The First Rule

Chapter 17b: Red, Right, and Blue

Inside the stadium, you go to your assigned seats. The energy in the stadium is palpable, with fans roaring and waving banners in support of their respective teams. You and Tyler find yourselves seated on opposite sides of the bleachers, each cheering for a different team, for the first time.

Catching Tyler's eye from across the field, you sport a mischievous grin then playfully stick out your tongue, teasing him for supporting the losing team. Tyler mouths 'Traitor', then sends you an eye to eye gesture. You both squint your eyes, but then an amused lopsided smirk spreads across his face before you burst out laughing.

From beside you, Dominic darts his eyes between the two of you as he curses under his breath,'This fucking guy.'

You swear you could hear him mumble something and quickly glance at him, asking, "Did you say something?"

"No, no," he flashes a fake smile, then offers you the sweet popcorn. The aroma of the sweet popcorn immediately lights up your face as you eagerly place your hand on the box. Your eagerness at munching them surprises him, evident in the chuckle that escapes his lips, immediately turning his bad mood around. To your surprise, he gently taps your right cheek, momentarily stopping you from munching. Feeling a rush of warmth to your cheeks, you smile sheepishly as you continue munching, stealing glances at him before averting your gaze to the field.

Across the field, someone is glaring at the scene with annoyance, turning his attention quickly to the game. However, his eyes dilate in an instant as he realizes that good fortune might've sided on him this time—the score displayed on the big screen is neck and neck.

"Final game of the series, Dan. Okay, who's yours?"

"I think—clearly it's going to be The Blue Crew, Ohani swung the ball well the last few times—I expect him to hit his first big league home run today on the first deck—"

"Ookay looking forward to it. It's going to be The Boys in Blue instead of The Boys in Red according to Dan Berns. What do you say? A fastball?"

"Exactly. Come on.. come on.."

Saying the exact same thing as the commentator, Tyler clasps his hands together in a praying motion, hiding his face behind them as he watches the player step up to bat. As the ball bolted to his side.. he swung the bat with all his might—connecting with the ball in a perfect arc! Time seems to slow down as the ball soars through the air..

"What a hit! Aaand he's off like a shot! He's like lightning on the basepath!"

Cavill grips the edges of his seat as he rounds third and heads for home. The crowd is on their feet, cheering him on with every step.. and..

HOMERUN!

Tyler and the crowd goes wild, jumping to their feet and cheering at the top of their lungs. The Dodgers players rush onto the field, swarming their teammate as they celebrate their hard-earned win. The euphoria is contagious as fans hug each other, high-fiving and cheering with joy.

And.. ladies and gentlemen.. for the first time ever, I'm on the losing team. Well, professionally speaking, I chose The Sox because I supported my date, right? It's not like I picked them—

As you scan the scene, you notice Luke looking utterly stunned, his gaze fixed on the field with a blank stare. Beside him, Scott opens his hat, clenching them on his lap and closes his eyes as if offering a silent prayer—perhaps hoping Tyler will forget about the bet. Far behind them, Brad stares at the field while Tara gently pats his back. Turning your attention to the far right, you spot your favorite couple. Eve nonchalantly eats her hotdog while also patting crying Wyatt, phone in his hand—the weeaboo dance Tiktok playing on the screen.