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“They’re on the football field,” she singsongs.
“Who won’t even know we’re there,” I singsong back.
She grabs my letterman jacket, which I got for being the FFA president, and throws it at me. “We’re going. Besides, we can get the lowdown on what’s going on afterward, and then we’ll be able to hang with the players.”
“Yippee,” I say sarcastically as I head toward the back room to tell my parents I’m leaving.
“Mom, Dad, Susie is forcing me to go to the game, so I’ll be back later,” I state.
Mom looks up from the puzzle she’s working on. “We’ll be leaving here shortly, too, to go watch your brother. Any plans afterward?”
I look at Susie, who shrugs. “Not sure yet. I’ll let you know.”
“Okay. Don’t stay out too late.”
“I won’t,” I respond.
Dad stands up and heads toward me, reaching into his back pocket to get his wallet. “Here, take some money and make sure to get some food afterward. I know you didn’t eat much tonight during dinner.”
That’s my dad. Always watching out for me, even when I think no one’s looking.
Even though my mom made one of my favorite casseroles, I just pushed it around on my plate, not in the mood to eat anything. All I could think about was how ignorant Dalton was about what his family had done to this community. To us.
I grab a twenty-dollar bill from him, then reach up and kiss his cheek. “Thanks, Pops.”
We head to her car that’s parked on the street next to our house. Once we’re in, Susie grabs a tube and holds it up for me.
“It’s not too late to paint your face too!” she suggests optimistically.
I laugh, and she shrugs her shoulders, putting the tube down.
“It was worth a try.”
She starts the car as I buckle my seat belt, and we head to pick up Ashley, then go to the football stadium that, yes, TimeLand built a few years ago. Everything about it is high tech with full LED scoreboards thatreplay video and all. It’s beyond ridiculous for a high school to have something this expensive, but that’s the way TimeLand does things around here.
Out with the old and in with anything as high tech as they can get.
Once we’ve paid our way in—through an app, of course, because God forbid you actually pay cash at the ticket window, like normal people—we head to the student section, where a lot of our friends are sitting. We’ve already missed the opening ceremony festivities, so the crowd is hyped for the game, and it shows.
Seeing everyone lifts my mood slightly. We do have a good group of friends that I know I’ll miss once we graduate.
I sit next to Ashley, who instantly turns to me like she just remembered something that she was dying to ask.
“Um, why did I see you sitting at the picnic tables today with Dalton Wick?”
I sigh and roll my eyes. “Believe me, it is not what you think. Remember Mrs. Anderson is forcing us to be partners? I don’t know how I’m going to get through this.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
I eye her, and she raises her eyebrows, like,What’s the problem?
“I thought you were all about Marcus lately?” I ask.
“I am, but you do realize you’re complaining that you have to work with that?” She points to where he’s standing on the field, talking to his coach, going over plays before the game starts.
Seeing him there with his hair in a tousled messand the way he’s holding on to his pads around his neckline does make my heart do a little jump because of how good he looks, but I instantly remember who I’m actually looking at and shut that shit down fast.
“He … is a complete ass, and I want nothing to do with him.”
