In Love with the Man of my Dreams - Literally

Not the Same - Chapter Four

Football.

I was never a fan of the sport. Men running around in pads, injuring themselves, all over a ball that they needed to get over a goal line. Sounded quite silly didn’t it? 

 “Go Pirates!” Yet here I was, standing in a crowd with a pirate hat on my head, screaming my head off for a team I never even watched a game of before. I guess the crowd spirit was a bit more contagious than I first realized.

“Penelope, I’m getting some hot cocoa from the food stands, you want one?” I breathed out, watching the white air blow from my mouth. I licked my lips, and soon regretted it when it felt like the saliva was freezing directly on them.

“Sure, it’s freezing.” I said, rubbing my palms together, wishing I had brought my gloves. 

I watched as Bridget squeezed herself through the crowd, barely fitting through the stands of people already smashed together. “Cold, huh?” I turned my head, my eyebrows raised as I stared at Daniel.

“Oh.” I stared at him, until I shook my head, reminding myself to speak. “Yeah, it is. What are you doing here?” He pulled his scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around mine, despite my minor protest. Though the warmth I felt afterward made up for it. 

“My brother plays on the team.” He said, turning to face the game. We both paused momentarily, cheering as the Pirates scored a touchdown. 

“Wait, I thought you said you’ve never lived here before.” He smirked at me, as if trying to momentarily confuse me was the goal.  

“I haven’t.” I looked away, even more muddled than before, my brain trying to make sense of what he said. “I’m half-way through my first year of college. The summer I left, my parents moved here with my brother, telling me to visit when I had time off. Instead, I transferred to the college right outside of town last month and bought an apartment near my parent’s place. I didn’t like my old college anyway.” He explained as I made an ‘o’ face, finally grasping what he was saying. 

“And your brother is…” I said, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

“Nathan Thomas.” I nodded. I didn’t know him. And I knew a lot of people.

“He must be a junior. He can’t possibly be a senior, I would have seen him before.” He nodded, proving me right. “You going to apologize for your strange behavior at the coffee shop?” I changed the subject, catching him off guard. 

“Oh….that. Yes, I should apologize.” He stopped, turning his attention back to the game, obviously ignoring the part where he explains himself. 

“And you were acting like that because…” I said, once again expecting him to finish my sentence. 

“Look…you wouldn’t understand-“ 

“Understand what-“ I interrupted, only to be interrupted in return. 

“I wasn’t finished.” I rolled my eyes. “You wouldn’t understand that I left because…I feel like I know you already. I had a friend a few years ago that was a lot like you, or at least you reminded me of-“ 

“What happened to her?” I asked, interrupting again. He tightening his hands around the railing we were leaning against in the first row of the stands. 

“She passed away. Tragic accident.” I place my hand on his, almost like a reflex, not even having to think about it.

“I’m sorry, for reminding you of her. I know what it’s like to lose someone.” I said, thinking of my mother. He looked over to me, our gaze held on one another. It was like gravity that we somehow found ourselves closer to one another, our faces only inches apart.