The Little Diner on 5th Street (gxg)

Thursday Night Lights

"Strike two!" The umpire shouted out, Emma's boyfriend Henry kicked dirt up as if he was a bull and got prepared for the next pitch. The sun had already set but the bright stadium lights lit the diamond up just fine. 

The metal stands were cold thanks to the late night chilly breeze. I felt Kaylee inch closer to me under the wool blanket she brought. I tensed up a little as she reached for my hand and placed it  on her thigh. Kendall nudged my side with her knee from behind me, I looked up at her, she raised her eyebrows at me and whispered "scandalous". I fake smiled at her and turned back to the game.

"Hailey, your hands really are small." Kaylee snickered.

"Oh uh- sorry." I scrunched my eyebrows at her and brought my hand back to my lap.

"its no big deal, its just i'm used to bigger fingers." She whispered in my ear.

"Um haha, right." I nervously smiled as she brought my hand back to her thigh but this time moving it higher up.

"-Im going to get us some popcorn" I interrupted her from moving my hand up any further and got up from the stands. 

"Ooh get buttered." She called out to me.

I sighed and gave a thumbs up without looking back at her. I walked over to the concessions stands. 

"Hey whats up Hailey" Sebastian smiled at me from behind the counter. 

"Hi, Sebastian, I didn't know you were working concessions tonight." I flashed my dimples at him and took out my money.

"yeah, coach G signed the lacrosse team up for volunteering tonight." He ran his fingers through his short wavy brown hair and motioned at a few other of his teammates who were bagging popcorn.

 "oh cool, I'm scheduled to  volunteer next weeks game against Rhinelander." I heard the crack of the ball hitting one of our player's bats which made me flinch.

"Well, we'll try to keep this place from burning down. Now what can we get you?" His green eyes had a certain twinkle when the moon hit them. 

"Sounds like a plan. Can I get a popcorn...um buttered" I yawned and slid the money towards him.

"yeah of course. Tyler, buttered popcorn!" He called out to another brunette boy, who had popcorn oil stains on his shirt.

"So you and Kaylee? Huh? Didn't know she was your type." he let out a faint chuckle as he counted my change.

"Well you know in a small town there isn't really a point in having a 'type'. " I exhaled and peered back over to where Kaylee was sitting, she was laughing with her friend Marcus.

"Oh come on Hailey, you know you don't have to settle. Senior year is practically over and you should start considering taking the first bus out of this dumb little redneck town." He handed my change back with a sincere look on his face.

"Yeah, but I can easily go to the 2 year technical college here then transfer to the big city university and plan my life out from there." I leaned my elbows on the counter and stared off at the pretzels slowly turning in their heated container. 

"Really? Thats what everyone says, my older brother, my cousin, and both my parents but look where they are now, stuck back here in this crap town. Hailey you have a chance on thriving out in the real world, you're a three sport varsity athlete, honor roll student, valedictorian, prom queen, and have like a million other achievements under your belt. Leaving this town would be an achievement of its own." He let out a hopeful sigh and gave me the popcorn.

 "Thanks Sebastian, really it means a lot that you care. I have been considering it believe me." I nodded.

"Well you know, us gays have to look out for each other" He whispered and gave me a wink.

"100%. I'll see you later Sebs." I grinned at him and turned back for the stands.

Sebastian is still in the closet which I sadly don't blame him for, its one thing to be gay in this town but to also be a teenage boy, I can't imagine the shit he'd be exposed to. The horrible things that the close-minded  jocks would do to him. 

If anyone were lucky enough to get out of this town I'd hope it would be Sebastian. 

"Strike three, you're out!" The umpire shouted loud enough to snap me out of my thought. I walked up the stands back to Kaylee who spun around to face me once again.

"Wow, took you long enough Hailey." She laughed as I handed her the popcorn.

"Uh-sorry, I was just talking about college with Sebastian." I rubbed my eyes out of tiredness and a little bit of irritation.

"Oh so you're talking to your ex? Should I be jealous." She widened her eyes at me.

She was referring to my freshman year "relationship" with Sebastian. We were each other's "beard" because there were some rumors going around that Sebastian had hooked up with his male camp counselor over summer break.

But I'm pretty sure Sebastian was less worried about what his classmates would think and more concerned of what his pastor father would do. 

"Its not like that, we're just friends and i'm pretty confident that I don't like dick." I fake laughed.

"Hailey you're so funny." She laughed and pushed into my arm.

"Thanks..?"