AllFreeNovel
Share Us
REBECCA
September 1996
What is it about that damn football jersey that just brings out that sex appeal? I can’t get enough of Shane all the days of the week, but when he’s wearing that jersey, be it on game day during school, or during a game, like he is right now, it does things to me. It comes in at a close second to the backward hat look on a guy.
Things with Shane have been on fire. Since our lake night together, we can’t keep our hands off each other. We are living up to the idea of teens and their sexual drive because I have taken advantage of every single moment we are alone and I mean, every single moment. Just the thought paints my cheeks crimson.
“Ewww, are you thinking dirty things as your boyfriend sits out there getting tackled?” Elody says by my side.
Beau has his arm around her and laughs, then proceeds to yell something about defense. In my daze, dreaming of all the ways Shane would show me he loves me, I didn’t realize the rival team got possession of the ball.
I see Shane running toward the sidelines, my quarterback, number four, all fine as hell.
I’m staring at the back of his jersey when I hear Beau call out, “Mrs. Philips, up here.” He’s waving his arms toward Shane’s mother.
She makes her way through the crowd, a tight smile spread across her face. I’ve been around Shane’s mom plenty, but something about the way she looks at me makes me feel like I’ve somehow rubbed her the wrong way. She’s never outwardly mean to me, but she’s hesitant to accept me. It might just be me being paranoid, but Ellie has also made comments when it’s just the two of us having a girls’ night.
I turn toward Mrs. Philips, Bethany—although she has instructed pretty much any friend of Shane’s to address her formally instead of by first name. At least she comes off cold toward most, and it’s not directed solely at me. She eyes us all but keeps her gaze on me a few extra beats. She’s assessing me.
I’m not sure what she thinks she’ll find. I’ve been nothing but kind to her, and I don’t have time to mull it over because our section goes wild when our team intercepts a pass and takes off with the ball. They make it to the twenty-yard line and Shane hops off the bench, running toward the field while putting his helmet on and buckling the chin strap.
I stand, yelling words of encouragement. He taps his helmet twice, our sign to say he hears me. I smile and watch as they huddle close to the end zone, a step closer to attaining another win for the season.
When I take my seat again, I feel Mrs. Philips looking my way. I look toward her and try to bring a smile out of her. “It’s great to see you tonight. Shane is playing so well out there,” I say to her. She nods but gives me no other response. I let the discomfort go, as I’m certain I’ve done nothing to offend Shane’s mom in all the times I’ve interacted with her.
The remainder of the game is uneventful after they score with the last possession the Panthers had. Our team is ecstatic and so are all of us in the stands. I stand, cheering with the rest of my classmates. Mrs. Philips says her goodbyes, being more curt than I would prefer, and walks off to the gate, where Shane will likely pass shortly. He comes running toward the stands, stopping to greet his mother. She says a few words, his smile growing, and she blows him a kiss and heads toward her car.
I watch the interaction, realizing her smile reaches her eyes when she speaks to Shane. She heads off in the direction of the parking lot while I walk toward the bottom of the bleachers, hoping to catch Shane before he heads to the locker room. He sees me and stays planted where he is chatting with his mom.
The moment I get close enough to him, he pulls himself up so he’s at eye level with me, while he’s grabbing onto the fencing that separates the field from the bleachers. He kisses me and even with all the sweat he’s accumulated during that game, I welcome it. He’s my heart and soul, and I want to embrace the fact that his love is centered toward me and only me. He pulls away and has this smile that lights me up. Being loved by Shane is beyond anything I imagined.
“So, we headed to Pat’s after I shower up?” Shane asks as he lowers himself.
I stare down at him, my hair falling in front of my face. I pull my hair behind my ears, and my smile grows. What have I done right in this world for this boy to look at me like I am his purpose in life? Whatever it is, I will take any glances Shane wants to give me. I’m greedy for Shane’s attention.
I pretend as if I’m thinking this proposition over, putting my index finger to my chin, tapping it, and looking up to the sky like this is taking a lot of my mental energy to decide on.
“Come on, Becs. I know you’re not going to give the starting quarterback a hard time right after the W we just conquered!”
I start laughing and simply smile wide and blow him a kiss. Of course, I add a wink for fun at the end. I hope I’m doing a lot more than this at the end of my night with Shane. He seems to read between the lines as his eyes darken with need. He hops off the fence and makes his way to the locker room. It might be my imagination, but he seems a little more eager to get ready and meet me at the car.
* * *
I cannot consume another bite of food. Lucy, our usual server, brought complimentary milkshakes for the football win; however, I had already consumed an entire fried chicken sandwich and fries. But I couldn’t turn down the sugary goodness, and now I can barely move out of this booth.
Shane is laughing at something Beau said, with no care in the world. How is he not feeling like he’s going to explode? I ask Lucy for a tea, and the moment I take a few sips, I already feel a little better. My mom always makes me tea when I feel like I overdid it with my meals. It feels nice to sip on this after sitting outside in the already cooler fall night watching Shane play tonight’s game.
Shane looks over at me and whispers, “I hope you aren’t too full because I’ve got some dessert for later.”
I immediately sit up straight, trying to keep my hair in front of my face as I’m guaranteed to have a deep blush across my cheeks. Beau must have an idea of what was said because he chuckles and whispers something in Ellie’s ear. She looks up at him and I see hearts in her gaze. Those two are simply adorable together. I am so glad they’ve explored this relationship on a romantic level because they fit perfectly together.
We say our goodbyes and Shane hugs me toward his body, rubbing my outer arm while we walk to his truck. He opens my door for me and waits until I nod that I’m in the cab completely before closing the door.
He walks around the truck and gets inside. He’s quick to get the heater on, and I’m rubbing my hands together while Shane starts driving us to my house. He chuckles at my dramatics regarding the weather because we both know it’s only going to get colder as the months pass.
My mom picked up a night shift at the hospital, and Janna has Grant tonight for a little sleepover. Grant and Laney seem to be joined at the hip, so this is the easiest way to keep both kids entertained. They have the best time together and seem to keep themselves entertained, and this is a huge help for my mom.
When we arrive at my driveway, Shane parks his car and looks over at me. I can already tell what he’s thinking before he says it.
