“Give me a D!”

“D!”

“Give me an E!”

“E!”

“Give me a V!”

“V!”

“Give me an I!”

“I!”

“Give me an L!”

“L!”

“Give me an S!”

“S!”

“What’s that spell?”

“Devils!”

“Say it again?”

“Devils!”

“One more time!”

“Devils!”

The cheerleaders screamed out in glee, releasing the crowd from whatever hex they were under.  I clapped lamely—almost sarcastically—while Kyla screamed at the top of her lungs, showing off her pure excitement.  Garrett was somewhere in the middle, clapping and laughing like an idiot.  Not that you would expect anything else.  He was Garrett.

Shelley, being one of the cheerleaders, wasn’t sitting with us.  She informed me at lunch today that during half time she would sit next to me, and we’d talk about the plans for tomorrow.  I didn’t understand what I didn’t like about her before.  She was a pretty awesome person.

“Okay, so what’s the point of the game again?” I asked, lifting my feet clad in my new grey slipper boots and resting them on the metal fence that separated the stands from the field.  Apparently, during the game itself I’d be forced to stand up and lean against it with the rest of the crew sitting here.  But, for now, I was fine sitting.

“People run across the field with the ball, trying to get it to the other side,” Paula explained cheerfully from her spot next to me.  She, unlike Shelley, was not on the cheering squad.  Apparently, neither was Meghan.  Well—Meghan used to be a part of the squad, but then this year she decided she needed to concentrate on school work.

“Oh,” I said blankly.  “That’s, ah, interesting.”

“Not a football fan, huh?” came a voice from behind us.

We all turned breaking into smiles as we spotted Meghan standing before us, a tray of hot chocolates in her hand.  She grinned at us, before turning her attention to me.  “Love the outfit, Bri.  Is it new?”

I glanced down at my outfit on reflex.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the new outfit my mom helped me pick out.  A gray and white striped shirt with a pair of skinny jeans, along with a scarf, a beanie hat, and my lovely slipper boots I mentioned earlier.  All in all, the outfit was really comfortable.  “Thanks,” I said with a smile.  “Yeah, it is.”

She continued to grin before gesturing to the hot chocolates.  “I’ve got four hot chocoas here,” she mused.  “Anyone want one?”

In an instant Garrett’s hands were flying in the air.  “Oooh me!” he exclaimed.  He smiled as Meghan passed him one.  “Thank you, m’dear.”

“No problem,” Meghan said, her smile growing wider.  “Anyone else?  If we run out I can get more.”

“I’ll have one,” Paula said, her hands outstretched.

Meghan grinned.  “I was wondering what was taking you so long to ask!”

Paula returned her friend’s smile, taking the hot chocolate Meghan offered her and grasping it so hard that the Styrofoam dented in a little.  I glanced at the two remaining hot chocolates in Meghan’s hand, wondering if I wanted one.  It wasn’t really that cold yet, but I knew I’d want one later when it as freezing out here. Hmm. . . .

“I’ll take one,” I said softly.

“Okie dok!”  Meghan happily handed me a hot chocolate before turning to Kyla.  “Do you want one?”

Kyla shook her head.  “No thanks!”

Meghan plopped next to Paula, shooting Kyla an amused look as she began sipping on her hot chocolate.  She kicked her legs up, whacking her penny-loafers together with a grin.  “Suit yourself!”

I took a sip of my hot chocolate before letting my head fall back.  The sky, usually full of stars, was practically empty tonight.  It reminded me of nights in the city.  I blamed it on the stupid lights that were used to make the field bright.  Who really needed to see what was going on, anyway?  It wasn’t like this was interesting.

“Oh, don’t you look excited?” Kyla teased, nudging my shoulder.

I lifted my head up, shooting Kyla an incredulous look.  “Oh, can you tell?” I asked, deciding to follow along.  “I mean, I was trying so hard to hide it!”

Kyla grinned.  “Well, you failed.”

I shook my head slightly, turning my attention to the field.  I wish the game would start already.  The sooner the game ended, the better.  All I wanted to do was go home and sit on the couch.  Maybe be lazy and watch movies all night.  Damn, my couch was look pretty good right now.  If Dannon thought that I was going to sacrifice my couch-potato time to his football games every time, he was sadly mistaken.  Ah, I think I would march right up to him after this game and tell him that I’d never be attending one again.  Yes, that sounded perfect.

My thoughts about my couch were interrupted as a booming voice suddenly sounded from an intercom.  I sat up, letting my legs fall onto the pavement as I searched fervently for the intercom.  I didn’t see one anywhere.  Odd.  So very odd.

“Welcome, everyone, to tonight’s football game!” the speaker exclaimed.  I cringed as everyone began to scream and shout.  Damn, I thought, resisting the urge to cover my ears.  Were these events always so loud?

As the intercom-man continued to talk about the team, I closed my eyes.  Oh my gosh, my ears were going to explode.  Why did he have to be so loud?  Why?  “We can hear you,” I muttered sourly under my breath, wishing he’d at least tone it down. 

Kyla whacked my shoulder.  I opened my eyes slightly to catch the grin on her face.  “Stop being such a sour puss!” she ordered lightly, not at all feeling my pain.

“And now,” the intercom-man shouted, his voice growing higher and higher with each word, “let’s welcome the home team, the Devils!”

All at once, everyone around me jumped up clapping and screaming at the top of their lungs.  Resisting the urge to groan, I took the incentive to force myself out of my chair, clapping politely.  I refused to show false enthusiasm and scream like a maniac with everyone else.  The world deserved to know the truth about me.

I watched without interest as the Devils jogged out, tights and all.  My eyes scanned the team, inevitably looking for Dannon.  Could you really blame me?  He had been the one who forced me here.

“He’s number Seventeen,” Paula informed me, leaning in so that I could hear her.  I caught her smiling at me.  “If you’re looking for Dannon, I mean.”

“She was,” Kyla and Garrett said simultaneously.  I tossed them a glare.  Combined with their all-knowing tones and the triumphant looks on their faces, they became so annoying that if it wouldn’t have caused my hand pain, I would have punched them both in the face.  Seriously.  Would they just quit it?

From the looks of it, no they wouldn’t.

| It ♥ All ♥ Started ♥ With ♥ An ♥ Apple |

“Pass the damn ball!”

My hands flew up in the air as the shriek escaped my lips, my eyebrows arched with anger.  This guy had been driving me nuts throughout the entire game.  He was such a selfish son of a—

“Wow,” Garrett said.  I whipped around, spotting a stupid grin tugging his lips.  “My sister, the un-sportiest of them all, is yelling at a sports player.”

I decided to ignore his comment, seeing how it was true.  Who knew this game could be so aggravating?  Did people always play like this?  So selfish that they refused to pass the ball to their teammates?  Were they so needy for glory that they did anything to make themselves stand out?  Well, if you asked me, that was incredibly stupid.  Not only did he look like the idiot he was, but he cost his team points that they couldn’t afford to lose. 

“Dannon’s doing great tonight,” Meghan mused, leaning forward on the fence.  Her hair flew around the side of her head, blowing into her face.  The wind decided to show itself about ten minutes into the game. It wasn’t long before we were all huddled together, shivering our asses off.  “This is the best he’s done all season.”

Everyone nodded.  I tilted my head to the side, allowing my eyes to fall on Dannon’s figure.  I didn’t really understand what his job was as a player, but I didn’t really want to ask.  No one’s answer would make sense anyway.  Just because I started to understand the key points of the game, it didn’t mean that I’d suddenly turned into a football fanatic.

I gasped, throwing my hands to my mouth as Dannon was suddenly tackled by some asshole.  I was going to fricken murder him!  I mean, seriously?  You couldn’t just attack people like that!  What did Dannon ever do to him?  Did he even have the ball?  I didn’t think so.

“Brianne, he’s fine,” Meghan assured, throwing me a smile.  “He gets tackled.  It’s in the job description.”

I shook my head, letting my hands fall.  Disturbing much?

My expression grew flat as Kyla threw an arm over my shoulders, laughing.  “I just love how people have been getting tackled all night and you haven’t noticed until now.”

I scowled, shoving her arm off.  “Shut up!” I seethed.

My eyebrows creased as the players suddenly receded from the field, moving back to their areas.  Why were they leaving?  Was the game finally over?  My eyes widened expectantly.  That seemed a little too good to be true, but hey, a girl could dream.

Sadly, my dreams were shattered as the intercom man suddenly cried, “We’re going to take a break for halftime, everyone!”  I felt my shoulders sag with the news.  Damn.  “We’ll be back in ten minutes for the rest of the game!”

I sighed deeply, glancing toward the field.  I spotted Shelley with the rest of her squad.  She caught my look and waved, smiling brightly.  I smiled back, giving her a small wave.  Now that I knew she knew where I was, all I’d have to do was wait.  She did say she was coming to talk to me.

I let out a yelp as I was suddenly pried away from the fence.  After the terror of being abducted subsided, I settled a cool glare in Kyla’s direction as she dragged me away from the fence, toward the crowd that was swarming toward the concession stand a few yards away.  “What are you doing?” I snapped, letting out an irritated grumble under my breath as I struggled from my friend’s grip.  It didn’t really work out well. 

Kyla, apparently not noticing my annoyance, smiled in reply.  I sighed, allowing her to tug me away from everyone as she started her way around the field.  What was the point in fighting her?  She’d find a way to get me to whatever destination she had planned.  Why we were taking a lap around the field, I really didn’t know.  But, as we walked further, I had the suspicion that. . . . “Kyla,” I muttered, “we don’t happen to be heading to the football team, are we?”

Kyla, spared me a glance with a small grin.  “Maybe,” she cooed.

I let out a laugh as I finally succeeded in escaping her grasp.  I shoved my hands into my pockets, smirking at her.  “You do know that we aren’t allowed to go visit the football team until after the game, right?”

Kyla stopped for a second, staring me down with narrowed eyes.  “You’re lying.”

I shook my head.  “When Garrett used to play for here, he’d always complain about how they didn’t allow his girlfriend to come visit him during halftime.”

And it was true.  I could remember it like it was yesterday.  Garrett ranting the whole car ride home about how it wasn’t fair that they didn’t let Jennifer—who was his girlfriend at the time—come and hang out with him while they were on break.  He’d been looking forward to seeing her, he’d whined.  He’d wanted to hang out with her for just ten minutes.  What was wrong with that?  Apparently everything.

Kyla huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.  She pouted, defeated.  “Well then.  The first thing we do when this game is over is go visit the team!”

I sighed, deciding it would be in m better interest not to argue with her on it.  “Fine.”

| It ♥ All ♥ Started ♥ With ♥ An ♥ Apple |

“I changed my mind,” I announced, shaking my head as Kyla pulled helplessly on my hand.  “Nope, I’m ready to go home.”    

I didn’t think it was possible, but the second half of them game was even worse than the first half.  I found myself wanting to throw myself over the fence in order to beat up some of the players.  The thought of seeing them in the locker room—ugh.  Just no. 

“You promised!” Kyla whined, using both hands now to try and pull me up from where I’d firmly planted my butt on the bench.  My butt barely left the bench.  This showed how much body strength the girl really had.  Oh, she may have thought that she was strong because she was in gymnastics, but she wasn’t.

“I did not,” I replied stiffly.  “I simply said the word ‘fine.’  That is not promising.”

Garrett scoffed from beside Kyla, grabbing my other arm and pulling me up.  I struggled to resist him, to stay in my comfortable spot, but Garrett was too strong.  I let out an irritated yelp as I was pulled into the air, almost flinging into the fence.  I twisted around, chucking glowers in their direction as I ripped my hands from their grasps.  “Damn you both,” I muttered, fixing my shirt.

Their reply?  Laughing at me.  You’d think that I’d be used to people ganging up on me by now.  It was like I had no real supporters in life!  Dear me, I should become a cactus.  Alone in the desert, covered in thorns to prick anyone that came close to me.  They fit me well.  But, then again, they stored water—which I hated.  Nope, never mind, that was out of the cards.

So, in the end, I was brutally dragged around the field to the back doors of the school.  Apparently the teams went inside already.  Whoop-di-doo.  More walking for us.  I projected my opposement (if that was even a word) to the whole idea the entire way inside.  But, sadly, my efforts were proven futile.  No matter what I did they ignored me.  How rude was that?

“Kyla, we’re seeing Dannon tomorrow!” I exclaimed, trying once again to convince her to turn around. 

“Wow,” Kyla drawled, “that’s like saying you’re going to see me tomorrow so there’s no point in having me over to your house.  Oh, and speaking of tomorrow, can you like give me a ride?”

Pushing down the questions on why she needed a ride when she had a car, I sighed.  “I have to get a ride myself.”

Kyla grinned.  “I bet Dannon will be willing.  So, just ask him when we see him.”

I huffed, finally giving in.  “Whatever.  Can you please let me go now?”

Kyla and Garrett stared at me skeptically for a few moments before letting me go.  I rubbed my arms, tempted to run for it.  But I didn’t.  That would just be mean—not to mention obnoxious—even for me.  I guess that I could deal with the irritating sports players for a few minutes.  I’d just have to do my best to ignore them.

We walked silently the rest of the way to the boy’s locker room.  Garrett led the way, knowing exactly where it was seeing how he used to play games for LHS.  “Representing Maine, baby!” he used to shout after his games.  He used to bask in his football glory—but hey, he deserved it.  He was pretty damn good.  Or, at least, that’s what my dad said.

I was tempted to shield my eyes as we finally entered the locker room.  In an instant I regretted allowing myself to be pulled here.  I did not have the urge to watch sweaty men change. 

“Hello, ladies!” someone crooned as Garrett, Kyla, and I made our way into the locker room.  The guy’s tone made me want to gag.  Talk about uck.

“I’m a dude!” Garrett shouted back, rolling his eyes.  He muttered something about players growing more and more obnoxious over the years before sauntering a few steps ahead of us, placing his hands on his hips.

“Hey, Dannon!” Kyla yelled suddenly, waving.

I turned, watching as Dannon emerged from the shower room, fully clothed and bringing a towel through his hair.  It looked so much darker when it was wet—almost black.  He smiled, giving Kyla a small wave in return, discarding the towel onto the bench next to him. 

“Hey, guys!” Dannon said cheerfully, making his way toward us.  I glanced down, noting that he was barefoot.  Ew.  I hated bare feet.  “How do you think we did?”

“Well, you only got tackled once, so I’d say pretty damn good,” Garrett teased, punching Dannon’s shoulder lightly.

Dannon smiled.  “Yeah, I usually get tackled a lot.  It hurts my back, man.”

I frowned, annoyed that I was stuck standing here in such a hot room with a bunch of sweaty, almost naked men.  I snuck a glance in the shower room’s direction.  Suddenly I was back at lunch where I threatened to drown Dannon my shower.  It was rather tempting now.  But, I didn’t want to chance it with . . . uglies in here.

Never mind.  Yes I did.

“Dannon,” I began, biting my lip slightly, “quick question.  Is there anyone in the shower?”

Everyone—well, Dannon, Kyla, and Garrett—turned to look at me.  I tensed, becoming utterly aware of how awkward that must have sounded.  I mentally face-palmed.  Great.  That was going to make what I was about to do look even more awkward than it already was.  “Um . . .” Dannon murmured, staring at me as though trying to figure out why I was asking such an odd question, “No, not that I know of.”

“Good.” I smiled innocently.

Instantly, I moved forward, grabbing Dannon by the ear and dragging him toward the shower.  A chorus of “ooooooh”s rang out as we drew closer.  I was really tempted to flip them off, but I decided against it.  Dannon, knowing him, would get away.

“What are you doing?” he asked softly, a chuckle in his voice.  “My poor ear.”

I ignored him, pulling him into the shower room, happy to find that some idiot left a shower on.  I tugged him toward the stall, a smile on my face.  “Remember how I said I was going to drown you in the shower?” I asked lightly.

Dannon went rigid.  “Oh my—”

I shoved him into the shower, laughing when I heard him yell in shock.  I pulled the curtain closed before standing back for a moment, triumphant.  Dannon pushed the curtain open and emerged, dripping wet.  I burst into a fit of laughter.  He looked like a drowned puppy! 

After my laughter subsided, I brought my hands out to shove him back in.  However, before I could Dannon caught my arms with a shake of the head.  “You should have known that I would see that coming the second time,” he said, cocking an eyebrow at me.

I sighed.  I probably should have.  Dannon smiled mischievously at me, sparing a glance at the still-running shower.  “That shower doesn’t turn off correctly,” he said, feeling the need to explain why it was still on.  “Someone must have turned it on, forgetting that it doesn’t turn off until we get the janitor to do it.”

I grinned.  “Well, it did its purpose.”

I turned, ready to leave the shower room.  Dannon caught my arm, though, pulling me back.  “I don’t think so,” he said, snickering wickedly.  “It’s your turn.”

With that, I was shoved against my will into a man’s shower.  I shrieked, bracing myself as I tripped, tangled in my own legs.  Oh my gosh, I was going to fall, and then I was going to die!  I threw my arms out, praying that I wouldn’t fall.  “Dannon!” I cried.

There must have been something in the tone of my voice, because suddenly Dannon was there, grabbing my arm and pulling me up—a mere centimeters before I touched the ground.  I breathed heavily, ignoring the fact for a moment that I was soaked and wet.

“You had to trip on your own feet, didn’t you?” Dannon teased with a smile.  “Are you okay?”

“Insult me and then ask if I’m okay?  How kind of you.”  I looked up, barely managing a grin.  “I’m fine.”

“Well, isn’t this interesting?”

Oh gosh.  Not this again!  I turned slowly, watching in horror as Kyla leaned against the wall, grinning.  I hurried to explain myself, but my words came out all jumbled together.  So, instead of a simple, “It’s not what it looks like!” sentence, what came out was this.  “NonononoIpushedDannonandthenhepushedmeandthenItrippedsoweweren’tintheshowertogetheratall!”

It came out like one big word.  So, basically, that word that Mary Poppins invented that I could never manage to pronounce correctly, was in fact not the biggest word ever.  Ha!

 “Uh-huh,” Kyla drawled triumphantly, twirling a piece of her hair between her fingers.  Without another word, she spun on her heel and left.

I sighed, turning to Dannon.  “I blame you for this.”