A Goddess Wears Orange

Chapter 16

“So I’m wondering, why is a Goddess hiding out here instead sitting in there?” 

Yumi turned to look over her shoulder at the voice, causing her to wobble precariously on her perch, which consisted of a couple of cinder blocks she’d turned on their ends and pushed together. “Whoa,” she muttered, grabbing hold of the chain links to steady herself. She looked down her nose at the clown in the frizzy, electric blue wig, striped pajamas and scary clown make-up. “So? A Goddess can hide out wherever she wants.”                                                                                   

Laurence raised an eyebrow, making a blue diamond creep higher up his face, then glanced around. They were lurking outside the chain-link perimeter fence of the basketball court, somewhere between the bleachers and the shower rooms. The basketball court was packed full of people, and even on her perch, Yumi could catch only fleeting glimpses of Ren and the rest of the team over the heads of the crowd. It was hardly an ideal location, and before Laurence could point out the obvious, she sighed and explained: “I got here in the middle of the game, and I couldn’t get in. Anyway, I can see the scoreboard from here, and guess what? We’re leading by ten points!” she added excitedly. 

Laurence merely looked bored. “Whoop-de-doo. You really should’ve let the team know you were here. Even muscle-heads know not to treat their sponsors so shabbily. It’s practically all they know.” 

“Oh, you mean the sign? Our Marketing Committee head convinced the team captain to put up that ‘Sponsored by the Goddess of Love Café’ sign,” Yumi said, letting his comment about dumb jocks slide. “Come on, what’s happening now? I can’t see—wait, it’s—yes! Twelve point lead! Go, Navarro!” she shouted, bouncing as much as she dared on her rickety perch. 

“Your sister’s in there,” Laurence pointed out. “She and your boyfriend even waved to each other, right in front of God and everyone.” 

“I know,” she replied distractedly. “I saw her sitting with Ate Audrey in the front row. That’s good; it means she didn’t forget her promise to watch his game.” 

He sent her a skeptical look. “You do know what some of the guys are saying about him, right?” 

“Hmm?” 

“They’re saying he’s being a jerkwad for hogging the two hottest sisters in South Crescent High.” 

“He’s what?” Yumi couldn’t keep a bark of incredulous laughter from escaping. “Which sisters are those? Look, I know about the rumors about him and Ate hugging in the garden. People have totally gotten the wrong idea about him, and I aim to do something about that.” 

“What the—do you work at being stupid or do you come by it naturally?” 

She waved a hand impatiently. “Shut up, already. We’re down to the last three minutes. Come on, guys, don’t let the other team get their hands on the ball.” She lapsed into low, urgent muttering, coaching the home-team underneath her breath. When the buzzer rang, ending the game with a resounding victory for South Crescent High, she screamed in exultation along with the rest of the crowd, and watched, breathless with amazement, as Ren and his teammates finally came into view. He seemed distracted though, his gaze scanning the crowd instead of responding to his teammates’ congratulations. Then Yumi’s stomach flipped when his eyes met hers across the distance, just before he disappeared again beneath the tide of humanity. 

“Yumi, over here.” 

Laurence had moved to a new spot further along the fence, and was waving her over. The new location afforded her a better view of the goings-on in the center of the court. The two teams had lined up in a row, with Tala, Audrey, the senior student council president and a couple other teachers shaking hands with each member of the St. Anthony team and handing each of them a gift. Even with all the shifting bodies in between her and the court, Yumi could see the admiring eyes of the St. Anthony guys follow her sister long after she’d shaken hands with them and moved on.