Never About Me

Chapter 2

 "Ugh, this is so boring," I whisper to myself.

The football game is going on. I don't even know the score, I'm not paying attention. I just want someone to talk to. Runey is talking to Ray. And the Freshman in my section are being obnoxious . . . And weird.

"What did the ocean say to the beach?"

I look over to see Baden Cluke, hottest junior in the school, surrounded by two freshman. All in my section.

"He didn't say anything, just waved!"

I can't help but laugh at the joke. Baden HAS always been kinda funny, if not hilarious. And, I'll admit, a little cute. Before I look away he shoots a glance at me.

Wait . . . Did I see that correctly?

I look back over and he's still looking at me, with a little smirk.

I did. I saw that freaking smirk.

And it's the hottest thing I had ever seen.

I smile at him and his face turns beet red. He quickly looks away and starts talking to his friends again. I get up and walk over to them. They all look at me like they've just seen an angel (doesn't help that my name sounds like it).

"H- Hi Angela," says Ishmael. He's the short one out of the rest. Then there's Demitri . . .

"Hey guys," I say.

They all nod at me, acknowledging my presence, then they get back to what they were talking about. It's boring to me, video games I think, so I go over and sit back down by myself again.

*****

3rd quarter finally comes around and the band is allowed to eat. I'm on my way back to the bleachers when I see Baden standing behind the seats.

"Stupid phone. Stupid-stupid phone," I hear him whisper under his breath.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

He looks up at me, surprised I determine from the look on his face. Realizing it's just me he looks back down at his phone and turns the screen off.

"It's nothing."

"It didn't sound like nothing."

He sighs, stuffs his phone in his pocket, and turns to me.

"Angela, right?"

"Yeah." I stick out my hand. "Angela Suden. Baden Cluke, right?"

He sticks his hand out and shakes mine.

"Yeah."

"Nice to officially meet you."

I chuckle a little. "We've known each other for years, Baden."

Our hands linger together for a little too long. I'm smiling like a doof, but he is too so I guess it's ok. When our hands finally let go, we stuff them in our pockets.

"I guess we should be getting back to the bleachers, right?' I say.

"Yeah, probably." He turns and I follow him up the steps and to our section in the bleachers.

I see Runey and run to her. I tell her about Baden and how we have talked to each other again. She looks at me with wide eyes, I give her a "What's wrong" look, but she just looks away and gives me the signal that she'll tell me later.

I go back to my section and put on my drum carrier. I grab my sticks and the band instructor, Runey's dad, gives us the lead off and we start playing "My Sharona". It's one of the crowd's favorites.

We finish and the crowd cheers. The fourth quarter has started.