Paper Crowns

CHAPTER 13: NEW YORK

"Ladies and Gentlemen, and the not so gentlemanly, welcome to Harlow Canterbury High's welcome football game against Stonewall High! The season has our boys here training hard and there all out there on the field."

The announcer began in a cheery voice and the crowd howled to sound of the wind rustling up energy. Red shirts and flags flapped about in the wind, rivalling Harlow Canterbury's blue with several onlookers who awaited the big match. The cheerleading squad was in position, practicing their final routines, a tasteful mess of red and silver. The turnout was incredibly good, with loud yells that ricochet off the invisible walls of Harlow Canterbury's Field. As promised to Freddy, Ash reached the local football grounds in the signature red jacket supporting the school's football team. The shady weather had not stopped being unpredictable - the late afternoon sun settling to a more subtle orange colour.

The football grounds were filling in with parents, children and high schoolers from all over New York. The AstroTurf ground was almost a stadium - artificial powerful lights stooping high. The wind whipped her hair and she stared at the field. Her school team in red was warming up and even though she didn't understand one word of American football, Ash knew this game was important to the school. Technically, sport was important to Stone Wall to establish presidency over other private schools. Freddy winked at her from the middle of the field, strapping his pads and helmet in place. Ash rolled her eyes at him.

Get lost. She mouthed to him, playfully.

You wound, he mouthed back, clutching his chest, his lips curling into a delightful smile from beneath the wired surface of the helmet. Her eyes came into contact with Bradley and he passed on a cold smile, she tactfully ignored. Harlow Canterbury's school team that had made to the states last year; a vicious looking team with heavy weights who looked nothing but ruthless with a knack of crunching bones.

Stonewall High's team looked smaller in comparison but they had strategy. Ash could see that as soon as the match began with the roaring crowd, jumping in their seats, craning heads over the other to watch. Devon was playing for the team; his name was chanted louder than anyone else with Sasha on the lead on the adjacent stands. He was a good strategist; Bradley's annoyed face told Ash that. He took control better, gave his team mates a full chance, instead of only maintaining defense. And he was fast. Swifter than anyone on the field, zooming past with the ball clutched in his arms.

"Touchdown!"

Stonewall High won, hands down. As the last whistle blew, she went down the stands to where Freddy and Devon stood having a heated conversation, sweat dripping down both their faces despite the rest of them still being in sweaters.

"Water anyone? After such an intense match I think you'd die out of dehydration." Ash broke between them with an extended hand, the bottle shaking between two fingers. Devon and Freddy turned around. "I made it, see?"

"What an honour! See, I told you, you were my good luck charm." Freddy snatched the bottle from her fingers, taking half of it down in two gulps. "I'm going to get Tommy for a treat - our old coach has long wanted this. All thanks to our superstar 55 here, our recent upgrade."

He clapped Devon on the shoulder and grinned at his friend. Ash saw he was trying hard not to be pleased - averting his gaze to the ground. She could see a lot of cheerleaders break into the field, red pom poms decorating the air. Soon enough the ground was broken by an incredible gymnastic cheer. She saw the frighteningly gorgeous Sasha talking around, her black hair swishing in the wind, her red lips matching her dress as her dark eyes roamed, piercing and settled on Devon flashing a smile.

Unsurprisingly, he didn't acknowledge it, he hardly ever showed any human emotions despite the large female attention given to him. And there was Freddy the flirt, standing with his arms around two girls he probably had never talked to before. Stonewall's football team grabbed Freddy fragments of conversations floating around about the after match party. Hoots, yowls and slapping each other rose into the atmosphere of celebration, much like a bunch of cannibals.