Page 21 of Dark Things
Her long strawberry blonde hair is curled to perfection. She has on a mini denim skirt and Haunt’s jersey tied into a knot at her side. A sliver of her stomach is showing. She looks amazing, like a perfect Barbie college girl.
I’m a bit darker, with my hair up in a ponytail, ripped black jeans, and Haunt’s jersey tucked into the front of my waistband. I have on my combat boots and the two tattoos on my forearms are out, giving me an edgy look. The jeweled mandala on my left is done in a kaleidoscope of colors. Hidden inside are messages to Haunt about my love for him. The other tattoo on my right is the word ‘Pitch,’ my code name for missions.
I’m sporting my don’t-give-a-fuck face, which keeps a lot of the assholes away from us. Not that I’m worried if anyone approaches us, but Cat is with me, and I don’t trust anyone with Haunt’s twin.
Colt throws a pass and the ball arcs in the air,moving almost too fast for me to track, but then number twenty-three jumps and catches the ball. He lands on his feet and starts to run with the ball cradled in his arm.
Turf comes up from the ground from where his feet are digging into the dirt and when he gets to the goal line I stand up, screaming so loud a few people cover their ears.
Haunt looks for me, and when our eyes connect a shiver runs through my body. My heart, my soulmate, just scored his first touchdown in a real college game.
“That’s it Haunt! Let’s go!” I scream. My hands pump in the air, and Cat grabs on to my side, jumping up and down.
Haunt puts both hands to his face mask and makes a kiss motion to throw it at us. I kiss three fingers and hold it out to him. I’m smiling so big I almost miss the three other guys crowding around him, but then I see them, and I go stock still.
“What was that?” Colter asks, after I jump down from my horse. I won the competition, and I’m on cloud nine.
“I figured it was time to have a special way to signal to you guys that I love you. So three fingers, one for each of you, and a kiss to make sure you know you’ll always be in my heart,” I say.
Staff kisses my forehead as Brooks smiles wide. “I love it,” he says.
All that attention on me isn’t something I want. I’m trying to forget all these feelings inside me and seeingthem everywhere isn’t making it better. In order for my plan to work, they need to stay as far away from me as much as possible.
They disperse after the coach calls them over to go down the tunnel for half-time. I sit back in my seat and take a sip of the beer we bought on our way in.
“You want something from the snack stand?” Cat asks, getting out of her seat and grabbing her bag.
“Maybe a hotdog? Just ketchup. No mustard.”
“Ew…yeah, mustard belongs on German sausages, not hotdogs.”
I laugh, almost spitting out my beer. “That’s what I tell your brother all the time. He’s notorious for mixing the two. I’m glad we’re on the same page when it comes to condiments.”
“Girl, we probably have more in common than that. Especially once we start our own competitions. Show those football jocks what a real sport looks like.”
Her smile is almost sinister, and at that moment, I believe even more that she’s Haunt’s twin. He gets the same gleam in his eyes.
“All they have to do is run and catch a ball. We move a thousand pound animal just with our thighs. There’s no contest.”
She throws her head back laughing. “That’s perfect! I’m totally using that from now on!” Shaking her head, she makes her way up to the stands. I take another sip of my beer looking around the stands. There’s a lot more people here than I thought. Adults,kids, and students all mix around, looking like they’re having a good time. It’s surreal being out in the open like this when I’m not on a mission. It almost feels normal.
A group of girls are sitting two rows over and keep glancing at me, whispering low amongst each other. One of the girls stares as if she has a personal vendetta against me, a snarl on her lips. I tilt my head and smirk before turning my attention back to the field. I’m not sure what the fuck I did for the girl to mean mug me from across the rows, but I shrug it off.
I put my beer down by my feet, reaching for the phone in my pocket, but before I can grab it, a pair of shoes comes into my line of vision. They’re dainty, and the toes are painted a deep blue color. My eyes slide up, and I come face to face with the girl from two rows over.
“Can I help you?” I ask, sliding my butt forward in the seat a little. In case I have to get up quickly. I don’t have any weapons on me except for my small switchblade in my boot.
“Yeah, you can stop fucking sending kisses to my boyfriend,” she snarls, hands on her hips.
“Boyfriend? Not sure I know who you mean.” I say, because who is this Regina George wannabe? Are we regressing to high school? I haven’t even talked to anyone except Cat since we’ve been here.
“Brooks Templeton. He’s mine. Don’t ever look athim again. I’ll know and then I’ll have to remove you permanently.”
My cackle is loud and long. A few tears come out of my eyes, and I wipe them away as I stand up, getting in her face. Because fuck this bitch. Brooks would never date someone who seeks out random women at a football game. Even if he’s not mine and never will be again, Brooks was a part of my soul. Different from Haunt and the rest. He was my twin flame. We were something more ever since we met at twelve, and we always will be.
“I’m not sure what crazy train you fell off of, but trust this. I wasn’t nor do I want to steal your boyfriend. Number twenty-three, he’s mine,” I say, pointing to my jersey. “The rest I couldn’t give a fuck about.”
“Don’t act dumb, you stupid bitch. I saw your face and that kiss. That smirk you gave me like you’re planning something. I saw how he looked at you right after that touchdown. He’s mine!”
