Repair me

14. Using me

Apparently the football game on Friday was an important one, because it was all I heard about for the next couple of days in school. I couldn't walk down the corridor without overhearing at least three conversations about the game; what people were wearing, what time they were going, who they were going with. Jon even stopped me between classes to ask me again if I was going, my response was to make a very uncommitted shrug and make an excuse to get away as fast as possible. I wasn't planning on going, the memories of the last game where my two lives, Kings Bridge and Ainsley, collided with traumatic results. But as always, the best laid plans fell to ruin when the Silent Boys found out about the game.

"Are you going to the game tomorrow?" Mitch barged straight into my room on Thursday evening while I was convincing myself I was doing math homework but in reality was doodling all over my page and listening to music.

"I wasn't planning on it," I shook my head.

"You know they're playing their rival team in a one off game right?" Mitch raised his eyebrows, "this is going to be the most tense game of the year, whoever wins has eternal bragging rights."

"I don't really keep up with football," I knew my responses were making him even more exasperated.

"Cara, it's going to be such a good game!" He cried as if it was some great travesty that I was failing to understand this.

"Why don't you go then?" I pointed out.

"I can't just go, remember they don't like us, I need to be brought there," Mitch left an unspoken question at the end.

"You want me to bring you," I signed heavily, "that's why you came in here, you're using me as your way in."

"Is that a yes?" half of Mitch's mouth pulled up in a hopeful smile, it was impossible to resist.

"Fine," I relented with a long reluctant sigh to emphasise how much of a hardship it would be.

"Yes!" Mitch clapped his hands together before yelling, "she's taking us!"

"Whoo," Grey came charging in pumping his fist in the air followed by Sawyer who gave me a conspiring smile. He shared my unbothered sentiment towards football, although there was a happiness in his eyes that told me he was pleased to be going. Nico came in last and hovered by the door grinning but refusing to look at me, the very fact he wasn't enthusiastically bounding around the room was disarming.

"Grey's driving tomorrow, be ready," Mitch instructed stabbing a finger in my direction as he herded the boys out my room, "now get on with your homework."

I stuck my tongue out at him before he shut the door with a last winning beam.

***

The atmosphere at the football grounds when we arrived was something I'd only ever experienced at a poker table, a nervous energy that was charged with a mixture of anticipation and desire. The entire stadium was full of anxious chatter and bets and silent hoping while at the same time appeared to be holding its breath.

I'd arranged to meet Mina inside the grounds, not wanting to be the only one with the Kings Bridge boys signposting myself as the odd one out even more. Mina wore an oversized jacket of Connors across her shoulders and was sharing a plate of nachos with him when we joined them.

"Hi," Mina's eyes bulged when she saw us, her throat catching on a nacho as she choked in her hurry to get her words out, she coughed loudly her face shifting to red as Connor quickly clapped her on the back. As she recovered and tried again her face turned an embarrassed pink, "hi nice to see you all again," she mumbled.

"Hi Mina," Grey gave her a charming smile that had Mina's cheeks turning even more pink.

"Hey," the rest of the boys nodded in unison to Mina and Connor who was not so subtly standing up a little taller next to Mitch's giant figure. Mina wrapped a hand around his arm to assure him he had nothing to worry about. It only took thirty more seconds before Mitch and Connor were chatting animatedly about the game and placing bets on who was going to win.

"Hi Cara!" A voice called out behind me, dread filled my stomach as I recognised it, I spun on my heel to where Jon was swaggering towards me decked out in his football jersey, "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Well I heard it was unmissable," I gave a what-can-you-do shrug.

I heard someone yell Jon's name and him being beckoned away, he gave me a final grin and finished with an obviously flirtatious, "I'll see you around after the match yeah?"

Clearly he didn't expect a response as he sauntered off towards his team mates. I swivelled back around to see four pairs of eyes watching me then darting towards Jon's disappearing back with suspicion.

"Who's that?" Greys voice had a forced calm.

"He's the one who invited Cara to the game, he has a massive crush on her," Mina announced at the exact same time I firmly said, "no one."

The boys eyes darted between us before fixing on me;

"He invited you?" Mitch enquired for confirmation.

"Kind of," I admitted.

"What's his name?" Grey was frowning in the direction Jon had gone although he was no longer visible.

"It doesn't matter," I huffed, "it's really not a big deal, we should find seats, we want a good spot to see the game."

I began pushing against Mitch's muscular side but I might as well have tried budging a brick wall for all the impact I was making.

Slowly but surely I got the group moving despite their badgering questions about Jon, some of the answers to which Mina was happy to supply until I shot her a death stare and she promptly buttoned her lips shut.

Once we had found space for all of us on the bleachers I could sense a new kind of anticipation in the air around our group, one that only grew when the match began and Jon bounced onto the pitch and threw a deliberate wave in my direction that had Mitch gripping the edge of his bench and Grey clenching his jaw. Even Sawyer looked displeased with the situation. I wanted to melt into the floor, I knew football games never ended happily.