A Year in the Life of an American Teenager

Chapter 6

"YEAAAAAHHHHHH SPORTS WOOOOO!" Shauna yelled obnoxiously, as the crowd cheered when their team got a touchdown. Some parents looked over at them and gave Shauna dirty looks.

"Could you be any more sarcastic?" Kendall asked, laughing at her friend.

"I could, but I won't because I think I'd actually get thrown out," Shauna said, dipping another fry into the cup of melted cheese.

"And I'd watch you get dragged out by the police."

"They'd be pulling me by the legs too."

They laughed when they pictured it, and then they went quiet and watched some of the game. After another touchdown was made by their team, Kendall turned to Shauna and said, "I'm going to get some hot chocolate. Want some?"

She nodded vigorously, and said, "I'm freezing, so that would be amazing right now."

Kendall got up from the cold, hard bleachers and walked down the stairs, the loud cheers of her school's student section suddenly filling her ears.

"I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN! I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN! I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN! YEAAHH!"

Kendall was originally going to join her friends in the student section, but she knew that Ethan and his friends were also there. She wanted to avoid any chance of confrontation, so she decided that she and Shauna would sit a couple of sections away. She was caught by surprise when her friends didn't sit with her and Shauna and chose to still sit in the student section. Maybe they didn't like Shauna more than they let on.

She wrapped her oversized red and white MIT sweatshirt tighter around her, as the chilly October air blew against her. She shivered slightly, and she approached the concession stand, getting behind a couple of younger boys, who were busy deciding whether they wanted fries or a hot dog.

She rolled her eyes and bounced up and down to keep warm. She was so annoyed by the boys, that when she accepted the two cups of steaming hot chocolate, she turned abruptly and almost ran into the person behind her.

"I'm so sorry--" she began, and then slowly looked up and realized she knew this person. "--Michael," she finished, checking the two styrofoam cups to see if any liquid had spilled.

"It's cool," he said, shrugging.

They stood there in awkward silence, and then Kendall broke it by saying to him, "Well I got to go give this to Shauna before she freezes to death, so..." she stepped around him, and began walking back to the bleachers.

She walked back up the stairs and handed Shauna the steamy cup. After a couple of minutes, Kendall noticed someone walking up the stairs toward them. She squinted and saw that it was Michael again, and her stomach turned icy, even with the hot chocolate in her system.

"Shauna, Michael's coming over here," she said, nodding at him.

Shauna's eyes narrowed and said, "Do you want me to do something about it?"

In other words, does Kendall want her to push him down the stairs.

Kendall opened her mouth to answer her friend, but Michael was already at their row, looking down at them.

"Hey guys," he said politely.

"What do you want?" Shauna asked, her voice a little too harsh, and Kendall bumped her with her elbow.

Michael's eyes widened a fraction and he said slowly, "I was wondering if I could join you guys. The student section's too crowded."

Before Shauna could say a snarky comment, Kendall said, "Don't you want to sit with someone else? Why us?"