One In A Million

xliv

      Silently, I sat in the windowsill of Leo's dorm room with my phone in my lap and knee-high socks pulled between my fingers. With a deep sigh - or an attempt to keep tears down - I let the sock snap back and tossed my head to the wall beside me.

With a groan and sigh, a very sleepy Leo sat on his elbow and turned to look on me. "What's up, James? Why are you up so early?"

"Mmm, what? Oh. Well, Vincent called at five - because it was eleven there - and told me that he didn't think the long-distance thing would work. Which, you know, he assumed after two days of me being away. So, you know, I'm happy and things are great an-and my world is crashing down around me!" I plastered on a huge smile and nodded.

He stared at me blankly until a sob racked my ribs and I buried my face in my knees.

"I don't get it! All at once, everything is falling apart! I didn't do anything, I was a good girl, and yet it's all happening so quick- Wh-what did I do, Leo?" I pleaded, looking back up at him with the same expression in my eyes.

Leo shook his head, getting out of bed, picking himself up after tripping on the blankets, and went to sit in front of me in the windowsill. "You didn't do anything. Things happen. Remember? You're never given anything you can't handle. God thinks you're one tough girl, yeah?"

I smiled softly. "Yeah . . . I just need you to stay with me, okay? I can't have anyone else leaving. I mean, it was Mom and Daddy, the boys, and now Vincent. I need you."

Leo took one of my hands in his and held the other up in his old Scout sign. "It is my honor to be yours as long as you need me and three weeks after."

"I trust you, Leo."

"I know. Now, to get your mind off of things, would you like to go to my football game?" he slid from the windowsill with my hand still in his.

I stood up and nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Now," he let go of my hand and went to his closet. "We have two jerseys, right? One white and the other: black. Traditionally, each guy gives the jersey he's not wearing to his girlfriend for her to wear his number in the stands- Man it's a mess in here . . . Got it!" he pulled a white jersey, the number 86 in black lettering on the front, out from his closet and held it up. "And since I don't have a girlfriend, would you do me the honor?"

I laughed, wiping another tear away. "Yes, of course. I'll wear your jersey."

He smiled brightly, tossing me the jersey. "I have to get my padding and such on, which, while it's a one-man job, I take up the whole room in a weird dance. So I suggest you go across the hall," he opened the door and yelled at someone named Drew. "And Drew will let you use his bathroom."

I nodded, taking my suitcase. "Got it. Don't break anything while you're dancing."

He laughed. "I've already snapped the wire on Chord's headphones, then my cleats smashed his phone. So, too late."

I shook my head and scoffed. "Idiot." I walked out the door and into the room across the hall, where Drew nodded towards me, his black hair over his almost clear blue eyes. His ivory skin didn't match up with the black skinny jeans and singlet he was wearing.

"Lillian, eh? Or James," he said, his voice as deep as Leo's. He was sifting through a tote of beanies, apparently trying to find one to cover his messy hair. "Leo talks about you all the time."

"James is fine," I smiled, nodding. "And you're Drew?"

"Nope. I'm Austin. Drew's almost done in the bathroom." he sighed happily when he finally found the beanie he wanted. He put it on and stuck his hand out. "Nice to meet you."

I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too. Liking Maine Arts?"

He laughed. "Everyone does. Greatest school ever. It was either this or homeschooling so I think I made the right choice."

"I'd take this over my old school. Apparently Leo thought the same."

Just as he finished, a boy about as tall as Courtney - almost six foot - stepped out of the bathroom in mesh gym shorts and a Nike shirt, long sport socks on his feet and bright blue shoes with tied-up green laces.

I was still getting used to American fashion again.

"Yo," Drew, his voice like Darth Vader's, pulled me in for a bone-crushing hug. "Nice to meet you, James!"

I pulled back, brushing my messy hair away from my face. "Nice to meet you, too, Drew."

"Drew the Giant." Austin breathed, shaking his head and walking out the door.

"Yeah," Drew scratched the back of his neck. "Basketball captain." he laughed at himself. "Well, the bathroom's all yours. Much better than getting a black eye from Thames' gear dance."

I thanked him and took my suitcase and the jersey into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. With a huff, I pulled the suitcase onto the sink and opened it. After taking my compression shorts, sweatshirt and long socks off, I pulled on a black bra with the white jersey over it. On the back, over his number, read Maine Arts Football in black campus letters, which kind of itched. I pulled on grey compression shorts, my rain boot socks, and an old pair of work boots. My hair went up into a nameless style, I put on the lightest amount of makeup I'd worn in a while, and I was finished.

I thanked Drew on my way out, but he yelled back that he would meet me there. I laughed, passing Austin, a smug look on his face as he ran away from the dorm monitor.

Leo laughed as well as he came out in his black jersey over thick padding. His helmet in hand, his padded pants cut off a few inches above his black cleats, he took my hand in his free one and we walked down the hall.

"You get breakfast while I go to warm up, okay?" he handed me his student ID, gave me a side hug and ran away, commenting on how nice I looked in his jersey as he left.

___

With coffee in hand and sunglasses over my eyes, I sat in the stands - bigger than I expected - with Drew, Austin, and, surprisingly, Weston. We waited for the game with the rest of the crowd - much bigger than I expected - in loud patience until the team came out and they exploded with cheers.

Leo waved to me in the stands just before settling with the away team. And the game that would take them to nationals had begun.

The game went on and the Maine Arts Lions were losing by a long shot. Towards the end, they were able to pick their score up, but they were tied now.

In the last ten seconds of the game, Leo had the ball and was aiming to win the game. He plowed through the other players and, through nail-biting anxiety, scored them enough points to win.

He took his helmet off shaking his sweaty hair as the other players started cheering. He threw his helmet to the ground and screamed. "That was for James!"

A/N: Short, I know. (Oh geez my room smells like wet dog yuck) Hope you liked it!

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