BET

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kasia

I make my way back to my seat, plopping down onto the metal bleachers defeatedly. Eventually, halftime ends, and the teams return to the field. I spot Jonathan in the huddle with his teammates as they discuss their plays for the second half of the game. He jumps up and down, seemingly having a newfound energy.

When they break their formation and move towards the center of the field where our team is getting into position, I watch as he walks up and nods towards the opposite team. A second later, he is standing to his full height and making a gesture like he is blowing a kiss towards the stands where I sit. My eyes widen, watching silently and glancing around me in hopes that no one else notices. One look at each of the guys on the field and I realize my hopes are futile.

They start their play, and the game continues as it had in the first half. But now, the other team begins to catch up, just as Jonathan promised that they would. They score over and over, tied with our team by the time the game goes into the fourth quarter. The tension on the field is palpable even all the way in the stands where I sit. From the bleachers, I can see one of the members of the opposing team as they lean forward across the divide between the two teams, making quick gestures with his hands and looking like he is saying something to one of the helmet-covered players on our team.

A second later, that player is charging at the guy and a fight breaks out between the two teams. Everyone around me stands and gasps sound from all the family members and fans watching the altercation. It takes the other players on the sidelines, all the coaches, and the referees to break them apart; dragging guys away who remove their helmets and throw them across the field at each other, screaming profanities that can be heard throughout the stadium.

I see the one that started it all, the same brilliant smile that he had when he was talking to me earlier, shining as he is being dragged off the field with blood dripping down his face. Across from him is Keagan, his helmet removed to show his short, sweat soaked hair and the smeared eye black on his cheeks.

The same cocky expression that I have been met with time and time again is spread over his face now, only it is intensified even more by the profanities he screams across the field at Jonathan, pointing at him with the bloody knuckles that must have been the weapon he used to give Jonathan that cracked nose that spills blood all down the front of his face and onto his jersey.

I swallow roughly, my heart rate increasing as my eyes glance just behind Keagan where Henry and Simon are in a similar state, being dragged away from the members of the other team, all of them disheveled and shouting at Jonathan and his teammates.

Once the two teams are finally broken apart and the injured members are being tended to on their separate sides of the field, the game finally continues, the referees taking more caution than before to call out any aggressive plays. Which seems to be enough to ensure that the rest of the game continues without any more violent outbursts.

The buzzer sounds to call the game, and thankfully our team pulls out on top and takes the win. The bleachers erupt in cheers around me, and the family members of the players rush out of their seats to go and congratulate their players. I stay where I am, watching past the crowd of people to keep my eye on three players on our team and number 26 on the other team.

When the teams head to the locker room, I leave my spot on the bleachers and stand outside the door where they walk out, remembering when I waited for the guy's here before, the night all three of us got together for the first time. I shift where I stand, clearing my throat as if someone around me could hear my thoughts as I recall that night in the back of the car.

Just like before, player after player walks out of the locker room past me, but none are the three that I am looking for. I glance around me, seeing no one nearby that might be able to see what I am about to do and stop me. With a quick exhale, I push myself off the wall and move towards the door, shoving it open and heading into the team's locker room.