You Saved Me

“Is it ok if I go to a football game at a neighboring high school tonight? Steph invited me to go with her and I couldn’t exactly say no. She cornered me.” Brittany said with a shrug while looking at Bobby with a skeptical look on his face.

“Sure. Umm, do you know if their doing anything afterwards?” he asked, not looking away from the basketball game that was on the tv.

“Yeah. She said something about going to an ice cream place that’s near the beach. I guess it’s like a ritual or something.” Brittany said, not being able to remember the name that Steph had told her in the parking lot after school let out, along with the time that she would pick her up.

“That’s cool. Yeah, have fun. I don’t really know what time I should tell you to be home. If later than midnight, call me please. Or if you want to be picked up.” he said and then a commercial came on, causing him to get up from his seat and make his way to the kitchen and grab a can of soda from the fridge.

Brittany smiled appreciatively at him as he made his way past her towards the living room again and then bounded up the stairs to her room to find what to wear.

Apparently Steph wanted to make sure it was the right shade of blue, so she was supposed to find all the blue and gold things she could find and then she would change at Steph’s house along with her friend Katie from Econ and a girl named Jessica that she had yet to meet.

She quickly raided her closet, only to find only three shirts. A navy blue polo, a bright yellow t-shirt and a powder blue v-neck long sleeve.

Maybe I will need to borrow clothes. And then go shopping.

She grabbed a pair of blue jeans from her dresser drawer and quickly exchanged them for her stockings and skirt that she had grown accustomed to wearing everyday.

As much as she was scared, never really putting herself in a public situation before considering she never had the friends to do anything with, her nervousness also worked as an adrenaline. She was really excited to have a night of pure normal teenage-ness.

Also, Laura had told her to have fun, as long as she paid attention to the faces that surrounded her, so she figured, why not?! What did she have to lose anyway?

My life. But technically I don’t have a life if I stay cooped up forever, might as well enjoy it while I have the opportunity.

She heard a sharp honk from outside and looked out her window to see Stephanie waiting outside in her sandy colored Camry with another girl sitting to be in the back, laughing hysterically.

That’s probably Jessica. I don’t recognize her.

She decided against bringing her pathetic three shirts that she already knew Stephanie wouldn’t approve of and grabbed her purse before heading out of the house while yelling, “See you later,” to Bobby’s sitting figure on the couch.

Once inside the car, she smiled excitedly towards Stephanie and then looked back towards the girl in the back with shoulder length chocolate brown hair with a tan complexion, while Stephanie introduced the two.

“This is Jessica. She’s on the volleyball team with me and practically my sister. Jessica, this is Trisha. The girl I was telling you about.” she said, smile on her face while she drove.

She’s already talking about me? I’m sure the W.P.P. wouldn’t like that I’ve already become a conversation topic within a week at my new school….

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you. Well, basically the same things over and over since Steph doesn’t really know much about you to begin with.” Jessica said and then flashed her a smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m really excited about this game. I’ve never been to a high school football game before.” Brittany said, sounding excited, trying to ignore the ‘not knowing a lot about you’ comment.

That was the way she liked it. The way she needed it. She didn’t want people to ask her a lot of questions and delve into her past. She couldn’t even do it by herself, how would she be able to do it for other people?

“Well then you’re in for a big surprise. These games are insane. And so much fun. Lot’s of screaming and yelling. Cute boys. Especially the players in their tight little pants. Yum.” Steph finished, smile if possible getting larger as she drove home with the girls in the car.

“Don’t mind her. She’s a little bit boy obsessed, if you haven’t noticed.” Jessica said with a laugh, causing Steph to let out a puff of air for her defense, but knowing that she couldn’t get too mad at the truth, and instead turned up the radio loudly, screaming the words out the windows. Not caring who looked at her for her loud singing.

Brittany couldn’t help but laugh slightly after Jessica joined in on the screaming but felt slightly out of place when they both looked at her expectantly, like she was supposed to join in with them.

Don’t do anything that would cause attention towards you. Just an easier way for him to find you.

That’s was what the W.P.P. told her was one of the main rules of their program. Otherwise it was pointless to be a part of it since it was supposed to help you hide and get along with your life. If you’re willing to put yourself out there and be noticed, what’s the point?

But who cares? She was already doing something that was out of question, even though Laura had told her to have fun. Plus, it wasn’t like she was being careless, she was being a teenage girl.

They couldn’t judge her too much for that could they?

Plus, it’s not like they were going to find out anyways…

“SHAKE, SHAKE. SHAKE, SHAKE A SHAKE IT!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, and smiled at the girls who smiled back at her and continued on with the song.

She’d already had someone get close enough to her that she started spilling secrets, and now with bringing some attention onto herself, she felt alive, like an outlaw.

It felt good to break the rules, even if they were life threatening. But even if she didn’t have a psycho killer after her, everything is life threatening. What would one night of pure fun with a friend, and probably another soon to be one, hurt?

* * * * *

“Are you sure I look ok?” Brittany asked worried at how her outfit changed drastically from her white button down shirt and jeans to a denim skirt with a gold halter top and a royal blue zip up hoodie over it with her hair pulled back into a high ponytail, gold ribbon in her hair and glitter on her cheekbones with black smudges under her eyes, signature of a football player, along with mardi gras beads that were gold and blue.

“Are you kidding me?! You’re hot girl. Not that you weren’t before, but still. Ten times hotter. I’m sure every guys head is going to be turned in your direction instead of the game. Right girls?!” Steph said, amping up her ego a little more than necessary.

“Oh yeah!”

“Totally!”

She heard the two girls in back, Jessica and Katie agree enthusiastically while nodding their heads, obviously not trying to make her feel better but genuinely meaning it.

Brittany blushed slightly from hearing compliments, but took them anyways. It would be rude to not take them and even ruder to object because then they would continue on with the compliments. Making her look insecure about herself, and she wasn’t insecure at all.

At least, not the person she made herself to look like in front of everybody.

“Ok girls. Let’s go have fun!” Stephanie practically yelled from inside the car and then threw her door open and exited it, the rest of the girls mirroring her action.

Brittany took a deep breath and then opened the car door hastily, before stepping out of the car.

So maybe she was a little nervous and insecure. She never did anything like this before. She was always to afraid to go out and have fun because then BAM, ‘he’ would be back for her and finish her off the same way her parents were.

Stephanie and Jessica latched onto each side of her, looping their arms around hers while Katie was on the other side of Stephanie and they walked from the car towards the outdoor stadium for the football game.

They paid the necessary $3 dollars to get in since they didn’t attend the school and then wove their way through people to get to the bleachers.

Brittany saw there was already a game playing and whispered to Stephanie confused, “I thought they game didn’t start till 7?”

“It doesn’t. Well, the Varsity game doesn’t start. This is JV.” she said back to her, making Brittany nod her head in understanding and then disengaged from Stephanie’s arm to walk up the bleacher steps with Jessica; the steps were only about two people wide.

The four girls, split off into two groups walked down the front of the bleachers until they came to more stairs that led up which was when Steph and Katie ran past Brittany and Jessica to get in front and lead the way.

Brittany was glad that someone else was leading the way. She didn’t have the slightest idea where she was going. Plus, she was looking around frantically for the one horrible face that she so badly didn’t want to see.

“Hey Guys! I want you to meet a new friend of ours.” Brittany heard Stephanie’s sing song voice say and she quickly snapped her head towards the girl and then to the people she was talking to.

Only one of them looked familiar, Whitney from their econ class. Everybody else were new faces to her.

“Everyone this is Trisha. Trisha this is…” she said and rattled off names so fast that there was no way Brittany would remember any of them.

She just nodded politely afterwards and said, “Hi” with a quick wave.

All the boys were cute. All the girls were pretty.

It was like living in a movie since everyone was so good looking.

“If you didn’t catch our names since Steph has a tendency to talk really fast, I’m Chad.” a black haired boy said who looked rather built, but he also had his right leg sticking straight out with a cast around it.

“And this is Alex, Randy, David and Will.” he continued, pointing to each of the boys when he said their names.

They all smiled nicely up at her, since they were already seated on the bleachers. Whitney sitting in between Alex’s legs on one bleacher lower than the rest of the boys with the girls.

“And these lovely ladies are Whitney, Heather and Kelsey.” he finished while pointing to each of the girls as he said their names.

“Eww! Don’t call me lovely. I’m you’re freaking sister for crying out loud.” Heather said while shoving herself into his good leg that was right behind her since she was seated next to Whitney.

“Nice to meet all of you.” Brittany barely was able to get out again when Jessica pulled her up one bleacher higher than them and then took a seat.

She was relieved she was the one on the open end of the bleachers. Easy get away if necessary.

“So, Steph tells us you’re new here. Where you from?” the blond shaggy haired boy named Will asked.

He was tan, muscular and his shaggy hair offset his piercing blue eyes; no doubt he was a surfer.

Yeah stereotyping wasn’t good to do, but she normally knew right away what hobby somebody did the most when looking at them the first time.

All the boys seemed to look like surfers, except for Chad. He looked to be a football player. He was a little bit bigger than the other boys and with his broken foot or leg, maybe ankle, kinda gave him away.

“I’m from Oklahoma. Kinda boring there.“ she replied with a soft smile towards him. He was deficiently a cutie for sure. Especially when he smiled.

I’m hungry. Anybody want anything?” Jessica asked, standing up and looking at everyone.

Brittany’s stomach grumbled loudly at the word hungry, making everyone look at her with wide eyes.

“Obviously you do. Anyone else?” Jessica asked as a few others chuckled lightly.

“I’ll come with.” Will said, jumping up quickly with a smile on his face, along with David.

The four of them made their way down the bleachers towards the concession stand that the girls had walked past on their way up to the field.

“So, Oklahoma huh? Sounds really boring there.” Will said, somehow finding a way to walk next to Brittany once they were off of the bleachers completely and walking across the cement.

“You have no idea.” Brittany said with a small laugh as she followed Jessica and David who were leading the way towards the food.

Once they got in line, all four of them small talked. Well, not really all four. Brittany was just kinda a bystander. Listening to what they all said.

She didn’t want to give away too much information. Especially if she didn’t need to.

“No! You’re wrong. ‘We Are Marshall’ is by far the best football movie.”

“No man. ‘The Replacement’s’ is the best football movie.”

David and Will started arguing while in line. Jessica looked over at Brittany and rolled her eyes and then said, “’Replacements’ for sure. Sorry Dave. But I like comedy with sport movies.”

“Then pick ‘The Waterboy‘. Don’t take his side.” Dave shot back at her.

“Not that it’s any of my business of anything, but I’d have to go with ‘Remember the Titans’ for the best football movie.” a smooth voice said from the front of them.

They all looked forward, clearly they were all wrapped up in the fight that they didn’t see that the person in front of them was done and turned around to face them now.

“Yeah. I’d have to agree.” Brittany said quietly and smiling widely, looking at the boy who was holding a clear plastic tray that had nachos in it.

“Nice to see you outside of school Trisha.” Joe said with a smile and then scanned her outfit quickly and said, “Defiantly cuter than the uniform.”

He popped a chip in his mouth and quickly swallowed after chewing it and said, “Although…you do make it look good.”

She felt her cheeks turn slightly pink for how obvious he was and looked down to the ground trying to hide her blushing.

“See you later.” he said casually while walking away with three other guys. Well, two guys and one little boy. Maybe around the age of 8 or 9.

“Bye Joe.” she said quickly, just to actually say something since she barely got the chance in class due to his uncanny way of ending the conversation quickly.

He turned his head back to her at the sound of his name and gave her another breath taking smile before turning it back and started talking among the people he was with and disappearing into the crowd.

“What a jerk.” Will spat after Joe was well out of earshot.

“But he did have a point. ‘Remember the Titans’ was a really good movie. I change my answer.” David said and then turned towards the counter and ordered a hot dog.

Brittany couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t know why she couldn’t get it off of her face.

Maybe it was just the way that he casually said bye, like he didn’t compliment her at all. Or maybe it was the compliment itself that he said. Or maybe his smile.

But the more she thought about it, her smile instantly fell from her face.

This wasn’t good. He was already making her feel like a little 5 year old girl, having a crush on her next door neighbor when they happen to be your best friend.

This wasn’t good for her, or him.

She wasn’t going to allow herself to like him anymore. It would just cause too many problems. If ‘he’ came back, Joe could become a causality. And if Bobby couldn’t handle waking up at night from her screaming, there was no doubt that he would send her off like all the other families had done. It would be to hard on her to have to miss that pretty face of his.

I’m not going to like him anymore. Not that I did like him to begin with. Aw crap! This is gonna be difficult.