(Choni) The New Stranger

Chapter 9: First Game

Toni POV

It's been 2 weeks since I had talked to Cheryl and it's been agonizing. When I sit in class I don't even look her way. In the hallways I walk right pass her. Even at lunch I sit outside either drawing or listening to music. We have a game tonight against Greendale and I'm kinda nervous so I'm relaxing my nerves. I look up and I see Veronica and Betty walking towards me.

"Can we sit?"Veronica asked with a charming smile.

I nod my head pulling my headphones out.

"So what's going on with you and Cheryl?" She asks.

"Nothing is going on, why you asked?"  I say looking up from my sketchbook.

"Well the past two weeks she has been on a war path and practice has been brutal. She made a freshman cry, all because she walked passed her to close." says Betty.

"She only acts like that when she is either angry or hurt." Veronica says with a raised eyebrow.

I looked at them with a sad expression on my face. "I'm sorry maybe this is kinda my fault, I will speak to her after the game."

They both nod and start eating.

"So you're not eating?"  Betty ask me  while I started sketching again.

I shake my head no. " i had a big breakfast so I should be okay till later." But the truth is since I haven't been around Cheryl I haven't been in a mood to do anything.

Before the game.....

I was walking into the locker room and I see Cheryl she had her head down crying. I sit behind her and rub her arm.

"Are you okay beautiful?" I asked.

"Don't act like you care, you haven't said two words to me since the day at my house. I guess my mother is right I am loveless."

"Hey hey hey, look at me. She turns and look at me and I wipe the tears from her face. Look I'm the one with the issues here not you. Cheryl you are not loveless okay, I grab her hands and kiss them. I like you more than you know I'm just scared that when you actually know the real me you won't want me anymore."

She holds my cheek and look me in the eyes,"Toni I like you for you regardless of anything. That is what makes you special."

I nod and kisses her on the lips and smile.

"Look after the game we will talk okay?"She nods her head and smiles.

"But for now we have a game to win," I stand up taking her hand and we walk out the locker room together.
 
Game time.....

We run out of the tunnel and I turn and look at the field. Then I look up in the stands I see my mom and Hope cheering for me.

I hold my helmet up to let them know I see them. I ask them,"where is dad,"

She shakes her head no with a sad look on her face.

I thought to myself, "I should have known."

I run to the field and go up to Cheryl and she pecks my cheek telling me good luck. I put my helmet on and run off.

I start calling plays, "okay we are doing a bulldog dive to the right on 2 ready break."

"Down set hut hut! I fake hand the ball off to Archie and I see Reggie make a slant and is wide open and I threw it to him. He catches it and runs but he is stopped on our own 35 yard line.

" Okay guys line up I say. Okay we are going to let Archie run it,"They all nod their heads okay running back blitz baby on 1. Blue 42 hut hike. I hand the ball to Archie and he gets tackled only for 5 yards.