Taint Of Innocence

My prayers were answered

The game ended with a whopping loss for Brookville 10-34 Lomaha Falls. It was almost painful to watch. Almost as painful as the cheerleader's ruitine when they performed a complicated and tight number to some upbeat and quite annoying techno song during halftime. I would shoot myself before I would let myself dance and tumble around like a robot in a slut-ified miniskirt. Still looking at the scoreboard, I swear it had dropped ten degrees in the last thirty seconds. I wrapped my arms around my shivering torso, and Dad sensed my discomfort, putting a warm arm around me. I smiled a small smile up to him, and he smiled back. Carole had left before the game had even ended. 

“Sorry if it wasn’t what you’re used to--” Dad started. I shook my head against his shoulder. 

“No, it was fun.” I interjected. He smiled back down at me, and I returned it, wrapping an arm around his waist as we made our way down from the bleachers. I breathed in the brisk night air, trying to ignore the dull stab in my chest every time I would take a breath. I should get home and under blankets soon. 

“Oh, hey guys.” I heard Dad say, eyes on a group of boys a few yards away from us. My eyes recognized Will in the white glow of the field lights. He sent a smile my way, and I nodded, returning it slightly. 

“Hey Dad, Charles.” Will nodded back and chuckled. I noticed three more people standing with him: a broad-shouldered guy with cinnamon colored skin and a nice smile; an Asian boy with nice hair and lanky arms; and the player who had been shoved into the wall. He was smirking at me, his eyes raking over my body, and I immediately felt uncomfortable. 

“Charlie, this is Gerard, Stefan and Michael” Finn pointed to the boys as they two of them waved shyly but smiled warmly. I smiled back. 

“Guys, this is my sister. She just moved here from New York and’ll be starting here tomorrow.” I rolled my eyes in a funny, but strained way toward them, and some chuckled. Michael, I noticed, was still looking me up and down, stopping at my face every now and then. I shifted my weight uncomfortably, rubbing my forearm awkwardly. Gereard stepped forward, extending a hand. 

“Well then Charlie, good luck for your first day.” I smiled up at him and shook his hand. Gerard’s eyes didn’t leave my face as I looked over to Stefan who came over as well. 

“NYC, huh?” He asked in a polite but funny way. I chuckled, shaking his hand, too. 

“Yeah. Not as exciting as it sounds.” I smirked and they both chuckled. Gerard’s smile grew and Stefan put his hands in his jacket pockets. 

"So, you guys are on the school team with this nut?” I asked, throwing a wide smile back toward Will. He beamed, shaking his head. I heard all of them chuckle now, even Michael who’d been quite. I looked at Will. 

“Sorry ‘bout the good luck thing back there.” I smiled apologetically. “Good luck is kind of karma just waiting to unfold on a football field.” He shook his head and was about to say something when Michael interrupted, suddenly at my side. 

“Nah, we just suck.” He pointed out nastily. I looked at the other boys and wondered if that was something to say in front of his teammates. 

"Do you have another game soon?" I asked.

“Uh…we have one tomorrow?” Will said awkwardly, fiddling with his jacket as he looked at me. Gerard and Stefan responded with a chorus of affirmatives. 

“Yeah! You have to come to the Long Pond game tomorrow! It’s a big game for us!” Gerard said enthusiastically. I smiled again at his eagerness. Stefan and Will nodded their heads repeatedly. 

“Uh, sure, I’d have to check with my dad but I’m sure it’ll be fine.” They smiled at me again. “And I promise I will not wish anybody good luck.” I smirked, and I heard my dad call my name. I turned, my legs still facing the boys, and gave my dad a fake exasperated look. He chuckled, waving his hand for us to go again. 

“You have to leave?” Gerard asked, only half dejectedly. I smiled in his direction. 

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” I said, backing away with my hands in my back pockets, smiling again. I hadn’t realized that it had gotten a lot colder in the course of the conversation. I could see my breath clouds every time I exhaled. Gerard and Stefan were just about to say something when out of nowhere Michael is in my line of vision, directly in front of me. 

“Hey, sweetheart, I’m Michael. But I'll let you call me Mike.” He said in that same cocky attitude. I stumbled back a step from his outstretched hand. He only got closer, his fingertips grazing the front of my sweater. I looked at him in surprise, still a little peeved at his attitude. I smirked at him, leaning purposefully to the side to better see the other guys I had been talking to. 

“A little cocky one, you’ve got here.” The guys all laughed loudly, coming closer. 

“You got that right, Charlie.” Will said walking towards me. Gerard was still smiling like a crazy person, and my gaze lingered on his before I turned to Stefan. 

“See you tomorrow Charlie,” he winked slowly, and I felt my cheeks flush. Smiling once more, it turned a little sour as I started to back away from Michael’s still outstretched hand. God, he looked so…aggravating. I lightly slapped his hand with my shivering, cold one in an almost horizontal high-five, but I meant for it to be a jab at his ego. 

“Pleasure to meet you, Mike.” I said with a little bite to my soft words, smirking behind him to Gerard and Stefan before turning around on my heels and walking into the parking lot along with the bestest bro in the world towards my dad’s car. A shiver racked my spine, my sides hurting and my breaths coming out in bigger puffs. My hands trembled deep inside my pockets, almost numb. I prayed my dad had the heat blasting in the car.

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My prayers were answered, I hopped into my dad’s oven of a car, shutting the door softly and buckling my seatbelt slowly. I felt sluggish, like my joints were made of sand. I needed to get to sleep. 

“You okay?” Will asked carefully. I turned to look at him, the concern practically dripping from his eyes, the same way his eyebrows bunched in the middle, his jaw locked. I managed one laugh. 

“Y-Yeah. Just a little c-cold.” I stammered. The heat was good, but my bones were still racking, my sides beginning to burn now instead of just hurt. 

“Just close you’re eyes, we’ll be back before you know it.” Dad rubbed my knee softly as he pulled away from Brookville High. Sighing, I closed my eyes and rested my head against the headrest. I faintly heard Queen on the radio, and I tapped my foot in time to the familiar beat. 

“So…they seem nice.” I said. Not wanting him to have to carry me out of his car and into the house, I kept myself talking, my eyes still closed and my breathing now under control.As my eyes opened, I lifted my head to look out the dark window. I heard my dad expel a breath. I sat up slowly, discreetly wiping my eyes as I stood up surprisingly steady, only leaning against the car door once. My dad took my arm without a word, guiding me up the stone walk. He led me up the stairs and to my bedroom door, and I gave him a quick hug before I opened the door and closed it quickly, putting my back against it and sliding down. 

My head banged against the white door, my room dark and silent. I swallowed the huge lump inside my throat, huffing up to my feet as I changed into the first pair of sweats I could find in my suitcase and climbed into bed. Wrapping my arms into the huge, warm covers and curling my legs to my tight chest as I fell into a deep sleep.