Chapter 33
The football stadium was covered in red and black. Posters, shirts, there were even a group of guys who painted their bodies in school colors. Riley always loved homecoming it was amazing how hyped everyone was, it made her job as a cheerleader a little easier, especially since the stands were filled with a lot more people. Darby sprayed everyone but Missy in glitter, because she didn't want to ruin her crown, from sparkles apparently, the brunette huffed just thinking about it. The stadium lights brought out the glimmer on her skin, the cheerleader took a deep breath and smiled. She was standing on the red track and tried her hardest to not look at the field where the football team was stretching. "How you feelin'?" The brown eyed girl turned to Darby.
"Great, I love homecoming night, the game hasn't started yet and people are this psyched. Amazing energy." She cleared her throat and continued to hang posters on the fence.
"I was talking about you personally. Not the game."
"Unfortunately, I knew that." The girls giggled. "I hate that we have to circle around them while they're being crowned. But, what can you do?"
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault D. Here, grab a poster we'll move down." Her captain kept making glances towards the brunette. "Say it." The cheerleader demanded.
"And risk getting a boot where the sun don't shine? No thank you." Riley laughed.
"I'd never, no matter how much i'd like to. But, she doesn't know that." She raised her eyebrows. "Seriously though, what are you thinking? You keep lookin' at me."
"I just hate seein' you like this. I'm used to snarky you or happy you, not sad."
"My own fault." D dropped her hands, seeming a little frustrated.
"There's really no way you'll get back with him? Y'all were perfect together." The girls locked arms and walked back to the other end of the stadium.
"Every part of my body, except for my mind wants to be with him. My mind knows better, if somethings too good to be true it probably is."
"Well hello Ms. Pessimist, I can't say i've missed you too much. But, seriously no one is perfect. Lucas made the mistake of making you think he was." Riley didn't say anything she continued to listen intently. "I'm not saying that you should automatically forgive him, but maybe take it easy on him. He was drunk."
"He was the one who used the words 'I let her', like I told Maya if he immediately pulled away then no big deal. And by the way he should've at least had the common courtesy to lie to me."
"You would've found out either way. From, Missy or Chase one. Besides that man," Darby pointed out to the field. Riley turned her head and Lucas was looking right at her with an adorable smirk across his face, she felt the butterflies. "That guy, isn't the lyin' kind."
"Is it really that simple?" She still held her gaze on her ex.
"If you let it be. But-" The captain started pulling out pom pom's. "You have a tendency to overthink everything instead of doing what comes naturally."
"You sound like-"
"Every other person that you've talked to?" The brown eyed girl didn't say anything. "Shouldn't that tell you something?" Riley picked up a pom pom and threw it at her. "Heads up!" The football team was jogging back to the locker room when Lucas ran towards her.
"Hello gorgeous." He winked, she always loved the way he looked in his uniform.
"Hey, you ready for tonight?"
"As ever, I just I wanted to see you before the game started." Riley squinted her eyes.
"I'll be behind y'all the entire time." She giggled. "And when you take the field, and when you get crowned."
"Let me rephrase, I wanted to talk to you and see your gorgeous eyes." The brunette tried hard not to show her goosebumps.
"You better go." The running back looked behind him and saw the last few team mates enter the locker room.
"I'll see you later. Count on it."
"Good luck." He ran off and Riley didn't have to turn around to feel Darby's I told you so glare. "Shut up D."
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"FIRST AND TEN DO IT AGAIN! GO! GO!" The cheerleader was lowered onto the track and did a toe touch. The cold air was making her knee act up, she tried to continue to move around, hoping that keeping her muscles warm would help."
"Riles, you good?" D looked at her knee.
"I'm fine."
"Don't push it! I'm serious, let's not have a replay of fres-"
"I won't!" The 2nd quarter just ended and the squad grabbed their pom pom's to circle around the king and queen as they were getting crowned. Riley walked right past Lucas while he took off his helmet, his hair was sweaty and his face was dirty which somehow made him even more attractive. He grazed her arm as she walked by, the cheerleader walked backwards so she wouldn't have to break eye contact.
Lucas kept thinking how beautiful she was. The running back winked and he saw Riley hide her smile. Before the cheerleader turned away he mouthed, "I miss you." The brunette pointed at herself then held up the number 2, his emotions were written all over his face. Riley could point each one out; she saw determination, motivation, love, joy, but she also saw a sliver of loneliness and sadness. The cheerleader hated seeing him that way, luckily he turned away or she'd have caved just then.
"Alright guys, or girls sorry, basically put your arms in a low V and shake. Once they walk down yard line you can do whatever you want." Riley nodded her head and walked to her spot on the field. The brunette smiled when she saw Lucas' family. Taylor, Corey and Brinley were all standing beside him and it took everything in Riley's power to not go hug them. She waved to Brinley who was trying to pull her mother towards the cheerleader.
"CONGRATULATIONS TO HOMECOMING KING LUCAS FRIAR, AND HOMECOMING QUEEN MISSY BRADFORD." The brunette looked towards the ground so she wouldn't have to see Missy's arm looped through his. She glanced up just to get a glimmer of Lucas in his crown, and immediately looked away. The brown eyed girl took note of how good he looked, the crown fit him well.
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Maya was saying goodbye to Josh, in their own way and Riley was waiting by her car. She had gone to the trainer after the game to get some ice saran wrapped to her knee, it had swollen slightly from the irritation. "Hey, you okay?" She raised her eyes to find Chase.
"Chase, hey i'm fine. Thank you."
"So, that's why you have ice attached to your knee?"
"I just thought i'd try a new fashion trend, see if it catches on." They both laughed. "We haven't talked in awhile, how've you been?" The brunette questioned.
"Pretty good. I figured you'd need your space. I heard about what happened. I'm sorry." The cheerleader's eyes grazed the ground.
"You aren't but thank you for pretending." Chase looked at her funny. "Don't act like you aren't happy that Lucas and I broke up."
"Caught!" She nodded. "I hate that it hurt you though."
"Weren't you a big reason that Lucas got drunk? Apparently you told him you were pretty good at beer pong." He looked doe eyed. "Poor thing, if only he knew the truth about your pong skills."
"He could've said no. He could've stopped."
"Yeah, he could've." The brunette saw right through him.
"So um, I was wondering if you were going to the dance tomorrow night?" She rolled her eyes, sick of hearing that question.
"No i'm not." Riley was pretty sure that between Lucas, Charlie and Chase the whole school should know she wasn't going to the dance. "Thank you though for thinking about inviting me." The wind blew and her arms looked like chicken skin.
"Oh, here take my-"
"That's okay." Riley smiled, perking up at seeing Lucas. "She can have mine." The running back took off his letterman still staring at Chase.
"I'm fine, y'all really. Enough with the testosterone." Chase looked at Riley and smiled.
"I'll see you later. If you change your mind let me know." He walked away leaving Lucas and Riley alone.
"What was that about Lucas? Kind of rude, don't you think?" He grazed her cheek and her eyes slowly closed.
"You aren't wearing another guys jacket. That would probably kill me." His tone was nothing but serious, he put the letterman around her shoulders. "And, you weren't always nice to him either, what was that about?"
"Nothing. I felt bad because I turned him down for the dance."
"He can join the club, we meet every Tuesday." He looked towards the ground while he chuckled. "Do you want a ride?"
"Um, I don't know if that would be such a good-"
"HEY MAYA!" She broke up her make out session. "I'M TAKING RILEY HOME, MEET HER THERE!" Her jaw was open.
"I was just saying that it might not be a great idea to do that." Riley really wished her dad wouldn't have taken the car.
"Oh, darn!" He snapped his fingers. "Too late now." The running back saw the ice and scooped her up in his strong familiar arms.
"Set me down." Riley's tone was serious. "Please. I can walk just fine." He slowed to a stop and set her down in the parking lot.
"I was just trying to-"
"I know what you were doing, are doing and congratulations everything you've done is preventing me from falling out of love with you." Lucas swallowed the lump in his throat.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." The brunette bit the inside of her cheek.
"I don't know. I want to say that it is, but I can't say I wouldn't miss it if you stopped." The cheerleader sniffled and the running back took her hands in his. "Like this right here, it only furthers my feelings for you because I can be a total 'b' word to you and you don't care."
"Because I love you Riley. You love me, the only thing stopping you is that brain of yours. I've said it before, you're worth fighting for." She let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around him, he placed his head on hers. Her eyes were closed smelling his cologne, she felt a kiss on her head and pulled away.
"I'm sorry, I just have felt empty lately. So, I guess- I guess I needed something to bring home." She sauntered towards his truck.
"You can come to my house and lay on my chest, like old times. We can watch a movie and-" Riley stopped and raised her brow, while he opened the door. "Fine, i'll stop. I just, I know how you're feeling. I'll lay down and think of you in your spot on my bed, you'd always fall asleep in my arms and," His eyes were turning red as he stared off into space. "You'd be so mad at me when I had to wake you up and take you home, not because I woke you up but because you had to leave. I hated it just as much if not more than you did. Your pillow that you claimed, smells like you so that helps but, it's starting to wear off. I'm afraid once it does I won't get it back." He locked eyes on Riley and saw tears falling from her flushed skin. He smirked and wiped them away. "I'm surrounded by people I love, and people who love me but unless one of those people are you, i'm empty."
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He parked in front of her house and ran to open her door. "After you." Lucas helped her out of his truck and she started to slide off his letterman. "No, keep it."
"I can't do that. You earned this, it's yours." He shook his head.
"No, it's yours. It fits you better anyways." The running back laughed as Riley looked at the oversized sleeves. Behind his laugh she saw the loneliness creep forward, she wanted to prevent him from hurting, at least for tonight, if only for tonight.
"I'll be right back." The cheerleader limped inside and grabbed her Organix Brazilian Keratin finishing spray. This is what Lucas smelt on his pillow, he loved how 'tropically' it smelt. The brown eyed girl walked back outside and handed it to him. "Spray a little on the pillow, it might help tonight." Lucas gently took it away and after unscrewing the bottle inhaled deeply.
"Tropically." He chuckled and grabbed her hand. "Thank you." His chin trembled when he leaned in to kiss her head, she felt his unsteady breathing and knew he was holding back, his feelings, his tears, Riley realized he was holding back everything that felt so natural to him. "Have fun with Maya. Goodnight my beautiful girl." The running back turned to walk away and their fingertips slowly released from each other.
"Good night."
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Lucas snuck the finishing spray into his room and immediately sprayed it on her pillow. After changing clothes and brushing his teeth, he jumped on the bed and clutched the cushion, hanging on like his life depended on it. He smiled as soon as he inhaled, and it quickly faded when he realized this was as close as he was going to get to holding her for awhile.
Ding Ding
I'm sorry you're hurting.
Lucas didn't fight back the tears now that he was alone.
-I'm sorry I hurt you.
She didn't reply back so he sent one more text.
-You're worth it. I love you so much Riley.
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Thanks for reading. Please follow, favorite and review. Don't know about y'all but I reread this chapter several times, and every time I tear up. Hits me in the feels!