Mom took a breath, already not approving. “Okay. The same one we spoke about?”
“Yes. His name’s Dakota, and he’s so sweet. Mom, you’d love him.”
She didn’t look convinced but smiled for my sake. “So, what’s going on with you two? Why are you upset?”
“He told me some stuff about last year,” I started.
“He lied,” she concluded.
“No.” I shook my head. “Not even close, he’s been more honest than anyone I know. But he’s keeping some things to himself. Maybe because he’s embarrassed. I don’t know.”
“Have you asked?”
“I haven’t had the chance. He won’t call me back. I’ve been trying to reach him all day.” I glanced at my phone in case. Still, nothing.
“Sounds like he might need some space. Time.” Mom patted my hand. “Like you did when you were thinking about moving here. You didn’t want to talk for weeks.”
My shoulders sagged. “Right, I’m sorry about that.”
She shook her head and pulled me close to kiss my temple. “It’s okay. You needed to do what was best for you. Consider he’s doing the same?”
“You’re right. I want to be there for him. Mom, he helped when I was at Amber U. He saved me from a situation that would have been ten times more horrible. And I wish I could do the same for him.”
She rubbed my back. “You will one day. But you have to let him decide when that’ll be. Until then, you support him in the best way you know.”
I welcomed the hug she folded me into. “Thanks. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Anytime,” she whispered against the top of my head. “I’m glad I’m here too. I’m sure being around the boys twenty-four-seven has been very tedious.”
I let out a laugh I definitely needed. “They can get very annoying.”
“I bet,” she laughed with me. “What do you say we get out of here, okay? Try to beat some of that game day traffic?”
“Sounds good to me.”
As to be expected, the stadium was packed. Even with our early start, Mom and I wove in and out of hordes of people. The crowd seemed to be a healthy mix of blue and white for Westbrooke’s team and red and gray for Amber U.
“I didn’t think there’d be so many people,” Mom shouted into my ear. The crowd whooped and hollered at the pre-game show of cheerleaders and mascots.
“There’s a long rivalry between the schools,” I informed her while leading us through the crowd to find the seats Dad managed to reserve for us. Mom preferred sitting in the viewing box, but I enjoyed being in the fray of things so she’d compromised for me.
“Are you sure this is where you want to be?” she asked me once we sat down.
We weren’t just in the thick of it, we had a perfect view of the players on both teams. I’d be able to see Dakota… and I’d be able to make out Tyler too.
I opened my mouth to confirm there was no problem. Before I could get the words out, my eyes landed on Lizzy. She was across the stadium wearing a red tank that said, “Tyler’s” with matching shorts. I scoffed at the outfit and how she’d cut her usually waist-length brown hair into a blunt bob. The people around her were all familiar. Friends of friends that I used to party with. They all looked happy and like they were having a great time. I guess all my wishing for her to be miserable didn’t work. I sighed at the realization I was the miserable one today. Seeing her made me feel even worse.
I thought I worked through everything. I didn’t necessarily forgive, but I found a way to accept. Lizzy and Tyler didn’t deserve any more thought. Perhaps, I’d confused avoidance with growth. Now that I saw her smiling and laughing like she wasn’t one of the cruelest people on the planet, I felt the twisting urge to do something again. Something that would remind her that other people existed. That I existed.
“Emelia?” Mom asked, placing a hand on my shoulder and bringing me back from my blinding rage.
I blinked, tearing my gaze away from Lizzy. “Yeah?”
“I asked if you wanted something to drink? The concession looked pretty cheap for a game this big. I’m thinking they’re going to start rising prices once kickoff starts.”
I nodded and tried to take a deep, calming breath. “That sounds good. I’ll have a fruit punch.”
Once Mom left my side, the cheerleaders and mascots began their lineup to help welcome the players. I forced myself to my feet like everyone else when Amber U came on the field. My shaky heads felt better in my pockets as I watched familiar guys jog onto the green.
