From the shadows I’d watched the team warm up and do their stretches. I hadn’t wanted Jupiter to see me and I knew he’d be looking – except he didn’t turn up for stretches.
I could see ten thousand gold foam fingers, signs with player’s names on, and message banners I’d be adding to.
The teams took the field.
The first bars of the National Anthem played out.
It was time.
I grabbed my belly. It was possible I was about to puke, but I couldn’t tell whether it was from nerves or excitement.
Both probably.
“Okay, I need to use the restroom, and then I guess we’re going to have to go out there and sit.”
Lowe picked up the giant piece of cardstock. “Let’s go. It’ll be over soon, and then you can get on with your lives.”
Yes. Her words enabled me to take the first deep breath I had all afternoon.
Our lives. Mine and Jupiter’s.Together.
I started for the door but another arrow of doubt hit me, and my heartbeat skyrocketed with the threat of a panic attack. I spun around to face them. “What if he says no?”
The giant card slapped me on the ass as Lowe hugged me. “Marn, are you kidding? I bet he runs off the field in the middle of a play and whisks you away.”
“You think?”
“Absolutely, now come on,” Beulah said as she linked her arm through mine.
I couldn’t tell whether I was walking or if she was dragging me, but we almost passed the restroom.
“Stop! I still need to pee.” I turned just before I ran in, and pointed at the cardstock Lowe was carrying. “Will you wait here with that?”
She nodded, but I didn’t miss the smirk. I should have thought to cover it with a cloth or something while we were walking through the stands. I should also have put on a sweater given the amount of people staring, or perhaps I was imagining it.
No. On second thoughts, they were staring. I’d left my hair down, curled it into the big waves Jupiter loved to run his fingers through, but now used it to pull over my shoulders in an attempt to hide my chest.
It didn’t work.
“Cool shirt. Where did you get it?”
“Oh,” I crossed my arms, trying to cover what I could, “I made it.”
“That’s hilarious. Imagine if he sees it.” The blonde girl in front of me nudged her equally blonde friend while I stayed as still as I could and prayed the stalls would open quickly. “Stace, look at her shirt. How cool! We have to get these!”
Stace twirled around to see. “OMG! I love Jupiter Reeves! I’m from California, and I cried so hard when he left The Dodgers.”
I blinked in surprise. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, but I’m at school here, so I’m lucky. I’m his number one fan.” Her little nose wrinkled as she screwed it up.
I didn’t want to break it to her that according to my shirt, I was officially Jupiter’s number one fan. Nor did I want to share I wasn’t talking about the California part of her sentence, though I probably shouldn’t have made fun of her crying. Sure, she seemed cute; friendly and perky, but her nails said she could scratch my eyes out in under a second.
“We have to make these!” she cried to her friend. “We come to all the home games. We haven’t been able to figure out where he parties after though. Do you know?”
“Oh,” I tittered back, nervously, “I don’t think they go out; the scheduled is pretty tight.”
“No, they definitely party!” she shot back with all the confidence of someone who spent hours on social media tracking the team’s whereabouts. It was something I hadn’t believed people did until Lowe showed me, though I was still unclear how anyone found the time. “We were out with Ace Watson, Parker King, Lux Weston, and Tanner Simpson last weekend. They got us into the V.I.P. section of Vitamin D. Ace said Jupiter always goes with them, but he had to bail. We’re meeting them later though, and fingers crossed he’ll be there.” She held her crossed fingers up.
