Under Pressure - Septiplier

Chapter Seventeen

"It'll be alright, Mark, don't worry. If things get too overwhelming, we'll go to a quieter area. We're here because you need to try," Amy speaks gently to her friend as they walk past the ticket gate. The swell of sound from cheerleaders, players, and the band grows ever more prominent as they near the bleachers. It's the part of the band that wants to play at the games. Neither Mark nor Amy signed up for football season, both considering it a waste of time. Today is an exception to the rule because this is the rival school, and the last game of the season, so the social studies teachers offered extra credit for coming. Hence why the nerds flocked out in herds to show "support."

"But, it's already a lot," Mark mutters, hands fidgeting with his clicker as he rolls it between palms over and over again. He picks out the chatter of a group of girls, a yell from a guy. Ethan comes up with their tickets that they'd bought and pockets them so they can take their picture later.

"Just remember the techniques you've worked on. Maybe focusing on one player during the game will help. Or just following the ball. We'll sit away from the band, don't worry," his friend reassures, wrapping an arm around Mark's shoulders. Mark flinches at the touch but doesn't draw away.

"A lot," he whispers, pressing at his clicker. His friends share a glance, and Amy digs in Mark's bag. She pulls out the earbuds and hands them to Mark, plugging them up to his phone. She unlocks it and goes to his playlist, pressing shuffle and repeat. The songs Mark has are all rhythmic and methodical. Predictable. Mark learned a long time ago that it's the unpredictability of things that throws him off, so these types of songs help. The boy puts in the earbuds and relaxes somewhat as he pockets his phone. He whispers a quiet thank you, and his friends smile gently.

Mark knows he's a burden. Here his friends are, fretting over him, worrying about keeping him happy, when they could be jumping up and down and doing the school chants with the people clustered around the band. They could be having fun. Instead, they're climbing up the bleachers to the farthest corner from the band, at the very top, as far away as possible from any noise.

"So apparently, whoever wins this game goes to the playoffs," Ethan states as they sit down and settle in. Mark sits between his friends, hands clasping his clicker in his lap, knees pressed together. The lights are so bright, there are so many colors. He can hear cheers and yells through his earbuds.

"Are we the white, or are they the white?" Mark asks softly, pressing back against the chain-link fencing behind them that prevents people from falling off the bleachers. It's uncomfortable, but it's grounding. He can feel the wind against his back.

"They're white and red. We're black and red," Amy answers, doing the same as Mark.

"Football is stupid," the boy mutters, pressing his clicker. His friends chuckle and nod. Mark shakes his head as if to get rid of a fly, hearing a girl let out a shrill scream as her boyfriend picks her up from behind in surprise.

"How to get a concussion 101," Ethan hums, staring at the players as they run through warmups. The other two murmur their quiet assent.

"Let's take the selfie now," Amy suggests, not knowing how long Mark would be able to hold out. The two boys nod, and Amy holds up her phone. They all stand and face the other way, so the field is in the background. The trio smiles, Amy holds up a peace sign and does her signature smirk, and "click."

"Here are y'all's tickets," Ethan says, passing the slips of paper to Amy. She carefully puts one in her cross-body purse and then puts Mark's in his bag for him. Mark sighs quietly, curling a leg up and resting his chin on his knee.

"This is stupid."

"Yup," Amy agrees, ruffling his hair. "But that attitude sure ain't gonna help," she adds. The game starts a couple of minutes later, and the trio chats about school. They talk about their plans for Freshman year. What classes are they taking? What athletic are you doing? What fine art? Ethan is doing Art 1, and off-campus athletics with his gymnastics. Amy is doing tennis and band. Mark is doing band and off-campus athletics because his dad wants him to start weight-lifting. He thinks it'll be good for Mark, and his dad is willing to go through the paperwork for Mark to do it off-campus.