The Homecoming Game (Football Field)

  The trumpets blasted, the choreographed chants from the cheerleaders on the sidelines were barely heard, and the hundreds of students decked out in their team's apparel screamed and shouted in anticipation for their school's team to charge the field.  It was the homecoming game.  I stood with my friends in the bleachers surrounded by my fellow classmates all wearing black and gold.  The other side of the stadium was occupied by the other hundred's of students from the opposing school, each side attempting to be louder than the other.  The crowd erupted when the teams stormed the field, our team may have only won a single game this season, but this was the homecoming game.  

  The coin toss was underway and our team ended up with the ball, the two sides lined up and the opposing team readied themselves to kick the ball away.  For that one moment, the crowd fell silent.  You could hear the faint coughs and hushed chatter from the drama queens who attended the games purely for a social outing.  I looked up at the stadium lights beaming down on the field and exposing my breath in the chilly night air.  I smiled, it was senior year and I had reached the social status that I wanted to be at, or what I thought I wanted to be at.  I looked around and laughed with my friends who made the same efforts as I to mask an insecurity and emptiness that came across in different ways in one another.  At this time, these small things didn't matter, I was accepted and having fun.

  The sound of shoe hitting pigskin immediately brought my attention back to the game.  The ball soared through the air and the student body cheered with excitement.  The game progressed and our team was losing terribly, but it didn't matter, my attention was with my friends.  In the midst of my laughing I felt a soft hand squeeze my shoulder.  I turned around and saw her, (we'll call her Ethel) Ethel, I had had the biggest crush on Ethel since Junior year.  I gave her a hug and continued talking with friends, Mark and Jordan, pretending to show little interest in Ethel's recent arrival.  "Hey!  What are you doing after this?"  My friend Chris yells to me a few people behind me.

"Hanging with my homeslices!"  I yell back in the whitest possible voice.

"Yessss!"  He says pumping his fist.

  We ventured out to our cars near the end of the third quarter due to the extreme difference in scoring not going in our favor.  The parking lot was packed and the students yelled at one another from their cars thinking that in some way this would solve the crisis of heavy car volume in a small lot.  Our entourage travelled in a caravan to our friend Trevor’s house, where we were greeted upon arrival by Trevor and a host of other people we had never met before as was usually the case at Trevor’s house.  Ethel was already there, and my heart soared. 

  We headed out into Trevor’s sun room where we sat down on some nice furniture and smoked hookah listening to various artists like The Expendables, Slightly Stoopid, and a selection of other stoner bands.  Ethel sat right next to me, I was on cloud nine. 

  The night went on and one by one our fellowship started on home.  “You need a ride Matt?”  Ethel asks as we walk out front.

I had ridden over with Chris but there was no way I was going to pass this up.  I was going to get in the car and tell her I liked her, simple as that.  “I would love a ride.”

Immediately upon entering the car, Ethel begins to pour out her heart to me, she tells me all about the issues at home, all about the problems with her best friend.  I just wanted to wrap an arm around her and say, “Its ok, I’m here and I won’t do any of that to you.” 

But those words never left my lips, instead I just listened.  And the more I listened, the more I wanted to be with her, but my perfect mural I was painting of her in my mind was shattered.  “I’m kinda crushing on this guy right now though….”

“Oh…….oh………..oh………..oh…….really?”  I spewed out awkwardly. 

“Yeah, you know Tyler?” 

Oh how I knew Tyler, and now, oh how I hated him.  “Yeah, yeah I know Tyler.  I mean he’s pretty cool, he’s kind of a douche, but yeah great guy, but kinda a douche, but….”

“Yeah don’t know why I’m even telling you this, you’re just a great friend.”

“I am aren’t I.”  I had never been friend zoned so painfully.

We pulled up to my house, I couldn’t wait to get out of the car.  “What’re you doing tomorrow?”  Ethel asked with a big smile.

Probably taking a toaster to the bathtub, I replied in my mind as I slammed the door and flew off to the moon, but in all honesty I mumbled out, “Hopefully hanging out with you guys.”

“Awwww, Buddy, yes let’s do it!”  She squealed.

I walked slowly up to my front door, stopped, banged my head against the wall just wishing I had dreamed up that entire car ride.  Why didn’t I just drive with Chris, why didn’t I just walk home?  I went straight to my bed, didn’t even take off my jacket.  Staring at the ceiling I thought of all the wonderful things Tyler would get to do with Ethel, the trips they would take, the adventures they would share.  I then began to think of what life would look like alone, maybe I would just move to New Zealand and become a Shepherd, or join a Latin American gang, or maybe I’d get dog.  Dogs are cool.