Kiss Cam

Ch. 1 - Lakers

"Dad, I do not want to go!" I stand in front of my mirror, combing through my hair. "Just please go with Wren!"

My dad got tickets to see the Lakers for his birthday. He was originally going with my older brother, Wren, who decided to get the flu yesterday.

"I'd rather not have him blowing chunks on the players," my dad chuckles.

I cringe at his word choice and readjust my large Lakers jersey. "At least tell me that Lamar Odom is going to be there."

"He's playing for the Knicks now, honey," my dad laughs.

"How about Michael Jordan?"

There's a loud bang that echoes through the house. My dad and I both run over to Wren's room at the end of the hallway to make sure he's okay.

"This is bull, dad! I flipping love the Lakers and Riley doesn't even appreciate basketball! I should be-"

Instead of being able to finish his argument, he has to unload his already empty stomach. I turn away in disgust.

"Riley is going. You are staying home with mom."

"Or," I interject, "I stay to take care of Wren and mom goes with you."

"Not happening!" my mom yells from all the way downstairs.

Needless to say, she hates basketball. And she hates my dad at basketball games. He gets far too into the games and usually ends up throwing his popcorn at the court. It's embarrassing.

My mother and I thumb wrestled to see who had to go with. I lost, obviously. However, I still don't think it's fair. She's the one who got him the tickets in the first place.

"Let's get going," my dad says and pats my back before going down the stairs.

I sigh and follow him. We say goodbye to my mom just before we leave. It's about a half an hour drive to the stadium for us, yet it feels like an eternity. I imagine all of the different ways my dad could embarrass me on the way. There's about seventy different combinations.

After making our way through different crowds and ticket booths and the occasional over-spirited Lakers fan, we make it to our seats. We have court-side seats, which is why my dad has been so pumped for this game.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I announce.

My dad nods, his eyes glued to the players as they warmup. I stand up from the seat and navigate my way to the closest bathroom. It's going to be a long night. Maybe I could just stay in the bathroom the whole time? It's not like my dad would notice.

I send a quick text to my best friend, Sam. She's with her boyfriend, Zander. The three of us have been super close since pre-school. Sam and Zander have been dating for three months, finally attempting to break out of that friend zone. I'm just worried that when they break up, I'll be in the middle.

Finishing up in the bathroom, I decide to finally head back to our seats. The first thing I notice is that the people next to is have arrived. The second thing I notice is that one of them is Asher Westfield.

Let me tell you a little something about Asher Westfield. He's a mystery to most, me included. Apparently, his family is really wealthy. You'd never be able to guess it by his same old white t-shirts and dark skinny jeans. Plus, his combat boots look like something he found at a thrift shop.

I've never talked to Asher Westfield, though only a few have. He's an independent person to put it into terms. Some might even define him as a loner.

Even if he is a loner, Asher stands to be one of the most popular guys at my high school. All of the girls love him, in an obsessive way. I've decided that it's his mystery that draws people in. Who wouldn't want to be his friend?