Gabriel and Isabel were a couple steps ahead, arm in arm, talking too quietly for me to hear. I wondered if they were plotting the after-game activity where they expected David and me to fall madly in love.
Isabel noticed I had fallen behind and slowed down, hooking her free arm in mine. “This is going to be awesome,” she said as we reached the ticket booth.
“I guess,” I said. We paid and headed inside, climbing the steps to the stadium. Some of the kids were all decked out in paint and holding signs. I was glad Isabel hadn’t insisted we do that. When we reached the top, the noise that had somehow seemed muffled on the way up hit me like it was a living, breathing force.
“There’s the band,” Isabel said.
Gabriel looked at me, like I should have a response to that.
“Cool hats,” was the only thing I could think of.
It was five minutes to halftime when Gabriel said, “We should get food before David’s thing.”
“You guys go ahead. I’m good.” I loved Isabel and Gabriel, but I needed a break from the overdose of affection the two of them were displaying.
“Are you sure?” Isabel asked.
“Positive.”
They left for the food vendors. I sat back and looked for lyrics in the sights around me. Lights in the blackness. Waiting for the score. Putting on a face. Flirt a little more.
That last line, unfortunately, had been inspired by Cade. I’d happened to see him chatting with some girl. When he noticed me looking over, he caught my eye and winked. Ugh. I stood, deciding I wanted a drink after all, and pivoted toward the aisle to catch up with Isabel. I nearly ran face first into a chest. Even over the noise of the crowd, this close to him, I could just make out the beat coming from Lucas’s earbuds.
He tugged on the cord, freeing them. “Sorry … Lily, right?”
His presence here shocked me silent. Although to be fair, his presence always seemed to do that. But what was he doing at a football game? I didn’t know a lot about him but I did know this wasn’t his scene.
I tried to answer, to think of something clever … or just something … to say, but my mind was blank. I managed to shut my mouth, which had been open for at least one second too long.
“You okay?” Lucas asked. “Did I hit you?”
I shook my head no. His earbuds were dangling near his shoulders and I was so tempted to pick one up and put it to my ear and finally learn what music he was always listening to, but thankfully I stopped myself. I was already acting crazy enough. Quick, brain, think of something clever to say. My thoughts were flying around, uncatchable.
Lucas smiled, a perfect, gorgeous, disarming smile. All the tension that was holding my thoughts captive eased out of my body. I was going to talk. I was going to say something funny and clever. Finally. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.
“Lucas.” Cade appeared at his side. “Can I interest you in a friendly wager?”
“What?” The irritation on Lucas’s face as he glanced at Cade made me like him even more.
“Trust me, this is better than anything going on over here.” He nodded his head toward the game, and for some reason that worked. Lucas followed him away, leaving me with only a small wave.
Cade had just led away my first real chance at talking to Lucas. Even more reason to hate him.
“Nachos?” Gabriel asked, holding up a tray of chips and gooey cheese. Where had he come from?
Isabel tugged on my arm, carrying a drink in her free hand. “You’re missing the show.”
Oh. Right. I sat back down, trying to make out David on the field. But the whole time I was fuming about Cade and Lucas.
After the game was over, Isabel, David, Gabriel, and I went to a park near Isabel’s house. Gabriel was pushing Isabel on a swing and David and I were sitting on a picnic table.
I picked up David’s marching band hat that he had set next to him. It had a long black feather on top. “What’s with the feather?”
“It makes us taller.” He was still wearing his full band uniform and it looked uncomfortable and sweaty. But cute.
“Really? I should probably wear one of these all the time then.” I placed it on my head.
“I think it really has to do with the history of marching bands,” David explained. “Marching bands used to be used in wars. The musicians wore certain uniforms so the opposing army could identify who not to shoot or something like that.”
“Nice. I’m glad you won’t get shot in a war.”
David smiled and shook his head. “Now it’s just tradition.”
I tipped my head back so I could see under the brim of the hat. “Do you like being in the marching band?”
“Sometimes. It’s a lot of work.”
“It looked good tonight even though I couldn’t really see you out there.” I wasn’t sure that came out right. “I mean, you did a good job … I think. I guess what I mean is that no one stood out, which is what you want, right? It’s supposed to look all … uniform.” How come when faced with Lucas, no words came out, and for David, I had no filter?
“Yes. Thanks.”
David wasn’t much of a talker and I still couldn’t decide if it was because he was shy or because he really didn’t want to be here. I took the hat off, twisted it once between my palms, and set it back down.
“So, I know nothing about you,” I blurted. “Except that you play the clarinet and you hate Chemistry. What else is there to know about David … ” I paused. “I don’t even know your last name.”
“Feldman.”
“Okay, David Feldman, give me the bullet points.”
“The bullet points?”
“You know, your life in ten points or less.”
“Okay, um … my parents are divorced. I have a much older brother and a sister. They’re both married and moved out. My favorite books are Harry Potter.”
“That counts as seven.”
“Really?”
“No, but that’s awesome. I love Potter, too.”
He smiled and with it I decided that he was just shy.
“Keep going,” I said.
“I haven’t been sick since the seventh grade and—”
“Wait, that one needs some expounding. Do you have a super immune system or do you just mean you haven’t thrown up in that long?”
“I haven’t had a cold or the flu since the seventh grade.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I take lots of vitamin C.”
“Text me your diet and habits please.” I was kidding but he pulled out his phone like I’d been serious and handed it to me. I assumed he wanted me to enter my number so I did.
“Is that ten yet?” he asked when I handed it back.
“If you’re done it is, but I think I interrupted you in the middle of one.”
“I was just going to say that I hadn’t missed a day of school since seventh. One of the bad side effects of never being sick.”
“True. Plus, how can you ever appreciate your health when you’re always healthy? Maybe you should try to purposely get sick. Go around kissing sick people or something.”
Why had I said the word kiss? His cheeks darkened. Had he never been kissed? Not that I was all that experienced in the kissing department, but I had done it before. And I could at least say the word without blushing.