Downfall [h.s]

↞ Chapter 7 ↠

Tonight's theme for the game was white out. Everyone on our side of the field was dressed head to toe in white. Mack and I had ditched the boy's jerseys and replaced them with white t shirts and white tutu's with white shorts underneath. The only other color we were wearing were the white and maroon stripes on cheeks and the maroon jersey numbers painted on the front of our shirts. We were decked out, just as excited as the rest of the crowd for the game.

The announcer cut in and signaled the beginning of the game as he introduced the teams. Out first was the opposing team, who was met with a lot of boos from our side. Up next was our team. As the boys got onto the field to start their game, Mack and I joined the frenzied screaming of the crowd. First out were the starters accompanied by the cheerleaders. Toby lead the line, bursting through the Jefferson Lions banner as the cheerleader that was running alongside him when into a back handspring followed by a cartwheel. With the free hand that wasn't holding onto his helmet, he waved at the crowd. Somehow, despite the hundreds of people here, his eyes caught mine. With a sly smile, he shot a wink my way and immediately it felt like all eyes were on me.

"Umm... Did Toby James just wink at you?" Mack questioned, slapping my arm with the back of her hand.

"No," I lied, not fully believing what he had done either. Asher's words from earlier echoed in my head. "He was just winking to the crowd in general."

"I could have sworn he was looking at you when he did," She mumbled under her breath, staring at me in disbelief. I ignored her though because Asher was making his way onto the field and I wasn't about to miss cheering him on for questioning.

She hesitated, side glancing me one last time before joining in with all the yelling. The game hadn't even started yet and everyone was going ballistic. We were one of the best football teams in the state though, so I wasn't exactly surprised at how excited everyone was for the game as it started up.

A little while later the first half of the started to come to an end, the cheerleaders ran out to the center field to start up the halftime show. Mack and I, along with just about everyone else in the stands, sat down to watch. While I was actually interested in watching the routine, I had been on the squad my freshman year as a flyer but had to quit since the scheduling interfered with dance, Mack was more interested in finding out why Toby James was winking at me.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" She pressed, poking my in the arm.

She wouldn't quit until I gave her what she wanted to hear. I would have left her to simmer longer, but she was getting annoying.

"We talked this morning and he offered me his extra jersey." My admission was followed by a sigh as she squealed really loudly. "Asher and Tyler seem to think that he is interested in me as more than a friend. But I don't think so. We've been friends ever since freshman year, but he's never made any indication that he felt anything but friendly feelings towards me. I just can't imagine him liking me like that."

"Red! You are so blind sometimes. He directly invited you to the after party tonight, which is usually meant for just the players and their girls. AND, he asked you to wear his jersey next game. If that doesn't seem like he thinks of you as possibly being more than just his friend, I'm not sure what does."

I rolled my eyes and was about to reply when the crowd collectively gasped, distracting me from verbalizing my response. One of the cheerleaders, Stephany Colter, was flying through the air but had badly misjudged where she was supposed to land. As she came back down she missed the pyramid completely and instead fell behind them, landing on her leg with a sickening crack that was not only audibly but visible.

Though Mack and I were sitting in the second row close to the field, I knew that even the people in the back could see the bone sticking out of her leg. For a second every one was dead silent, even the band had stopped playing to watch what was happening unfold. A few of the players looked over to see if she was okay, and I saw a few of them look away with queasy faces. At first she looked around shocked, as if she was wondering what the hell she was doing on the floor and not in the arms of her catchers. Then she looked down at the bone sticking out of her skin and started to scream before promptly passing out. A few seconds later the paramedics came rushing on to the field to help her onto a gurney and no doubt to the hospital afterwards.