Knight

46

Mason Maloney

When the Warriors made it to the championship game last year, people were undoubtedly excited. However, when they lost, no one was pleased. This year was insanely more exciting considering the Warriors would be playing the Knights. No one even tried to hide their eagerness.

Even the administrators at our school were elated, scheduling a pep rally during the last period of the day to get everyone more hyped up than they already were and encourage everyone in the student body to attend the game.

I glanced at my brother who was down on the gym floor with his team, wearing his football jersey and a wide grin. It was nice to see him look so at ease, especially before a game as big as this one.

Since the game was later tonight, people seemed to forget about my scandal and left me alone. They wanted to amp up the team so that what I did wouldn't affect them negatively.

"Are we all riding together tonight?" Bella yelled to me over the music.

I shrugged and yelled back, "I guess so."

There was no use in trying to take separate cars considering the amount of people that would be attending the game. Finding parking was going to be a nightmare. Our school was even providing fan buses to take some of our students to the game to try and make parking more available.

I didn't pay attention as our principal began speaking at the podium in the center of the gym. He was speaking enthusiastically, causing cheers to erupt around me, but his words went over my head. The only reason I was here was for Nathan, any other time I could get out of my history class, I would want to leave the school.

Our principal introduced the cheerleaders and they went on to do an elaborate routine on the mats on top of the gym floor. At the end of their routine, each cheerleader had a sign for each football player and stepped graciously to their designated player to hand them a gift bag. I glanced at Sabrina, the head cheerleader assigned to my brother, and noticed the way she traced her hand up and down Nathan's arm. I wondered if Sam was getting similar treatment today.

Nathan casually put his arm around Sabrina as the team and the squad gathered around each other, the football players yelling loud words of encouragement. I wondered if Nathan and Sabrina had ever been involved. Nathan wasn't one to date much after things ended badly with Cindy, I really wasn't either, so I had never seen him with a girl for more than a few months at a time.

Thankfully, the pep rally ended soon after and I was able to leave with my friends. Ross, Liza, Bella, and Pete were all going to come to my house before the game and there I would tell them about what Jake and Christo came to tell me the night before.

"What do you got for food?" Pete asked as soon as we stepped into my house, heading into the kitchen presumably to raid my fridge and cabinets.

"No idea," I replied, plopping myself down on the couch, being mindful of my injured stomach.

Once Pete arrived in the living room, munching on chips with the bag in his hand, I explained the situation to my friends. Bella and Pete had distrustful looks on their faces while Ross and Liza looked more hopeful.

"It's just weird," Bella spoke up. "If it's true and if it's not, both situations are weird."

"I know," I agreed.

"So you're going to talk to him after the game?" Pete wondered warily.

"Well, probably not right after," I told him, "If he wins or loses, either way he probably won't want to talk to me then."