Chapter 10

Louise swept her eyes around the immense stadium and the bunches of people moving to find their seats. She and Kid had arrived at Ralph Wilson Stadium with plenty of time ahead, so they did not have to wait in line for long. As soon as the doors had opened, Lou was violently pushed forwards in the crowd, and she automatically reached out to grab Kid's hand for fear she might stumble and fall.

Once they were inside the cavernous home of the Buffalo Bills, and out of the mob, she became aware of Kid's hand still holding hers. They kept walking without looking at each other, but once their eyes met briefly, they had blushed and at almost the same time let go of each other's hands. Kid really overwhelmed her and made her act strangely. She did not know why she felt so awkward and shy around him. Sure he was a handsome and charming boy, but she had met other attractive guys before, but none of them had caused this odd awkwardness within her. Lou hoped she would get rid of this silly feeling soon because it was very uncomfortable, and she wanted to enjoy the day. She had really been looking forward to having some fun with Kid, so why couldn't she relax?

Kid left her sitting on the bleachers while he bought them refreshments. Lou welcomed the break so that she could get a grip on herself and use the time to have a look around the place. Lou had never been to such an immense stadium before and it was normal she was baffled and impressed by it. The spectators kept coming in by dozens, wearing their team's colors and carrying flags, banners, and other similar objects to cheer on the players. The atmosphere was vibrant and jovial, and Lou imagined she was going to enjoy the game after all.

"Hey again," Kid exclaimed, sitting next to Lou, and handing her a big paper cup of hot chocolate.

"Thank you," Louise said, taking a sip, welcoming the warmth the beverage spread throughout her body.

"Are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied, the awkwardness returning full force once again.

Kid smiled as he directed his eyes to the field ahead, feeling his soul swell with happiness. Here he was, making his two dreams come true at the same time. He was about to see a live game of his favorite team next to the girl he liked. He could not think of anything better to do on his birthday than spend it like this because it was beyond good. "Isn't this exciting, Lou?" As he cast a sideways look at her, he noticed she looked troubled, and he grew concerned. "Are you all right?"

She turned her eyes to him and muttered, "Kid, I need to make a confession." She paused momentarily and then blurted out, "I… I lied to you."

"What?"

"I…I'm not really into football," she explained awkwardly. "In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a complete game. Of course I know the basics… but well, you can't really call me a fan."

Kid frowned. "Then why did you accept my invitation to come here with me?"

Louise averted her eyes and lowered them to the paper cup between her hands. "Because I wanted to be with you," she muttered, and when she saw him smile out of the corner of her eye, she realized how her words sounded, and she hurried to clarify her comment. She lifted his eyes to meet his gaze. "I mean… I don't have many friends and sometimes … well, I'm a bit lonely. You've been very friendly to me since I first arrived in town. I thought it would be fun to hang around you today." She knew she sounded silly and clumsy as she explained her reasons, and she bet he could see the inconsistency of her explanation. Like her mother had suggested, she could have tried calling Emily, but the truth was that she did not want to go out with Emily, she wanted to be with Kid.

"I know what you mean," Kid replied, looking into her eyes and smiling. Flushed with embarrassment, Lou had to look away and find a distraction in the cup she was holding.

The enthusiastic voice of the speaker resounded in the stadium, announcing that the teams were ready onto the field, and Kid shifted his eager eyes to the green as he said, "The players are coming out."

Suddenly, as the first players appeared before the spectators, Lou jumped from her seat, clapping her hands and cheering eagerly. Yet, realizing she was the only one standing and applauding in the area, she stopped her motions and after looking around, she noticed that part of the spectators were staring at her in a strange way. Feeling shy, she dropped back onto her seat next to Kid, trying to make herself as small as possible and wondering what she had done wrong. She looked at Kid, who was grinning amusedly, and leaning over, he said into her ear, "Lou, I don't know where your heart lies, but I, like most people in this sector, support the Buffalo Bills, you know, the guys in blue, not in white."

"I know what color they wear!" Lou exclaimed a bit irritated. "I just thought we should show our good will to both teams."

"Lou, this is football, not Christmas."

Louise frowned unhappily, feeling like a fool. Yet, she was unable to keep a serious face for long as his smile was too captivating and contagious, so she ended up smiling while she said, "I guess you'll have to show me the ropes of the game."

"I'll be delighted to do so," he remarked with his undying smile. "Let's start then. Lesson number one. Let's first show our support to the team… and here they come." This time Lou joined the crowd in the cheering, clapping and whooping, but unlike the other spectators, she was not looking at the field. Her gaze and her smile were fixed on the young man by her side, on his eyes, which were also staring at her in much the same way.

His index finger traced the condensation gathered on his glass while his eyes followed every single motion and gesture of the young woman at the far end of the diner. Lou was phoning home from the public phone while he had ordered some food. Kid still could not believe his luck today, and more than once during the day, he had pinched his arm to make sure he was not dreaming. It was real. He was having a wonderful day with the loveliest girl from his school. Nothing could have made him happier and not even the result of the game had put him down. His team had lost, but Kid could not remember enjoying a football game as much as he had this one. It was not because it was the first time he watched his idealized team live in their stadium, but because of the person he had gone with. Every time the Bills scored, Lou and he had jumped and bounced together with the crowd, and moved by enthusiasm, they had hugged every time to celebrate the score. Kid loved every single moment; Lou felt so soft in his arms and even though he knew it was not right to think of her body like that, he just could not help himself.

Now as Kid watched her from the distance, he felt his longing for her grow. His eyes traveled over her figure. She was so petite, so delicate but at the same time she oozed evident strength. He loved the way she looked at him with those big eyes of hers or smiled with her soft, thin lips. He also liked her simple gestures, like when she passed her fingers through her short hair, which she did whenever she was shy, and in the motion she left part of her hair in a weird shape. Kid continued assessing her; his eyes lowering from her face to the rest of her body. Maybe she did not fill her clothes in the same way other girls did, but he thought she was perfect and had the right size. She had a nice, fibrous body, making a harmonious figure. Kid remembered how strong and fragile at the same time she had felt in his arms as they had hugged during the game. Her waist was so tiny, he thought as he kept watching her. He would love to wrap his arms around it, or rest his hands on her well-shaped hips. Her jeans fitted her hips and her backside perfectly and without even aware of what he was doing, he found himself staring at her haunches.

Caught up in the moment, Kid realized too late that she had finished her phone call and he blushed, thinking that she had noticed him admiring her backside. Louise walked up to him, and sat down opposite him at the table. "Is everything all right?" Kid asked, trying to hide his embarrassment as he realized she was not showing signs of being mad at him.

"They're back home," Lou replied. "But I don't need to rush back," she added with a smile.

"Good!" Kid exclaimed and after a pause, he dared to ask, "Lou, how's your mother doing lately?"

"Not too bad," she muttered, lowering her eyes to her glass. "She's fine now, but who knows how she'll be tomorrow, the following day, or next week. The treatment for her cancer has weakened her already-feeble heart, and I'm scared. She's actually a strong woman. Doctors didn't expect her to last this long. There's a death sentence over her head, and that's a fear I have to live with every day."

"I'm sorry."

"Things aren't easy," she replied. "Money is kind of short. Living is expensive, especially with a sick mother and two growing-up children."

Remembering what had happened a few weeks ago, Kid debated with himself whether he should ask his next question, but after a short pause, he finally said, "What about your father?"

Lou's eyes darted to his and her face turned scarlet in irritation as soon as he had uttered her dreaded word. "He's nothing but a bastard. He fooled me… fooled us for years. He never loved us… he never gave a damn for us, never! He's blissfully happy with his new life, his new wife, his new family, and we can rot for all he cares. He stopped paying mom for us long ago, and he still wonders why I don't want to see or talk to him."

"Has your mom reported him?" Kid asked.

Lou shook her head, and at his surprised expression, she said, "I know. I don't really understand her either. She even lets him see my siblings. I've tried to change her mind but she gets too upset about it. She doesn't even have the courage to tell him anything. I think she fears he might demand full custody of us. If my father or the social services think Mom is unable to look after her children economically or physically, they might want us removed. Maybe she's right to fear… I don't know."

Kid nodded. "So that's why you have to take that weekend job?"

Louise shook her head. "I don't have a weekend job. Actually, it's more than that. I work every day after school and every weekend, and have a Sunday off out of three. You know, it's my duty to look after my family."

"And what do you do?"

"Mostly cleaning jobs… in a block of offices during the week, and… in a store at the weekend."

Kid stared at her with clear admiration. He now understood why she left home every day and came back so late. "And how can you keep up with your studies with that busy schedule?"

Lou rummaged into her bag and produced an object. "With this," she said, holding a small recorder in her hand. "I record my voice reading all the lessons and then while I'm working, I plug the earphones in and listen to it over and over again." Kid stared at her in silence and Lou added, "Please Kid, forgive me. Look at me, boring you with all my problems. I'm not really sure why I'm telling you all this." The last sentence was uttered in a whisper, almost a reflection to herself. She was very particular about her personal matters, but for some strange reason she had started talking, and had not stopped until she had told Kid almost everything going on in her life.

"You're not boring me," Kid replied, staring at her in awe. "I think you're amazing. I've never met anybody like you before."

Louise shook her head, denying his words and praise. "I'm nothing special. I have to do this because it's my family and I have no other option. It's not a personal choice of me. It came unrequested, and if I had any say in it, I wouldn't want this life."

Kid wanted to protest. Not many girls would be ready to make the sacrifices Lou was making for her family. It was true that she had no alternative, but she could sound bitter or complaining. Instead she simply accepted her responsibilities without complaint, which showed what a big heart she had. She was only a seventeen-year-old girl who was facing the responsibilities of an adult. How could she say she wasn't special? Kid was about to tell her all he thought of her, but in that moment the waitress came with their order, interrupting them, and when they were left alone again, Lou started talking about the food, and Kid felt unable to say a different word.