With a kick, the ball is sent flying across the field and stirs the crowd into a loud cheer. Jace’s team had won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball, so he was on the bench for now, texting Natalie. When one of the players catches the ball, she texts him good luck before waving to him.
She leans back in her seat to get comfy. Something that Min and Levi seem to have already done with his arm extended over to Min’s seat. If it weren’t for the armrest between their seats, they’d almost be cuddling.
Sometime during their night or during the car ride, they’d gotten close and comfortable with each other. It was clear to everyone, they had a thing for each other, but hadn’t felt comfortable enough to get past flirty glances and teasing—at least until yesterday or so. Natalie quietly elbowed Kelly, who sat to the right of her and didn’t witness the adorable sight of their two friends.
Kelly mouthed a “what?”
Natalie slightly tips her head to her left as discreetly as she could without scaring off Levi and Min. Though they’d probably be too engrossed in each other to notice everything else around them. Kelly leans over her to watch her other friends. The instant she sees them, she starts quietly cooing.
“They’re so adorable!” she whispers.
The game had all been forgotten. Levi and Min fell asleep soon after while the other two gushed about their friends in whispers, occasionally staring at the field to point out Jace and other players Kelly found cute.
The first half finishes by a blur. The players clear the field to make way for the marching band and cheerleaders, who play several songs and perform elaborately choreographed dances. Normally, Natalie greatly enjoyed the halftime performances, but last night had left her tired and sleepy. She’d fall asleep in a blink, but somehow it felt rude to Jace.
Speaking of Jace:
A loud cough interrupted her thoughts, surprising her.
“I thought you loved the halftime dances and music?” he says as he moves to sit on Kelly’s empty seat.
His hair was damp and flat from his heavy helmet and his skin had a healthy layer of sweat, but he still looked as gorgeous as ever.
“I do,” she says before yawning loudly, “I’m just kinda sleepy.”
Jace laughs, “I hope I didn’t bore you.” He says with a slight smile.
Natalie opens her mouth to appease him, but he stood up before she could.
“Anyway, I gotta go, I just wanted to say hi.”
“Wait!”
He turns back and she hands him a drink. He flashes his thousand watt smile again before strutting off.
~~~
The game finally finishes with their team winning.
The group waits for Jace to finish talking with the rest of the players before he bounces over to her side, giddy and high from adrenaline and the rush of winning.
They congratulate him with pats on his back. Just as Natalie is about to bring her arm back to her side, Jace swings his left arm over her shoulder.
Oh geez.
Everyone immediately hushes and if Jace notices, he doesn’t give any indication. Or maybe he did notice and didn’t care.
But Natalie did. Her cheeks blush red hot and she avoids eye contact with her friends. She knew Min and Kelly were probably making all sorts of teasing faces and telepathically communicating just how she and Kelly did earlier.
But for all their talk of boys, the girls especially Natalie had almost no experience with one. So any sort of contact, especially one that could be easily taken as intimate and romantic, sent her poor innocent, virgin mind to a tizzy.
Again, Jace gave no indication whether he noticed the sudden quiet and awkward tension. He remains unbothered and even has the audacity to hum happily as if he didn’t just shake her world upside down.
Maybe he didn’t mean it in that way. Her mind tries to explain that complicated behavior of a boy.
In what seems like an eternity, they finally reach the car and Levi drives back to the hotel. Min turns on the radio to ward off the awkward mood.
Of course, it only made it worse.
The radio played Bleeding Love. It began right in the middle with:
“But I don't care what they say I'm in love with you They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth My heart’s crippled by the vein that I keep on closing You cut me open and I Keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love” Oh the irony. And to think she’d loved Leona’s song.
Min, the horrible friend she was, couldn’t resist the temptation to laugh. And laugh she did. Loud chortling, you-can-feel-it-in-the-belly kind of laugh. Levi followed after Kelly, gripping the wheel tightly to stay focused on the road. Soon the entire car busted out in laughter.
God, did she love her friends, they were so dramatic sometimes.
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