Awkward.
For the remainder of the game, we didn’t talk much, but instead watched the players and one cheerleader in particular. Although, I saw Ian’s eyes stray to a couple other ones from time to time. Maybe he wasn’t falling for my girlfriend after all. I’d ignore his taunts and see if I could get Gianna to hook him up with one of the girls. He had pointed out the brunette.
GIANNA
When was this freaking game going to end? It was torture having my man in the stands and unable to go near him. I’d tell my mom I was going to a party thrown by one of the football players and instead spend time with Caleb tonight. ‘Cause in her mind kegs and wild parties were much more acceptable than being with the guy I loved.
As much as I would have preferred not to hide our relationship, it hadn’t been so bad. Caleb and I had managed to spend quite a bit of time together this week. And it hadn’t been all about sex, either. Sometimes we just held hands and cuddled, like when we went to the amusement park yesterday. Afterwards, we went to the Rocky Mountain Diner for dinner.
Ian had turned out to be a really good friend. He’d even come to watch me cheer tonight. I waved towards where he and Caleb were sitting together. They were actually talking to each other without throwing any punches, so maybe there was hope they’d become friends one day.
At the end of half-time, one of the other cheerleaders had handed me a piece of paper. I’d opened it to find a note from Caleb. It said in sloppy boy scrawl: Meet me in the cafeteria after the game, love Caleb.
So romantic and so naughty. But that was my boyfriend. He wanted to meet in the cafeteria probably for some naughty reason. I knew he liked to rebel against authority and school, but having sex in the cafeteria was just bad. Of course, I’d meet him anyways.
By the time the game ended we’d won by eight points. I was bouncing around like I had to go pee. I didn’t, but I was antsy to be back in my boyfriend’s arms. First, I went with the other girls to the locker room to grab my duffel bag.
Outside the locker room, I had my phone in my hand to text Caleb when I ran into Seth.
“Hey, Gianna, how’s it going?” He was obviously headed for the boys’ locker room, sweaty and carrying his helmet under one arm.
“It’s going good, Seth. How about you?”
It was nice that he seemed to be taking the breakup much better. Tilting his head back, he grinned. “Got a date tonight.”
“Nice,” I drawled in approval. “See you later.”
“Yeah,” he replied, disappearing into the locker room.
My phone rang. Looking at the screen, I answered it while heading in the direction of the cafeteria. “Sup?”
“I am so mad at Dante right now,” Cece informed me.
That could mean anything with Cece. “What happened?”
“We were supposed to go to the movies tonight but he cancelled to hang out with his friends.”
“Which movie?” I asked, knowing Cece’s horrible taste in films.
“That new Emma Stone one,” she replied, confirming my guess.
I left the gym, cutting across the dark school grounds to the main building. “Well, there you go. It probably wasn’t you he didn’t want to see tonight, but the chick flick you were trying to make him go to.”
“You think?”
“I know,” I assured her.
Standing outside the doors to the cafeteria, I told her, “I gotta go. Call you later?”
“Sure, but I’m still mad at Dante. We always go to movies he picks. Sometimes I should be able to pick the movie, too.”
“I totally agree. Bye, Cece.”
“Later, Gigi.”
I pressed the end button and dropped my phone into my bag. Yanking open the heavy cafeteria door, I walked into the large, dark room calling Caleb’s name.
Huh, I thought I’d beat him here.
When an arm wrapped around my waist from behind, I jumped automatically then relaxed back into Caleb’s chest. “I missed you.”
He pressed his face into my hair and inhaled. “I’ve missed you too, Gianna.”
That was when I realized it wasn’t Caleb holding me.
I immediately started struggling in Josh’s grip.
Until he flung me against a wall.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“I have decided to stick with love.
Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
GIANNA
As I hit the wall, thankfully my head didn’t bang against the concrete. But my back took quite a hit. I landed on the cafeteria floor, but was panicked enough to get myself in a sitting position within seconds. My eyes were squeezed shut in pain until a light shined on my face. Squinting them open, I tried to see past the glare of the flashlight shining on my face. I scrambled to my feet as the light moved steadily closer.