Only Us (Justin Fields)

|28| A Chance

Justin

After the spring game a little while ago I could feel a shift in my life. More people coming up to me and people who I already knew being more sociable. And it's to be expected, I know how much football means to this school. I'm well aware of what I have walked into. A new quarterback and a new era of football befalls the great Ohio State campus. A already storied school looking for more history. People got their first glimpse into what is ahead and they like what they saw. It was a good showing from all aspects and I hope it is a good omen for the future.

But one person has treated me the same from the moment we met until now, and it's the same reason I feel so comfortable when she is near. I know that I could totally shit the bed and she couldn't care less. She wants to see me do well but will still be here even if I don't. Especially when I don't. Though she has shown more of an interest in football it's been just to understand it better, therefore understand me better. Jaiden said she seemed into the game and she is making an effort to get to know it to get to know me too.

I decide to break it down for her and we play a little game of catch. Couldn't tell you the last time I got to just toss the ball around for fun. So I take her to the quad and bring the ball I gave her at the game. I hand it to her as she just stares at it.

"Is this where your fingers go" she asks pointing to the ball.

"Yeah. Those are the laces" I explain.

"Like shoe laces" she wonders.

"Kind of. It gives you a slots to grip the ball. Put your fingers in between the laces and that's how you accurately throw it" I explain showing her.

She gets her fingers in there but her hands were a little too small to grip it comfortably. I felt silly for not even thinking about that.

I placed my hand on top of hers so she can actually throw it. She turns around in my arms to look up at me. Those damn eyes will be the end of me, I just know it. So much wonder and so much fear in there. Yet there's a kindness that is only shown when I'm around, and I loved that about her.

"Okay. Now throw it like this" I say as I lift her hand up. I pull her arm back before helping her throw the ball. It wobbles for a little before straightening out. It drops about 20 yards out which isn't awful.

She turns to me with the biggest smile on her face. "Did you enjoy that" I ask.

"That was actually pretty fun! Let's do it again" she insists taking off to retrieve the ball.

I watch her walk away feeling pretty good. She doesn't have to like football. Tolerate it sure but nothing said she had to like it for us to be friends. It was cool to see her excited about this. Gave me a warm feeling inside.

I help her toss a few more before I stand across from her and she throws on her own. I catch her throw then toss it back because it takes a certain kind of gumption to catch a college pass. Don't think she was ready for that quite yet. There's a lot of guys who get heat for not being able to reel it in and I didn't want her to feel any of that heat.

"So what are your plans for the summer" I ask casually.

"I usually work the whole summer. That's where I save up money to use during the school year. I'll do a summer camp or a waitressing job to build up as much money as possible" she explains.

"Why don't you spend the summer with me" I suggest as I catch a ball she threw. Her eyes nearly pop out of her head as she looks at me funny. "It wouldn't be for the whole summer. We can come back at the end of July so you can still work. But you've spent all your time stuck in Ohio since you've moved out here. Working and going to school and never doing something that someone your age should be doing. It could be nice to get away. We can even plan a little trip. Plus my parents would love having you around. Jess is spending the summer at her college teaching basketball camps so you can hang in her room when we're at my dads, and I'm sure mom would clean out the spare in a heartbeat when she finds out you would be back" I insist.

"Justin" she sighs.

"I know I know. I'm asking a lot. And maybe it's for selfish reasons. Maybe I don't want to think about being apart for so long. Maybe I can't fathom the idea of you being here and me not being able to be with you. Who knows if those are good enough reasons? But they're reasons" I say.

"I don't want to put myself in a situation where I am not what you want anymore but I'm stuck there anyway" she confesses. I figured it was something like that.

I shake my head because she had it all wrong. "I need you there, it's not a want. A selfish need that I know to be true. If I have to spend a summer away from you I swear I would lose my mind. You are what I want. There's no other way to put it. But I won't guilt you into coming and I will not make this decision for you. I respect your privacy, I know how important that is to you. But it would mean a lot of you came home with me" I admit.

I can tell she was thinking hard. I adore her thinking face. How her eyebrows furrow and her nose scrunched up.

"Can we still drive" she asks and I smile.

"Yeah we can drive. Wherever you want. I know you said you wanted to go to New York so maybe we can make a trip up there" I insist.

"You remember that" she gasps.

"Your dreams are beautiful, and I very much want to be a part of them" I assure her.

"Okay" she sighs. "Let's do this."

"Let's do it" I cheer.

We finish up with the throwing session and I walk her back to her place. We get to the door and she turns around. She has this soft smile I've never seen before. She was almost relaxed. At ease.

"You're not too bad" I tease as I toss her the ball.

"Sometimes it's not whether or not we're good or bad. It's whether we have a chance to try" she explains.

"I see" I nod. "And thank you for trying. For me" I admit.

"Only you" she promises.