The Story Of Chandlyn

Supporting The Other Team

Date: September 2016

"Chandler I don't see why you're so upset," Katelyn said as she sat on her bed, watching her boyfriend pace back and forth around her room.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe because my Girlfriend won't let me kiss her in public or even let me show any sort of affection," He crossed his arms, an annoyed look on his face.

"I didn't say that." She gave an exasperated sigh and leaned back against the wall. "I just said we can't act like a couple while we're at school functions."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't see why."

She sighed, "Chandler you know how intense some people can get about the rivalry between our schools.  If people know we're dating, it's just going to cause drama."

He gave her a deadpanned look. "Are you serious Katelyn? That's why you don't want people to know we're dating? Because of some stupid school rivalry?" He ran his hands through his hair and let out a sigh, "That's just stupid and you know it."

"It's not stupid Chandler!" she snapped at him and jumped to her feet. "When someone from your school starts dating someone from my school or vice versa, all it does is cause drama and the relationship never lasts," She stared at him, her bright blue eyes locked with his dark blue eyes. 

"Give me one example of how the stupid rivalry wrecked a relationship?" He demanded.

She paused for a second, thinking of something before she spoke. "Okay do you remember about two years ago when that senior girl from your school, she was a track star or something. Anyways she starting dating this senior guy from my school who was the start pitcher of the baseball team."

"Yeah I do. Didn't they break up like two weeks after they started dating?"

"Yeah and do you know why?"

"No I don't pay attention to gossip," He snapped.

She furrowed her brow and gave him an annoyed look. "They broke up because students from both schools gave them crap for "dating the enemy"," She made air quotes with her fingers to emphasize the end of her statement.

"Really you're worried about comments some people will make?" she didn't answer. "Oh that's just great. I can't kiss my girlfriend because she's afraid of what people will think. If I get a touchdown, she can't cheer for me because that would be "Supporting the other team"."

"Since when do you score touchdowns?" she asked, raising her brow.

"Well maybe tonight was going to be the night I finally did, but it wouldn't matter because you can't even show your support."

"You're overacting Chandler," She said in a raised voice.

He threw his hands up in defeat. "Yeah Katelyn, well you're being irrational."

The room is filled with silence for what seems like hours before Chandler grabbed his bag and slowly walked over to the door.

"I-I need to get ready for tonight. I'll uh-I'll see you later," he said.

"Yeah," she said in a quiet voice.

He hesitated for a second before slowly walking out.

////

While she drove to the game that night, wearing blue jeans and a red sweater. White Converse high tops on her feet, all she could think about was her fight with Chandler.   

She hated fighting with him. They've been best friends since they were fifteen. They've now each other for over two years and in that time they've had maybe a handful of disagreements, most of them minor.

She's mad that he doesn't seem to understand her feeling but the more she thought about it the more she realized that maybe he was right. Maybe she had been acting a little irrational.

The truth was she was scared that if people found out they were dating, people would try to and ruin it. She was happy with Chandler and didn't anything to stand in the way of having a long lasting relationship with him.

However as she parked her car, she realized that maybe she was standing in the way of their relationship by being too afraid to make it public. She was getting in the way of their relationship by caring about what other people thought. People whose opinions really didn't matter to either of them.

I'm not going to be afraid. I'm going to show all these people that I don't care what they say about our relationship. These thoughts brought a determined smile to her face.

She found a seat in the bleachers designated for the students of Woodstock High School. When she saw Chandler enter the field in his Blue and Gold gear, the number 11 on the back of his jersey, she cheered. Her fellow students gave her dirty looks but she didn't  care. She was here to support both her school and her boyfriend and she was going to do just that.

////

During the halftime performance she headed over to the concession stand to get something to eat. She heard some girls whispering about her and the fact that she had been cheering for both teams. She simply ignored it and walked away with her head held high.

////

With less than a minute left in the game, Chandler scored a touchdown that won the game for Etowah.

On the Woodstock side of the bleachers, everyone is booing and cussing. Everyone but Katelyn that is.

Katelyn was jumping up and down and cheering for Chandler. Ignoring the dirty looks being thrown her way, she ran down onto the field.

Chandler has just finished embracing his teammates when he heard someone calling his name.

He turned his head and a big smile spread across his face. Katelyn bounded over towards him and leapt into his arms. He dropped  his helmet onto the ground as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Babe that was awesome, I'm so proud of you." she squealed.

She quickly pressed her lips against his. After a few seconds he pulled away, a confused look on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Supporting the other team." She said and he chuckled and then placed another kiss on her lips.

"Listen Katelyn I'm sorry about earlier. I should have been more considerate of your feelings."

"I'm sorry too. I was being irrational. I was scared. I want us to last forever and I was worried that making our relationship known at school would get in the way of that. I was wrong. The only way what other people think will get in the way of our relationship is if we let it. I'm not going to let it."

He loved the determined look on her face. "I won't let it either." He picked her up and spun her around as she laughed

Neither of them cared about the dirty looks no doubt being shot in their direction. After all why should they care, they're happy together and that's all that matters.