Link Up ✔️

Chapter 9

Football at Mizzou.

I don't know how to describe it except that it's an experience. Walking to the stadium we saw so many loud and rowdy fans, dressed in school colors, black, and gold. Some with painted faces. Many holding pom-poms and signs. Some are already a little tipsy, maybe from last night's activities.

There was some kind of parade, cheering for the first game, but we missed that debacle, thankfully. Students had to pre-reserve their tickets, and it was Allura's idea early in the week that we attend the game, thus we had tickets in hand.

I'm not a football girl. I could get by with the basics from watching it with my father, but I did not care for it beyond that. My sport was baseball. I don't think they celebrated that as much here.

The stadium was jam-packed with fans, the band, and cheerleaders. I was here to be social and maybe meet more people. We did not ask the guys if they wanted to go to the game, I assumed they were, everyone was there.

"Selfie time, girls," Twyla held out her phone to take pictures of us.

#MIZ-ZOU and my face dressed in school colors.

"Well! I cannot believe they are here!" Allura said looking past me.

I did not see who or what she was talking about, so I stretched my neck looking around.

"Stop being so obvious! Sheesh! Over there, down on the end of the bleacher. Those guys."

I turned to look. Several guys, not paying us any attention, talking amongst themselves. I didn't see what was so special about them. They looked like any other guy at Mizzou, rich, white pretty boys.

"What about them?"

"I know them."

"Allura thinks she knows everyone," Twyla cackled.

"Duh! I'm from Oak Park, a lot of us came here, plus, I knew a lot of people at neighboring schools."

She was a lot better than me. I barely knew everyone at my high school, much less other schools. St. Louis was a very big city with a lot of schools. One of the most St. Louis things to ask was, "What high school did you go to?" From that question alone, you could tell if someone grew up with or without.

When I say Sumner High, it did not matter if it was the school of the great Tina Turner, all that meant was I must have grown up with not much, compared to someone like Angel who attended MICDS one of the most prestigious private schools.

I was not familiar with much about Chicago, just that they were a lot bigger than St. Louis. I knew Oak Park was a little suburb right outside of Chicago, which in fact, Allura did not claim Chicago. She was too bougie for that and wanted the distinction of being from a community that had a higher income bracket.

"Are you going to say hi?"

"They should say hi to me."

I could tell Allura liked drama and being the center of attention. I busied myself texting away on my phone. I sent my selfie to Angel and she sent me back heart emojis. She was a big fan of Mizzou football. It never left your system she said.

Fans were wild and it was pretty intense, but I was more people-watching. I saw lots of hot boys, hot girls, and people in general. No one seemed to notice little ole me. I think I kind of blended in with the crowd unless I made an entrance.

"Hey, Allura!"

It was Allura's high school buddies, finally making their way over to us.

"Hey Todd, Rick, Jonathon."

"I'm surprised you remembered my name." Oh, he was a cute blonde boy with brown eyes and one dimple. I don't know if I was interested in white boys since there were none at my school or in my neighborhood. Then again, cute was cute.

"Looking good," another said to her. He was also sandy blonde-haired, with gray eyes though, shorter, not too bad.

Twyla elbowed Allura. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Allura rolled her eyes. "My roommates, Twyla and Rayvn. These are...guys from my high school. Todd, Rick...John."

"Her ex-boyfriend," John said, putting an arm around her. He had dark hair, tall, with emerald green eyes. He was an attractive guy. I could tell he was a basketball player. Not only because of his height but because of his build.

"Ex for a reason," she said, moving his arm from her. "Now you've said hi, bye!"

"No, sit and hang with us," Twyla said with a smile at the shorter one, Rick.

"Don't mind if we do!" John was quick to sit next to Allura, swiftly bumping me to the side.

"Sorry about him," Mr. Brown Eyes, Todd said, sitting on my other side. "Those two have a long history. Off and on...off and on...something like that."

"It's cool."

I tried to focus back on the game, and not the cute guy sitting next to me.

"So, where are you from?" he asked me.

"St. Louis."

"Oh yeah? Cool. Big city, so you're used to stuff like this."

"If you mean college football games, then no? Never have been to any."

"You like football much?"

"I guess we shall see."

I busied myself with my phone, not trying to be rude, but now my father was texting me. He wanted me to call him later, just to check on me. I am sure Angel told him everything I have said to her, and we talk just about every day. I had not spoken to my father since he dropped me off.

"So...you like it here so far?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. Ask me during midterms."

"I'm pretty smart, I could help you study sometime."

Was he...was he hitting on me? Oh my? Did I have a magnet on me attracting hot people to me?

Where was this magnet in high school?

I did not know what to say. I was an average student in high school, but I wanted to be more than average in college. I needed whatever help I could get to stay ahead of everybody else that went to expensive private schools and public schools that were properly funded. If that meant studying with someone smart, why not.

But...

"I don't know you from Adam. We call that where I'm from, stranger danger."

He chuckled. "Allura knows me. I lived down the street from her and our mothers are good friends. Old friends."

I looked at Allura, chatty and laughing with her ex-boyfriend. Maybe they were going to be on again. But what about Gay? I was not going to ask her about that because it was not my business.

"You're probably all gen ed classes like me, so we can work together on ideas, studying, papers..."

"Allura may know you, but I don't know you."

"Fair enough. Can I get your number so I can call you sometime and we can link up?"

There was that term again. Link up. I knew the sub-meaning of it, no matter how others thought it was innocent. I was not linking up with anyone.

But he was cute, and I did say I wanted to meet more people. What was the harm in meeting up at the library?

"Okay." I grabbed his phone and put my number in it.

He grinned at me. "Cute girls always travel in packs, huh?"

Sugar Honey Iced Tea! I must be honey because they are sticking to me like bees.

The A/N: Sorry, I had to throw another potential in there for Rayvn. Yes, I am messy!