The Rossi boy

Chapter 5

The summer heat was burning skin like a breath from Hell. Not that anyone noticed. Nobody was paying attention to anything but the last seconds of the game. Team was a single point behind, and the only way for victory to be theirs was that by some impossible miracle, Lucas Rossi would manage to score a touchdown.

But Lucas was the Miracle man. If anyone could do it, was the young state's promise, as the newspaper called him. His future was a bright path to Ivy League, courtesy of his talent to kick ass in football. Although it was rumored that he wouldn't get to go to College, for there were NFL teams interested in recruiting him fresh out of Highschool. He was a damned sports prodigy.

The Stadium was tomb silent. The Quarterback's call rumbled like a thunder. Or was the storm finally upon us?

Marie was tightly holding on my arm, her nails digging in my skin, but she didn't notice. Adrien was facing his back to the field, like every time a difficult play would fall over his little brother's shoulders. Vittorio Rossi, who'd never place his butt on the seat during a game, was fixed on his child, attentively studying his every move and facial expression, his hands pressed on his chin, exuding nervousness.

I enjoyed infinitely more watching the people in the bleachers, than the game. Specially the Rossi, my adoptive family.

The roar of the crowd set my attention back in the field.

Miracle man had done it again.

Marie jumped to her husbands arms, crying her eyes out, like every time he won. Adrien hugged me tight -thats why I loved this events...- and than waved his fist up in the air to his brother, who was buried under a pile of sweaty bodies... Yuck...

Vic would snap picture after picture on her camera for the schools newspaper. She wasn't interested in the sport, only the news.

I was desperate, praying the game would end. I was the only one noticing the summer storm forming above. The blackened sky was closing in on me, threatening.

The buzzer went off exactly at the time a lightning struck, dying the horizon violet. It could have gone unnoticed between the camera flashes, but not to me. I could smell the earthy scent after the electric bolt.

I slipped out of the bleachers and ran to the school building. I wouldn't get home before the worst of the storm, so it was better to look for a quiet place inside to go through the inevitable. This had happened before, and I knew where to go: the library. Something in books soothed me, and there was this little dark corner behind some shelves, under the staircase...

A dreadful explosion boomed right the second I crossed the door. The hallway's darkness light up blue for a second, so I ran faster, before I started to shiver and couldn't walk anymore. The last thing I needed was to make a psychiatric scene at school. That would definitely kill my wallflower reputation.

I crawled to my spot and covered my ears with my hands. My phone was vibrating in my shorts pocket, but I couldn't pick up. Not now.

Rain started pouring, intensely. It hit the roof really hard. It surely took everyone in the game off guard.

I turned into a ball in the corner, counting carefully every inspiration, like the therapist said. The silence that followed made me pop my eyes open. This storms didn't seem to last long, and I was doing surprisingly good today. I was kind of happy...

Another flash of light followed by the struck of thunder made the window's glass shake.

I was too quick to think I was getting better at this...

When I carefully opened my eyes again, I found Adrien and Vic crouched before me. They were talking with worried faces, but I couldn't listen. A second later, Lucas came running in, through the shelves. He was drenched, still wearing his uniform pants and his shoulder pads, but not his jersey. The eye black smudge on his cheeks made the green in his irises highlight in the distance. They were fixed on me. The weight of his words a few days back under the bleachers, still heavy on my brain.