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Jaron nods. His focus is back on the game now. “Did you see him fumble with that catch? I could have had him out, easy.” Jaron makes a growling sound in his throat.
“You’ll be back in no time to show him how it’s done,” I say, grabbing his arm.
Jaron gives my hand a squeeze. “Thank you for coming with me,” he says. “This is excruciating. But your company makes it more bearable.”
“Well, lookie here, my two favorite people.” I look up to see Brody stumbling down the bleachers. Jaron jumps to his feet and steps between us. Brody laughs. “Little princess and her guard dog. Woof!” He barks in Jaron’s face. Something is not right. Brody is swaying as he talks.
“I guess getting you kicked off the team makes this all worth it,” he slurs. Then Brody points to me. “I don’t get it, man,” he says, stumbling down a step and almost falling. “She’s not even that cute.”
Jaron’s fists clench by his sides.
I grab his arm. “He’s not worth it,” I say.
Kids have started to gather around us. No one seems to be watching the game anymore.
Brody swings at Jaron, but he misses completely and crashes down onto the metal bleachers. He begins laughing hysterically. He is obviously drunk. Way worse than he was at Henry’s party.
“Alright everyone, back to your seats please.”
The campus police officer appears and the small audience scatters. He grips Brody’s upper arm and returns him to his feet. “How old are you, young man?”
“Thirty-seven!” Brody yells, then he laughs maniacally.
The officer begins guiding Brody away. “Let’s go call your parents,” he says. “I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about.”
Jaron and I look at each other. Then Jaron picks me up off my feet and hugs me tightly. Do you know what this means?” he asks. He doesn’t give me a chance to answer. “If Brody gets suspended or even expelled from school, his parents will probably have to drop the charges against me!”
My heart flutters. I return his hug and we both laugh.
There’s a banging of shoes on metal and we both look up, for fear that Brody has somehow escaped and decided to return. But Stephanie plops down beside me instead.
“Austin and Ethan are both watching you,” she says.
“What?” I frantically glance around the stands. The ruckus must have made them look over here. Sure enough, I can spot them both looking in my direction. Ethan points his index and middle fingers at his own eyes and then points them in my direction, as if to say,I’m watching you.He throws his head back and laughs when I quickly pull away from Jaron’s grasp.
Jaron looks at me, his eyebrows drawn together. Thankfully something major happens on the field, pulling his focus back to the game. I feel like such a jerk. I was enjoying him holding me. Why’d I do that to myself?
I glance up at Austin, who keeps looking at me and Jaron and then looking down as he wrings his hands together. My stomach lurches. I don’t want to hurt his feelings. Jaron looks over at me, his eyebrows pulled together. “Is everything okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, I just…” my eyes continue to dart from Jaron to Austin to Ethan. Jaron follows my gaze.
“Ah,” he says. “I get it. Look, Emma, I like you, but if you don’t like me that’s fine. You just have to tell me now.”
“I do though,” I say. “This is all just confusing.” My head begins to throb.
The crowd cheers and Jaron and I look down at the field, where the players are all running off.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“It’s the seventh inning stretch,” Jaron says.
My mouth quirks to the side and I shrug.
“It’s sort of like the equivalent to halftime. Most people stand up and stretch and go to the bathroom, or get food during this break. Sometimes the choir will sing, or the dance company will do a short performance.”
“What is he doing?” I ask.
Jaron looks down. “Is that Ethan?”
