1741 words

Chapter 33 - The Last Game

There are different types of people who go to the football games at eastside high. The cheerleaders, the footballers/players , the ones who want to have sex with the cheerleaders or the footballers, just the random people, and the people who were forced to go.

I don't know which one I got into, but I'm here anyway.

We sit on the front row of bleachers next to the benches, a warm blanket under us and over us. Miah came too, she's in shorts and a sweater and has no issues. She's like a robot.

Reid isn't on the team since he played soccer, but Kingston and River are, Kingston's the quarterback hence how popular he is and River's the running back .

Look at me using those words like I know what they mean.

The game is about to start, Reid pooping up from the shadows and sitting next to Miah. "They are really good at football, but they will probably go get hookups after." Reid says, taking a drink of his water bottle.

I chuckle more of a nervous laugh, eating some of the goldfish that Miah brought. Her hand slaps mine and I raise an eyebrow and she smiles.

She slowly, takes her hand away from covering the goldfish but I just snake my hand back in. She laughs, ripping my hand out of the bag, the first time I heard her laugh.

Her voice is low and her laugh is too, even Reid is confused by her laugh. She smiles at him and his eyes go wide, then boom he just kisses her.

Don't know what happened then but I shake Melanie's arms. We look at each other surprised as Reid backs up, Miah blushing.

Then the game starts, with no time to sweetly make fun of them.

I don't know anything about football, but after a couple minutes of running back and forth a siren goes off. What I think is called a touchdown is what happens.

Kingston throws the ball on the ground, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath before he raises his hands up in victory. His teammates rush towards him, but he starts walking over to the bleachers.

Some players pat him on the back as we take the break for halftime, he comes over to us with a large smile playing on his lips. River hot on his trail.

He picks me up in a hug, a wince escapes my lips but I think he just associated it with how I was stabbed a month ago and he's like the only one who knows other than Melanie and River.

He spins us around, a big smile on his lips as he looks down at me, "That was for you." He says, kissing my forehead and letting go of me. River catches up with Kingston, whispering something in River's ear which he just nods to.

Kingston sits down in my spot, their not being enough room in the bleachers for both of us. He pats his lap and I sit down, my arms going around his neck and my head resting on his shoulder.

His breathing is heavy and sweat drips down his neck but I don't care. Melanie sees, a sweet smile plays on my lips as I regret what I did to myself. The cut.

But I don't know.

Halftime is soon to end as he takes some of the food we bought. River smiles, whispering something to Reid. Reid's eyes shoot up to him as Miah is on the phone with her parents in the parking lot.

His eyes fill with an unmistakeable point of sadness, "Don't do that man." Reid says and River shakes his head. "I do not get why everybody hates her, she is great." River says and I look in between them.

"Who?" I ask and River looks down at his lap. "I am going to ask Madeline out later, I wanted to tell Reid before I did it." He says and I look down at my lap.

"Oh," I start, my words slowly drifting from my mouth, I look at Kingston. His face is so full of emotion and I give him a sad smile and his lisp part.

"What's wrong, Baby?"

I'm hurting still and they're fixing me but I don't know if I want to be fixed. Or if I even can.

Kingston looks at me and wraps his arms around me, "It's okay." He whispers and I sniffle, diffing my head in his neck.

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-River's POV-

When I told her I saw a pang of an emotion I know only as sadness, like she's hiding something, but she doesn't show it, "Oh," is all that radiates from her mouth, her voice slowly disappearing from my ears as she digs her head in the crook of King's neck.

Reid's hand lays on her knee, rubbing gentle circles along it, and Melanie looks at me with wide eyes and almost pure disgust. I know that Summer doesn't like that though, she hates it when people touch her other than Kingston.

"Uh," Kingston's voice trails off awkwardly after he whispers things to Summer, I glare at him. The circle goes silent, Melanie grabs my arm, looking at me with such anger that I know I did something wrong.

Did I hurt Summer?

I would never purposely hurt Summer, unless it was for her good. I know that nobody wants me to date Madeline, but god it's Madeline.

Summer obviously likes Kingston. Even right now she's laying her head on his shoulder as he's smiling at her, trying not to get a boner.

She looks so happy with him, and I'm not selfish when it comes to her. Only to her though. Kingston is lucky.

Melanie drags me to where Miah was, she sees us and ends her phone call before leaving. Melanie takes a deep breath, staring at me as if I'm dumb.

"Do you really not know?" She says and I furrow my eyebrows, wiping sweat off the top of my brow and taking a drink of my water. I shake my head.

She sighs and waved me off, walking I circles. "I don't know if I can tell you what she did to Summer, but I am, Madeline is the reason I left. She bullied me and her for years before you showed up. She got used to it eventually, because that's what she does, just like with her dad. But I had to leave.

"I wish I never did, I wish I could've gotten her out of this sooner and been there for her when nobody else was but I can't take back time. And she'll never be the same but she just started acting like herself again, around Kingston and I don't want to take steps back.

"Madeline took me away from her and I think she's afraid to lose you too. She might not love you, but she's put all of her trust in you, told you everything except this so that she wouldn't hurt you. She doesn't want you to lose Madeline because she thinks she makes you happy.

"Summer is the most selfless person ever, so at least don't be a dick about it and ask her what happened. Maybe then you'll change your mind." Melanie says and I go silent.

I take in what she said and see that I have about a minute left until the end of halftime. "I will not do it, I love Summer. I would never want to hurt her." I say, shaking my head down at my feet.

"We all love her bud."

I go back around the bleachers, her head resting easily on Kingston's shoulder, her golden eyes closed with tiredness. I look at Reid and he shrugs, "You have got to think this through man." Reid says, I doubt that Summer will wake up.

"We all don't like Madeline, I live with her. Just think about it." Kingston notes quietly as to not wake up Summer, stroking her hair as I give them a sad smile, "Yea I am thinking it through." I say, looking at my Puppy. Wondering what Madeline ever did to her, and why she would ever consider me and idiot Kingston her best friends.

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It's after I got out of the locker room, Summer woke up while everybody was cheering, but is still tired. Everybody is waiting for me outside on the open bleachers.

I walk up to them—I took a shower and I changed my clothes—as I drink from my water. Summer smiles at me, running up and putting her arms lightly around my neck.

She's not scared of me touching her, and she's not scared of being herself around me. I smile at her before looking at the others.

"Can I take her home Melanie?" I ask and she nods, giving me a not so subtle glare, telling me to be careful. Everybody goes silent, Kingston furrows his eyebrows and I shake my head.

"What?" Summer says innocently, turning around and lookin at the others who look at anybody but her. Melanie shakes her head, laughing a little again making everybody else start talking.

"I was going to..." Kingston mumbles and I push my lips together. "I have to tell her something." I say.

I shake my head, continuing to hold her tightly. I say goodbye to everybody, Miah and Reid look guilty of something.

I take Summer to my car, it's her favorite of my cars. I sit her in the backseat so she can sleep, she smiles at me.

"Thank you, River." She says, yawning and stretching her arms. But just the side of her shirt lifts up, just enough while she stretches her arms to show a small surface cut along her ribs.

I move closer to her, rubbing my hand against her arms as she snuggles against my side. A little smile rests on her face and I can't help but wonder why she did it.

And who made her want to do this?