Something More? ✔️

11

"Are you coming with?" Chloe asked. She was seated in front of her desk, smearing streaks of blue paint on her cheeks.

"I'm not sure," Penny said. Chloe whirled around in her seat and shook her head in a disapproving way. Chloe was wearing a jersey and her hair was tied in ribbons. Penny internally groaned knowing that she probably wouldn't be let her off the hook.

"It's a soccer game! It'll be fun," and a sly smile formed on Chloe's face, "plus, James will be playing in it." Penny's face flamed red and she played with the piece of paper in her hand. Did everyone know about her meaningless crush on James? Was it that obvious? "So you coming?" Chloe probed, a smile on her lips. To be honest, Penny did really want to see James in a jersey, gloriously running around.That would be the definition of eye candy. Looking up shyly back at Chloe, she nodded.

❋  ❋  ❋

Penny and Chloe were seated on the bleachers next to Zoe and her crew. Below them were excited girls waving banners around. The air smelt like a combination of wet grass and beer, a surprising combination. Penny shifted in her seat and reluctantly took the beer Zoe offered to her, taking a swig. Suddenly, the crowd erupted into cheers as the two soccer teams entered into the field. Even from a distance and with dozens of heads blocking her vision, Penny could immediately pick out James. The game started and the hysterical shrieks from the crowd intensified. Despite her past experience with sporting events, Penny actually found herself leaning in, focused. Of course she was focused on specifically one person. To her amazement she found that James was different when he was on the field. Unlike usual he wasn't a distant, confident figure. On the field he looked young; for once, an easy smile played on his lips and his eyes sparkled with pure bliss. Penny liked this version of James just as much as she loved all the other versions of him.

"Yeahhh!" the crowd shrieked as someone kicked the ball into the goal. The game was over and they had won. Chloe threw her arms around her and everyone was hugging each other, giggling with joy. After many more minutes of mirth on the stands, people started getting up and trickling down the bleachers.

"Hey, we're celebrating the win with some of the soccer guys. Wanna come?" Zoe asked. Her gaze was subconsciously directed at Chloe. To her own surprise, Penny actually wanted to join. She wanted to see more of this happy James.

"Can I come with?" she asked. Zoe and Chloe both stared at her in shock, and then a slow smile dawned on their faces.

"Of course!" Zoe said, still a bit dazed. Their reaction was to be expected. After the first week of college Penny rarely joined in on any larger social events. She mostly hung out with people in smaller numbers.

As she walked with Zoe and her friends to a nearby diner off campus, she wondered how James would be. Would he be cold to her? Would their dynamic be weird?

Would he kiss her again?

The thought of that made her cheeks burn up all over again, and she nervously wiped her hands on her pants. As they entered into the diner, Zoe waved to a group of guys seated at the end of the diner. They were still wearing their jerseys and cleats, hair ruffled with sweat. Their sport bags surrounded them, and their eyes were still excited from their win. As they neared the table, Penny saw James. He was sitting on the end of the table a lazy smile on his face. Penny couldn't help but smile. She was beyond happy when she slid into the booth and was just a few seats away from. For the next fifteen minutes, Penny wasn't really listening to the rambling conversations around her. She was too busy sneaking glances at him and thinking about him. Sadly, her day-dreaming was interrupted when one of the guys seated next to James leaned in her direction and decided to start a conversation.

"Hey, you're Penny right?" he asked. She looked up at him and nodded. A broad smile split across his face and a lock of blonde hair fell over his forehead. "I'm Adam. Last time you did a pretty good job with my makeup," he said.

Penny really couldn't remember him but she offered a smile, "I had a good model."

Adam cocked his head and chuckled, "Indeed... we should hang out again. I'll let you do me up for free." Penny's gaze inadvertently flicked to James. He was still leaning to the side, but his expression looked hard. His mouth was set into a firm line and the joy in eyes was gone. Penny wasn't sure was to say or do.

"Yeah, maybe," she finally muttered. The conversation was halted when another round of beer flooded the table. Everyone reached for one so Penny did so too. She was already feeling a bit flushed from the game and from the last round, so she took measured sips as the night went on. Every now and then she would look up at James who was looking at her. After another twenty minutes, Penny got up to head to the restroom. Leaving behind the group and winding into the alley, she wondered what she should make of James's behavior. Did he care about her? Did he like her? As Penny washed her hands under the cold water, she heard footsteps behind her. Her heart surged and she turned around, wiping her wet hands on her pants. James?

Instead she saw Adam. He was clearly tipsy and was flushed red. He swayed slowly from side to side and his eyes were unfocused. "Hey. I-I like you," he drawled. She blinked and was about to skirt around him, not sure what else to do. Penny knew he wasn't in the right state of mind, and felt a growing sense of discomfort to be alone with him in this dark alley. She felt his firm hand clamp onto her shoulder, and she tried to shrink away. "I said," he paused, "I like...you." His lips came crashing down on hers and she didn't have the time to react. His lips were dry and cracked, nothing like James's.

"No. Stop!" she yelled. Penny raised her arms trying to push him away but her small frame was useless. "Stop!" she screeched trying to fight away his advances. Just as she thought that all hope was lost, she felt Adam's body rip away from hers and hurtle onto the wet ground. It took her a full moment to process what was happening, she was still too stunned from the earlier trauma. Only after a few moments she registered the scene before her: James was beating Adam up.