I wake you up in the mornings."
"Hilarious," he deadpanned, moved one tank over, and put a five-foot distance between himself and the rest of the group.
"If that one's Brody, then this one screams Harper." Mr. Reynolds flashed her a smile and pointed at another one in the same tank that looked dead to the world.
"I'm with Dimples." She just shook her head, then groaned quietly when her dad took Grace's hand.
In a moment of irony since we just passed a chapel, we also witnessed a wedding proposal within the aquarium's main attraction, a gigantic shark tank walkway. While the white underbellies of gray tiger sharks and manta rays swam overhead, a black-clad scuba diver approached the tank and held an engagement ring box up to a woman. By the time she turned towards the guy who stood behind her, he'd dropped down onto one knee.
"Aww..." I cooed softly, clasped my hands in front of me, and stood back so the couple kept a small sphere of privacy.
"You're so sappy," Brody teased me with a slight elbow nudge into my left side which, with our height difference, was right near my armpit.
"Find the right girl and you'll be in the same position," I threw back at him.
Brody just laughed quietly, then slipped around the couple once the girl flung herself onto the guy and kissed him roughly. Still, a thread of sympathy pulled through my heart when I caught his muttered admission, "Just trying to talk to one without choking up."
My favorite tank was the cylindrical jellyfish tank in the middle of a circular room surrounded with other tanks. With the dim lighting, the jellyfish glowed neon yellows, blues, and pinks as their pillow-like heads bobbed and tentacles delicately swirled after them. Their swimming movements left me mesmerized and oddly relaxed.
"Guys aren't the only species without a brain," Harper mused next to me and pressed her palms on the cylindrical glass.
My lips pulled into one side of my cheek while my eyes roamed around the tank. "They're not all bad, you know."
"Right." Her lips pursed for a moment while our eyes tracked random movements of jellyfish in front of us. Her hands cupped around her elbows, her chin dipped down, and she pushed a soft sigh out between both of her lips. "Hey, I'm... sorry Ellie. I didn't mean to ruin your vacation with our stupid shit."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, you didn't ruin it," I assured her with a humorless smile because, in hindsight, I wished the four of us had done more together as a group rather than split off by pairs who did separate activities. "Although you should apologize to Jake, not me."
While I'd tentatively approached the subject of Harper using different angles with Jake, he'd shut down any and all direct or indirect references to her. I hated that I was pulled slightly between them, although if asked, I definitely sided with my ego-bruised brother in this situation. Also, while I hoped that they regressed back to their normal insult-wars within a few weeks, I had a nagging suspicion that, this time, Harper had pushed Jake too far.
Lord knows he's not perfect either but she bit hardest.
"Probably forgot all about me as soon as he buried himself in the next warm hole," she muttered and squeezed her arms tightly.
I blinked at the irritation that puffed up inside me more than an unusually large jellyfish that swam diagonally across the tank and crashed into a few smaller ones. In an unspoken agreement, thankfully Jake and I never discussed the details of our sex lives. We had continued our weekly catch-up phone calls during which I asked how he made it back to USC and he only grunted in response but I knew when my brother was hurt.
"You don't get it, do you," I murmured more to myself than Harper.
How can she not see that... Never mind.
It's her life, she'll figure it out on her own. Or not.
"Get what?" She turned her head in my direction, blonde eyebrows slightly lifted.
"I'm... just glad you came this weekend," I replied quietly.
After Mom, Brody, Grace, Harper, her Dad, and I crammed ourselves into a cab and took a thankfully short ride over a highway, we stood outside Allegiant Stadium. The large, circular, stadium was located at the edge of town, surrounded by parking lots. With the emptied areas across the street, barren construction lots past them, and glossy black mirrored surface, the stadium reminded me -
"Looks like a giant robotic vacuum," Harper remarked the same impression I had and, by the smiles on our parents' faces, they had similar thoughts.
Our smiles dissolved into rounded circles once we passed inside the stadium's entrance and were surrounded by sleek, modern architecture. The walls were metal and black, the voluminous ceilings showed exposed ductwork, and the cement floors gleamed like ice. Every seat was black for the Las Vegas Raiders, which highlighted the green field turf so brightly that it looked neon. Curved video boards hung wrapped around the endzones and industrial crisscrossed metal beams made up the roof.
Logan had gotten six seats in the third row within Section 106, which was absolutely no coincidence since that's where my UW seats were. However, unlike Huskies Stadium, here Section 106 was in a corner near one of the endzones. The random spots of purple and white jerseys throughout the section indicated we were surrounded by good company and the seats quickly filled up as more fans entered the stadium.
Jake had gotten similar seats on the opposite end of the stadium, so Mom figured whichever endzone Jake moved towards to score each quarter, she sat near there. Since I felt bad that she went back and forth by herself, when we walked down Section 106's stairs, I turned back and offered, "I'll rotate seats too."
"It's okay Ellie," she assured me with a hand patted on my shoulder, then dropped her eyes towards the field. Silently, we found the third row but were interrupted two steps into the row.
"Eleanor Harrison, right?" A bright, chirpy voice called out to me. I lifted my eyes in the general direction I thought it had come from and found a girl with blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail, dressed in a Huskies' black and purple cheerleader outfit.
"Umm... yeah?" I lifted my eyebrows as she made her way down towards us, a makeup bag clutched in her hands.
I still wouldn't have guessed that she offered, "Want me to paint your face?"
Images of the purple-covered fans flooded my mind, in particular Logan's name spelled out on their bare stomachs, and my head shook quickly. "No thanks."
"How about a number ten on your cheek?" She offered with a slight pout.
"That's cute, Ellie." Mom nudged me in the shoulder.
"I - oh.. Fine," I relented and sat down in my seat. Her blue eyes lit up and she sat down on the back of the chair in the row ahead, then dabbed at my face until my right cheek felt sticky and clumpy as the paint dried.
"Very cute." Mom nodded in approval while Harper snorted and took a picture of my side profile.
"Be nice or I'll have her give you a USC seven," I warned her with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry, I'm all out of red and yellow." The makeup girl smiled at me, then locked her sights on Brody. "But I'm happy to paint yours, cutie."
Poor Brody's entire face flamed redder than USC's maroon jerseys. His mouth opened then shut a few times, until he silently shook his head. The cheerleader just winked at him, stood up from her seat in front of me, and moved onto another group of fans.
In her absence, I looked around the fuller capacity stadium. While the last time UW played USC, the crowd had been nearly all Huskies fans, now roughly one-third of the stadium was purple, gold, and white, while the rest was a sea of burgundy and gold.
LA is closer to Vegas.
A quick glance around showed that the Husky Band was located on the section to our right, while Monique and Darrius' families sat two sections on our left, closer to the middle of the field. Right when my eyes zeroed in on Momma William's tiny form, dressed in solid purple from head to toe, her right arm extended over her head.
Before my fingertips hit my ears, she blared an air horn that we heard from two sections over, and the fans within at least a twenty seat radius around her flinched in their seats. I met Monique's pained expression while her parents glanced over in Momma Williams' direction with a wide-eyed look best described as pure bewilderment.
"My ears are thanking Adonis for these seats," Harper murmured and flopped down next to me. Her Dad sat on her other side, followed by Grace, then Brody. Since the seat on my left was closest to the aisle, I left it open for Mom, who'd already disappeared.
Harper's lips curled upwards and recognition flashed over her sky-blue eyes as she looked at me. "Or you can thank him, since we both know he'll appreciate your efforts more."
My eyes narrowed sideways at her but my voice revealed my teasing, "I'm going to pretend I didn't notice that suggestion, along with whatever the hell you did to that bearskin rug in Kicking Horse."
"Fair point," she muttered. After a moment of silence, she leaned forwards in her seat and faced me. "Listen, Ellie, I'm -"
"There he is!!" Grace stood up and wildly waved both arms in the air as the Huskies took the field for warmups, then placed two fingers into her mouth and whistled shrilly. "That's my Husky boy down there! Wow, he actually looks a little smaller from here. Go Logan! Don't embarrass me on national television honey!"
Harper removed one of her fingers from her right ear and murmured at me, "Not sure if I prefer the air horn."
At the squeaks that erupted from two sections over, along with ruckus chants of "Who Dat!" I figured the preference was obvious. A quick side glance showed Mr. Reynolds leaned away from Harper, but his arm rested across the back of Grace's seat so, once she sat down, she was tucked against his side.
Aww.
My nerves fired up when the entire stadium of sixty-five thousand, of which I guessed only twenty thousand were Huskies fans, stood during the pregame show, which included both schools' bands, the National Anthem, and a rumbled flyover from the Air Force Thunderbirds, seven of the jets in a V-shape and one flanked right behind the center point. The Huskies' bench was on the opposite side of the field but, from our corner, I only saw the numbers on their purple away jerseys. As usual, my eyes glued on number ten, who stood with his chest lifted proud and hand palmed into his chest until the coin toss was announced.
Most of the stadium erupted in cheers when USC won the toss and UW elected that they drove offensively in the direction of their fans' wedge first. A pinch of bittersweet joy tugged at my heart when Jake and Logan exchanged handshakes, then a bro hug that basically looked like an upper back smack.
After UW's opening kickoff was returned by USC for seven yards, Jake's offensive unit took the field. They grinded out a few run plays and pushed forwards on an offsides penalty from the Huskies' defense, but were held scoreless on their opening drive to the delight of, well, us.
USC's kickoff sailed into the endzone but the minority stadium corner of Huskies fans broke out into cheers when the offensive team took their position. On his way out to the twenty yard line, Logan's tall form paused for a moment and he lifted his head like he scanned over the crowd. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when his helmet ended pointed right in my direction, followed by his index finger.
Without a thought, I cupped my hands into a heart shape at the center of my chest, palmed my heart, then pointed back at him. He gave a slight head shake but a slight hush of the stadium allowed his voice's 'Red-ninety-three' call. My hands knuckled over the edge of my plastic seat because I vaguely knew that meant a deep outside pass, usually to Wes or Seth.
Guess they're starting out ballsy.
Like most games of Logan's I'd watched, the opening play looked like he moved a step faster, dropped back, stalled, and chucked the ball deep. Wes easily snatched it out of the air and snaked past his defender, straight into the endzone for a 6-0 lead. My eyes stayed glued on number ten and I jumped out of my seat the moment his fist pumped up into the air and the Huskies' fans exploded in celebration.
"Yay Logan! Light it up early and often!" Several heads, which included a few on the field, turned in our direction as Grace cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered loudly, "Safest bet in Vegas!"
At her noise, Logan's gold helmet shifted in our direction again. After Grace blew a kiss in his direction, he tossed up a slightly raised hand. Before his head turned towards me, I'd already extended my pointer finger at him, then palmed my heart, which this time he returned.
Once the excitement settled down as the Huskies kicked the extra point and the following kickoff, Jake came out with a hardened determination and marched the Trojans sixty-three yards until he connected on a long pass of his own to a wide receiver that tied up the game.
"Looks like scoring early and often," Harper mumbled in my right ear.
"He makes it look so easy," I whispered with a small shake of my head. "They both do."
USC's defense clamped down on Logan's next attempt, which ended in a field goal but USC responded with a quickly scored touchdown... which they then followed up with another back-to-back score after the Huskies' fell short on their third scoring drive. While Logan's best efforts definitely kept them in the game, unlike last time and in a few other games, tonight they never closed the lead gap that USC held onto.
"What a kerfluffle," Grace murmured right before halftime, when USC gained a two-score lead at 36-22. Right before I asked what she meant, she leaned forwards, looked sideways at me, and added, "Total clusterfuck."
"Yeah..." I replied sullenly.
By the end of the sixty minutes, USC held onto that lead and won 45-35. No matter how many scoring attempts Logan and his teammates capitalized on, USC answered right back. U-Dub's entire season's hope and momentum that swelled with each victory was snuffed out. The loss in an otherwise magical season left a very, very bitter taste inside every Husky fan's mouth as we sat silently and watched USC's post-game celebration.
Especially bitter for those of us who saw it in person.
"Fudgesicles," Grace moaned into her hands while Mr. Reynolds rubbed a few circles into her lower back. "Poor Logan, he's going to be so disappointed. We should catch up with your mom, Ellie."
"Right..." I stood up, dragged my fingertips over the tears that stuck in the corners of my eyes. With a slight torso twist, I stretched my locked up leg and back muscles, which ached like they were weighed down with disappointment.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Harper announced from behind me, so I stepped aside at the section's exit into the concourse. "Group pee trip, Ellie?"
"I'm okay." I waved a hand in her direction and leaned against the outside wall while I waited for Grace, Harper's Dad, and Brody.
The concourse flooded with fans that exited their seats, loud screams of excitement from the USC fans and somber heads bowed from UW's. As more and more bodies crammed into the wide hallway, a few shoulders and elbows bumped into me, so I stepped further away from the exit opening, leaned one shoulder against the wall, and kept my eyes focused forwards for the rest of my group.
What I couldn't have expected was the large, warm palm that clamped over my mouth, another hand wrapped around my shoulders, and jerked me back. My arms and legs stiffened and the sea of burgundy, gold, purple, and white jerseys blurred around me as I was violently yanked backwards.
My feet stumbled over themselves as I was slammed into person after person, with a few "Hey!" and "Watch it," phrases thrown at me. I dug in my heels but whoever yanked me ignored the obstacles and tugged me harder, one tripped up step after another. A sting of pain erupted in my wrist when the hand twisted over my skin and hurled me, with one hard yank, through a doorway. Two steps later, I stumbled into pitch blackness.
Thunderous drums filled my ears drew my attention and my rapid heartbeat beat so hard in my chest that each one physically hurt. I yanked my hand free, then clutched my tender wrist as my eyes searched the blackness around me. After one soft click sound, my breath stalled in my lungs once the lights flicked on and I faced whoever isolated and dragged me here.
Dryness coated my tongue the longer I gaped at the sight of the tall, muscular man in front of me, his expression impassive but mouth pulled into a firm line. Shock threatened my locked up limbs, my eyes stretched so wide that their corners stung, and once I spoke, a tiny, insignificant squeak escaped.
"Y-you!?"