Emma's P.O.V.
For the first time in a long time, watching one of our football games, I actually paid attention. Well I paid attention to two specific players on the feild. Logan, our star quartback was in the middle of a huddle, and he was yelling. Logan was always had intese passion for the game and I admired that about him. I don't think he was yelling because he was mad. We were up by two touchdowns with one quarter left, but he still had that passion. And standing beside him, hands on his sides, breathing heavily from what I could see, was Carlos. Carlos was one of the fastest people on the team and always managed to get a ridiculous amount of yards every game. Between Logan and Carlos the rest of the team could sit out and we'd still win. Well maybe not the whole team. Just James.
I first noticed James leaning against the fence by the blechers I was sitting in. He was in full uniform, helmet in one hand, while his other held the side of Mandy's face. They were close, both shivering slightly. But they were both smiling. Giggiling to each other, looking happy. It made me sick to my as soon as Kendall sat down next to me, handing me a hot cocco, one of his arms wrapped around me and let me snuggle into him, mostly for warmth. But also because I missed his touch. That's how we sat the entire game up unilt now. He had gotten up to go to the bathroom leaving me cold and slightly sad. It got a little worse when Matt offered to get everyone more hot cocco and left Kendall's dad, Donald, and me by ourselves. There was a timeout called by the other team after we got another first down and I glanced to my right seeing Donald looking at me. When I locked eyes with him he chuckled and looked away. I smiled and slowly scooted closer to him getting his attention again. "Has Kendall been okay?" He laughed and pulled his hands out of his pokcets, turning to me.
"That's funny. He kept asking Logan and Carlos the same about you." I blushed and looked back to the feild seeing the game start back up. "Emma...I don't know you all that well. But from what my son has said about you...from what I remember your parents saying about you...I know you are a very bright, kind, loyal beautiful girl. Something my son definetly needs more of in his life. I..."
"He talks about me?" He laughed rubbing his hands together, breathing into them harshly.
"I think the very first day of school was the first time he started writing about you." My heart skipped a few beats and I sat up, suddenly very interseted. "Last Monday, after he came home he went right to his room and locked himself inside. It wasnt until about 20 minutes later I heard him cry." I frowned knowing that was my fault letting Donald put one of his warm hands on top of mine. "He confessed to me that he loved you. And even though you had done some questionable things...he still loved you. And then he worried he was turning into me. I asked him what he meant and he showed me a few empty liqour bottles under his bed." I shook my head softly feeling guilt crash over me and he squeezed my hand. "He asked for help and he's getting it. Having you back in his life helps. And making out in the back of Logans car proabably did too." I blushed and looked away smiling small. "I love my kids. I still love my ex wife but my mistakes have molded me into this man your sitting next to right now. And if I had a chance to go back and change anything, all I would change is pushing the love of my life away so harshly. I would do anything to have her back, but know I can't. I've come to terms with that. Kendall...he can't. He can't get over you, no matter what you say or do to him. As his father..." I turned back to him and he gently put a hand on my cheek making me shiver. "As his dad I can't see him go down the same road as I did. If you have any intention of being with him, please be gentle. He acts tough but he's a big squishy teddy bear with a lot of feelings." I luaghed and quickly did something that surprised even me. I lunged forward and hugged around him, squeezing my eyes shut hard. He huffed out but held around me rubbing my back. "Thank you. For making my son into the man he is."
"Thank you for bringing him to me." I was quiet, hoping the people around us, didn't think we were weird.
"Tell me you guys saw that play?!" I pulled away from Donald and watched my brother and Kendall walk to us holding hot foam cups of chocolate. I slid back to my original spot and let Kendall sit between us as Matt sat next to me on the other side. I took a cup from him and looked at Kendall as he gave his dad his cup and a weird look. I simply hooked one arm into his and set my head on his shoulder sighing quietly.
We won our homecoming game, which was not a surprise to me. Everyone ran out onto the feild rushing the players, but the four of us stayed. I was way too warm and comfortable to leave Kendall's side, which he didn't mind. I looked around the feild seeing Logan getting hoisted up onto peoples shoulders as his helmet fell out of his hands. He was grinning big and was high fiving people as he was held up. I laughed and quickly scanned the feild some more seeing to my disguest Mandy being held up by James. He was holding under her legs, while she held his face and made out with him. My smile fell and I turned my face into Kendall's shoulder sighing quietly. He gently rubbed my knee and i glanced up to see him lookign donw at me. I smirked and looked back down except turned my head to my brother. "So...after the dance tonight I was going to go to Carlos's house and hang out. Probably stay the night. Is that alright?" Matt laughed standing, drinking the rest of his drink. When he lowered his cup instead of looking to me he looked at Kendall. I sighed and started to untangle myself from him.
"Is it weird to anyone else how you only hang out with dudes, and I'm okay with you staying at thier houses?" I smiled at him as i stood up and shook my head. "Yeah. Just be careful and have fun." I nodded and turned to Kendall who was standing, pulling Logan's keys out of his pocket.
"And I assume you're going to go too?" I saw Kendall nod as his dad stood up stretchign hsi back as he went. "Don't get too crazy." His dad's soft warning made my stomach turn and i quickly grabbed his hand squeezing it. Kendall squeezed back and Donald cleared his throat. "Well Matt we might as well go get your sister's truck to working." I smirked and watched the two grown up's walk down the bleachers talking quietly. As soon as they stepped off the last step I forced Kendall to turn to me and did the thing I'd been wanting to do for a very long time. I held his face, pulling it donw to me and kissed him hard. His hands found my hips and he pulled me tighter into him moaning very quietly. I moved one hand up to his head and ran my fingers over the skin on the back of his neck. I twirled the little bit of hair poking out from under his beanie and tried to deepen the kiss. However a voice calling my name caugth my ear and I pulled away gasping quietly. I turned my head to the stairs and tensed up seeing James taking the stairs two at time to get to us. Kendall let me go and kind of stood in front of me, which was adorbale but gently pushed him to the side, knowing I could handle James. "Hey..." He stopped two rows below us and sighed out glancing between Kendall and I. "How are you doing?" I smirked looking over my shoulder at Kendall who looked down right pissed.
"What happened? Mandy cut you loose for a while?" I sighed elbowing Kendall and turned back to see James smiling small.
"I didn't come here to talk to you." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose closing my eyes.
"And I don't want to talk to you so whatever it is you have to say..."
"All I want to tell you is whatever Camille or Mandy so or do to you, I'm not involved." I looked up quick and felt sick. "Honestly I...I have asked them over and over to just drop it but..."
"You're too pussy whiped?" I groaned turning completly and put my hands on Kendall's face making him look down at me.
"Can you go wait in Logan's car please?" He raised his eyebrows and started to shake his head but I held his face tight and sighed quietly. "Please go wait in the car Kendall." He looked over my head before leaning down and kissed me. His hands went over my ass, pulling my jacket up in the back and he squeezed. He put his tongue in my mouth and kissed me with every ounce of energy he had. I tried to pull away, but realized I didn't want to. WHen he finally pulled away from my mouth and I opened my eyes he was already walking down the stairs flipping James off locking eyes with him. I turned and saw James only looking at me. He chuckeled out and slowly sat himself donw on the bleachers. I wiped at my mouth and stepped down sitting next to him gently. "Good game." He laughed and set his helmet on the bleacher in front of him.
"I barely played seeing as Logan suddenly forgot how to throw to me." I frowned and looked out to the feild seeing Kendall approaching Logan and Carlos high fiving them both. "I over heard Logan and Carlos talking about your plans for tonight. And that Kendall asked you to go to the dance with him. At first I didn't believe it but the kid knows how to put on a show." I rolled my eyes turning back to him. He was looking right at me and shurgged. "Mandy is...she is still pretty pissed off we hooked up." I laughed loudly and he frowned looking out to the feild. I followed his gaze and saw we were being watched by her, with Camille whispering in her ear. "She feels betrayed by you. By me."
"Yet you get to get back in her pants and not have the whole school whisper at you as you walk by." He looked down and made his Adam's apple bounce up and down a couple times. "Do you expect me to apologize to her or something?"
"No. I want you to know that Camille got in her head and poisoned her." I sat back a little and he glared at me squinting. "Camille convinced her to prank you. I don't know how but she did. I don't know what they're going to do but it's going to be tonight."
"Why are you telling me?"
"Because I still care about you." He was quiet and i quickly looked back to see Kendall walking off the field with Logan and Carlos all three laughing loudly about something. "DO you knwo how hard it is to see you guys all together, laughing, being good friends still? It hurts to know this is all my fault."
"Rigth...because you admited you loved me and wanted to be with me, and then changed your midn because her outfit was just a little more reveilign than mine?" His mouht opened and I stood up fast. "Thanks for the warning James but all I can say to you now is go fuck yourself." I turned and walked away quick running down the bleachers. I walked out onto the feild and walked about 20 yards away from Camille and Mandy who were both smiling and waving at me. I turned my head quick and sped up seeing Kendall waiting outside the boys locker room looking down at his phone. I rushed to him, feeling like tears were going to spill out of my eyes hating I let James get under my skin. When I got in front of him he put his phone in his pocket and grabbed my arms.
"What did that asshole say to you?" I shook my head closing my eyes pushing into him.
"He was warning me...he told me Mandy and Camille are planning on pranking me or something...I don't know and I don't care. I just know I hate him. And them." He let me wrap around him as I gently shivered and wiped at the few tears that slipped past my eyes.
"Come on...lets go warm you and the car up. And then we'll go get ready for the dance, and not think about it anymore." I nodded against him and let him effortlessly pull me to the parking lot.
As we walked, hand in hand, a distrubing painful thought crept into my head. What if this prank, or joke the girls were going to play was already happening? WHat if they got Kendall involved? And Logan and Carlos? What this whole week they were acting like my friends, just to make me happy again, so Mandy could rip it out from underneath me?