It was ironic how I was spending most of my free time with Penelope and Tobey when I originally believed it was going to be me and Leo going on dates, especially the weekends. I was grateful to still have them as friends, but it always felt like someone was missing. We didn't discuss Leo much, but I knew that he had completely broken off all ties from Tobey and Penelope too. It made me sad to know that Leo had even been skipping church services, and he was only spending time with Brad and his group. Since I didn't have anyone to go with to my own Homecoming, Tobey and Penelope invited me to join them for theirs. I was going to be with them at the big game on Friday night too, which made me nervous. I had pretended that Leo and I never dated to shield the pain, but he would be playing that night. I ended up putting on a blue sweater and a pair of jeans, since it was the beginning of October and fairly chilly. Tobey had a slick jacket on in the same color with white stripes near the sleeves, while Penelope had gone with a blue jumpsuit that complimented her. We made sure to get good seats and brought blankets along with us in case it began to rain.
"What number is Leo," I asked Penelope as the players started running out onto the field.
"He's number 8," she answered, looking over at me a bit concerned before drawing her attention back to the scene before us.
It was an intense game, and things got worse when rain started pelting everyone. It was almost too difficult to see as the boys slammed into each other, getting their uniforms muddy in the process. There wasn't any lightening, but it was a strong downpour, and I kept shivering as I attempted to cover my head with our thick, red plaid blanket. By the time it started to clear up they were minutes away from knowing the winner. The crowd went wild and jumped to their feet when Leo's team was victorious. I couldn't help but feel a hint of pride for how well Leo did, even if we were no longer together. I felt a wide smile spreading across my lips, since the positive energy around us was contagious. It fell just as quickly as it came though when Leo tore off his helmet, lifting it up into the air proudly as he grinned. I had forgotten how gorgeous he was even with new blemishes on his face. I was hoping he might look up and see me, and regret the way he treated his old friends. Just as I thought our eyes were going to lock, a cheerleader ran up to him, her blonde ponytail swinging before she kissed him in front of everyone. It felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart as I couldn't will myself to look away. I was starting to wonder if they would ever come up for air, until Brad clapped Leo on the back to lead him off with the other guys. I was still just staring after them as people started exiting the bleachers, Penelope gently touching my shoulder, since we needed to start moving too.
When we finally got settled in Tobey's car, she strained her neck to look at me from the passenger seat, since I was in the back.
"I'm so sorry, McKenna. We had no idea that Leo was interested in someone else," she genuinely apologized.
"It's okay," I claimed, crossing my arms as I gazed out the window. I kept watching everyone rushing to their cars as we waited for the parking lot to clear up.
"Are you sure you still want to go with us to the dance tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'm still going. I'm not going to let Leo ruin that for me too." I forced a smile as she did the same in return. To be honest though I tossed and turned that entire night, unable to get the image of Leo with another girl out of my mind. He had never kissed me like that before either, and I started to question how much he was into me even before Brad came into the picture.
The following day I found myself adjusting my sparkly, knee length yellow dress, double checking the white flats weren't pinching my toes too much. I curled my golden blonde hair and just let it fall over my shoulders, making sure that my wispy bangs weren't a mess. Tobey and Penelope arrived at my house to pick me up, but also to take pictures. They liked the view of my backyard, since it wasn't surrounded by city buildings. I was starting to feel a little better as Penelope had me join them for the photos, my dad happily snapping the shots for us. She was in a beautiful, shimmery dress that was dark blue at the top and then faded to light blue at the bottom. Tobey was just in a black suit and tie, but he looked nice as well.
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Delayed Reaction || Leonardo DiCaprio
Fanfic"You were the best thing that I ever had to let go."
