Better

"Rachel, honey! Are you almost ready?"

Rachel Hilman let out a sigh and plunged the mascara wand back into the tube. "Almost. Give me...ten minutes!" She called down to her impatient mother.

Even from inside of her bedroom, Rachel could practically hear the impatient scoff her mother would surely emitt. "What do you need ten more minutes for? It's only a football game!" The exasperation was evident in her voice, though Rachel couldn't fathom why, as this was a conversation they had every Friday night. "Your father is saving us seats, Rachel! Seats I'm sure others would gladly accept! And you know your father, the first time someone asks if they can have them, he'll give them away!"

Rachel knew her mother was right, but it didn't really matter to her if she had a seat or not. Her mother was under the misguided illusion that if Rachel had an available seat, she would take it. Please. Nobody went to football games for the football. Well, at least, nobody she talked to. Friday night football games were the place to be. Everyone in highschool who wasn't on the team went out to the spacious field next to the stadium just to hang out and talk. Everything seemed to happen at football games: All the drama went down, all the fights took place. Nearly everything worth noting happened on Friday night at the Kingsburg Memorial Stadium.

And Rachel abosolutley hated it. She and every other student in Kingsburg Public High School revolved around those precious Fridays. It was like it was the only thing that mattered. But as Rachel finished lacing up her Chuck Taylor's and raced down the stairs to her irritable mother, she couldn't help the pang of sadness that shot through her at the thought that this was all she had to look forward to. Wasn't there more to her life? To the world?

The climbed into the pasenger's side and buckeld up. She blasted some Cheesey Pop station and sat back to watch the trees whir by. Before long, they were at the stadium. As soon as Rachel put one foot on the ground outside the car, she was tackled with a hug.

"Rachel!"  Chloe squealed. Chloe and Rachel had been best friends since fifth grade, bonding together over their mutual love for the then-pop-sensation Maxuwel Marks. Long gone was Maxuwel's fame, but the girls remained friends over the years. Rachel smiled and hugged Chloe back. "Ohmigod, you will not believe what just happened! I just walked in on Teresea Hiyman making out with this guy from  Ridegpoint behind the consession stand!" 

Chloe was right, Rachel didn't believe her. "Mother Teresa?" Rachel asked. Rachel and Chloe had nicknamed the girl Mother Teresea because she was never without her Bible. She was a vegan and hadn't worn makeup in her entire life. She was "jacked up on Jesus", as Chloe often put it.

Chloe nodded quickly and pulled Rachel towards the field. "I'll bet she has a hickey. Ooh, maybe they met at Church Camp. Think of it, the two of them, alone in a cabin, no light but moonlight..." Chloe wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as Rachel laughed.

"Oh, shut up, Chlo." Rachel giggled a bit. The giggling quickly subsided as the two caught sight of a strawberry-blond head walking quickly towards them. 

"Wait for it.....wait for it....." Chloe whispered. The girl rushed past them, a blush on her cheeks and a hand on her neck.

The girls cracked up. "I didn't believe you, I didn't! Wow, who'd have thought...." Rachel admitted.

"Hey, Rachel!" Rachel spun around, and a smile instantly materializing on her face.

Her boyfriend, Carter, jogged over, a smile on his face. "I was wondering when you would get here." He said, placing a light kiss on  her lips. 

Though Rachel wouldn't ever tell him, she was glad he wasn't playing football this year, because it gave her more time to spend with him. Last year, he got tackled so hard during the semi-finals, something tore in his shoulders, preventing him from playing any more. It crushed him, as he had played football ever since the JFL years, but what could he do?

She grabbed his hand and smiled. "Sorry, I had to do a few things before I left."

Carter laughed. "Like do your hair and makeup? It's just a football game, Rach." 

"Well, whatever, I'm here now." She said simply. "And maybe I wanted to look good for my boyfriend. Ever think of that?" She asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

"You always look good." Carter said seriously, kissing her again.

"Ew. There's so much sap in this lovefest that I could eat a mountain of pancakes." Chloe made a face. "And I hate pancakes. Like, hate them."

"What?" Carter asked disbelievingly, turning towards Chloe. "That's a crime against humanity!"

Rachel smiled as she watched her bvest friend and her boyfriend banter about pancakes. While she loved moments like this dearly.....it just wasn't enough.