August is the most ridiculous month when you live in Illinois. One minute the sun is blinding you and your sweating your tank top. The next you're swapping your shorts for jeans and burying yourself in a hoodie as the sky dumps buckets of water. Tonight was no exception.
Cam had to work after school and couldn't give me a ride to the game. Heather had practice before kick off, as did Lucas. Since I had promised my brother I would sit through the whole game, I stayed after school. Big mistake. My bare legs bounced on the metal bleachers as they tried to produce some form of heat. Rain rolled down the leather of my brother's jacket which I was pulling tighter around my body to trap what heat I could.
The field was a muddy mess. If it hadn't been for the pylons marking the yards and endzones, you wouldn't know where the play was happening. The ref threw out a yellow flag and blew into the whistle. He pointed toward our team, then signed a hold. The number of the player followed before a second ref picked up the ball and counted out ten yards.
"Bull shit," I tried to shout, but it came out in a flat tone. The other team had three uncalled holds, but we somehow managed to grab a face mask. The torrential downpour could be to blame. The ref being an idiot could be another.
I squinted at the scoreboard at the far end of the field. We were down by five points and there were only two minutes left. A lot could happen in two minutes. My dad says that every time we are watching a game. He was supposed to be here, but at the last minute his boss called him about a meeting. Instead of sitting in the rain with me, he was at home getting his notes together.
The clatter of pads hitting each other drew my attention back to the game. Our sidelines erupted as they yelled for the fumble. Lucas scrambled up from the quarterback he just piledrived and dove for the ball. The ref waved his hands and signaled we recovered it. The defensive line came off the field to pats on the back as the offensive ran out.
Shane crouched behind the center at the forty yard line and shouted over the rain. Quickly looking at the running clock, I smiled. There was just over a minute now. The smacking of pads and growls roared from the field as our offensive line held off the defenders. Their feet sunk into the mud as the were pushed back. Shane faked a hand off, then bolted to the far end of the field. He sprinted on the sloppy field, cradling the ball in the crook of his arm. Putting his other arm out, he deflected one of the line men. Two more waited for him on the other side. Wrapping both arms around the slippery ball, he dropped to his knees and slid, feet first, for the first down.
The ref set the ball down somewhere near the thirty yard line. The clock was still running. I bit my lip as a big fifty lit up the board. Fifty seconds. They could do it. As the boys set up, I smiled. They were going for a pass. Most of the game had been spent on running plays. Neither team wanted to risk dropping the ball and it be turned over. Shane knew he could lob the ball and it would find its way to Finn's hands.
The snap was called and I watched as the play unfolded. Finn slipped as he dodged the safety shadowing his movements. The safety fell and smacked the ground as Finn ran to make the catch. Only the coach's shouting from both sidelines could be heard as we all held our breath. The ball came down and Finn stretched out to great it. He slid as he tried to stop in the endzone. Cheers overpowered the sound of the rain as the siren wailed from over the scoreboard. Game over.
With a giddy bounce in my step, I weaved through the people rushing for their dry cars. I found a place along the fence and grinned as our team charged the field celebrated their win. The coaches stayed on the sidelines, allowing the boys time to take in the win. When they had settled down Coach Gilly waved them over and made it short and simple speech. They broke the huddle and ran toward the locker room. Lucas saw me and pointed to the school. I nodded and started the long trek. I took my time, knowing Lucas would be longer than five minutes this time. The rain was lightening, but still coming down. I didn't care anymore. I was already soaked to the bone, and we had won.
**~~**
The boys were sprawled around our living room. The rain was still pouring so the party was rescheduled. There was no point in having a field party if everyone's cars were going to get stuck. They recreated the miracle catch for my dad before he went to bed.
"I can't believe you sat through that," Joseph said from the recliner.
"Promises are promises," I shrug. My still wet hair had soaked through the back of my sweatshirt. The chill in my bones had subsided after I pulled on a pair of Lucas' old sweat pants. The bottoms of the legs were rolled up so I wouldn't trip.
"I thought you were going to lose your shit after they called the face mask," Shane laughed at my brother.
"How do you think they fumbled," he smiled proudly beside me. Shane tossed the football from his place on the floor to Lucas. He snatched it clumsily with one hand then tossed it to it's rightful owner on the other side of me. Finn gripped the ball then set it on the table. "Who's up for a movie?"
"Dude, I'm ready to crash," Joseph groaned as he wiggled deeper into the recliner. He confessed to being sore earlier and looked exhausted as he fell into the chair an hour ago.
"Can we watch something bloody," Shane asked, knowing I hated gory films.
"On that note," I pushed myself up to my feet and swung my arm in a big wave. "Night, guys."
A chorus of nights followed me as I found my way to my room. Trading the pants for some shorts and the hoodie for a tank, I pulled my hair to the side and started braiding it. My unmade bed was taunting me. The faded striped sheets would be warm after I was settled in their layers. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
The alarm clock glowed the time as I woke up. One in the morning. I groaned as my bladder forced me to get up. As I left the bathroom, I shuffled to the kitchen. A shadow moved near the sink and my hand slapped my chest.
"Jesus," I hissed as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"Sorry," Finn whispered back. "Couldn't sleep."
"So you decided to steal some food."
"And you're here to..."
"Food," I shrugged in defeat. I walked over to him and peeked into the bowl he was holding. "Is that my ice cream?"
"Don't know." I took his spoon and dug into the frozen treat. "Boundaries much?"
"I think after last weekend we can share a spoon." I took a bite and my nose scrunched up.
"Not a fan of chocolate?"
"No," I smacked my lips trying to get rid of the taste. Spinning back to the fridge, I opened the freezer and pulled out my carton of strawberry. Jumping on the counter next to him, I pulled the drawer beneath me opened and grabbed a spoon. I took a few bites from the carton before speaking. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Protecting me." One of his shoulders moved up and then back down as if to say it was no big deal. "Listen. I don't know what happened at the first party, but I trust what you said. That all we did was talk. Last weekend, I remember everything."
"Whatever your getting at, you should stop." My head snapped to him. His eyes were glued to the ice cream in his bowl.
"What?"
"I was helping out my friend's sister."
"Finn," my voice was surprisingly quiet. "I don't like being just your friend's sister."
"Do you know what would happen?" The sparkle his eyes always had was there as he looked at me. "Shane got laid out because he complimented your dress. Can you even imagine what he would do to me if he found about last weekend? Now double that, because that is what would happen if you finished that sentence."
"The guys I'm not surrounded by can't get within five feet of me. The ones that can aren't allowed to be anything more than stupid senturies," I grumbled stabbing the spoon repeatedly into the carton of ice cream.
"That's not true."
"Then answer me one question." His jaw tightened as he nodded. "If you don't like me, the way I like you, why didn't you fight me when I asked you lay down with me?"
I had my answer the second he hesitated. Setting the spoon in the sink next to me, I jumped off the counter and put the lid back on the ice cream. I shoved it in the freezer, my anger causing more force than was needed.
"Do me a favor and go back to being the silent friend who keeps his distance."
I could feel myself unraveling and I wanted nothing more then to retreat back to my room. The sound of his bowl being set on the counter froze me. My heart ached as he came closer, certain he was going to pass right by me. The thought evaporated as his rough hands cupped my face and his thumbs stroked my cheeks.
"I don't like sitting back and watching." His chocolate scented breath was hot on my face as he leaned down. His lips pressed to mine and everything within me melted.