Page 65 of Bending Under Pressure

“How far away would you have to drive?”

“A little over an hour.”

Mom glances to Dad. They don’t really like me driving more than the forty-five minutes to some of the surrounding towns that actually have places to go. I’m surprised when Mom nods and says, “Just be careful and be home before dark.”

I bet that if I wanted to go that far with Haley or Cameron, she’d say no in a heartbeat. But because it’s my birth mom, she’s saying yes. Hopefully, things will go okay. I talk to Keira more than Natalie because she texts me a lot. There’s always a handful of texts, or one long text, waiting for me when I finish at football practice where Keira is telling me about her day and asking about mine.

Haley: Hey, did you know how to do #5 from science homework? Don’t you want to help me? :D

Crap. Science homework. I forgot.

Me: Haven’t done it yet. Hold on and we’ll figure it out.

I head back upstairs, the rest of my night spent on the phone doing homework with Haley. I have to say, it’s not a bad way to spend my time.

Rival games always bring out the most crowds. Everyone who usually attends our home games is here, plus everyone who has even a little bit of school spirit in them. You’ll never find a game with higher attendance, even if we are the away team. Mom, Dad, Haley, and Jess are here, even though Jess and Cameron still aren’t speaking to each other. If they keep it up, I may have to intervene.

We’re already standing on the sidelines as the other team breaks through the banner their cheerleaders are holding and rush out onto the field. Their fans go crazy, stomping on the bleachers, cheering at the top of their lungs, and clapping their hands. Our fans, the adults that they are, boo as loudly as possible. The noises clash into one another to create one loud sound that mixes together.

Cameron is standing next to me; his eyes glued to the fifty-yard line as his hands grip the neck of his shoulder pads. At least he’s focused. While we’ve only lost one game, our rivals have lost two. It gives us a slight edge. We definitely don’t want to lose this one, so we have even more motivation. Coach has already crawled down our throats like this is the State Championships or something. It sure is as important as one around here.

A steady huff of air exhales from my lungs. The pressure sits tight on my chest, constricting even more knowing the people I care about are in the stands watching. I don’t want to let them down, and I don’t want to let my coach or teammates down either. On top of that, no one wants to have an early practice tomorrow as punishment for losing.

After the coin toss, the game gets underway. The cacophony of the crowd nearly becomes too much for my ears, so I try to block it out. The football players in front of me in their blue and white jerseys are much more important. Cam is flawless tonight. I almost wonder if he’s doing so well because he’s trying to show off for Jess. Trying to understand them, however, is beyond my abilities.

It’s a fast paced, back and forth kind of game. It ends up coming down to the wire, those torturous last few minutes where we try to keep our lead. Hopefully, if we win, we can pack up and get out of here. Last year, a group of guys got into a fight. They were fans from each school and it was stupid. I love football as much as the next person, but I’m not going to get into a fight with our rivals. The game is important, but it’s not worth all of that.

We hold our lead, the crowd cheering louder than they would have been if we’d been at home. I’m tired, sweaty, and ready for a shower. Because it’s an away game, once Coach talks to us, we’re back on the bus to the high school. I was hoping to see Haley later tonight, but I think I’m too tired. I’ll have to make it up to her tomorrow.

“Text me when you get there. If you make any stops along the way, text me to let me know. You have your GPS already set up on your phone, right?” Mom asks.

“Yes. It’s only an hour drive, Mom. I’m not going to Richmond or D.C. by myself.”

She’s been fussing over me for the past twenty minutes, and she’s really starting to annoy me. It’s her fault I’m going because she told me I could!

“Text me when you leave, too,” she adds, ignoring everything I just said.

“Yes, ma’am,” I reply to satisfy her.

Mom hugs me, kisses my cheek, and I’m finally able to leave the house. I make sure to set up my GPS, placing my phone in my lap, and then find a good radio station to listen to before I leave the driveway. Natalie has only texted me once today to make sure I was still coming. Even through those messages, I got a sense that she was really excited. It’s throwing me off. Why is it such a big deal? I don’t think she was as excited for me to meet Kiera as she seems to be for me to meet my aunt.

It’s put me on edge more so than usual where Natalie is involved. The plus, of course, is that Keira will be there. Her dance was earlier this week, but she said it was too much recap in a text and she doesn’t like talking on the phone. She’s supposed to tell me all about it today.

The hour drive seems to pass quickly. Traffic isn’t bad at all. My phone directs me to take a left, instructing me that my destination is on the right ahead. I frown when I realize my destination is a white community building where row after row of cars are parked. This can’t be the right place. It’s not a home, which is what I’m expecting. There are people milling around the entrance to the building and even more walking that way. I find a place to park and recheck the address Natalie sent me. I glance to the sign for the building.

The numbers match.

How is this where I’m supposed to be?

I call Mom and she answers on the second ring.

“Is everything okay, Keelan? You w

ere supposed to text.”

“I don’t know if I’m in the right spot,” I tell her.

“What do you mean? You’re lost?”

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