I have three basic rules to live by
Don't draw attention to myself.
Make it through another year.
My brother's friends are off limits.
My junior year, each and every single one of those rules will be broken.
**~~**
Blaine has always been the type to...
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Between the pre-championship party and Lucas' date night, I thought that the bus ride would have been quiet. Peaceful even. I should have known better. It doesn't matter how early you force boys to rise, they manage to be wide awake before the rest of the world. In this case me and the sun.
Coach Gilly wanted us on the road as soon as possible. The sooner we got there the sooner we could shift into game mode. It wasn't going to be an average Saturday for us. I wasn't going to be treated to a hangover burger at Dillon's. There wouldn't be any sun rays greeting me from my sleep. What I did get was Finn's arm wrapped around me while I tried to fall back asleep.
We had been promised the five star treatment. By high school standards of course and at the expense of well fundraised money. A coach bus for our team to lounge in on our brief journey. The cheerleaders and parents who were willing to drag their asses out of bed at the crack of dawn had decorated the luxury mode of transportation.
The same cheers that had been painted on poster boards were now going to be seen by every person on the highway. Streamers, ribbons and cheap beads were hanging from the overhead compartments. The booster moms greeted each of us at the steps with personalized drawstring bags. Our last names and numbers printed on the smooth material. Once we picked out our seat near the back, Joseph began digging through his bag. There were sports drinks and snacks that could last us the ride there, and maybe on the way back.
Being the girl that I am, I brought my own travel back. Complete with all the necessities. A blanket that we'd gotten for being the first of twenty thousand fans to enter Soldiers Field during a game years ago. A sweat shirt I had snuck out of Finn's house when he wasn't looking the Tuesday before last. Two pairs of headphones with a splitter so we could share. There had been a small pillow, too, but Lucas made me leave it behind.
Husky stadium was half an hour shy of a two hour trip. Piece of cake when you consider we've had away games that were four and five hour drives. I hadn't realized what side of the bus we were sitting on until the sun started to come up over the horizon. Finn had situated himself so he was leaning his back to the window and I was curled up between his legs with my back against his chest. Beyond my brother's big head and Shane's constant bugging, was this beautiful glow.
It stretched across the fields that ran along the side of the road. Everything it touched came to life before my very eyes. The soybeans were greener. The stalks of corn that dusky yellow. Another town passing by us that looked so much like mine that it was hard to believe it wasn't. As if he knew what I was thinking, Finn kissed the side of my head and whispered softly how amazing today was going to be. He wasn't wrong.
For the first time in decades, our little football team was going to be playing for the mother of all titles. Saying it was one thing. It came so easily that once we were getting our tour of Husky stadium, none of us said a word. The weight of the truth making it impossible for even Shane to speak. We turned to statues as we were taken down a hall and stumbled on the field.
