Banish Me

Rhymes With Bliss

I followed the water boy onto the field and my cell phone rang.

“Oh,” he stopped and turned around to face me, “you’re going to have to turn that off.”

“Um…” I looked at the caller id and it was Garin. I held up a finger at the water boy and answered. “Hello?”

“Why are you following Douglas onto the field?”

“I’m a football player’s girlfriend?”

I turned around and looked at him. He was hunched over, folded at his middle and staring at me.

“I thought we were going to hang out.”

“And we are. I’m not going to sit on that uncomfortable looking bench all night. I’ll be back, hanging out with you, after halftime.”

He chuckled. “I’m leaving after halftime. I have…something else to do.”

I shoved my hand in my pocket and stared at him. “Oh. Ok…well, how about tomorrow? Or Sunday?”

“You don’t have to hang out with me if you don’t want to.”

“Garin, you were my first friend here. Yeah, we had our little…issue but I want to hang out with you. We can watch one of those…weird end of days movies if you want.”

He sat up straight. “Really? You’d really want to do that?”

“Well, as long as my father doesn’t whisk me away to the city, yes. I want to hang out with you even though my face will be buried in a pillow half the time.”

I wasn’t about to tell him I didn’t really want to watch those types of movies. Ghosts usually gave me all the gruesome pictures and sights I needed.

“Sure. Let’s do that. Call me tomorrow morning?”

“You got it. I’ll talk to you then.” I hung up and turned to face the kid. “Sorry.”

He rolled his eyes and motioned for me to follow. I hadn’t taken more than two steps when my phone rang again. He whirled around and glared at me.

“Sorry…I’m sorry. I’m turning…” I looked at the caller id, “or not. It’s my dad.”

“Clearly this isn’t going to work out for you,” he hissed. “I have other things to do you know.”

“I know. I’m sorry but I have to take this. I’ll just…” I pointed back the way I came and he nodded enthusiastically, “yeah. Tell him I’m sorry.”

“I’m not a messenger boy.”

“No, you’re just a water boy who lives to please the upperclassmen,” I said.

He huffed at me and walked away, his back stick straight. I rolled my eyes and jogged back to the fence, answering my father’s call.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“I’m pretty sure I told you to stay where I can see you. The side line is not what I meant.”

“But I would’ve been in perfect view for you to keep an eye on me.”

“Cassandra…”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. Don’t worry. I’m going to go sit with a friend by the announcer’s box. Close enough for you?”

“Yes.”

He hung up without saying goodbye. I was ready to chuck the phone to the turf and stomp on it. Why did someone invent a cell phone?

I headed off the field and up to where Garin was sitting. He looked surprised to see me but smiled anyways.

“What is up with you?” he said as I slumped down.