In a Real Love

Chapter 3

Stadium Lights

“Read the first five chapters of Frankenstein and we’ll discuss them on Monday,” Mrs. Smith said, sitting down in her desk chair.

The entire class groaned, shooting her evil glances left and right. “But the football game is tonight! Have mercy on us, Mrs. Smith. Don’t you want us to support the team?” Carrie Bonner said. Carrie was a short and slender red head who also happened to be Katie’s best friend. Katie usually kept her mouth shut in the classroom unless she was answering a question, but Carrie could barely ever keep her own mouth closed.

“I wasn’t aware that the game carried into Saturday and Sunday as well,” Mrs. Smith remarked. “You’ll have plenty of time. Now no more complainin’ or I’ll make you read the entire book for a test on Monday.”

Immediately, almost all of the students grew silent. Carrie slumped in her desk and crossed her arms. “That woman hasn’t got a single ounce of sympathy in her entire body. She knows that if we win tonight ain’t none of us gonna be sleepin’ and if we don’t sleep no one is gonna read that damn book Saturday…which only leaves Sunday and we have church and dinner so we’ll want to be lazy after that. Weekends are the worst time to assign homework. She oughtta know that.”

Katie snickered quietly at Carrie. “You look so upset I almost feel bad,” she teased.

“Oh, shut up, Katie or I’ll get Tommy’s attention nice and fast.” Carrie smiled with victory as Katie sealed her mouth. “I’m takin’ you to the game tonight, right?”

“Yea,” Katie said softly. Tommy sat all the way on the other side of the room, yet she still wanted to keep her voice down. She felt stupid being so self-conscious, but she didn’t want him to think she was…

“You’re staring again.” They both started to laugh and Katie put a hand over her eyes. “Hey Tommy!” Carrie yelled.

Katie’s head shot up and she glared at her friend. “What are you doin!?”

“What?” He tipped back in his desk, looking at the two of them. They were the only two in the last row.

“You gonna make a touch down tonight?”

Tommy let his desk fall back onto all four legs with a bang. “A touchdown!? Carrie…I’m makin’ three!”

Ray laughed at Tommy and nodded his head as if saying “sure you will.” Katie frowned at Carrie and pointed a finger right in her face. “You ever do that again and I’ll run you over with my dad’s truck! That wasn’t funny.”

Carrie kept her eyes focused on her desk, a smile creeping at the edge of her mouth. “…yea it was!” And she burst out laughing, unable to contain herself.

Katie shook her head and spun around in her desk. “I’m never talkin’ to you again. I might even walk to the game in order to avoid any more incidents like that.”

As soon as Carrie caught her breath, she managed to get a few words out. “You know you love me.”

“Ha, that’s what you think.”

Pulling into a parking space in the lot, Katie and Carrie grabbed their money and headed for the stadium. Katie could feel butterflies fluttering around her stomach, Tommy’s white and black jersey tucked safely under her arm. She didn’t want to put it on until she was sure her father wouldn’t see her.

“You gonna put that thing on?” Carrie asked, buying her ticket.

“I will…as soon as I see my parents and sit plenty far away from them.” She handed her money to the lady working the tickets, only to have it handed back to her. “What’s wrong?”

It was Mrs. Hargitay. Both of her sons had graduated from high school a few years ago, but she still liked to help out during the football season. “Nothin’s wrong, Katie.” She handed her a ticket, but Katie still didn’t understand. “Your ticket’s already been paid for.”

“Oh. I didn’t think they would buy my ticket. Thank you, Mrs. Hargitay.”

The seats were already filling up insanely fast. Groups of people were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bleachers, making room for others trying to squeeze in. All the black and white was starting to drown out the blue and gold of the opposing team. Katie spotted her parents in their usual seats and waved to them. Her mother blew her a kiss back and winked. Taking a nervous breath, she turned towards the currently empty field, which was surrounded by a metal fence and a gravel track. Neither of the teams had made their way out yet. The bands and performance teams were standing in lines, awaiting their turn to usher their teams onto the field.

“Where do you want to sit?” Carrie asked, looking around the seats.

“Close to the field…maybe…” Katie laughed. “I don’t know!”

Carrie shook her head and laughed. “You need to stop bein’ so nervous. We’ll sit as close as we can.”

They found a seat as close to the front as they could, managing to have plenty of room for the time being. Looking around just to make sure she was clearly out of her father’s sight, she pulled the jersey over her head and slid her arms through the sleeves. “How does it look?”
“You were made to wear that jersey.” Carrie nudged her in the side and made a kissy face.

“Grow up, Carrie. Please…” She persisted in making the face until Katie was forced to place a hand over it. “I’m embarrassed to be seen with you in public.”

“Then I can finally die happy!” She immediately stood up and began cheering. The band had started playing, the other team already standing on the sidelines. The football team ran out onto the field, the number twenty jersey sticking out clearly in the mass of players. Their uniforms were all black, except for the school name and their numbers, which were in white. “Those boys look nice in tight pants, don’t they?”

Katie rolled her eyes at her friend and kept cheering. She remembered Tommy asking her to come down and talk to her, but she had no idea when the best time would be to do that. She wasn’t even sure the coach would appreciate it too much.

The game started, Winchester having received the ball first. She watched eagerly as the ball was snapped to Tommy and he sprinted forward. Almost instantly, two defenders from the other team rushed forward and plowed him over. “Do you think he’s okay!?” Katie hissed as the crowd resounded with a disapproving sound.

“Katie…he’s been playin’ football for years. He’s probably used to it. Just watch the game…I promise he’ll be okay.” She leaned in closer to Katie and dropped her voice a considerable amount. “And maybe you’ll get to see him later at Ty Wheeler’s if they win. You know he always throws some type of party in that ‘barn’ of theirs.”

It looked like a barn, but the inside of it was finished off like any other house…any other nice house. There was even a loft, a sound system, and a pair of parents who seemed as if they cared less what their only son did in the barn during his over-the-top parties.

The next play started and as soon as the quarterback got the ball in his hands, more defenders had managed to bulldoze their way through the line and pummel Ray. It wasn’t the most encouraging of opening plays. Several more times, Winchester managed to get pushed further and further back towards their own end zone. The ball was turned over to the other team and again, the Winchester fans expressed their feelings.

Tommy stormed off the field and tugged his helmet off, grabbing a bottle of water from one of the water girls and pouring it over his head. Even though the sun was down, he was wearing layers of pads, which had to be making him extremely hot. He didn’t look the slightest bit happy. “I’ll be right back,” Katie said.

Without allowing herself time to back down, she jogged down the steps to the track and pushed through the crowd of people standing on it who had failed to find seats. She walked up to the fence and moved over until she was closer to the players.

“Tommy!” she called. He showed no sign of having heard her. “Tommy!” He turned around, scanning the groups of people. She waved her arm in the air and he instantly hurried over to her.

His hair was already plastered to his forehead, his face hardened into an unpleasant look. “What’s wrong?” It seemed like such a stupid question to ask.

“Did you not just see what happened? Their defense is impossible. Ain’t no getting’ through those animals. My head’s been spinnin’ since that first hit. I can’t get through there. They keep tellin’ me to go left and every time I go left…well…I’m sure you saw.” Tommy was flustered. That was the last thing he needed.

“You’ll get through them. Just get that ball and you be the bulldozer. You’re a big boy, Tommy. I’m sure you can finagle your way. Plus,” she placed her hands on the fence and smiled, “I’m pretty sure you still have three touchdowns to make.”

“For you? I’ll make four.”

“Johnson! Get over here!” It was one of the coaches, waving him over where he already had a group of the offense huddled.

“I know I shouldn’t ask bein’ as it’s crowded and all…”

“What?”

“But just for good luck, cause I could really use somethin’ good right now before I throw that football up one of them-,”

“Tommy,” she snickered, “What?”

He dropped his helmet of the grass and placed both of his hands on her face, planting a kiss right on her lips. “Thanks for that. I’ll see you after the game, then?”

“I don’t know…”

“Katie! I’ll see you after the game, won’t I?”

“Johnson!” The coach hollered.

“I told you, I don’t know!”

Tommy picked up his helmet, but he didn’t move a centimeter. “I ain’t leavin’ this spot till I know I’m gonna see you after this game.”

“Fine! You’ll see me. Now go!” She was beginning to feel as though the coach would think she was the one detaining him.

“Promise?”

Katie had to stand on her tiptoes and wrap a hand around his neck to pull his head down to reach his lips. She quickly let go and nearly ran all the way back to her seat. Carrie was in stitches, looking a mixture of happy and shocked. “I hope your daddy didn’t see that!”

“Oh, I’m prayin’ that he didn’t. What are we doing after the game?”

Carrie opened her mouth to reply, but instead, a yelp came out. She grabbed Katie’s arm and pulled her down behind the people sitting in front of them.

“What!?” Katie hissed, her heart racing miserably.

“Your…dad…” Katie smacked her forehead, wondering how she could have been so stupid. “I’m gonna take a peak and see what he’s doing.”

Carrie bobbed her head around the shoulders of the people in front of them. They had earned themselves several curious glances, but anything was better than getting caught by her father. “He’s lookin’ around! I think he’s trying to find you. I’m not sure.”

In the small space, Katie tried her best to tug the jersey over her head. No sense in getting caught with it on. Maybe, without the jersey, he wouldn’t recognize her as the girl who had kissed Tommy in front of the entire stadium. Her stomach was starting to feel quite nauseas.

They sat huddled up behind the other fans, waiting fearfully. Carrie kept chewing on her fingernails, something she only did when she was nervous. “Why isn’t he going back to sit down!?” she whispered. All of the sudden, everyone around them rose to their feet in a deafening roar. Winchester had most likely scored their first touchdown.

Katie strained to hear the announcer over the thunderous applause. “And there was Sparks with a phenomenal pass to Johnson for his first touchdown of the game.”

She felt the urge to get up and dance, but Carrie had apparently devised her own plan. She grabbed Katie’s arm and dragged her to the far end of the bleachers, both of them remaining covered by the standing fans. They both nearly fell down the steps in their frenzy to not get caught, laughing at themselves for how odd they must have looked.

“This is ridiculous,” Katie stated, “We shouldn’t have to hide from my dad like this.”

“There you are!” Both girls jumped and whipped around. Katie’s mother was standing beside the bleachers shaking her head at them. “Afraid of bein’ seen by someone?”

“Mrs. Brennan, he’s been over there lookin’ for us for quite a while. My legs fell asleep from havin’ to squat down for so long…” Carrie peaked over shoulder, as if to make sure he hadn’t made his way over.

“I know. He couldn’t understand why you two girls suddenly weren’t sittin’ with us so he thought he’d go see why. Ain’t no stoppin’ that stubborn man when he makes his mind up so I just decided to take a walk in hopes you would see him ‘fore he saw you.” Her mom had a slight twinkle in her eyes and Katie had the smallest inkling that she had seen her and Tommy.

“Is it okay if I go over Ty’s after the game?” Her mother’s eyebrow raised and for the first time, she looked ready to tell Katie she wasn’t allowed. It wasn’t that Katie always got her way with her mother, it was just the simple fact that her mom happened to trust her to take care of herself. Her current look, however, made it seem as if she’d just pushed her boundaries a little too far.

“Now if I say yes, Katie, I want you on your best behavior. Don’t think I don’t know what’ll be goin’ on there. Ty is a wild child…all four of them boys are. An’ I know Tommy is a hard worker and he respects you, but if he gets a few drinks in him there ain’t no tellin’ how he’s gonna act. If they win…,” She took a deep breath, as if not able to believe what she was about to say, “you can go, but you have to be home by one. If you’re a minute late then I’ll be very angry.”

Katie smiled excitedly. “Carrie, are you gonna be able to go?”

“Not till one,” Carrie said, “my dad would never talk to my mother again if she let me out that late.”

Again, Katie turned back to her mother with a pouting lip. “This is the last favor!” She whispered. “Carrie, if you’re parents say it’s okay you can spend the night with us but no tellin’ ‘em where you two are goin’ or both of you will be stuck scrubbin’ every inch of the milk barn. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” Both girls said in unison.

“Thanks, mom!” She wrapped her arms around her neck and gave her a kiss. “I promise I’ll be good.”

“Oh,” Her mother said sternly, “It’s not you I’m worried about. I trust you fine and well and I know you’ll be on your best behavior but those boys…”

“Mrs. Brennan,” Carrie lowered her voice several decibels, “I’ll protect her.”

“I want you two together all night. I’m not kiddin’ you.”

Carrie and Katie looked at each other. “We’ll stick together. Promise!” Katie said reassuringly.

“Lord, I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this. Have fun.”

A.N. thanks for the reviews duuudes