Homecoming Game

Homecoming games are my favorite. Each time I watch Baylen play it’s so much fun. He does such an amazing job of protecting Sterling from getting sacked. Bay is a beast. I remember when we were younger and my dad would try to make him play quarterback. Baylen fought it every step of the way. He always said he wanted to be the guy that protected the quarterback. And he does an amazing job of it. I invited Jada over to get ready with Casey and I before the game. If I was going to be getting over Keegan, I would definitely need to become friends with her.

I wore Baylen’s away jersey. Audrey thought she was going to get to wear it; that was the girl he had kissed at Keegan’s party, but he reserved it for his biggest fan! I have been wearing Bay’s jerseys since I was 7 years old and he played in his first tackle league with Keegan. We had a special handshake he taught me and I brought my cowbell with me that said Bay Ham on the side. This was a big deal and now that he was playing in his second Varsity Homecoming game, it was all the more special. Baylen would never let a girl come in between us and the same goes for me with a boy. My brother is always first. My Irish Twin, my best friend. My mom has always taught us that our sibling is the most important person in our life and we live by it.

I put my hair in two pigtails with blue and yellow ribbons. Jada did my eye-black for me. She put it on thick like the players do. She added the initials, HT, under each eye in blue and yellow. It looked so cute. I did her hair ribbons and we both tackled Casey together. Her hair was so easy to do. Sometimes I wished mine would flow like that, but it doesn’t. I took a look at my poofy curls in the mirror. My curls are versatile, as my mom would say. I shook off the thought of not loving my hair and I grabbed my lip gloss. Jeff would love me in my fan gear, I hoped. He plays on the lacrosse team, so I don’t think he has a football jersey to wear. We finished up and headed to the living room to wait for my mom to be ready. She was driving us since the boys were already at the game.

“So Brees, you like this Jeff kid a lot huh?” Jada inquired.

Her face looked nervous as if she wasn’t sure of what my answer might be. She fiddled with her hair bows trying to not look directly at me.

“I really do. He is so sweet and attentive all of the time,” I said, linking arms with her as if we had been old pals our entire lives.

Her face softened and the fear left her eyes. She seemed to like my response and I was thankful. I don’t need her thinking I am after Keegan. Especially when she saw me come from behind the barn with him a few weeks ago. She didn’t mention it, but I know the thought was there. I was going to make sure she had absolutely no reason to suspect that I liked him in any way.

“Jada we should write Kee’s girl on your cheeks,” I suggested, “This way everyone will know who you are,” I squeaked as I spun her around to face paint her cheeks.

She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t know that it’s something he would want,” she said looking down. “I feel like he only dates me because his dad told him he has to. He hasn’t even asked me to be his girlfriend, so no, let’s not girls,” she finished.

She smiled at me as if to thank me for the idea though. Casey and I looked at her with wide eyes and our mouths wide open. Did she really just spill this tea all over my living room like this? She is wrong though. I saw how he kissed her at his party. He likes her. I grabbed her hands and pulled them near my chin.

“Jada, that boy is crazy about you. I never see Kee bring girls around and he brings you often,” I reassured her. “Now let’s get this paint on your face so your boy knows you are there for him 100%,” I said convincingly.

I almost believed myself. I almost thought that maybe I really could get over Keegan.