I've been hiding out in the bathroom since I saw Abe and the mystery guy doing whatever that was in the room. But now the bell rings and I creep out of the stall I've been calming myself down in. The bathroom stinks, but not like urine but weed and vape. I step out, making sure Abe is nowhere in sight before I head to my first class. At least I won't have to see Abe until HIKE. However, my classes went by much too fast and I got to my seat next to Nico in HIKE.
Today we were doing an activity where each of the girls picked something in their backpack and put it into a bag. The boys then picked one of the items and had to go on a date with whoever's they pick. I was not looking forward to it. I grab my claw clip from my backpack and put it into the bag at the front of the classroom, and go back to my seat. The guys had been waiting outside the room till all the items had been collected, and now they came in. One picks a gym wrapper, another one a pen, and then it goes down till it gets to Abe. I feel my stomach tense as Abe looks directly at me and pulls out a claw clip.
My claw clip. Damn it damn it damn it. I cannot do this. I start to panic but the teachers booming voice interrupts my thoughts as he tells us to find the guy that picked our item. I don't get up. But that doesn't stop Abe, who walks up to me.
"How did you know it was mine" I ask
"I just did"
"I'm serious how"
Abe leans in. Close. Too close. I feel his warm cherry cigarette breath against my neck and the hairs along my nape stick up. I try not to shiver. He whispers in that rusty voice of his. "I know everything and notice everything about you."
My breath catches, but I manage to collect myself long enough to shoot him an annoyed glance and look away.
"So where do you want to go" I snap at him. He is about to make his own snappy comeback but then his gaze softens and he breathes in.
"Hey, about this morning..." he trails off.
"Don't worry about it I'll forget I saw anything"
"No I want to explain... I NEED to explain"
"Why? what you do ISNT relevant to me"
I must have said something that got to him because he doesn't say anything, and instead just looks at me. Then he pulls up something on his phone and shows it to me.
I read the words "ritual for all new players" and find myself reading a list of the most disturbing items on it. They were things somebody had to do before they could be truly accepted into the football team. And Abe had just joined the team. I read down the list and my eyes catch onto the seventh item on the list. "Be DTF with the team manager."
My brain flashes back to the short stature of the guy Abe had been in the room with. It matched that of only two guys I knew in our school. One was a freshman. The other was in our grade and was the Football Team Manager. My eyes flash to Abe and he looks at me with a half smile and his eyes filled with hope that I would understand. At first I don't say anything, but then I say "that's messed up."
Abe let's out what I think is a breath of relief and he nods his head. "Yeah I DIDNT wanna do it but i had to if I wanted to make the team"
"But can't you say something to the coach?"
"If I did they would bully the hell out of me. I'm better off just going with it"
I look at him with genuine concern in my eyes, and reach for his hand under the table. I grab it and squeeze three times, for reassurance. He seems startled, but then he looks at me and smiles. Like really smiles. Not a half grin or a teasing smirk, but one where I can see all his white teeth in perfect symmetry on display. One that makes his eyes crinkle and the lines near his mouth to deepen. I'm caught off guard. He's so damn pretty. Pretty isn't something I'd often call a guy. But that's because nobody is Abe. Abe was Abe.
"So," I say, clearing my throat. "Does the arcade work?"
Abe doesn't break eye contact.
"Hello you there?" I wave my hands in front of his face.
He takes both my hands and places his face between them so my hands cup his jaw. "Mhm yeah that works, we'll go this Saturday, " he replies. For a second I just stare, caught off guard. Then I come back to my senses when Cassie walks up to us and says "OKOK cut it out lovebirds." I snatch away my hands quickly and look away in embarrassment as my ears begin to turn bright red. Saturday was going to be interesting.
