Catch My Fall | ✔

19. One Kiss

As promised, Romeo saved seats for Andre and me. We took the two seats right at the end with me in the middle of them. From what I could tell, Romeo didn't have any issues with Andre. They immediately started talking about some Xbox game they played together the other night. Nia was wrong. Romeo and Andre were friends.

There were plenty of other reasons Romeo could've been acting weird. Maybe the rift between us was because I wasn't spending as much time with him. People used to joke about us being joined at the hip. And if he wasn't with me, that meant he was probably spending more time at home with Rashad. That perfectly explained his weirdness. I had to remember to ask him about it later.

My thoughts were so preoccupied with Romeo and Andre that I didn't notice Jason sitting on the other side of Romeo until he said something about Leo the Lion, Valle Vista High's mascot. Otherwise known as Keraun Hudson. Jason had a sign ready, a poorly drawn lion surrounded by the words "Go Leo!".

Keraun, or Leo, raced around the court, pumping his arms to get the crowd to cheer louder. It amazed me that the guy in the lion suit was the same boy I've hung out with since middle school. He was always so quiet when he was with us. You'd never tell by the way he acted when he became Leo.

Andre was very into the game once it started. With the way he talked about football, I'd assumed he didn't feel passionate about sports at all. I was wrong. Evident by the way he yelled at the ref after he called a foul on one of the Valle Vista girls. I was glad everyone on our side of the gym was booing and drowning him out. Some of what Andre said would've definitely gotten him in trouble.

"Is it just me," Romeo said from my other side, "Or is the squeaking of their shoes super loud?"

"Not just you," I said, noticing the small bag of pretzels in hand and stealing the last two.

His eyes narrowed at me as I popped them both into my mouth. I smiled back as sweetly as possible.

The rest of the game went on like that. Andre on my right, spewing basketball terminology I didn't understand. Romeo to my left, keeping count of how many boogers the little girl two rows down from us ate.

"She can't have more in there." The little girl had her finger up her nose again.

"Well, she determined to find something," I said, unable to look away.

"She's gonna find brain matter."

I snorted, laughing harder when the girl's mom caught her and snatched her hand out her nose.

"Hey." I turned to find Indy standing in the aisle. She was all smiles for Andre, but when her gaze flicked to me, her lips flattened into a thin line.

"What's up?" I said cautiously. "Aren't you performing soon?"

"Yeah, I just need Jerome's help with something," she said, waving for him to follow her.

Romeo and I shared a look. He knew as well as I did that Indy never asked him for favors. Indy didn't address him at all if she could help it. Still, he stood and followed her down the steps and out of the gym.

"What was that about?" Andre asked, sitting back in his seat.

I shrugged, glancing at the door as Romeo and Indy disappeared through it. What could she possibly want with him?

"You don't really like basketball, do you?"

I turned to Andre. Andre, the guy I was on a date with. The one I'd been ignoring all night. What was wrong with me?

"Sorry," I said. "Was it that obvious?"

"You just seemed...distracted."

He was talking about Romeo. Guilt flooded my stomach. "Sorry," I said again, weakly.