I'm home and on the couch in record timing, the television playing some soap opera. It looks like some kind of hospital show but I don't care enough to figure it out. I'm more focused on my phone, vibrating like crazy in my back pocket. I shift on the couch just far enough to dig it out and see Valerie's name lighting up my screen with yet another text message.
On the television, some woman is sobbing at her dying husband's side and I spare the screen a glance before I slide my thumb across my phone and enter in my passcode. Like always, Valerie's text messages get more and more obnoxious as they go on.
From: Valerie
So I called in to work to talk to my boss about my schedule for this week and you'll never guess what he said about me working tonight
From: Valerie
He said that Robert's coming in which completely frees me up
From: Valerie
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO YOUR GAME TONIGHT?
Three guesses it's her. Her general enthusiasm makes me snort and I only glance at the television when the sobbing woman starts screaming at the doctor who's just walked in the room. The doctor looks like he's trying to calm the woman down and I drop my gaze back to my phone.
I type a response to Valerie first, saying how I was missing sleep over the fact that she wasn't gonna be there tonight and how I'll sleep soundly now. She responds with, "jerk" and I snort again before closing out of her text.
There's a moment of hesitation before I open up the text conversation with my dad. The only messages we really exchange are when we let each other know that we're gonna be late coming home or something. Maybe that's why I'm so hesitant to press the send button.
To: Dad
Looking forward to seeing you in the crowd tonight. My team and I are gonna kill it
His response is immediate and this sinking feeling grows in my gut. I toss my phone on the cushion next to me and sink down further in mine, keeping my gaze on the stupid character on the television. She's quit sobbing and she's now placing gentle kisses to her husband's face.
I don't care that tonight is the last first game I'll ever have with the Ravens, I don't want to go. I want to stay in my house all weekend and feel sorry for myself. Because god-fucking-dammit, I was really happy about dad coming tonight. He said he was going to and I guess I let myself believe him too quickly. Why the fuck would he come and see me play when he could just ruin my day with three stupid words?
From: Dad
Can't make it.
I can hear the crowd cheering and screaming as Coach Brimfield announces this year's team. The Ravens draw crowds to the stands like no other sports team in the area. There are some fans two and three towns over and I know they're in the crowd tonight. No one in this town misses the first game if they can help it.
Brimfield announces the newest players first – Toby Waterman, a freshman who earned the position of halfback; and Zeke Dillion, this year's tight end and our newest transfer student. He's only a sophomore but he's already built almost my size. Guy's gotta be on some kind of steroids.
Keith's the next one called out, still holding his position as one of the starting wide , he made the cut and I'm really glad he did. We need his ass this year. Plus, it wouldn't be the same without him. I want my final year to be with the right guys and Keith's definitely one of them.
Dale Hammond is called as the other starting wide receiver of this year, leaving his old position of tackle to Seth Pollard. Seth's position of center was given to one of last year's wide receivers, Mitchell Lockwood.
Blake's name is announced next and when I dart a glance toward him, he's grinning and giving us all thumbs up. Like he'd get kicked off, his dad's practically the banker for the athletic department. If the team ever needs anything, his dad funds it. Blake's still a good player but his dad's probably the only reason he hasn't been kicked off yet.
Coach lists all of us, ending with the quarterback position last and I swear, I hear the crowd get louder with the announcement that it's still me. It's nice. At least I'll always have fans in Amity Park. It's only high school but football's a big love here.
"Welcome your Ravens!" Coach screams out and my teammates and I barrel out of the locker room, running through a sign held by two cheerleaders. I want to turn my head and see which ones are holding it this year but I don't. I keep running alongside my teammates and waving at the crowd until we're in the middle of the field.
Coach jogs over to us and he runs us through the first two plays again while most of my team sizes up the visiting one. I know better than to get caught up in that shit. It's not about how intimidating they are, it's how hard they've practiced. And we've definitely upped our game this year. Coach always says it's about heart but I don't know if I believe that part. At some point, steroids really do trump the human will.
My eyes stray toward the crowd and I can see Valerie in the stands, grinning excitedly as she looks at whoever's standing next to her. Takes me a couple of seconds to recognize it's her dad. He looks like he aged two years since the last time I saw him, which was only at the beginning of the summer.
Valerie's pointing toward the crowd and I raise my hand in a small wave. She eagerly waves back and my eyes drift through the crowd again. I know dad's not waiting for me up there and my chest feels strange when I think about it. Almost like I can't decide if I'm disappointed or not. On the one hand, if I fuck up, he won't be here to see it. But… if the game is amazing, he'll never know.
Near the back of the stands, Danny's trying to find a seat. He almost trips once and I watch his mouth form the words of apology after he rights himself. It takes him another few tries before he secures a seat and I can see him exhale heavily when he sinks down onto the bleacher.
Exhaustion is pulling at his features and I know that feeling. I watch him until his eyes scan the crowd and then I raise my hand, waving again. Danny finally notices me but I don't get to see his reaction before Coach's voice rises in volume.
"You still with me, Baxter?"
I snap my attention back to him and nod, sparing a glance around my teammates. None of them look phased that I was ignoring them for the last minute so I don't really care. I haven't been back on the field since spring. I couldn't even do the off-season training they all participated in. My calf was still fucked up so aside from the last few practices, this is my first time back.
Coach eyes me for another few seconds before nodding to my lower half. "How's the calf? Think you can still play tonight?"
Kwan glances toward me but I'm already nodding. "Yeah, I'm alright." In truth, my calf hasn't bothered me since July. But Coach thinks it was recent so I go along with it and he nods when he knows I'm good to go.
My team and I move into our positions and I fit my teeth into my mouth guard and look around the field as the visiting team talks to their coach. Elmerton High is usually pretty good but my team's been training harder than we've done in the past.
The visiting team gets into position and the referee blows the whistle. That sound is all I need to hear to move into action. The ball is snapped toward me and then I'm flying down the field. My feet are pounding into the ground as I run toward the goal, my own panting breaths sounding in my ears. The wide receivers trailing behind me take out two of the bigger defensive tackles from Elmerton and then I'm home free. I throw the ball through the end zone and the crowd explodes into cheering. First goal of the night goes to my team, like it should. God, this game's gonna be good.
It's the end of the second quarter and we're down by eight points but it's not like we can't scrape ourselves back up from this. It's been a close game for the first half and it's probably gonna be the same way for the last half. Elmerton is good. But we're better.
The guys and I pack it in and take off for the locker room after the whistle blows and I glance back at the crowd, scanning it again for my dad. I don't know why I expected him to hold up to his promise of coming tonight but fuck it, I'm disappointed. I wanted to see him in the stands, waving at me and smiling. I'm doing really fucking well tonight and he's not here to see it.
Just as I'm about to turn and head into the locker room, someone's frantic waving catches my attention and I look toward them. Alex is standing in the front row, waving his arms back and forth. He stops when he sees me looking and steps off the end of the bleachers. I spare a glance at the guys before I head toward Alex, pulling my helmet off as I go. He's grinning and it makes me smile back, even though I just wanna be pissed off about my dad not showing up.
"You're doing really well out there, Dash," Alex says when we're close enough to talk. He squeezes my shoulders and beams at me. "Seriously, the crowd's going nuts talking about you. I'm pretty sure you'll have several marriage proposals before the season's out."
I roll my eyes and clap him on the shoulder with my empty hand, holding my helmet with my other hand, my fingers looped through the face guard. "Whatever." I shake the sweat out of my hair and exhale heavily. "I gotta grab some water before next half." I glance back toward the marching band, playing their hearts out, before giving Alex a smile. "Have fun."
Alex lets me go but he doesn't return to his seat immediately. I wonder if he can tell that someone was supposed to be here tonight and they weren't. I don't know why I expected anything different, dad hasn't been to a game since the beginning of junior year. He just reads my scores in the paper and occasionally asks me about it.
It's really not fair but part of me just wants someone to be proud. To look at me on the field, making the kind of plays that need to be made in order to win, and know that I'm good. To tell me that I'm doing a good job and they're proud. I have Alex and that should really be enough. If I wasn't so fucking selfish, it probably would be.
Coach is right behind me as I enter the locker room and I cross over to Kwan while Coach stares around at all of us. He looks pretty damn proud of us but you can never really tell with Brimfield.
"Eight points, you guys. You're down by eight points," coach says with a grin. "I have to be honest, I thought Elmerton was bringing their A-game tonight."
I sink down on the bench next to Kwan and he glances toward me. I give him a smile even though I don't feel like it. I wish I didn't care so much that dad's not here. Most kids would get over it by this point. Or at least they'd accept it. I just keep hoping for something that's never gonna happen.
Kwan returns my smile. Cool, at least I did something right today. Considering I spent most of my waking hours today fucking up, it's nice knowing I made my best friend smile.
We're in the final quarter, down by twelve points, and coach has practically screamed himself raw. Blake got a penalty for clipping. Can't blame the ref on that one. My teammate's a good player but he's hotheaded and he totally rammed Elmerton's tackle on purpose. Blake's great to party with cause he's always got booze but he can be a real dick sometimes.
I jog over to my teammates and join the huddle, my hands on my knees as I catch my breath. Dammit, I've got to remember to work in a run at least every other morning. Otherwise, I'll be the only one of my teammates wheezing during games.
"Listen up," Coach bellows out to us, his hands on his hips. His gaze sweeps around the huddle as he shakes his head. "We're down by twelve points, you can pull this around. I want you to run plays two and six, alright? There's still four minutes left on the board, you guys can win. Come on, Ravens on three."
My team puts their hands together and Coach places his on top before counting to three. There's a cry of, "Ravens!" before we split apart, jogging back across the field to resume our positions.
Keith moves over to me. "What the hell's gotten into Blake?" he questions, glancing over his shoulder at our teammate. I look past Keith to see Blake, practically jumping in place. He's probably on something. Wouldn't surprise me.
"Maybe he's juiced up," I respond, gesturing to the game. "Come on man, we gotta finish this out. You remember what to do right?"
He hesitates a second before nodding. "Yeah. Plays two and six." He gives Blake a final look before he moves into position, not too far from me. I get into my position, fitting my teeth back into my guard as I crouch down. I feel a trickle of sweat run down the back of my neck as I wait for the center to hike the ball.
I count the seconds between the time the ball snaps and when it's in my hands. We're aiming for two touchdowns here. Elmerton's defensive tackles have prevented me from making more than a few touchdowns this game. Honestly, I don't know if their whole team is on some kind of steroids right now or if I just suck that badly but damn, it's awful. I'm having to default back to field goals almost every time.
But with four minutes left, the odds of scoring four field goals are slim. Especially against this team. So, I'm gonna take a beating trying to get to the end zone. I hope our defenses are ready for this. Otherwise, they'll be scraping pieces of me off the field.
As soon as the ball snaps, I'm jogging toward the other end of the field. Keith intercepts the ball from my hands but the opposing team didn't get a chance to see the handoff. I keep plowing toward the end zone like I'm the one with the ball. It only fools them for a second but it's long enough for Keith to get a head start.
Elmerton's defensive tackle lunges for Keith just as he makes it past the line, officially winning us a touchdown. I can hear my teammates and the crowd cheering as our score ticks over. We're only down by six. Holy fuck, we can do this.
My teammates and I crowd around Keith, taking turns clapping him on the back. Keith grins at all of us and jogs over to line up for the PAT. The kick is good and shit, we're only down by five is wearing a wicked grin on his face and I'm pretty sure we all feel like that. The crowd's going fucking nuts and I can feel their energy radiate through me.
We make a fake pass after we regain possession and while it only works for a second, it still works. The opposing team is slow to react and my heart is pounding with every step I take. It's just me. And the goal. I don't hear the crowd or the sound of my own teammates. It's just me.
The ball's in my hands and I can hear my panting breaths in my own ears as I tear down the field. The end zone is within sight when Terrance Harden, one of Elmerton's defensive tackles, comes out of fucking nowhere and body slams me. I'm gonna lose my footing from his weight so I move into a dive. It's a stretch but the ball just barely clears the line seconds before the buzzer sounds. The ref calls it and it's good. It's a touchdown. I did it. I fucking did it.
It takes me a second for the sound of the crowd to come back to me and by then, my teammates are on me. I'm hoisted onto their shoulders and they're cheering, bouncing me up and down as we run the field. I'm still clutching the football in my hand and I can't believe it.
My brain catches up and suddenly, I'm screaming along with the crowd, cheering for the Ravens success. We did it. The first game of the season and we fucking did it. Elmerton eat your heart out. Tonight is our night.
The cheering of a crowd is something I'll never get out of my head and it replays through my mind during my shower. Most of the guys are too hopped up and jumping on each other to get their asses in the shower but I'm ready to get down to the beach and party like there's nothing beyond this weekend.
Kwan steps into the stall next to mine and shoots me a grin. "That last play was amazing, Dash."
I return the grin and run my hands through my hair. In the moment, I wasn't sure if I was gonna make it. There was a split second where it could have gone either way. But the gods were smiling down on me tonight and somehow, I did it.
"Thanks man. I thought I wasn't gonna make it," I tell him with another grin, shutting the water off with one hand. I just manage to step out of my stall after wrapping a towel around my waist before Blake tackles me, practically blowing my eardrums as he screams, "yeah baby, first win!" in my ear.
Keith laughs as I shove Blake off of me, giving him the bird while Blake dissolves into hysterical laughter. Jesus, he's gotta be on something. He's fucking buzzed already and he hasn't been anywhere close to alcohol in the last hour.
"Dude, chill out," I snap, shoving him away when he lunges for me again. He's seriously wired and I'm gonna have to kick his ass if he doesn't calm down. He slumps over onto the nearest bench, laughing like an idiot. I watch him sway for a few seconds before I glance around the locker room. "Who's driving this idiot?"
Blake stops laughing and hauls himself up from the bench, swaying even worse on his feet. "Dude… we're gonna steal a fucking bus, man, it's gonna be great." He grabs onto my shoulder, laughing again as he struggles to keep upright. "Dude I'm gonna steal a bus, man."
He collapses back on the bench again and Jeff laughs, clapping Blake on the shoulder as he passes by. "Don't worry, this idiot's with me tonight." Jeff grins up at me so I shrug it off, moving back toward my locker.
Keith joins our teammates on the bench and grins at them before glancing up to me. His smile slips a little and his voice is low when he speaks. "Did you catch the news last night?" A couple of the guys turn toward him cause he's speaking so softly and at this point, Keith should know that if he's trying to be quiet, everyone on our team decides to listen.
I shake my head, plopping down on the bench opposite him. I continue toweling off my hair as I respond. "No. Why, something good?" I ask, using the corner of the towel to get most of the water out of my ear. Don't know what it is with me and water but I always end up getting it in my ears during showers and whenever my team claims the school's pool, usually a couple of times during the off-season.
Kwan leaves the shower and comes to join us, toweling off his hair as he stands next to me. Keith glances up at him before focusing on me, his voice still quiet as he speaks.
"Cops are trying to keep it quiet but a reporter's already broken the news. Someone's been sneaking into places at night but they're not taking anything or even tripping alarms." Keith looks around the group of us that are listening and shrugs a little. "Apparently, people have been reporting things being out of place in their houses or wherever this person has shown up. Some official from the museum downtown said all of the paintings from the late 1800's were flipped upside down."
"Whoaaa," Blake responds, leaning heavily on Jeff as he tries to get out more than that one word. His brows are furrowed in concentration and he looks like he's about to have a heart attack or shit himself. I'm not sure which would be worse.
"That sounds like a bunch of bullshit," Dale responds. He chucks his towel on the ground as he gets dressed and I'll seriously never understand how some of these guys can walk around with their junk hanging out like that.
Keith shrugs, standing up again. He grabs his shoes and returns to the bench, unlacing one shoe as he talks. "All I know is that the museum and the people that have reported this have all said the same thing. The only evidence that anyone was even in their house is the electronics. Museum official said that their security cameras were completely fried and the people have reported their televisions only playing static afterwards. It's weird, man."
"Sounds like they're just trying to pull the reporter's leg," Jeff snorts.
I glance around them, wondering if it's okay to talk about everything dad's told me before I decide, why the hell should I care? Dad didn't show up to my game tonight so why the fuck would I care about what he wants? "Actually…" I say, drawing everyone's attention. Keith pauses tying his shoe and Jeff and Blake both look up at me. Blake more cause he's looking at everything that moves.
"My dad was talking to me pretty recently about this case… one of the other officers said…" I hesitate this time cause I don't know if I should be saying any of this. Oh what the hell, it's not like these guys are gonna tell anyone. "That the suspect has a teenager's build."
Blake's eyes grow wide and he leans back on the bench, almost falling off before Jeff catches him. "Whoaaa," he repeats, shaking his head slowly. I think we've overloaded him or something because he just sits on the bench, staring out at nothing in particular with his mouth slightly open.
"Now you're just pulling our leg," Jeff responds but Keith doesn't say anything. I never pegged him for being one to follow the news or pay attention to any of that shit but I guess he does. He seems really interested in everything I tell them. Even though Jeff calls bullshit on half of it, everything I say keeps Keith's interest and he even responds with a few of his own comments. I don't know if these phantom sightings are as dangerous as the officers make it out to seem but one things for sure. If the suspect really has the build of a teenager, they could be anyone in our high school. Hell, maybe they'll even be at the beach with us tonight. Nah, probably not, that's way too crazy.
After I tell Keith and the others as much as I can remember about what dad and the officers said, I pull on my clothes quickly and head out of the locker room, my overnight bag slung onto my shoulder. I tell the guys I'll see them when we get to the beach. Kwan tells me to drive safe and then I'm out, heading across the field to where Danny's waiting for me on the bleachers.
Don't know how I managed to change his mind, but I'm glad he's coming. It means I don't have to drive out there alone. I mean… I could have invited Kwan to ride with me but his music taste sucks lately. I haven't been around Danny long enough to make that judgement yet but I'm sure his taste is better than whatever crap Kwan calls music.
When I come to a stop at the edge of the stands, I see Alex and Valerie sitting with him. The two of them look up when I start up the bleachers and I raise my eyebrows. "What're you guys still doing here?"
Alex stands as I continue to climb. "You did really well tonight, Dash," he says, giving me a smile as I roll my eyes. "Seriously, you did." He waits for me to finish climbing the bleachers and when we're close enough, he pulls me into a hug.
I let his arms encircle me and I hug him back with a soft laugh. His touch is gentle and hesitant, like he's trying to figure out how to treat me right now. Don't know why, this is a good thing. "We won, Alex. I don't need a pity hug."
He exhales and shifts a little, just far enough to where I can hear every whisper he makes. "Valerie told me your dad was supposed to be here tonight. I'm sorry."
My gut feels like it's been sucker punched and I let out a breath, pulling away from Alex. I hesitate only a second before forcing a smile onto my face with a shrug. "Whatever, man." My gaze moves to Danny. "These two idiots didn't bother you, did they?"
Danny's quick to shake his head, his cheeks stained with pink as soon as I speak. "N-No, not at all. A-Alex was just telling me about how he got started working with cars. A-And Valerie was talking to me about some training she's doing."
I glance toward Valerie, raising an eyebrow in question. She shrugs and I can't believe she'd tell him something like that. Most people would make fun of her or call her stupid for pursuing something like that. To be honest, I don't really understand why a career in the ecto-threat division of the government is interesting to her but whatever makes her happy, I'm cool with.
"Glad to see you were entertained," I respond, jerking my thumb toward the parking lot. "You ready to go?"
Danny nods and rises to his feet, hitching his backpack onto his shoulder. "I-It was nice talking to you both." He glances from Valerie to Alex, giving them both smiles. "N -Nice meeting you, sir."
Alex returns the smile, nodding easily. He says something to Danny that I don't catch cause I'm focused on Valerie. She smiles when she meets my gaze
"You coming with us?" I ask, watching her as she fidgets. I can see the decision on her face while she goes through the motions of deciding but it's clear she's already made her mind up.
Finally, she shakes her head, offering up a smile. "Not this time. I'm on the schedule for some training tomorrow with a top agent that's just called M," she says, her smile becoming more confident the longer she talks. "Dash, she's really good at what she does and there's a chance if she likes me, I'll get to train under her."
I'm gonna miss her at the party tonight but I wouldn't ask her to trade something that makes her so happy for a night with a bunch of drunk idiots. I return the grin, gently slugging her on the arm. "You're such a nerd, Val. Rather work than party with me, I see how it is."
Valerie rolls her eyes and gives me a shove. "Get out of here before I kick your ass."
I turn back to Danny and he meets my gaze instantly, smiling softly. We say goodbye to Alex and Valerie again before we leave the bleachers, walking in silence to the parking lot. There's probably a million things I could say right now, ask him how he liked the game or even how his day was, but I don't. I just let my own thoughts crowd up my headspace and keep quiet until we're at my car.
"You can put your bag in the trunk," I tell him, opening said trunk with a flick of my wrist. Danny waits until I've thrown mine down before he sets his bag inside. I slam the trunk closed and we move around to the front.
I start the engine before I buckle my seatbelt, glancing toward Danny. "Just so you know, I plan on getting pretty trashed tonight so if you decide to go home, there's cash in the glove box for a cab ride."
Danny blinks and for a second, he doesn't say anything. I guess it took him that momentary second to understand what I was saying because realization dawns across his face. "Oh. Th-Thanks," he mumbles, dropping his gaze to the floorboard. I wonder if he even wants to be here. I somehow managed to talk him into it but I don't know if he ever wanted to tag along in the first place.
I let out a breath, leaning back in my seat. I know Danny's watching me but I keep my gaze out the windshield. "If you don't want to come, you don't have to," I tell him, looking toward him. I don't quite meet his gaze but I still catch a glimpse of the look on his face. He's frowning like he doesn't understand why I'm offering a way out.
"N-No, that's not it," he says, shaking his head as he slowly exhales. "Um… I was just wondering which beach we're going to, you never said."
Oh. Right.
I put my car in reverse and back out of the parking space before I answer him, glancing his way as I speak. "Eerie. On the outskirts of Elmerton?" I ask, watching as he tries to sort out where he's heard both names before.
His face lights up in recognition suddenly and he nods, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Right, I remember it now." Danny leans back in his seat with a small exhale, his gaze drifting out the windshield. "That's… kind of a long drive, isn't it?"
With a shrug, I pull out of the parking lot, shooting him a grin when he looks my way. "I hope you like my taste in music."
It turns out Danny and I actually have similar taste in music. We jam along together to everything that comes across the radio for the first twenty minutes of the drive and then the DJ decides to start talking.
"Ugh." I push the radio off, exhaling out as I run my hand through my hair before returning it to the steering wheel. We've still got a long drive ahead of us so I'm thankful that the silence isn't awkward. If it were Paulina riding shotgun, she'd want to talk over the music. It's rarely quiet in my car when she's there.
I don't know what it is about Danny but silence with him is fine. I don't feel this pressure to come up with something to say and he doesn't talk either. He just stares out the window, a sort of content look on his features.
When I'm not angry, driving is really relaxing to me. There's something about the long stretch of road and my car running over it that just really chills me out. I don't think there's a better feeling in the world. At least not one I've experienced. Unless it's sex. Sex is pretty damn good, too.
Danny clears his throat and when I glance toward him, his gaze shifts away from the window. "Do you have any CD's we can put on?" I guess the silence isn't as comfortable for him. Whatever, not like it's personal.
I shrug, gesturing toward the backseat. "Sure, pick whatever you want." I know both the seat and the floor in the back are littered with broken cases and scattered CD's. Half of them are albums I bought a long time ago and mixtapes Kwan keeps leaving in my car. When I'm driving, I've usually got the radio going or just the sound of the wind whipping through the open windows, so I have no idea what's still back there.
Danny turns a little in his seat, leaning over to dig through the stack of CD's in the back. He makes a small muffled grunt as he stretches to reach something and I laugh, sparing a glance over my shoulder at him.
My eyes are only on the road for a second before something catches my eye. It's purple and blue and holy fuck, it's on Danny. As he's stretching, his shirt is riding up, over his stomach and hips and I can see what someone's fists have painted on his body. Fuck, it looks bad. It's gotta be painful. If I were him, I would never have agreed to come on this trip in that state.
Danny rights himself in his seat again, subtly pulling his shirt down with one hand. "Okay. I just kind of went for a handful of loose ones so hopefully your music taste doesn't completely suck," he says with a grin, sliding the first CD off the top of the stack.
It makes sense. It makes perfect fucking sense. God dammit, when I took him to the nurse's office, he'd been there earlier. Nurse Soucie said she hadn't expected him to be back so soon. Jesus Christ, I wonder what she knows about these bruises. What lie he passed off to her. Shit. His dad.
Why the fuck didn't I see it then? Danny fucking hyperventilated in the middle of his kitchen after a simple conversation with his dad and I didn't connect the goddamn dots until now? I'm so hung up on myself, I don't even notice anyone else anymore. And Danny. God, he saw the bruises on my ribs that day in the nurse's office. He's probably been working up the nerve to ask me ever since. Trying to figure out if our stories are similar.
Danny slides the disc into the player and I'm still so lost in the fact that he's banged up that I don't even hear the music starting until his laugh catches me off guard. I flick my gaze toward his and he's grinning from ear to ear like he's not bruised underneath his clothes and deep under his skin. Like he doesn't have a care in the world and god, I'm a little jealous of how easy he makes it look when he smiles. He had me convinced and partially still convinced with the smile that won't leave his face.
"Dude, I can't believe you like *NSYNC."
A/N: Yo, readers! How's your week been? Mine's been crazy, so much shit has happened. But in good news, I'm back with another update.
So, first things first. Last week I mentioned how I didn't know that much when it came to football and while I tried my best, I'm sure there's probably something in there that's incorrect. A huge shout-out goes to my beta reader though, Astrophantom here on FanFiction. They're great, they helped me catch a bunch of stupid shit I didn't see before. So, a big thank you to them, that was really helpful!
Now, onto the chapter! What'd you guys think of the game? Kinda sucks that Dash's dad didn't show up, huh? Then again, that's to be expected. I can't really give Dash anything xD But Danny works, amiright? I give him Danny and that makes up for it... mostly. Okay, eventually he gets to have Danny.
Speaking of the space nerd, whaaat'd you guys think of the ending there? Good thing Dash invited him on this trip, huh? Gave him a chance to get away from whatever's causing the bruises.
The phantom's kind of making a bigger appearance now, which I've been really excited for. I really hope you guys are too! There's a lot more of that storyline the longer Stay runs and I'm so excited for you guys to watch it unfold.
Thanks for reading this chapter, I'd love to know what you think!
