Love Me, Please
21. The Eyes Wide Open

Silent. There was no sound after Coach Jordan ended his speech. I hope so. I can't hear much more than this.

I should get out of here. Quickl.

While watching the end of the hallway, I spelled a step back so that the shoes would not produce a sound that would announce my presence to them. Kutiti step one way carefully maybe. After I guess the distance between us was quite far, my whereabouts were quite safe, I turned around and started running.

Arriving outside, my steps stopped because of confusion that immediately struck. I don't know where this guy is going. I can't just disappear. Kayden who is too sensitive will certainly be able to guess something is wrong in one try.

The tightness suddenly hit the chest when it remembered what Coach Jordan had told Kay just now. Too much new information to digest. Too many emotions to feel.

He's glimpsed at a scout? How could I not know about that? How can I ....

"Oh, my God." Isak immediately splashed out from the lips. Immediately I clot the mouth with both hands to stem the feeling that seems to be spilling over.

No, Niki. Not here's. Not now's.

However, darling. It's not that easy to stop the pace of thought.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. My chest is getting claustrophobic because it withstands the turmoil that should feel right raging body. This feeling continues to stretch in order to be freed.

Get a fucking grip, Nik!

I inhaled a deep breath every time I finished saying the name of God, taking it out slowly before repeating the same thing later. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

What have I done? What have I done to Kayden? What the hell's been going on? And ... and I say I love her? How is it that love when it makes me happy makes him hurt?

I'm the worst girlfriend in the whole world. I'm the worst person in this world.

Oh, my God. Am i. Am i. I was too busy talking about a jerk, song, coco, belagu so I didn't have time to look inside myself and realize that I was actually all of those things. I was too selfish to care about other people, including Kayden. The one who always put my interests first. The most perfect person near me.

Oh. My. God.

I exhaled a long breath once more in order to remove the vibration that had already taken hold of the lips.

"Calm down, Nikita. Calm. Down. You can't panic, you can't cry now. You can't be a burden to Kay anymore. He sacrificed too much for you. You can't take more than you've stolen all this time" I said to myself.

You've been too troublesome.

God. Stopit!

The sound of footsteps demanded me to take control of myself as soon as possible. I swallowed forcefully and cleared my throat. On the count of three, I turned around.

Justright. The Lions have finished changing clothes. Kayden who was walking in the middle of the crowd turned his head and smiled when he saw me. He waved and immediately ran over. "Hey, honey," she said as she wrapped me in a fresh-scented stocky body typical of the care products she wore after ridding me of the remains of battle in the field. Now there are only happy rays of victory that they achieved.

"Hey, you," I said gently.

The conversation was replaced with the struggle of our lips and tongue. "Complete is the ritual today," he explained after finishing sharing the mint flavor of his toothpaste with me.

I smiled thinly.

Instantly, his forehead immediately wrinkled. "You okay?" search Kayden with squinted eyes.

Damn it, Niki. Act normal!

I immediately put on my best smile. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," greet me with a lie. Then I launched the next strategy; the diversion of the talk. "By the way, you were so cool on the field."

Accomplished mission. "Well, yeah," Kayden replied, shrugging his shoulders. He never took the responses that people gave him too seriously about his ability in football. "It was a good game."

The game was more than good, it was amazing, but that's how Kayden is. Humble to the roots.

"Yo, Kay! You came to my house, right? It's my turn to not have an after party, no." Gyan shouted from the side of the school bus that would take the team back to Rockefeller some parking slots from where we were standing.

Kayden turned his head, hesitatingly shading a part of his face. "Ngg, look at it later, Yan!" before he turned back to face me.

From behind Kayden's back, Gyan stabbed me with a sharp look.

"Yuk, ah, home. You must be tired." He took my hand and we started walking closer to the beauty.

"No, really. Not tired." I hurriedly cuddled. The corner of the eye still catches a look full of dislike from across there. "If you want to go to Gyan's party, just go. I'm okay anyway. Seriously."

"Yee, no, Yang," she said immediately. I haven't even had a chance to find a more convincing reason. "Why don't I go there with you?"

"Are you leaving?"

"You?" He asked back.

It was a decision maker for me. Kayden would not say anything concerning himself before ascertaining the opinions of others. This should have been my concern from a long time ago. "If so, yok."

"Seriously?"

I nodded once, exerting my most capable acting skills. "Yes, come on."

"We don't have to go on for long, yeah, Yang. About half an hour. You see, I'm really tired, but it's not good for Gyan and the other kids to turn down" Kayden said as the car was in front of Dickinson's house on Greenock Lane.

"Yes, it's up to you."

We started walking towards the building that had been dominated by the bass thump on a night that was already half eleven. The courtyard of the two-story house was filled with young people who were inevitably busy enjoying life.

"Well, isn't this the Almighty Kayden Ford, The Lions most precious quarterback?" Gyan shouted his welcome as he saw us—no, Kayden— entered the living room. Somehow the sound can compete with the music that literally vibrates the windows and wins. They then high-five ria, other football team members—most of them after I noticed—which was gathering at one point it immediately followed.

I just got a hand wave or just a nod. Okay, then. I turned around to kiss Kayden on the cheek and say goodbye to finding my friends. I ... I don't feel like being targeted for Gyan's glances and frowns more than I've received tonight.

"I'll find you later, okay?" kayden's promise after releasing our lips. That's not the case for my girlfriend those fleeting kisses like the one I just put on her cheek.

I'm nodding.

Although being the center of attention has been a habit, but now the view that is presented to me by the spy feels a little different. Thick, sticky. I was quick, I was speeding up.

"Kiki!"

"Baby niki!"

"Girl!"

The mind is flooded with relief when it hears these familiar sounds almost simultaneously.

"Niki, I'm so sorry. Mrs. Witches really have the heart to get you out of the team" gerundel Paulina hugged me after we got close. "It feels incomplete if there's no you."

"agree. Especially close to this competition. I'm not sure we can take the tropics back." Marina came forward with her opinion while holding my right arm with her left arm holding a cup. "Ups, sorry, Is. I didn't mean it, but, yeah, that's it." The tight curly haired girl grimaced at Isobel.

I looked at them confused because I did not understand what they were talking about.

Marina caught my expression. "Lo don't know yet that Isobel changed your position to captain?"

Wait, what? I .... No, I don't know anything about that. Suddenly the throat felt stuck. I cleared my throat and shook my head. "Yet. I didn't get any info either."

"Sorry, Nik. Ise—" Isobel open voice.

I cut off whatever he wanted to say. "Nothing else, Is. Just relax." I shrugged my shoulders. "I think I can focus on learning now."

Yeah, right. Focus learning. Yeah. That. Whatever.

"Where do les keep going?" paulina asked later after a few seconds passed in an awkward manner. At least that's how I feel inside.

"That's how it is" I said, shaking my hand. Anything to sell the "alright" I put up.

"okay, good. But we'll be missing you at practice" he whined again.

"But, we have a reason to hangout often, dong," said Marina who raised her eyebrows. "Yes, no, Nik?"

"Surely."

"Ladies." Suddenly Kayden's voice interrupted our conversation.

"Kayden," said Marina, raising her glass as a sign of salute.

"Kayden bestie" Paulina replied. The call was always a success fishing for crispy gel from Kay.

"Hi," Isobel timidly said as usual.

Kayden held out a can of lemon-flavored soda to me. "How is it going?"

Marina quickly snatched the opportunity to speak. "Yeah, you know. We're shocked to pass Mrs. Lekovich told me about Mrs' decision. Magicians. But rules are rules, right?" He turned the eyeball when quoting the most frequently spoken sentence by Mrs. Contreras it. "So, gini. With Isobel as our new captain. Yea."

However, Marina did not look too "yeay" when she said that.

"Cool" answered Kayden. He then turned the can and downed the soda that was inside his grasp. "Pick up, yuk, Yang."

I stared at him to make sure. "Undahan?"

"He-uh. So tired."

Phew. I had trouble hiding the feeling of relief that instantly struck. At last. Without hesitation, I immediately welcomed his offer. "Let's go then."

"Huuu, suck," Paulina and Marina murmured in unison as we prepared to resign.

I sneered. "Bye, guys. We'll walk sometime, okay?

To be continued ....