The crisp November air feels biting across her face. Warm colored, gentle swaying trees make a "swoosh, swoosh" sound. They signal the start of a new season.
With the advent of fall comes football games. And for Lakeview, football games were taken seriously. The field and bleachers are studiously cleaned and food stands are dotted by the sides of the bleachers. The school's band even starts as early as summer to prepare for a show to hype the game.
"Hey, Natalie!" Kelly waves her over from the bleachers.
She walks towards Kelly and Min and is surprised to find Levi was sitting with them.
"Hey, guys," she greets them and sits next to Kelly, who has a bag of chips on her lap.
"What'd I miss?" she asks them, nabbing some chips from Kelly.
"Alot, actually," Levi comments, "this school seems to really value football. You missed an awesome performance from the band team."
Natalie hummed in response.
They lapse in silence, engrossed in the game.
The second quarter ends, allowing the teams to take a break, when Natalie notices a player waving at her.
"Who's waving at you, Nat?" Min asks.
Just as confused as Min, Natalie shrugs and mumbles an "I don't know."
Then the player takes off his helmet and holds it under his arm.
Though his face is unclear from afar, Natalie can clearly recognize Jace's golden-brownish hair with damp curls sticking to his forehead. She waves back. He has a wide grin that reminds her of a golden retriever.
He was posed like a football player out of a GQ magazine. Somehow his damp hair only adds to his attraction.
Hot damn.
And clearly, her friends were of the same thought. If Min's whistle was anything to go by.
"Woah!, did you just wolf whistle at that dude?" Levi jokingly interrupts, "that's so sexist."
"Ehh, I...," Min tries to justify, but falls flat.
"Nah, I'm just messing with you, he's fucking gorgeous," Levi responds.
Min's eyebrows rise. "You're gay?" she asks.
"You disappointed?" he teases her
"You wish," Min counters.
Levi guffaws, "actually, I'm bi, so don't worry, you're not missing out."
Min quietly mumbles something along the lines of "arrogant ass," which Levi hears and has him breaking out in another laughing fit.
Ooohh. Min and Levi?? They could make a great couple.
Kelly makes eye contact with Natalie and raises her eyebrow to communicate pretty much what Natalie was thinking.
Hell yeah. Natalie tries to convey her thoughts to Kelly through her eyebrows.
"Um," Natalie interrupts, "I'm gonna get some food, anybody want anything?"
"Just some chips and water," Min responds just as Levi says "no thanks."
Natalie looks at Kelly, who rises and says, "I'll help you."
Together, they walk down the stairs and to a food stand.
"They're kinda cute together aren't they?" Kelly asks.
"Do I not have eyes, Kelly?" Natalie responds sarcastically.
"Point taken."
Levi and Min could've just been friendly and teasing each other, but to the pair of hopeless romantics, they were already together in Natalie's and Kelly's eyes. They might as well have been married.
"Ugh, why am I the only single one?" Kelly melodramatically groans about her single status, "you guys are gonna leave me behind for stupid idiots."
Natalie huffs in mock anger.
"First of all, we literally just met Levi like a week ago. He and Min are just getting to know each other. And secondly, I've only talked to Jace a handful of times. Actually, less than one handful."
They continue walking until they reach the line.
Appeased with Natalie's answer, Kelly lets out a sigh, "fine, but if you get together with Jace, you better hook me up with one of his friends. Then we can all have a triple date"
Natalie rolls her eyes, but acquiesces. Various kinds of smell and sounds float around. Fast spluttering, bubbly oil and french fries hitting its surface, popping sounds of popcorn with its distinct popcorn smell. Endless rows of set-up tents selling food and drinks. The whole scene is chaotic and loud.
"Next up," the cashier calls them over.
"Can we get a bag of potato chips and 4 bottles of water?" Kelly asks him.
"Sure thing. It'll be $11."
Kelly hands him the exact amount and they walk back to their seats. She hands Min her chips and everyone else a water bottle.
They sit in silence once again before Min gets up.
"I gotta pee," she announces and walks away.
Almost 20 minutes pass without Min. Levi ended up eating her very salty chips and drinking his entire bottle of water as a result.
"Fuck..." he leans back and stretches, "I gotta use the bathroom, too."
Natalie stands up and tells them, "c'mon, let's all go."
Kelly voices, "the bathrooms by the food stands are probably full. Let's go to the ones at the bottom of the bleachers."
"M'kay."
They all get up and start walking, leaving behind their backpacks. They walk down the stairs and down to the field.
Under the bleachers and across the field, there stands a small building consisting of a one bathroom for men and women. Luckily, there are no lines.
Kelly knocks on the girl's bathroom and when no one responds, pulls the door and walks inside.
Levi does the same, but is met with a shout of "it's occupied."
Levi and Natalie are left alone. Levi is leaning against the wall, while Natalie stands across him several steps away.
What should I talk about?
Though it will be only a couple minutes before Kelly finishes, Natalie wants to talk to Levi and gauge his personality.
"Sooo..." she tries to break the silence while trying to think of a topic.
Levi responds in kind, "soooo??"
Sounds of quick, heavy steps reach them.
"Natalie, hey!" Jace greets her cheerfully, hands grasping the collar of his jersey.
Being a short girl, Natalie is towered by Jace despite his relatively normal height of several inches just under six feet. But this time, with his football gear bulking his size, he seems to be three times her size.
"Hey, Jace," she responds, though in a more subdued tone.
"Whose this? I don't think I've seen you before?" Jace indirectly asks Natalie about Levi, still looking at her and only her. But his tone seems off from his previously upbeat voice.
"That's Levi, our friend," Natalie explains, using "our" despite the absence of her friends. She, then, introduces Jace to Levi for the sake of politeness, "Levi, that's Jace"
Their short conversation is interrupted by the bathroom door opening.
Levi stands up and points to the bathroom, "hey, man, you can go ahead."
Jace smiles politely, "nah, you were first. I can wait."
"Alright," Levi says before walking in the bathroom.
"He seems...." Jace pauses for a beat before continuing, "nice,"
Natalie's overactive, romantic mind wakes up from some corner of her brain and takes over her thoughts.
Hmmm. Could he be gay? Why's he asking about Levi?
Natalie, unsure how to respond, says, "uhh, yeah, he is." She really wanted to ask if he was interested in Levi.
But he would be getting in the way of Min and Levi.
For some unknown reason, Jace seems upset by her admission. But with Natalie's mind distracted, she failed to notice.
The men's bathroom opens again and yet Kelly still hasn't gotten out.
"See you later," Jace says to Natalie before passing by Levi to go to the bathroom. Levi holds the door for him and in unison they both nod—the guy nod that all guys seemed to universally understand.
"Bye," she says back.
What the hell is Kelly doing?
At last, she walks out.
Natalie huffs impatiently, "finally," and walks past her to the bathroom. Kelly holds the door for her and says, "I know, I know. I was just trying to freshen up."
After several minutes of doing her business, she gets out. She pats her hand on her pants to dry and they walk back to their seats.
"So, was that your boyfriend?" Levi breaks the silence.
Kelly abruptly whips her head towards Natalie and shouts, "what!"
How she didn't get whiplash is a mystery.
Kelly could be so dramatic sometimes.
"We saw Jace by the bathrooms," Natalie explains, "and no he isn't my boyfriend."
Levi hummed an "ok."
"Good," Kelly interrupts, "you better not get a boyfriend without telling us."
Offended, Natalie retorts, "obviously, I would never not tell you guys something as important as that," but curious at Levi's question, she asks him, "why did you think he was my boyfriend?"
He shrugs casually and answers, "he just seemed like he was."
The conversation stills after Levi's comment and Natalie is stew in her own thoughts—left to ponder what Levi meant, which wasn't good. She knew she was going to over-analyze and probe Jace's every act towards her from now on.
If he talks to me again.
Shortly after, they join the lonesome Min.
"Sorry, we all had to use the bathroom and it took awhile," Kelly apologizes for the wait.
Min nods as if to say 'it's okay.' They continue to watch until the end of the game, which concludes with the home team winning. Of course, with an exceptional quarterback as Jace, it was not unexpected.
God, he's so dreamy. Athletic and polite. Not to mention charming.
But Natalie keeps her obsessive thoughts to herself or else her friends would never let it go.
They, then, part home in different ways, living in different areas.
Natalie stays behind to call if her parents could pick her up. And, of course, her call goes unanswered.
Uhhhh. They never pick up their phones.
Looks like she was gonna walk.
At least the weather's not too bad.
Resigned to her fate, Natalie begins walking to the other side of the field to her house.
Unbeknownst to her, a figure is jogging behind her.
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