Page 40 of Out of His League

The field staff is cleaning around me. As soon as the crowd thinned out enough, people in yellow shirts with the word “field staff” across the front and back started in various sections, cleaning up trash and dumping everything into extra-large garbage cans.

When they reach me, I do my best to move out of their way, ignoring the strange looks on why I am still sitting in the stands. The lights have come on, illuminating high up into the darkening sky.

Moving to a seat in one of the sections that has already been cleaned, I open a book on my phone and get lost in a story.

Losing all track of time, it isn’t until a security guard approaches me that I realize exactly how long it’s been.

“Excuse me, Miss,” he says politely and somewhat confused. “I am going to need to ask you to leave. The game is well past over, and the cleaning staff has gone home. You need to go.”

He stares at me expectantly as I begin to gather my things.

“I am with the team,” I respond as the man just blinks at me.

Checking his watch briefly, he rubs the back of his neck while looking at the ground.

“If you are with the team, shouldn’t you head back to the dorm or something?”

“Oh,” I exclaim, feeling a little stupid. “No. Sorry, I am with the Groveton Jackals. One of their managers or coaches should be coming to get me any moment.”

His eyes widen in shock at my words.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Their buses pulled out two hours ago. They are gone.”

As his words sink in, a numbness falls over me. They forgot me. They left me here. The man takes a step back into the aisle, holding his arm out, indicating the exit. Rising to my feet, my mind spins on what I should do. I am hours from Groveton with no vehicle and not much money.

Walking with the security guard to the exit, he unlocks the gate, holding it open for me to pass through. Muttering a quick “thank you” as I pass him, I stare up at the almost pitch-black sky. The loud clanking of the gate slamming shut startles me. My shoulders sag as realization sinks in. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I hit the last number dialed.

“Hello,”

“Kennedy, can you guys help me, please?”

Immediately her tone goes from relaxed to concerned.

“What happened? Where are you? Where’s Brock?” Her questions come in quick succession, not allowing me to respond. When she finally takes a breath, I start to answer them, leaving the first one for last.

“I am at the field. No idea where Brock is,” pausing before my last answer, I prepare for her pending tirade, “They left without me. I am stuck here and have no idea how to get back to campus.”

“WHAT?” she exclaims, as expected, forcing me to pull the phone away from my ear. No doubt she is pacing the floor, running her hands through her hair. The guys are probably trying to talk her off the ledge as well, trying to figure out whathas her so upset. “What the fuck do you mean they left without you? How is that even possible?”

The clicking of keys in the background tells me that she is typing on her laptop. I hear the guys’ voices in the background.

“Give me a minute Kass,” she says as a muted conversation is going on. It’s as if Kennedy covered the mouthpiece of the phone so I couldn’t hear what was being said, which annoys me slightly. Pushing my hurt feelings aside I take refuge under an awning on the side of the field building.

“Okay,” Kennedy says, refocusing my attention now that she is back on the line. “What gate or entrance are you at?”

Looking around, I spot a large brick pillar with a blue letter “C” at the top several feet away.

“There is a blue C on the closest pillar,” I tell her.

“Okay,” she pauses again as more clicking of the computer keys sounds through the line. “A car is coming to get you. You have a room in the Charleston Hotel, about three miles away. It’s not the same one the team is supposed to be in. We are leaving here in about an hour to come and get you,” I don’t bother correcting her that the team isn’t even in the same city anymore. That would have made fixing this situation all too easy.

The concern in Kennedy’s tone has my eyes tearing up. This is why I love this girl.

“If Brock tries to call or text you,ignorehim,” she says with a bit of hostility on my behalf.

“It might not be something I need to worry about. I don’t have a charge chord, and my phone isn’t going to last the night. You might want to make sure you have the number for the hotel in case you need to call me.”

“No problem. I will grab you a change of clothes too. Is there anything else you can think of that you might need?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com