Chapter 19

Game

Nessa’s POV

I could barely concentrate on the game—too many things on my mind. That had to be a shitload of things if I couldn’t concentrate on this tied 5-5 game. It was the top of the ninth with the Dodgers up to bat—Matt Kemp to be exact. I hated that Dodger bum as much as the annoying Dodgers fans that sat near us. They were pelted with garlic fries every time they stood up. It was us Giants fans way to say, Welcome to AT&T Park—never come back here again, bitch! This section was almost as brutal as the bleachers.

I wasn’t sitting in my usual spot, section 324; I was sitting in section 330 with Paula. I knew Tony was at the game too up at section 324. Probably with Michelle.

It was weird that Tony and I had actually avoided each other during this week. And that’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen to us, although I knew that it’ll probably blow over soon. It was hard to stay way from Tony for too long.

“I don’t get you, Ness,” Paula sighed as she shook her head. “I mean, you pretty much just stop everything with Adam…” she said as she took a bite from her churro, “so what happens now with Tones?” she questioned with her mouth full.

“What about him?”

She gave me a stern look.

I sighed. “He wouldn’t want me anymore, anyway,” I said looking down at the field, but still not concentrating on this Dodgers-Giants game. “After all the times he fought for me, and all the times I just brush him off?” I challenged. “He thinks I’m with Adam, anyways. And he’s probably with Michelle,” I mumbled. “Story of my life.”

My best friend sighed. “Nessa,” she said as she looked at me with stern hazel eyes. “Do you like Tony?” she said, clearing annunciating each word.

I sighed. “Well…yeah,” I finally admitted out loud to her.

It took me so long to actually realize that I did like Tones, but it took my even longer to admit it. Paula was right all along. Tony did get tired of waiting for me, he did move on with someone else, and now I realized that I should’ve told him how I felt.

I didn't love him until he was gone.

“He’s really all I could ask for,” I admitted in a soft tone. What the hell was I thinking letting him go like that? I looked at Paula. I did make a huge mistake, and it was probably too late to fix it. Now Tony was probably dating Michelle because I’m an idiot.

In the pit of my stomach I knew that I had always had feelings for Tony, no matter how hard I tried to brush them off. But it was too late to turn back. Again, story of my life. I was too afraid of getting hurt again to realize that Tony wasn't like Jason, Collin, or Kevin.

The crowd booed as our reliever, Jack Taschner walked Matt Kemp after being ahead 0-2. Normally, I would’ve booed with them, but I was too distracted. “Do you think it would be weird between us now?” I questioned Paula, still hung up on the whole situation.

She shrugged. “Knowing the both of you, no,” she said shaking her head. “I don’t think it would. Just wait it out,” she told me. “Hey, maybe he’ll even give you another shot!”

I chuckled. “Yeah, and the Giants are gonna win the World Series this year,” I exclaimed sarcastically. Not with them being in third place in their division they will.

She caught my hint of sarcasm. “Wow, losing faith much? Especially with the Giants? I, for one, am shocked, Vanessa.”

Sighing, I shrugged and Jack Taschner finally struck out the last batter and the crowd boomed enthusiastically as we went on to the bottom of the ninth—score still tied.

Before I could say anything else out loud, Paula’s eyes flickered up, then grew wide with surprise. “Look at the screen!” she squealed in excitement.

My eyes immediately looked up 1.5 million-dollar scoreboard and there, right on the screen, in bold white letters: Nessa, you’re awesome. Will you be mine? #85.

“Aw, that’s cute,” I heard someone behind me say with mild interest.

“Oh my God,” I said to myself, almost breathless from shock.

It was now clear that it was Tony who had given me that anonymous Ninja Turtles valentine back in 2nd grade with hearts all over the envelope. It pretty much said the same thing as what was written on AT&T Park’s scoreboard. It was also clear that Tony still wasn’t giving up on me.

I had those butterflies in the pit of my stomach again; this was probably the sweetest thing any guy has ever done for me.

Tony’s POV

I saw my message pop up on the screen; it may have cost 175 dollars, but she was worth it. “There it goes,” Robby murmured as he looked up at the scoreboard.

My stomach seemed to be all twisted from nervousness and anxiety as I stared at my message with her face in my mind.

“So if Nessa sees this, and realizes that she wants you, she’ll meet you after the game or call you?”

I nodded. “That’s what I’m hoping, bud,” I mumbled as I watched my message disappear into a happy birthday greeting to some chick named Tiffany.

This was my last attempt to try to win Nessa over. I hope it works.

We both became silent as we continued watching the game, but in the back of my mind I was wondering if she was going to wait for me after the game, or if I would ever receive that call from her. Either way, I would be happy, just as long as she does want me.

“She’ll probably wait for you after the game,” Robby assured me after a moment, probably sensing my nervousness.

“Yeah, I hope so,” I said as Randy Winn hit a fly ball for an out.

My hands went into the pockets of my Giants jacket. I touched my cell phone, hoping that the thing would vibrate. It didn’t. I don’t think I could last the rest of the game without exploding from anxiety.

Robby casually glanced over his shoulder, probably looking for one of the venders, but then he did a double take.

“What?” I questioned, looking at him.

“Dude,” he said with a nudge, still looking over his shoulder with a big grin on his face.

I looked over at the direction he was looking at, staring off rows behind us.

There she was—standing in the aisle in her black and orange, looking her best in Giants gear. “Nessa!” I said as I stood up from my seat, shocked that she had came up here—I wasn’t expecting her to come now.

I got up from my chair with all these emotions overcoming with me as I made my way towards her, right in the middle of the aisle.

Nessa looked at me, her beautiful eyes still gleaming, and still having that effect on me. For once, I was almost speechless. “You actually came,” I said softly, “now,” I pointed out, still in disbelief that she was right in front of me. The girl I've wanted for the longest time was right in front of me.

“Your message on the scoreboard…” Nessa finally managed in a breathless, bewildered tone. I couldn’t read her expression.

I heard the crowd groan, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. “Yeah?” I said lowly, holding my breath. Was her being here meant that she wanted me as much as I wanted her? “So what’s your answer to that?” I questioned, zoning everything but her out.

She stared at me for a long time; her gleaming eyes trying to read me. Then a smile crept across her face that reached her eyes and that smile turned into a dimply grin. Like always, it nearly knocked the wind out of me.

Before I even knew it, she suddenly leaned over and our lips collided with one another. I couldn’t explain that feeling the moment her lips met mine. It was a mix of everything—happiness, excitement, and relief.

And it wasn’t those cheap kisses, it was those movie-script ending ones.

“Yeah!” I heard Robby cheer in a loud voice.

From then on I heard the rest of my section start to cheer and clap with a few whistles here and there, but I didn’t care who was watching. All I cared about was her and this moment.

“I knew she was your girlfriend!” I heard Mr. White call out as the cheers of the people watching us grew onto other sections.

When Nessa and I finally disengaged, we both looked at each other for a moment, sinking everything in.

We both burst into laughter. “Um, wow,” Nessa exclaimed through chuckles. “Oh, wait. I got some lipgloss on you,” she laughed as she wiped my mouth with her finger.

I chuckled, still not letting my hands leave her waist. I was aware of the pairs of eyes that were still on us. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come,” I whispered with a grin.

She smiled and shook her head. “Well, I was afraid that another chance wouldn’t come,” she whispered back. “Plus, I wanted you to have some luck,” she added slyly, “but I think I would be the lucky one.”

I heard the crack of the bat and the crowd’s cheers became louder, filling the whole stadium.

Nessa and I immediately and instinctively looked up at the ball…

It went high.

Deep!

OUTTA HERE!!

And at that moment the stadium just BOOMED. It felt as if every single person in this stadium’s emotion rang through me. Everyone was on their feet cheering as loud as they can as the Giants players ran onto the field in excitement, victorious from Ray Durham’s walk-off homerun that won the game 6-5.

I turned back to Nessa, who turned back to me. We’d should’ve been on our feet, cheering our asses off and high-fiving random people behind us like we would’ve, but we just looked at each other.

“I think that deserves another kiss,” I teased.

Nessa snickered. “Yeah, I think so, too” she said with a laugh as our lips found each other once more.

And little did we know, that this was the season that the San Francisco Giants finally won the World Series title after 52 long years.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did (re)writing it! I hope you caught the references to past chapters. :) Thanks for everyone who read and special thanks for everyone who has reviewed!

As you may or may not know, there is a sequel to this story called You Could Be Happy. Just a small warning, if you liked the end of this story, you may not like the beginning of my other one...check it out if you dare and give it a chance! :) You Could Be Happy is actually, in my opinion, my best work out of all the Nessa series.

Thanks again! - Ur Mom Thinks Im Cool