The Stadium's Star [COMPLETE]

Chapter 12

"There you go!"

Mia finishes dotting the paint under my eyes, alternating yellow and blue. She hands me a mirror so I can look at the face paint and our matching French braids. It's the first I've been able to get ready with friends before a game and it feels nice.

At the stadium, we wait in a line for the players to walk in hours before the game starts. They're all dressed in Michigan polos as they file in. I wave at Zack's friends as they pass by, hugging their families and friends. When Zack and Marcus come into sight, we cheer loudly and wave the posters we made.

I wrap my arms around his chest as he greets our group from the other side of the string barrier.

"Good luck today," I say.

He grins down at me, lightly touching the face paint. "Cute."

"Good luck Zack!" Katy says from where she's hugging Marcus.

"Thanks," he calls back before turning back to me. "Wanna watch a movie tonight?"

I nod.

"Let's go Zack!" Marcus calls, clapping his back. I cheer for them both as they walk away.

It's the coldest game of the season so far. Katy, Mia, and I stay huddled in our bright yellow blanket as the game kicks off.

Our wide receiver scores the first touchdown of the game. They all lift him up at the end zone, tapping his helmet. We scream into the symphony of cheers in the stadium.

It's neck and neck the entire game. Zack runs 52 yards with his first catch, zigzagging throughout the field without slowing.

We end up going into overtime and all three of us are holding hands. The time starts and a player from their team catches the ball, sprinting with a Michigan player trailing just behind him.

He only makes it five yards before being stopped. Next down: another five yards. Third down: 10 yards. On fourth down, the opposition grabs the ball and there's a blur of white against the green of the grass. They keep running.

Touchdown.

Our side of the stadium goes quiet as the visiting team explodes with cheers. My heart sinks to my stomach and Mia squeezes my hand.

After the game, Zack still takes time to take pictures with people but his face is hollow. I wait as people thank him and encourage him. Mia talks to him shortly before finding Marcus.

"Amelia, can you take a picture of us?" Katy asks, handing me her phone.

"Oh, yeah," I say. They pose and I snap the picture. "Get in!" she says as I'm handing it back to her. "Come on!"

I find someone to take a picture of us together and she tells me she'll send it to me before leaving. People start to disperse out of the stadium and Zack and I are left together.

I hug him, patting his back slowly as he rests his head on my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," I whisper into him. He doesn't reply.

We wait until the sky is dark and everything is gone to start heading out. Zack doesn't say a single word on the walk back but his eyes are full of thoughts.

Marcus isn't there when we enter the dorm. I'm sure he's out with the rest of the team but Zack just enters the room and falls back onto his bed.

"You did well today," I say.

"But the team lost," he whispers in reply.

I stand by the edge of the bed where he lies. My foot moves forward to step closer to him and my hands go to wrap around him but he stops me.

"Amelia, I... just wanna be alone right now."

My arms freeze mid-air and I awkwardly bring them back to my side. "Okay," I say. "Are you gonna eat dinner?"

"No," he mumbles. "I'm just gonna shower and go to sleep."

I pause for a moment. He shouldn't be skipping meals. I contemplate offering to pick up some food but his eyes are already half-closed.

"Call me if you need me, okay?" I say finally, standing up.

"Thanks," he says.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you too."

Pressing my lips together, I walk out and close the door behind me, wondering if I should've turned the light on before I left.