Don't Listen

Chapter 23- Football

Grayson's Point of View

"Please Chloe?" I begged.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's not my scene."

We were sitting in my room, while Chloe was on the bed sketching, I was on the floor trying to draw a border along the bottom of the wall. I was also trying to convince Chloe to come watch my football game tomorrow. It was the last game of the season, and both of my parents couldn't make it. My mom had to take Jules to her dance recital and my dad was working.

"It will be fun," I tried.

"Maybe for you, but haven't you noticed by not that I'm not really popular central," she said. "People will just whisper or glare at me."

"That won't happen," I promised.

"No offense Gray, but you can't promise that," she pointed out.

"Please?" I asked.

"Gray, I really don't want to go, I get that it's your thing and football may be fun for you, but it's not for me."

"But it's not fair for me either, I do so many things with you," I complained.

"Like what?"

"I went to the art fair with you."

"Gray you wanted to go to that," she said laughing.

"Fine, I went to the beach with you," I said finally stumping her.

Chloe frowned. "You came once, you didn't even surf, and I honestly think you only came to make sure there was nothing going on between me and Connor."

"Is there?"

"Why would say something like that? Do you really think that?" she said hurt.

"Well is there?" I asked.

Chloe looked upset. "No," she said angrily getting up from my bed. "I was waiting for someone else to swallow his pride and ask me out."

Chloe stormed out of my house. Once I heard her motorcycle leave I sighed, that was not how I wanted this day to go. After I picked up my markers I went to my bed and looked at the sketch Chloe had drawn.
It was a sketch of my profile, in the bottom corner she had written, "someone to love, someone to fight, I lost her once, but now I have you."

Once I read that I knew I messed up, I tried to call her but she didn't answer, I text her asking to talk but she didn't respond. My mom was at work and it was too far to walk to her house. After almost thirty minutes of trying to figure out what to do I called Gavin.

"Dude, I need your help,"

"Okay what's up, Gray?"

"I need to see Chloe, can you drive me?"

"Actually she just called Kendall, she doesn't really want to talk."

"I don't care, I want to see her," I demanded.

"Don't be a jerk, Grayson," Kendall said snatching the phone from Gavin. "Chloe doesn't need your shit right now."

"Look Gray she needs some space," Gavin said taking the phone back from Kendall. "I'll pick you up at seven for the game," he said before hanging up the phone.

I sighed and got ready for the game. I hadn't meant to upset Chloe. I just wanted to know. I was tired of being abandoned, my dad had left me, and yeah, he came back but I couldn't handle the abandonment. If Chloe was interested in Connor, I had to know. Granted, she seemed rather upset that I had insinuated it. Maybe nothing was going on after all.
When Gavin came to pick me up, Kendall was in the back seat.

"Why are boys so stupid?" she asked me.

"I'm not stupid," Gavin said.

"That's debatable, but Grayson Matthews why would you accuse Chloe of seeing someone else she obviously likes you." she yelled, but the second it comes out of her mouth she quickly puts a hand over her mouth and sat back down. "You didn't hear that from me."

"It's okay Gray likes her too," Gavin said.

"Well thanks for that Gavin," I muttered looking out the window.

"Wait I don't get it if you both like each other then why aren't you together?" Kendall asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"Well I blame you," Kendall announced, "I think you should apologize, for being a jerk."

When we got to the school, Gavin and I got ready in the locker room. I wasn't in the mood to play anymore, I wanted to see Chloe. The game was about to start and Chloe had yet to show up, not that I had expected her too, but it still hurt a bit. We were warming on the sideline when I heard someone call my name. I turned to the bleachers thinking it was Chloe. My mood turned sour when it turned out to be Connor, Mike, Mark, and Jane.

"Hey guys, how did you know I was playing?" I asked when I got to where they were standing.

"John told us he was going to go, but he had to work so we decided to come instead," Jane said kindly.

"Thanks," I said smiling, they went to find seats but Connor lingered for a second.

"What's up?" I asked trying not to let my anger show.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked. Well so much for trying to hide my anger.

"Not you, necessarily," I said curtly.

"Is it about Chloe?" he asked sheepishly.

I didn't answer but my expression probably said otherwise.?

"Look uh I don't really know how to say this, but if you want to date Chloe, she's yours. I don't really think she's see me as more than a friend and I can tell you like her. Also, from the way she talks about you, I think she likes you too," he said a bit awkwardly.

I tried to suppress the smile forming on my face. "Thanks for saying that," I said nodding.

He nodded and went to join his family. The game had started and Chloe still hadn't shown up, but what was actually shocking was that we were losing badly.

"Come on boys get your head in the game," the coach yelled at us.

We kept playing until the halftime break, we hadn't even scored a touchdown yet.

"Grayson, I'm going to pull you if you can't score a touchdown," he said seriously. "Your head just isn't there."

I nodded and looked at the stands hoping she would be there, but she wasn't. The clock started again and we play. I saw an opening and threw to someone who got to touchdown line. That tied the game. I went to take a seat on the bench and defense went on. I look at the crowd once more, praying that Chloe was there. I spotted Kendall who started pointing like crazy to the side of the field near the parking lot. I met her blue eyes, she came.

I got and ran to where she was. I heard my coach yelling at me to get back here, but I ignored him and continued to where Chloe was standing. I heard people whispering about me as the game continued on, I ignored it all.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"I'm sorry too," I said. I wrapped my arms around her and we kissed.

As the game continued on and everyone stared, I ignored it all. I didn't even care what they thought. In fact, I couldn't even remember if we won that game or not, all I knew was that I won Chloe. That was all that mattered anyway.