Forever Is Now

The Star

Mackenzie  |  pov

"I'm surprised to see you walking alone," Noah comes up from behind me as I walk to History. He is only asking me this because since I started dating Wayne, I hardly walk to class alone but he didn't show up to our usual meeting place and I was not going to wait for him.

I bump into Noah with my shoulder. "Yeah yeah, I'm a solo act today. I'm not always going to be walking around with Wayne, I am still my own girl," I do enjoy being alone sometimes because we are such a big group, that whenever we are outside the classroom, it's unlikely to find any of us alone. Like right now, Noah found me in the halls, it's likely that Noel and Alliyah are together.

"I know, Miss Independent. This is your stop, I'll see you at lunch," he points to my class's door and walks away.

I'm glad the dynamic between us has not changed but I still need to figure out how to tell him that he can't take me places anymore. It could change things between us and like I've said before, I really don't want to lose my friend.

▪▪▪

The week goes by effortlessly and it's finally Friday. Tonight, the boys have a football game and they are hyped by it.

"You are wearing my jersey to the game right?" Wayne looks at me with hope in his eyes. I nod and wink at him, he pulls me into his chest and my back is against him as we listen to the group argue over who is going to win the game.

" Let's make a bet. If you guys win this game, which I doubt, the girls will pay for our next group outing. If you lose, you guys will pay for anything we choose to do," Alliyah suggests. She has no faith that the boys will win this game, "You guys won against the Tigers, the last time you played them. If they haven't figured out how not to lose to you, they would just be dumb."

The boys look offended and I can feel Wayne laugh. He puts his palm flat on stomach and I quickly put my hands on my cheeks to cover my blush. "Cute," he whispers in my ear and I know he knows the effect he has on me.

"Okay, Mack gets final decision. The Zoo or The Aquarium?" Ivan says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I think for a little and everyone is staring at me. "We haven't been to the Zoo together and you guys don't know how to act in enclosed spaces, the Aquarium would drive y'all mad. So The Zoo it is," between the bickering and the loudness, any outside location is the best option, otherwise we'll get kicked out.

The bell rings to tell us that lunch is over and we make our way to class for the last 2 of the day. "I don't think I'll see you until the game. Here's my jersey. I'll see you tonight?" Wayne hands it to me at his locker.

"Are you nervous? I heard Luther mention scouts," I ask as I put the jersey in my backpack, the boys are nervous but are trying to cover it with being overly energetic and loud.

Wayne looks around as if he is thinking about what to say, "I am. I don't know if I should show out or play the way I always do. If I over do it, it's going to seem like I'm inconsistent. If I play too plain, I might be overlooked," he says.

I step foward and take his hand, "hey. The schools that are already looking at you have reached out. You just haven't committed yet. Do whatever feels comfortable. You don't want to look like you're forcing and end up fumbling the ball. I guess, you could find yourself somewhere in the middle. And I don't know how else you could show out, you do amazing in very game." Wayne has had multiple offers but has not committed. He is an amazing football player but something is holding him back from making a decision.

He bends down a little bit to kiss me and I kiss him back, " you always make me feel better. You sure I can't put you in my pocket and carry you around?" He smiles a little and we start walking towards my class.

"As long as you feed me. Okay, thank you for walking me here. We'll talk later?" I say to him as I walk to the class backwards.

"I'll call you," he says over the crowd running to thier classes before being considered late.

▪▪▪

"TOUCHDOWN WAYNE HOSKINS!!! ATHENA'S OLYMPIANS WIN" the voice over the speaker screams and the crowd goes completely crazy.

Wayne played so well tonight, that my throat is sore from all the cheering. Even though Alliyah bet against the boys, she is just as happy as all are and the girls have been screaming for their boyfriends the entire game as well.

Noel is the first to run off the bleachers into the crowd that gathered on the field to congratulate the boys. Daphne and Tiffany go next. "Go Mackenzie, I bet you is he is looking for you in that crowd," Alliyah pushes me foward.

I get into the field and realise how daunting this is, I am afraid of crowds, especially unruly ones. Everyone is jumping up and down. There's confetti and smoke and people all around, I almost turn around and go back to Alliyah. But I continue looking and find Wayne. He stops and stares at me for a moment and then jogs towards me. I'm so awestruck that I don't move and wait for him to get to me, he picks me up and spins us around. I can hear and feel his laugh and can't help joining him. "You did it Wayne. You were so amazing," I say as he stops spinning but doesn't put me down. My arms are on his shoulders to steady myself.

"Your words worked," he kisses me all over my face.

I laugh and kids him back, "I'm so proud of you," this is such a crazy feeling. I'm no longer afraid of my surrounds, just focussed on him.

He has the biggest smile on his face. "Thank you baby. Let me get you out of here," he puts me down and tucks me under his arm, to get us out of the crowd. So many people either tap his shoulder, give him high 5s and fist pumps, I lost count. As soon as we are out, he takes me to Alliyah at the parking lot. "I could hear you cheering, you're pretty loud. I saw you a few times as well."

I'm surprised. I tried to be as loud as possible in case he couldn't see me. "That is exactly what I wanted. And I'm wearing your jersey," I open my demin jacket to show it.

He laughs and kisses me, "it suits you baby. Hey, Alliyah," he says to Ally when we get to her.

She immediately claps her hands, "If it isn't Wayne The Star. You just had to win. Now I'm about to be broke,"

We both laugh at Alliyah, "All of us are going to be broke," I say to her to remind her that she included us in her bet.

"Ladies I need to go. My dad came to my game, so I'm going to find him and then I need to get back into the locker room," he says and kisses me on the cheek. "Y'all leaving now?" He asks.

I nod, "we have an early morning," we have practice early in the morning to prepare the game in the afternoon.

It's the last game, what could go wrong?

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