deep blue eyes // Antoine Griezmann

Chapter 11 - The Dinner

After the game officially ends, I turn to the three girls. "Where are you guys going to change into your clothes for the dance?"

"I don't know," Tori grins. "But you've forgotten about dinner, Sage."

"Oh yeah," I laugh. "Let's go, then?"

The three girls nod, and on the way out of the football pitch, to the school building to the cafeteria, we talk.

Rachel says, nudging my ribs, "Sage, your Limbo was really impressive. Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Nowhere, I swear. I literally just did it."

"Naw, girl, you're lying," Elizabeth laughs.

"I'm not, though!" I giggle.

Then Tori says, "That goal Neymar made was awesome!"

"All three of Messi's were awesome, though. Messi's unstoppable," Elizabeth says.

"Whoa, do you like him now, too, Eliza?" Tori laughs.

"Nah, she's just spitting facts, is all," I grin as we get in line to get our free dinner. "But did you guys see the whole thing with Griezmann? You guys see what I did?!"

"Yeah, Sage," Rachel says quietly, in an annoyed tone, rolling her eyes.

I decide not to make any comment on that. Her jealousy can't ruin my evening. Not tonight.

Just as the four of us get our dinner, the football guys walk in. I'm pretty sure basically all eyes are on them. A few of their girlfriends come over to them and give them a hug or a kiss and congratulate them. Luckily, no girls go up to Griezmann and do that.

"So, Eliza, you're going to sit with the football guys at dinner because Mbappe is sitting there?" Tori asks.

"Well, maybe... I also want to sit with you guys, though."

"You wanna know what I was thinking?" Rachel grins.

"What?" I ask.

"We all could just casually sit down with them, you know? I mean, I doubt no girls will be brave enough to. They're, like, the school celebs. But why can't we go over and sit with them? I say we do it, you know? Talk with some of our crushes. Like Tori, you can talk with Neymar..."

"Sure," she grins. "Even though Neymar already has a girlfriend, sure! I'm in."

"Same," I say nervously. I make a point not to make eye contact with Rachel, not wanting to see the look in her eyes.

We wait until some of the footballers sit down, claiming where they're group will be sitting. Before too many guys sit down, Elizabeth walks over to Mbappe and sits down next to him, saying simply, "Hey."

He nods back to her. "Hey... What was your name?"

She giggles, embarrassed, and says, "Elizabeth."

"Oh, yeah, right," he nods. "Elizabeth. Hey."

At this same moment, Neymar is strutting over, laughing as he tells Messi something. It's kind of hard for these two not to turn every head in the room.

Even Rachel's head is turned towards them.

Well, while those two are sitting down, someone else is, too.

Griezmann.

While Rachel is preoccupied with looking at Neymar's handsome face and the best footballer in the school and likely the whole world, Messi, I casually slip in the spot next to Griezmann with my tray.

He glances over, and suddenly, a huge grin is on his face. He leans in close to me, and our eyes are so close.

His beautiful dark ocean eyes. I have never thought I've ever been able to view them, this close.

Butterflies like crazy in my stomach. I just want to scream. I just want to hug him and cry, because he's my obsession.

"Sage," he says my name so quietly, and I love how my name sounds in his smooth, lower voice.

"Yeah?"

He grins. I love his smile. "I heard you out there. I saw what you pointed out to me."

I grin back at him. "I could tell you did, because right after that, you did exactly what I envisioned in my mind. You even went in the exact place on the pitch where I was looking you should go."

"Thanks," he says, and lifts his arms for a second, before lowering them again. "I was 'bout to hug you like I do with the guys, but then I realized people would look at us weird." He laughs.

Of course I don't, but I'm quite tempted to tell him no, it's okay, you can hug me. You can hug me all you want, Griezmann, all you want.

I glance up to see Rachel sitting down diagonal from me and Antoine Griezmann. This situation still seems too good to be true.

"So," he says, drawing my attention back to him. He leans his cheek on his hand as he puts some food in his mouth. He chews it, then makes the comment, with a funny little smirk on his face, "I saw the whole Limbo thing."

I feel myself blush, and I really hope he doesn't see it. "Oh, yeah. Where were you watching from? Weren't you getting ready for the game at that point?"

"We were already ready at that time. We were standing at the gate to the pitch at that point, and I saw the perfect view of you."

Just this statement makes my heart skip a beat.

WHY DOES ANTOINE GRIEZMANN HAVE TO BE SO PERFECT?

"Oh, and what did you think?" I ask him.

He shrugs, opening his ice cream sandwich. "Impressive."

"You think?"

"Sure," he nods, glancing at me. Love him.

He waits a few seconds, taking a few bites of his ice cream sandwich, before asking, quieter, "You get my note?"

"Yeah," I smile.

"I figured you helped me out during the game because you saw that note."

I smile broadly, "I would've done it without the note, likely, but I'm really thankful you gave me that note, and I'm happy you forgive me, because I forgive you, too. And I'd like to do the stupid Health project with you, even if it's stupid Health."

"Good." He grins back at me with a playful wink. Oh. My. God. Now he's winking at me? He is he trying to kill me, or what? I can't believe he doesn't know I like him yet... Well, I hope he doesn't find out, because that would make things between us weird.

He finishes his ice cream sandwich, simply saying, "I want to do the stupid Health project with you too, Sage, even if it's stupid Health." Now he's mirroring my words.

He looks, again, into my eyes, his eyes twinkling like the sky right after a rough storm, the Sun just coming back.

God, I love this boy.

I love this boy.