Invisible

MESSED UP

AIDEN PARKS IN FRONT OF MY HIGH SCHOOL’S STADIUM. It looks dead, vacant, but there are a few noticeable cars around. Jeremy’s, Ethan’s, and Blake’s are parked around us, all deserted. There are a few other cars too, none that I recognize. I watch Aiden as he jumps out of the truck, walks around to my side, and opens the door for me.

“What are we doing here?” I ask. He groans as he takes my hand, slams the door.

“You already know you’re impatient, right?” he responds. I laugh as we walk toward the gate.

“Any plans on getting in?” I ask, irritated. He smirks as he pulls me around the gate, toward the far side.

“You didn’t hear about the hole in the gate when you were there?”

“Nope.”

“You never came here after I left, did you?”

I’m silent. That was a trick question, probably to trick me into telling him I still love him…

“Not really,” I say, “Too busy.”

“Ah.”

Once we pass the bleachers, I see a small crowd of people standing in the center of the field.  

“Here,” he says as he pulls part of the fence, a huge hole visible. I step through, and he follows me as we make our way to the field.

“Aw!” Ethan yells as he and Blake start running toward us, “Look who finally decided to show up!”

“Not my fault, asshole,” Aiden responds as he approaches, “Emma had an appointment.”

“That’s a really pathetic excuse.”

“Hey,” Blake calls, “why don’t you guys shut up so we can start already?”

“Fine by me,” Aiden says, “Which team am I for?”

“Skins. You okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Same as Ethan.” Blake gives them an evil smile as she walks back toward the crowd. I purse my lips together, try hard to keep myself from laughing. Ethan and Aiden stare at each other, shrug it off.

“I guess I’ll just go sit on the bleachers,” I say as I start making my way toward them.

“Aw,” Ethan calls after me, “you sure you don’t want to play? We’ll try not to tackle you so hard.”

I roll my eyes as I keep walking. When I approach the bleachers, I climb up toward the top, sit in the middle of the stands. Aiden and Ethan walk toward Jeremy, who’s sitting at the bottom of the bleachers. I don’t know why Jeremy isn’t playing with them. He played on our football team, his position I don’t remember. Ethan rolls his eyes as he takes his shirt off, runs back out toward the field. Aiden pulls his shirt over his head, asks Jeremy another question. Jeremy shrugs, and Aiden looks up at me, my eyes glued to his body. When our eyes meet, I flush, look away from him.

“Come on!” Ashlee calls from the field, “We don’t have all day!”

I look out toward the field, the game already half started. I also notice Anna making her way through the hole in the fence, walking toward the bleachers. I smile as I wave at her. She waves back, but shows more enthusiasm when she sees Jeremy. He stands up, his arms held open for her as she runs toward him, wraps her arms around him. It doesn’t bother me that much, but then he kisses her, and…

Blood rushes to my head, an emotion I can’t describe flowing deep through my body. She doesn’t pull away either. She just smiles at him as he holds her in his arms, pretends that everything is alright, everything is just normal as it’s always been. When he pulls her close, he cuts his eyes at me, his arms looking as if he’s trying to suffocate her.

Finally, she pulls away, starts making her way toward me.

“Hey,” she says as she sits next to me. My eyes are still focused on Jeremy’s, his evil smile making my heart bounce, then drop. I can feel Anna glaring at me.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“You and Jeremy are a thing?” I ask, a disgusting feeling in my mouth as I spit the word out.

“Oh. Yeah, I know. It’s weird, but, hey. He is a pretty cool guy, now. I guess college can really mature a guy.”

I gulp, my stomach unsettled. I start to stand up, my legs quivering as I try to balance.

“Are you okay?” she asks as she stands up after me, tries to hold me up.

“No… I- I need…” My voice is shaky, Jeremy’s evil stare still fixed on me. “I need to go home.”

“What?”

“I need to go home. I need to leave.” I try to step down, but my leg gives out, sending my body backward, my head crashing into the pavement. Before I can fall to the next stand, Anna grabs me, turns me on my back. My head throbs, and I can barely see anything.

“Emma, are you okay?!” She takes her hand from the back of my head. Then, a loud shriek, Aiden’s name called. I still can’t see anything, but I hear quick footsteps.

“What happened?” Aiden asks as he slowly tries to lift my head.

“I don’t know,” Anna responds, “She just fell and her head… God, Ethan is she going to be okay?”

“We have to go to the hospital for that one,” Ethan says.

I start to close my eyes, my head fogging up. The last thing I felt were Aiden’s hands as he carried me to his truck, and the last thing I said…

I don’t even remember.