Today's match is a big deal for both teams. Because they entered the tournament without their best players this year, this match is their last chance to get into the next round.
Nonetheless, both the team's supporters seem way too confident about winning the match.
Ashton parks the car five minutes walking away from Roosevelt's campus because if things go shady after the match, leaving the car there will be the fastest way to flee.
I've been here once before to watch their last year's game, for Derek. Needless to say, Ashton won us the match.
Derek sends me a text to know where I was.
I'm running a bit late, good luck captain, see you after the game- I send him.
His reply was immediate- Lots of kissing face emojis.
This lifts my mood up and I glance at Ashton who's walking by my side.
"Does it feel weird?" I ask him. "To come to watch the game after being banned from the team? You're the reason our team won all the matches last year."
"Nah," Ashton waves a hand dismissively. "I'm just pretending I graduated last year and came to see my descendants play. Pretty hopeless descendants, I must add."
I chuckle. Only him. "The coach is really ungrateful for banning you from the team after what you've done for them."
Ashton shrugs. "It doesn't matter anymore," he says. "Karma got him."
I nod. "That's the only thing that kept me going on after that stunt Cora had pulled on me."
"Well, she's paying for that now," Ashton jokes.
"Yes, and even now I feel a bit bad for her," I tell him.
Ashton shrugs. "She had it coming. Karma never shows mercy. It's the only thing that keeps my hopes up."
"That karma will get the person whoever did something wrong with you down?" I tilt my head.
He nods.
"I believe that too," I say. "Great minds think alike."
Ashton chuckles. "About time you admit I'm great."
"I never denied that one." Ashton raises a brow. "Great and a douche. And full of yourself."
"That I can't disagree." I shake my head as we enter Roosevelt High.
The bleachers are already full. Too many students came to watch the match. Most are already in their Halloween costume, making it hard to tell the mascots apart. The cheerleaders of both teams have taken their position on either side of the field when we reach there.
Ashton and I were looking for an empty spot in the bleacher when a hand flies in our direction.
Our friends have already saved a spot for us.
"At least we don't have to spend the next two hours standing here," Ashton jokes and we make our way through the crowd.
Grace, Miles, Payton, Luca, Asher, and even Jason and Cora are there. Promy and Tristan are sitting in the row in front of ours with Bonnie.
"You came too?" I ask Cora.
"Of course. I love to see Ashley's defeated face after every match." Cora snorts.
Even though that stings a little, I let her remark pass. Grace scoots to let me sit between her and Miles.
"So where were you two?" Miles muses.
"In the janitor's room," Ashton tells him. "There was no light or clock inside, so we lost track of time."
I punch him on the shoulder. "Sometimes I really think you keep forgetting I have a boyfriend."
"Me and everyone else," Ashton says holding my gaze.
I roll my eyes and look away. All the players are on the field, the match is going to start in a minute.
I tell everyone what actually happened, minus the part where my little confess and when he hugged me, they seem too personal. Ashton doesn't try to bring them up too. "Only him." Grace laughs as the match begins.
The game is a tie after the sixth round after Nyako brought us six points in the last round.
This raises tension on both sides of the bleacher.
Everyone thought the match was going to a draw until Derek took charge of the ball in the last thirty seconds and aimed the ball for the endzone.
Everyone stares with their mouth open, even Ashton, as the ball hits the endzone.
The whistle blows off and the referee announces that our Falcons won the match and is going to the next round.
Our side of the bleacher breaks into cheer. Even Ashton claps for the boys.
"Still going to call them hopeless?" I ask him, smiling like a clown.
"Only because I came to watch the match," Ashton says arrogantly. "I'm their lucky charm."
Denial. I get up from the bleacher to the field.
I try to reach Derek but everyone's surrounding him. I thought about waiting for others to leave just as Ashley walks up to him. She tells him some time and presses her body against him. I watch Derek pushing her away, but Ashley doesn't move. This makes me a little uncomfortable, but I don't feel any pain like I should've.
Emery cuts in and tells Derek something. I try to reach them, but by the time I reach the middle, they are gone. My eyes fall on Ashley, who's now leaving the field with few other cheerleaders. The crowd feels suffocating.
"Maybe they went to the locker room," I mutter just like one of Garrett twins-Mark (saying from his curly hair, the other one has straight black hair)- passes by me.
"Mark." He freezes when he hears me. "Have you seen Derek? I can't find him."
Mark turns around. He flashes me a small-forced-smile and says, "In the locker room, he said he was going to take a shower."
I ask him where the changing room is. Mark hesitates before showing me the way.
I wait outside the changing room. Time passes and most of the boys are out by now. But Derek's nowhere at the sight. I try to look for Grace too but she's not anywhere around.
After feeling awkward and defeated, I decide to return to the others. But then the door opens and Owen comes out, followed by Nyako.
"What brings a beautiful lady like you here?" Owen wiggles his brows.
Seeing their familiar faces brings a smile on mine. I push myself off the fence I was leaning on.
"Congratulations on your win," I tell them. They both hug me.
"So I guess you were not waiting for us?" Owen asks again once he pulls back.
"No, I was waiting for Derek," I tell them. "Have you guys seen him?"
"Derek?" Nyako knits his brow.
I nod. "Mark told me he was taking a shower but Derek never too this long in the shower."
A shadow falls over his face as he turns to his Nyako.
"Guys?"
Nyako turns his gaze back on me. "Derek isn't inside," he says. "In fact, Owen and I were the last ones leaving, most went back home right after the match was finished."
"If I'm not wrong," Owen mutters. "I saw him leaving for the parking lot earlier. I think Emery, Antony, and Ember were with him too."
Antony is the straight hair Garrett twin and Ember is Emery's sister. I thought she was studying in a college in Atlanta.
"Derek left?"
Owen blinks. "Yes, I'm sure it was him."
"But I texted him earlier to meet me after the match." I unlock my phone, there's no new text from Derek. I try to call him but his phone goes straight to voicemail.
I look around. The whole school is almost empty.
Nyako watches me cautiously. Owen doesn't say anything more. But there's this look of sympathy in their eyes.
I mean, who wouldn't feel pity for a girl who's boyfriend ditches her on a daily basis.
I unlock my phone again and send a text to Derek.
We need to talk- I hit the send button before I can change my find and delete the message.
If it isn't for Owen, I would've broken into tears any minute.
"Must have slipped out of his mind, big game after all," he slings an arm my shoulder. "Why don't you come with us? Ashton is waiting in the parking lot."
Ashton again. I imagine the smug look on his face when he'll see me coming with his friends because Derek left without me. Again.
But the surprised look on his face made me feel a hundred times worse than the smug one would've. He gets down from the hood of his car and braces his arms around me.
"Snow?" I don't look at him.
From the corner of my eyes, I see Owen and Nyako staring awkwardly.
"She was waiting outside the changing room for Derek," Owen says. "But Derek left right after the game."
Ashton curses something under his breath and looks down at me. "Are you-"
I force a smile on my face before looking at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Ashton doesn't push. Instead, he guides me to his car. Owen and Nyako are already leaving with their cars.
I look around. There aren't many people left. I can't find any of my friends either. "Where's everyone else?"
"It was getting late, and they all had to get ready for the party," he says. "Grace and Miles told me to apologize to you on their behalf for leaving without telling you. Something to do with their Halloween costume. They said they were going to text you later."
I don't say anything and follow Ashton to his car. They probably thought I'll be leaving with Derek.
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