Page 35 of Blood Moon
She made a face. “You’re either dumb, or really oblivious, and I just want to reiterate that I don’t think you’re dumb. I saw the way Seven and Julian looked at you, and trust me when I say this: You’re in the middle of a love triangle.”
I shoved her gently.
“Have you read a single young adult book? This isthetrope.”
“Hush. No one is in love with me. And also, I don’t know if a love triangle is‘the trope.’It just feels like a lot of unnecessary drama that could be resolved with concise communication.”
“That’s exactly what a heroine would say.”
I made a sound of disgust, and then Naomi pulled me into a side hug. “Look, if you don’t want them, I’ll gladly take both. I’m more of a ‘why choose’ kind of girl.” She laughed, reached into her bag, and handed me a koozie. When I gave her a questioning glare, she handed me a hard seltzer and placed a finger to her lips.
“Go Timberwolves!” she yelled, raising her free hand in the air.
I laughed and yelled with her.
The thing about going to a college football game was that no one ever sat down—the cheerleaders and shirtless hype guys made absolutely sure of that. Even when the team wasn’t at their best, they led chants and moves, and everyone in the crowd followed along—no questions asked.
Two hard seltzers in, my bladder was pressing. I finagled my way out of the bleachers, knowing that if I didn’t go now, there would be a long line during halftime.
After I peed, I noticed how red the apples of my cheeks were—a reaction I’d forgotten about until now. I was just faded enough that my limbs felt like jelly, but aware enough that when I stepped out of the restroom and back into the shaded concrete path, my heart stiffened at the sight of Julian.
He’d been standing in line for concessions, but when he noticed me, he broke away and began in my direction.
Julian waved slightly. Instinctively, I made a face, holding my arms close and looking around to see if he was headed for someone else. In what world would Julian ever willingly acknowledge my presence, and what was I supposed to do with that,with him?
Being in proximity to Julian was confusing, especially after the fall. There was a tingle in my abdomen that made me feel as though I owed him a brief “hello.” A reminder that he’d saved my life. Being saved wasn’t a feeling I was keen on. It was humbling and nauseating; I much preferred to do the rescuing on my own. Bobby had instilled that in me, and Rena had unintentionally thrust it upon me in the wake of her absence.
But I was too tied up in trying to figure out what the hell was going on before he was a few feet away.
“Hey,” Julian said, hands digging into his front two pockets. Then his face did something strange and unusual, just about horrific. His full lips formed a subtle smile, one that met the light in his eyes.
He smiled at me.It was striking and crooked and effortless. It almost made me forget about the bruise on his face. And I needed a witness, someone else to document this rarity, because Julian Santos never smiled. In fact, I was certain that the muscles in his face were incapable of joy, or any sign of happiness at all.
Before I could curse the universe and walk away from the unfolding tragedy, he opened his mouth to say, “I’m sorry.”
Sorry?I made a face and then stopped myself from laughing. This couldn’t be. A smile and an apology from my nemesis, all within the same day, the same few moments? The world must have been flipped on its axis, or better yet, someone else was wearing Julian’s skin.
But he lowered his head, some of his hair falling to his face. “About the other day,” he began, and I could hear the stress in his voice. It strained him. “In the woods … in class … all of it. I’m sorry for how I treated you.” He took a stilted breath, looked at me beneath his long dark lashes. “I’ll understand if you don’t accept my apology, but I felt I owed you one.”
This time, I couldn’t control the laughter that slipped out, couldn’t control how it transformed into a scoff that left me gasping for air. “This is a joke, right? You’re joking?” I managed to say, taking a few steps away from him. An apology was much too easy, for all I’d known him to be was a literal nightmare.
Your miserable existence is my demise, he’d said with such vitriol. I’d take those words with me to the afterlife.
“This is extremely weird coming from you.” The sentence came out with caution as I met his eyes, his face soft and contorting in anticipation. Butmercy, he wouldn’t break me. I’d been fooled one too many times—squished beneath the weight of him like a weed in a field. I’d be a bigger fool if I let it happen again.
Julian’s throat bobbed. “It was wrong the way I went about approaching you. I get that. But I—” A swallow, and students came rushing from the stands. They flocked to the restrooms and concessions, swarming around us in a frenzy.
And then I heard the start of trumpets and drums. My friends would be performing soon. I took one step closer to him. “Unless you tell me everything you know—and I mean everything—I’m not wasting a single breath on you and your antics,” I said, and what surprised me wasn’t how he leaned in while he considered me, it wasn’t how his eyes traced the curve of my neck, it was how I stalled. I gave him space to respond, and he hesitated.
It took another breath to tear myself away from him, and when I did, I didn’t stop to look back. When I returned, we were up seven points, and midfield, the mascot did a series of flips that signaled the marching band. They moved together, entering the field, as the dance team sashayed in front of them with bedazzled uniforms, white gloves, and sheer tights.
Once in formation, the music stopped altogether, and the dancers struck a pose, snapping their fingers to a beat that was no longer there. The team captain blew the whistle, and with a roar, the band resumed playing as the dancers rolled their bodies into the first count.
Watching the performance filled me with a sense of pride. Em, Abi, and Stevie worked so hard, and it was evident. I couldn’t wait to tell them how proud I was.
The third and fourth quarter went by fast. Our opponents came back strong, tying with us. It was the first time the crowd seemed anxious. In the last few seconds of the game, we held a collective breath, winning by a field goal.
A rumble ripped through the bleachers as we jumped up and down, confetti drifting through the crisp air, landing in our hair and on the apples of our cheeks. We hugged strangers, we hugged each other. All of it, a sight to remember.
