Page 66 of I Don't Need Your Protection
My eyes widen. “Wow. Really? But it’s just football.”
He shrugs. “We’ve got a legacy here we need to uphold. Principal Harrington takes it very seriously. It’s like she owes it to her great-great-grandfather or something.”
“I get it. It’s like tradition. Something that connects her to her ancestors.”
He shrugs again. “I guess.”
A crowd has gathered as we approach the stadium. I glance around, but don’t see Caleb. I hope he hasn’t lost me.
“Is there enough seats for everyone?” I ask Warner.
He snickers. “Nope. But I reserved us some seats, so we should be okay.” He winks. “Special Warner Hearst privilege.”
I lift a brow. “Oh? What kind of privilege?”
“Well for starters, I’m best friends with the top players. And I’m me, you know?”
Right. The most popular guy at school. But the only thing on my mind is, where will Caleb sit?
We walk deeper into the stadium and Warner leads me to our seats on the bleachers. We’re toward the front and should have a good view of the game. Warner slaps some of his friends’ hands before we sit down. Clarissa and her friends are seated in this area as well. She waves to me with a smile, which I return.
I search for Caleb, but don’t see him anywhere. I start to panic because I don’t know what to do in case my life is in danger. Like, who do I turn to? Where do I go?
“I’m here,” a voice whispers from behind me. A shiver rushes down my back as I feel a warm breath on my ear.
Turning my head slightly, I catch Caleb sitting in the row behind me. My body sags with relief because he’s nearby.
He nods when our gazes connect. It’s like he’s telling me to relax and enjoy myself. I smile in gratitude, but I can’t help feeling bad. Will he enjoy himself?
I don’t have much time to worry about him because the game starts. The crowd goes wild when the team runs onto the field. Warner’s on his feet and whooping as the game goes on. I have no clue what he’s so excited about, but what I gather is that our team is winning.
I’m a little disappointed. I guess I thought he and I would talk more, but now I realize it’s pretty impossible to do that in the loud crowd. The important thing is that we’re spending time together. And I’m learning more about him. Like how much he loves football.
Warner fetches some shakes for us from the truck stationed near the stadium. There are many such trucks and people havebeen loading up during the game. He offers to get me some food as well, like hotdogs, popcorn, and candy.
I peek behind me at Caleb and I once again feel bad for him. He doesn’t have any food or drinks. And I know he won’t leave my side for a second to get some. Nodding to him, I gesture for him to take what I’m offering him. He glances around to make sure no one is watching and sighs in irritation before bending forward and accepting my small bag of popcorn and whatever is left of my drink. I know he’s only pretending to be annoyed with me. He’s thankful for the food, just like he was at the pizzeria, even if he didn’t show it.
“Harrington Bay Academy wins!” the announcer calls.
Warner cheers, then pulls me into his arms. My nose crashes into his chest as he squeezes the life out of me.
“Sorry,” he says as he pulls back. “I got a little excited. You okay?”
I take in a few breaths. “I think my lungs are still working.”
As he continues to cheer along with his friends, it dawns on me that I didn’t feel anything when he hugged me. No warmth or excitement or giddiness. Nothing.
Why is that? I like him. And I think he likes me. So why aren’t my feelings working?
Maybe I just don’t have such feelings…but then how can I explain how they kick into action when Caleb is nearby?
Warner makes plans to hang out with his friends and the team. He invites me to join him, but I decline. I don’t feel comfortable around his friends and I know they won’t accept me. Even though Clarissa has been nice to me, I’ll still feel outof place.
He looks a little bummed, but he tells me he’ll catch me later and dashes to meet his friends. I watch him go, seeing how natural he is with the large crowd. Could I ever fit into that world? Will I be just like them when people eventually find out who I really am? Will I lose myself?
“I think it’s best we get going, Addilyn,” Caleb says as he leans on the wall near the entrance to the stadium. There are many people here, so he must think it’s safe for us to talk because no one will pay attention to us.
I’m still watching Warner and his friends. Caleb follows my gaze, his eyebrows furrowing. “If you’d like to go out with those kids, I won’t stop you.”
