I was going to kill Stephanie and Nathan.
"Turn left!" Stephanie cries from the back seat. "Left, not right!"
Nathan clenches the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning a deadly shade of white. "The GPS said turn right."
Steph shakes her head and sighs dramatically. "The GPS is wrong, Nathan. Turn left."
"What makes you think that you know more than the GPS?" He snaps, the muscle in his jaw ticking, the annoyance settling on his face. Again.
"You idiot," Stephanie exclaims. "Just turn left!"
I bury my head in my hands and let out a dramatic groan. I was overwhelmed by their continuous arguing for the past two hours. Nathan had wrongly dubbed Stephanie in charge of directions, and Stephanie got us lost twice before he put the GPS on his phone. As you can see, that didn't end their bickering.
"Guys," I snap from the passenger seat and turn around to give Steph a look. "Can you just get along?"
"I would if he just listened to me," Stephanie whines persistently.
Nathan mumbles childishly, "I would if she just stopped yelling at me."
I point at Stephanie and ignore her begrudging look. "Stephanie, you got us lost twice. Give the GPS a turn." She mutters under her breath and Nathan smirks, but it's quickly squandered when I point at him instead. "Nathan, be nicer to Steph. You get angry too fast."
His smirk fell and he gave me a look that said he wanted to refute my words, but I give him a deadly look and he just sighs exaggeratedly and looks back at the road. "Fine."
I nod in satisfaction as the monotonous voice of the GPS announces: "In four hundred foot you will have arrived at your destination."
My gaze shifts ahead past the cars lining the street and to the faint glow surrounding the stadium a couple hundred feet away.
Nathan pulled over a little ways away from the stadium and I eagerly climbed out of the car to distance myself from the hostile environment inside Nathan's Mustang.
It was a little chilly out so I shrugged on the navy blue sweatshirt with my schools logo on the front. I glance to the drivers door to see Nathan step out looking effortlessly attractive in sneakers, joggers, and a long sleeve band tee. When I hear a door shut behind me, I turn to see Stephanie hugging a football jacket around her.
My gaze glances down to Justin's last name on the breast pocket of the jacket and I smirk. "Nice jacket, Jones."
Stephanie rolls her eyes at me and glances nervously at the stadium. "Do you think the game started yet?" She fidgets with the zipper on her jacket nervously. "I don't want to miss anything."
"No," Nathan answers coolly from over his shoulder. "Football takes awhile."
I laugh a little at Nathan's vague answer and we enter the stadium. We climb the stairs until we find an open spot five or six rows up the bleachers. I squeezed between some other spectators and made my way to the sport after profusely apologizing for my awkward wiggling my way in the middle of the bleacher.
I end up in between Stephanie and Nathan with tingles shooting up my leg every time Nathan's knee brushed mine. I glance over at Nate and can't help but smile when I realize how extremely out of place he was here. He was glaring at the field and, more importantly, the players with his arms crossed and body tense.
"Hey," I say softly and nudge against Nathan's tense shoulder, which relaxes slightly when he looks down at me. "Thanks for coming. I wouldn't want to suffer alone."
Nathan's lips quirk up in his stunning half smile as he murmurs, "Yes, thank you for bringing me down to suffer with you."
His smile sends my heart hammering in my chest and I bite my lip to stifle my grin. I avert my gaze to the field and look out toward the sidelines, where our team was huddled on one side and Overbook's team was on the other. The scoreboard was lit up and a zero to zero score loomed over the field amidst the stadium lights.
Stephanie leans over me to look toward the sidelines before she huffs, "Do you see number ninety seven?" Her eyes keep darting between the players warily before she looks at me in question.
"Wait until they spread out," I offer halfheartedly.
Nathan grunts as some kind of agreement from beside me and the brief sound of an auditory crackle whispered above the stadium.
"Hello ladies and gentlemen," An enthusiastic, deep voice booms from the speakers. "Welcome to the 2016 Pennsylvania State High School Football Conference here in Williamsport. Today we have the Overbook Knights versus the Littleton Lions."
I drown out the sound of the announcer when the team spreads out onto the field amongst the referees. Overbook breaks into their defensive positions and our team starts with the kick off. My gaze floats around the field until I see the back of Brett's head as he sits hunched over on the sidelines. After a few minutes, the clock starts and the game begins.
The majority of the game was exciting. Start to finish, both teams gave it their all, and they were constantly close in score. What wasn't exciting, however, were Stephanie's constant gushing about Justin. She would have a dreamy look in her eye and an impressed expression as she cooed about how well Justin ran down the field.
"Did you see that catch?" She sighed in content as she grins at the field excitedly. "He's so good!"
I suppress a groan crossed with amused laughter and nod silently because I didn't trust myself to speak. Nathan chuckled under his breath beside me and I nudge his shoulder as I steal a glance at him.
"Don't laugh," I breathe seriously, but a smile overcomes my face anyway.
He leans into me, his shoulder brushing against mine, tingles racing up and down my arms, and nudges me back with a playful look in his eye. "Sorry, boss."
Although the audience had spent the first three quarters enthralled at the edge of their seats, it wasn't until the final three minutes that everyone kicked into high gear. By now, there wasn't a single person in the stadium who wasn't on their feet or screaming from their seats. Every pass, down, yard gained, or yard lost merited shouting, sighing, or cursing.
The score was tied at 38-38 and we were playing defense at the fifteen yard line. Overbook was inching closer to the end zone to win the game, but our defensive line wasn't giving up yet. There were minutes left on the scoreboard and it was going to take a miracle if we were going to come back at this point.
"Justin is going to be so upset if they lose," Stephanie mutters discontentedly as Overbook lines up for their third down.
I didn't really know what to say, so I just tell her, "Just keep cheering."
Nathan snorts beside me. "How inspiring."
"And Tony Robinson makes the final game winning pass into the-" The announcer stops abruptly and screams, "HALE INTERCEPTS THE PASS!"
My gaze snaps to the field and jaw drops as- was that Beefy?- pivots and sprints down the field with the ball tucked under an arm. I hold my breath as I watch him run yards ahead of any Overbook players and closing in on the end zone across the field. The last minute was counting down on the clock and everyone was cheering on their feet.
The Overbook fans on the other side of Stephanie began shouting after Andrew crossed the forty yard line. "Get your head out of your ass! Tackle him!"
Stephanie shook her head vehemently and shouts, "Don't tackle him!" The guys standing up next to her narrow his eyes at her, but Stephanie is jumping up and down with her eyes glued to the field. "Keep going!"
I was so caught up in the excitement that I didn't even realize that I was actually cheering for Andrew. The stadium was a wild frenzy of cheering, screaming, and cowbells wrapped up between the Overbook fans and the Littleton fans. Caught up in the excitement, I turn to Nathan with wide eyes and squeal.
"This is crazy!" I basically scream in his face with an excited smile on my lips. "This is crazy, right?"
A wide, amused smile stretches on his face as he watches my awestruck eyes glimmer with excitement. I turn back to the field and begin tapping my foot in anticipation. Overbook's defensemen were starting to gain on Andrew but he was crossing the ten yard line and wouldn't be caught in time.
I'm pretty sure every Littleton fan held their breath as Andrew crossed into the end zone and the announcer declares, "Littleton High has won the 2016 Pennsylvania State Conference!"
Stephanie squeals before she squeezes me into a tight hug with a grin on her face. And, even though I was very aware of the fact that Nathan detested high school football, I turned to him and wrapped him up in a congratulatory hug without a second thought.
I couldn't tell if my pulse was racing because of all the excitement or because Nathan's breath was hitting my neck, but I knew something got my heart beating wildly against my chest. I pull away all too quickly and too reluctantly before I never let go and smile at him.
"I can't believe they won," I say loudly, to be heard over the crowd, and to take attention away from the hug I just gave him. "Or that I enjoyed watching the game."
Nathan shakes his head in slight disappointment and an exaggerated sigh escapes his lips. "I can't believe Andrew was the one to get the game winning touchdown."
"It's a little bit of a let down, right?" I agree with a joking smirk that matches his.
I feel Stephanie tug my arm and I glance at her. "Can we go back to the hotel?" She asks loudly. "The team is going back and I want to change before I see Justin."
I nod in agreement and grab Nathan to get his attention as Stephanie turns around. We begin walking out behind many disgruntled Overbook fans and Nathan leans forward to whisper in my ear, "Do you think she's here for Justin?"
A giggle escapes my lips that I have to bite my lip to suppress and I shake my head. Nathan chuckles behind me and we continue out of stadium bleachers and down the steps. At some point in between the squeezing through the chaotic crowd, I feel Nathan's rough hand grab mine, and I have to fight the stupid smile from coming onto my lips.
Once we break through the large crowd and walk out of the stadium toward the street, I expect Nathan to drop my hand, but feel a warmth in my stomach when he doesn't. He just walks beside me as if our entwined fingers were the most natural thing in the world and I tried to ignore the fact that it felt like it.
"Stephanie!" A familiar voice calls and we turn around to see Justin standing in front of the gates with his helmet in his hands. "You came."
Steph spins around with a large smile on her lips as she looks past Nathan and I. I feel Nathan's hand pull out of mine gently and raise to cup my cheek and I turn to look at him with confusion clear on my features. He gives me a small, soft smile before he leans forward and suddenly his lips were on mine.
My eyes slid shut in content almost immediately. The feeling of his lips on mine made tingles shoot up my arm and my heart do backflips in my chest. One of my hands instinctually slides up his chest until I grab his long sleeve to tug him even closer to me until our bodies are pressed flush against each other.
His mouth his gone and cold air hits my lips all at once. My eyelids flutter open and my brow creases a little as my lips twitch into a small smile and I look at Nathan in a daze. His blue eyes are soft and light as he smiles down at me with a look on his face that I don't think I've ever seen before. It made me feel like I was going to explode.
"Thanks for coming up for air," Justin's teases and suddenly reminds me that we aren't alone. "Hey Lauren, it's good to see you. You too, Nathan."
I blink at Nathan blankly and feel color rise to my cheeks before I even spare a glance over at Justin. And when I do, I feel the pieces of my confusion finally come together right as I feel my stomach drop. Brett is standing beside Justin with his gaze glued to Nathan and I and the realization struck me immediately.
Nathan kissed me because he saw Brett standing there and he decided it would be a good time to showcase his job as my fake boyfriend. And honestly, the realization shouldn't have stung as much as it did.
"Hey Justin," Nathan greets nonchalantly.
Even though Nathan is apparently completely unaffected by our kiss moments ago, it takes me a beat to force a face smile at the boys. "Hey Justin," I look at Brett and add, "Hey Brett. You guys both played really well. Congratulations on the win!"
Justin grins at me as he wipes his forehead that was glistening with sweat. "We kicked ass, didn't we?"
Brett didn't seem as excited. He muttered, "Thanks."
Unaware of the tension between Brett and I, Nathan just chuckles at Justin's comment. Justin looks steadily at him and asks teasingly, "I didn't know you were into watching football, Nathan. Or maybe it's just our team."
I was half worried that he would scowl at Justin as a part of the standard bad-boys-hate-the-football-players attitude. Luckily, Nathan just says, "I'm not." He glances at me and smirks a little. "But Lauren is."
"Right," Justin looks in between us again with an amused smile on his lips. "I didn't know that you two were going out."
Almost as if it had been rehearsed, Nathan slides his hand back into mine and he pulls me closer to his side. He glances down at me with a wicked smile and says smugly, "I originally said no when she asked me out, but she's persistent. She wouldn't give up until I said yes."
My jaw drops in surprise as Justin and Stephanie laugh while Nathan smirks wider at my look of disbelief. I narrow my eyes at him and then snap my gaze to Justin.
"He's just being funny because he's embarrassed about how he confessed his love to me," I say calmly as I shoot Nathan a secretive smirk. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Nate. It was sweet." I glance at Justin and Steph again with a fake smile. "He came to my house in the middle of the night with a boom box like John Cusack. He waited outside for hours before I finally let him in because he was annoying my mom."
Stephanie's laughter is all out uncontrollable at this point and Justin is similarly hunched over to catch his breath. I smirk evilly at Nathan's shocked expression but, unfortunately, the beautiful moment is cut short when headlights flash onto our faces and interrupts our conversation. I glance to my left to see a bus pulling up in front of the stadium.
"That's our bus," Justin comments with a chuckle. "We'll all be hanging out by the pool when we get back. You guys should come and tell some more stories about Nathan with a boom box."
The amused smirk on Justin's face wasn't the least bit deterred by Nathan's heavy glare and Stephanie grins at Justin. "I'll see you there."
"Bye," Brett mutters halfheartedly before stalking toward the bus.
Justin frowns at his retreating back but turns his attention to Stephanie and his lips spread into a warm smile. He looked down at her kindly and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips. It was short and sweet and the kind of kiss you give your girlfriend when you're about to see them again but can't help yourself. It was the boyfriend kiss.
Justin pulls away with a grin before he follows Brett to the bus. Stephanie turns toward me with a dreamy look in her eyes and I say in a sing song voice, "You two are so cute."
Stephanie's smile widens. "Did you see that kiss?"
"The boyfriend kiss," I squeal in excitement and she nods feverishly.
"Exactly," She sighs in content.
A confused and abrupt voice interrupts her dreamy gushing. "Uh, what are you talking about?"
Just hearing his voice made my lips tingle. I force myself not to look as affected as I felt by him when I turn and explain, "There are different kinds of kisses, Nathan. And Justin just gave her a boyfriend kiss."
Of course, Nathan seems perplexed by this by the furrow of his brow as he echoes, "A boyfriend kiss?"
"The little peck he gave her just to say goodbye," I explain and try not to notice how extremely hot he looked when he was confused. "It was adorable."
"Sorry to interrupt updating Nathan's education about types of kisses," Stephanie says suddenly as she steps in between us. "But can we head back to the hotel? It's not particularly warm out here."
I nod almost too eagerly because, frankly, I needed to put distance between Nathan and myself after that kiss. A kiss like that wasn't common. It was so passionate, so hungry, yet the farthest thing from sloppy. It was absolutely electrifying.
And I was finding it difficult coming terms with the fact that it was merely for show.