The Introvert and the Football Player

Chapter Twenty Seven

Bo's POV:
The game wasn't the same when I wasn't playing. It seemed to move slower than it should've; the fifteen minute quarters seemed to last for hours. We were winning which was a surprise. The new quarterback who was taking Jason's position had struggled all week to fit into the team's groove. We weren't playing anyone big enough to give us trouble. I looked behind me to see Nova half paying attention to the game and half talking to Valerie. Ashton had been telling everyone he was going to date Valerie since they got on the field for warmups. Nova looked up at the game as we scored another touchdown, and she met my eyes. She smiled and waved at me as Valerie was talking her ear off.

Ashton went on the field to kick the field goal, and all the girls went crazy. The cheerleaders started cheering the cheer they reserved for when Ashton stepped on the field. I looked at Valerie, and she looked like she wanted to go tell everyone he was hers. And if she did that, she'd probably shout it over the loud speaker. Ashton kicked it into the net perfectly, and everyone went even crazier. I walked up to Nova and Valerie because sitting on the bench was getting boring. Nova stood on her tip-toes to kiss me from behind the fence, and Valerie was practically stroking out. Nova grinned at me as I pulled back and said "You look cute in your jersey." And then she kissed me again.

Valerie wasn't paying attention to us anymore because Ashton had walked up to her. She was blushing brightly at whatever he was saying. Ashton practically hopped the fence and pressed his lips to hers, and the whole stadium got quiet. As Ashton pulled away you could hear him call Valerie his before he walked back onto the field.

*****
I watched Nova as she walked around my room looking for a shirt of mine for her to wear. It was a last minute decision for her to stay here with me so my room was covered in late assignments, clothes, and food that hasn't been ate yet. She made a disgusted face at me when she found my pizza box from last night.

"The way you live in here should be deemed unsanitary." She told me as she looked through my closet. "If I would've known you were coming back with me, it wouldn't look as bad as this babe." I said. She laughed at my remark and continued looking for a shirt. I watched her until she turned to face me with a determined look on her face. "Give me your jersey?" She half demanded, half asked. I pulled it off quickly and said "Yes ma'am."

Nova went to the bathroom to change into my clothes, and I changed quickly before she came back. I was looking out of my window when she came back, and I could hear her stop suddenly as if something was wrong. "What is it?" I asked as I turned to face her. Her face was flushed and her ocean eyes had a wild look in them. "You don't have on a shirt. I've never seen you without a shirt." She told me softly. It suddenly hit me then that she might be uncomfortable with me not wearing a shirt, and that she'd only begun to feel comfortable around me in any way. "I can put one on if that's what you prefer." I told her. Nova looked up at me warily as if she was fighting some battle within herself. "No. Please don't, it's just little things like that are hard to deal with." Nova told me. I could tell by the way she was looking at me that she meant what she'd just said. "I'll leave one on until I go to sleep how about that?" I offered. Nova smiled and nodded, and I felt some unknown pressure lift off of my chest. "By the way you look hot in my jersey." I told her. Nova's cheeks flamed at my compliment, and her eyes never left mine as I pulled on my shirt.

*****
I woke up from my sleep very disoriented. Nova was no longer beside me, and it was 3:30 in the morning. Did she even come home with me at all? I couldn't see my shy little Nova coming home from to the game with me. I heard silent sniffling in the corner; and there she was, crying her eyes out. She was trying to be quiet for my sake I could tell, but I didn't understand why she was crying. "Babe, what's wrong?" I mumbled, sleep was still thick in my voice. "Wha?" She asked. I could hear how hoarse her voice was which I could only guess that she'd been up crying for awhile. "Come back to bed. We can talk about it in the morning if you want." I told her. I heard her sniffle one more time before she got up. Nova's joints popped as she got up off the floor, another sign that she'd been down there for a long time. As she got into bed, she laid down close to me.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and listened to her breathing slow down. I fell asleep after awhile, but I couldn't shake the fact that something was about to change.

~~~~~~~~~~
Nova's POV:
2:30 a.m.

What the hell did I just see? Bo had fallen asleep while we watched reruns of Family Guy, so I'd taken to looking around his room. His room was how I'd imagined would be-- blue painted walls, football posters, assignments scattered all around, his clothes were everywhere; but at the same time it seemed clean.  It was his room, his space; I loved it.

But as I was looking through his things from freshman year, he seemed to have them in piles by year, I saw it. The program from Emily's funeral. I kept going through the papers, and I saw letters from a parole officer, I'm guessing. I saw pictures of the team from my freshman year, and they were from the party in which Emily died. "Oh my god." I whispered. I began to cry then, and I couldn't find it within me to stop.

9:00 a.m.
I woke up dazed and confused, and I didn't know where I was. A heavy arm was wrapped around me, and I could feel a slinky material on my body. I tried to remember where I was but I couldn't. I groggily remembered last night: Bo and I went to the football game, we came back here, and I found his stash of things that should be associated with Emily.

I struggled to move out of Bo's grasp and eventually gave up all together. If I didn't get out of here I knew I'd start crying right here and now. If I had to look into those eyes of his that were so familiar but unknown, I'd be mush. I'd cry, and I'd fly into hysterics. A whimper escaped from me then, and I could feel Bo stirring around me. "Nova?" He asked. His voice was husky with sleep, and I could feel tears prick my eyes. "Baby answer me." He said again. I slightly shook my head no. No I couldn't answer him; I couldn't look at him.  He turned me to face him, and he looked scared of me. "Nova, please, talk to me." Bo begged me.

"You knew her. You knew Emily, and you didn't tell me. She was my best friend. You were at the party that night that she died." I told him. I could feel him tense around me; he didn't bother trying to answer.

As each second that passed, I could find myself slipping further and further into my shell. The one everyone worked so hard to bring me out of, and I was crashing back into it. Thanks to Bo Tyler Smith.