The Relationship Status (1)

Jennifer

Today is the big football game. The football game. The one that's the day after prom. Yeah, that one. Usually, we're pumped for any football game at our school since we get to watch Donnie let his anger out by kicking somebody else's butt instead of Jordan's. And since it's football, he won't get in trouble for doing so since it's only a "game!"

But this time I felt different. Like, when I woke up that morning, I got a funny feeling in my stomach every time I thought of the game. Like, I thought something was gonna go wrong... I tried to forget about it but it'd still creep back into my brain.

As soon as I got on the bus and sat with Steph that morning, I told her what I was feeling and all she could assume was that I was just excited for the game. So I just went with it and tried to remind myself that. I didn't feel strong about it, but I just continued to tell myself that. I know she was more than ecstatic to go and see her, quote unquote, "big, strong, man, tackle a bunch of Mark clones." I just smile at Steph and eye roll behind her back.

Next, Jordan got on the bus. Since Stephanie was in an extra chipper mood because she's seeing her "big man" play at the game tonight, she gave Jordan a random question.

Jordan sat across from us and Stephanie asked from the window seat, "Jordan, what do you love most about Jennifer?" I blushed a little at the question and smiled at Jordan.

He replied with wide eyes, "Oh gosh! She's so many things! I guess what I love most about her is she isn't just one thing. She's so much larger than that." I got up from my seat and passionately kissed Jordan out of his answer.

Finally, Donnie got on and sat next to Jordan. As soon as I saw him, my stomach rolled over in a bad thing. Does this mean Donnie's a victim of whatever this bad feeling is? "Hey, gang! What's happening?! Who's ready for the big game tonight?!" My stomach rolled over again when he said game.

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Tonight's the big night! My stomach was feeling more anxious than ever. I just felt like something was gonna go down, but I wasn't sure what. All I could tell Stephanie was just to stay precocious but she told me it was all in my head or maybe I was actually nauseous from the cafeteria's hamburgers. But that's impossible because I've been feeling that way since the minute I woke up. I feel like it'll be one of those things where it comes out of nowhere or it just subtly happens where we don't realize it.

That's what I feared the most. Like, it'll just happen and before I know it, everything will slip away from me.

I heard the crowd begin to cheer while Jordan and I sat in the bleachers. I saw Stephanie at the bottom go to give Donnie a kiss right before he ran out to the field. And right before Steph went back up the bleachers to sit with us, some guy stopped her and started talking to her. I couldn't see his face but it gave the vibe of him flirting on her! Steph looked like she was blushing a little but trying to avoid conversation and she just couldn't get up the stairs 'cause he wouldn't stop talking to her! I got scared every once in a while that Steph flirted back with him, but I could never tell and I couldn't focus on the game anymore. But when I looked back at the field they were taking a break and I saw Donnie run into the girls' locker room with someone. I thought it was Stephanie but I knew it couldn't have been because she was standing right there.

Maybe it was -- No. There's no way. Well, maybe...

Jordan rattled all of my thoughts out of my brain when he shook a crinkly bag of M&Ms right in my ear. "You want some? You look like your blood sugar went low." Ok, how would he know?! I took the bag anyway and shoved some M&Ms into my mouth. I hope nothing terrible is going on beyond the football field. But for some reason, I knew I could only dream...