WANTING YOU

Game Day

Astrid's POV

I couldn't begin to fathom my extreme failing grade. Mr. London's triturate voice still played over and over in my mind as I laid in bed, looking at my ceiling the very next morning.

Soon enough, my phone lit up with a text message on the nightstand. I slowly reached for it and opened the text. It was Keri and I was already sensing her annoying excitement through the phone.

"It's Game-Day," I read aloud and it was when my brain registered those words, I flew out of bed and made a beeline to my shower. Once I was out, I got into my clothes, skipped breakfast and headed out the door.

"Astrid!" I heard my mother calling after me but I was already jogging down the street to catch a bus to school.

~

It was Friday and not just any other Friday. To the footballers, it was the Friday of all Fridays. They were facing their most abhorrent rival from Los Angeles for the championship and they needed this win. We needed this win.

~

A raging sea of students littered the hallway after classes, with their high spirits, expectations and enthusiasm for the game ahead. The footballers were there in their numbers and in the midst of it all, was Trent Ambrose.

He wore his football uniform and held the ball high above his head as he rallied his team around him. Then his eyes found mine looking straight in his direction. His raked my body, every second felt captivated and locked under his gaze until Annalise appeared and took her place next to Trent.

The school's power couple silenced the roaring crowd.

"Today, the victory belongs to us!" Trent pumped and another roar erupted from everyone everywhere, including the teachers and the football coaches.

"Today, we go out there and we bring the fight to our biggest rival. We bring the heat, we bring the flare and we damn sure gonna bring home the trophy!" Trent finished and cheers, chants and the matching band sounded.

Annalise gestured for silence and Trent had to help simmer the crowd for her to speak.

"Today, we shine and we claim what is ours. We're going to wipe the field with those LA weaklings and we're going to leave no crumbs behind!" she pumped and the cheers went up to the ceilings.

Annalise and Trent wore big smiles and the massive crowd matched out the the field. The students took the bleachers and benches and the footballers took to their respective tent on the field as we awaited the arrival of the other team and the start of the game.

~

It was late afternoon. The other football team and their cheerleaders arrived, and the game took an intense beginning. Both teams were playing for the win and at half time, it was a tied score.

Annalise directed us to the middle of the field and we started our display routine for the crowd which seemed to have grown even larger the last time I looked at everyone there.

As I danced along side the others, I hoped to not mess this up too. My footwork and motion were perfect and we finished without a hiccup.

The crowd cheered loudly and Annalise glowed with a satisfied smile until the other team's cheerleader approached for a confrontational cheer-off. It was at that very moment, that I recognized the head cheerleader. She was the girl Trent was entertaining in the pallor some weeks ago, the one Annalise cornered and threatened.

At that realization, I looked in Annalise's direction and she was furious. The other group of cheerleaders started their routines then dared us to 'step up to the plate'.

Annalise wasn't the kind of person to back down from a challenge. The cheer-off became as heated as the football game and the crowd was on edge to find out who would walk away and who would stand their ground as the victor.

We stood the ground, and a feeling of being powerful washed over me. The game resumed and I cheered as loud as I possibly could have when Trent made the first touchdown in the last half.

We all looked on and touch downs chased after touch downs. Our team scored then the next team scored to match the momentum.

Tied scores again and fifteen seconds remained on the clock. We had the ball in our possession and Trent directed the team to their positions. Time slowed... the last play started... the ball changed hands and everyone stood up to have a better view of the field.

In a tricky exchange, the ball was sent to Trent. The other team's defense wasn't expecting him to send it to his best friend who was already close to the touchdown line. A perfect throw and a perfect catch, Alex Hinds scored and PHS won the highschool championship.

It was a festival afterwards. Pompoms and confetti rained the skies and the entire school piled to the field in celebration. Trent and his team were drenched with sodas and water as they held the trophy.

Annalise ran forward and leaped into Trent's arms. He pulled her by her perfect waist and their lips met. A pang hit my stomach but Keri intervene. Seeing what I saw, she ensure that that didn't ruin the moment for us. We joined in the celebration, cheering and clapping and dancing to the tunes of the matching band.

______

At last, every celebration must come to an end. The crowd, cheers and sun whined down.

Keri and I headed to her car but Annalise stopped us.

"The win isn't over," she said, coming over to us with Trisha at her tail, "I'm inviting you two to my house for the after party."

"Awesome. I'm down," Keri leaped at the invite. They looked at me, waiting for my response.

"Oh.. I need to get home. My mom would be worried sick if I stay out past my curfew," I said.

Then Trent walked up to us. "It would be fun," he said.

"Just send your mom a text and tell her that you're going to have a sleep over with me," Keri encouraged me to lie. I didn't like lying to my mom but going to the party would make me fit into the squad and I was going to be at a party where Trent was also present.

I couldn't believe I was doing this but there I was, feeling like I was on cloud nine, hanging out the passenger window to Keri's car as we drove to Annalise's house.

Scratch that! Annalise's mansion.

My mouth hung open in amazement and awe as we pulled onto the main entrance. We exited and followed Annalise inside when she got out of Trent's car.

"Oh my God!" Keri uttered as we walked through the door. The interior was too luxurious and pristine. Everything looked expensive.

"Welcome to my home," Annalise rubbed it in. We followed her deeper and the surroundings tend to become even larger.

We all filed into the theater room. The footballers and cheerleaders started mingling in the low lighting. Drinks were distributed and music started playing. Indeed, another party had started and it was going to be an unforgettable one for me.