Walking onto the soccer field on a bright Monday afternoon after school, I scan the crowd of parents for a certain blonde. Our soccer team, the Lady Tigers, sport ensembles of orange and navy blue as they warm up- Coach Evans directing them.
Amelia does drills for her position as the goalie, blocking every ball that dares to come near her net. As I walk by, Coach Evans notices me and shoots me a friendly wink. I smile and wave back at him, yelling, "Good luck, Coach!"
Arriving at the bleachers, I squint and shield the sun with my hand, looking over the crowd of people once more for a place to sit. In the midst of my search, I spot something out of the ordinary - an LA Dodgers baseball cap.
Unsurprisingly, it's Lizzie's head under that hat, as she's an LA native. The woman notices I've spotted her and turns her head to avoid eye contact. However, the only empty seat is next to her, and I have no other choice but to sit beside her.
I visit the concession stand and get a bag of popcorn, before strolling over to the blonde and taking my seat. As soon as I sit, she shakes her head and looks down at her feet before letting out a huff. Her reaction to my presence upsets me, but I try my best to use humor to lighten up the tension between us.
"Nice to see you, too. And you better take that hat off," I warn her, staring ahead at the players.
She turns to look at me, a confused look on her face. Returning her gaze, I explain, "You're wearing a Dodgers hat in New York City, you're gonna get yourself jumped." At this, she says nothing and once again continues staring ahead.
"Popcorn?" I ask, tilting the bag to her. Lizzie looks down at the bag and back up at my face with an annoyed expression. However, the corner of her mouth curls up in response to my question- an indication that her hardened exterior is already falling apart.
When she doesn't respond, I say, "Hmm, well, suit yourself." and throw a piece of popcorn in the air- attempting to catch it in my mouth. I miss.
A stifled chuckle escapes from her mouth at my antics, and I turn to her, grinning. She returns my smile and confesses, "I honestly would like some popcorn."
I chuckle and scoot closer to the blonde until our thighs almost touch, positioning the bag between us. Lizzie takes a handful and pops it into her mouth, mumbling, "Thanks" to me with a full mouth.
The game begins, and the blonde and I watch together in relative silence- save for our cheers every time the Lady Tigers score a goal.
About ten minutes into the game, a familiar ginger-haired woman strolls through the grass over to me, a grin spread across her face. I scoot further away from Lizzie and she turns to me- puzzled by my change in behavior.
"Hello, Darling," Scarlett says, standing in front of us. "Mind if I take a seat?" she asks me.
"Uh- I-," I stammer.
Before I can finish my answer, she squeezes between Lizzie and me, the blonde uncomfortable with the sudden change in our seating arrangement.
My colleague reaches into the bag of popcorn and grasps a few kernels before popping them into her mouth, watching the players. I stare at her in disbelief.
"Where's Amelia?" she asks Lizzie.
"Uh- she's number 21, the goalie," the blonde replies, pointing towards the goal. Scarlet nods, grabbing another handful of popcorn.
"Such a good kid," Scarlett tells Lizzie, praising her daughter. "Got a 98 on her ecosystem test, very impressive."
She looks over to the blonde and looks up at her hat- saying, "Take that off."
YOU ARE READING
Darling
Romance"I hesitate, unsure if I should take her trembling hand. Lizzie then mutters the first words she has spoken since this nightmare began. 'Please, Margot,' she says with a shaky breath. 'I need you.'" ~~~ Margot Darling is a teacher in her early twent...
