Emerson's Fury : L.B. Pavlov (3 page)

We went to lunch while we were out shopping and caught up on everything that had been going on all week.

“We’ll go to the homecoming game Friday night, the dance Saturday night, and your dad’s game Sunday, right?” Mila asked, as she took a bite of her salad.

“Yes, that sounds like a perfect weekend,” I said, smiling.

“So, no chance you could like Johnny?” Paisley pushed. Paisley and Johnny were close friends, and she always wanted me to like him. I liked him a lot but in a friendship sort of way.

“I like Johnny. As a friend,” I said decisively.

“He’s so cute though, Emerson. Why can’t you just like him as more than a friend?” Paisley continued to badger me.

“You can’t just make yourself like someone that way. There’s either a spark, or there’s not,” I said authoritatively.

“I agree. You can’t force these things,” Mila said, giving Paisley a sharp look.

“I know. I just think he’s such a great guy,” Paisley apologized.

“I do too. Maybe you should date him,” I said, and we started laughing.

Paisley had a boyfriend. She and Tristan had been dating since freshman year. They were a great couple. Paisley wanted me to have a boyfriend, and she constantly tried to set me up with different guys. Mila was currently dating Michael. They had dated on and off since seventh grade. They would break up and both date other people for a few weeks, but they always seemed to find their way back to one another.

The rest of the weekend went by in a whirlwind. We had a big family dinner Saturday night, and everyone was excited to hear about how college was going for Indy. His girlfriend, Bella, had come over as had my grandpa Jack and grandma Karen, Papa and Grammie Hollingsworth, all of my aunts and uncles, cousins, and of course Lammie and Karl. We called our grandmother Lenora “Lammie.” She had basically raised my mother. I couldn’t say her name when I was little, and so I invented a name that was somewhere between Grammie and Lenora, and then everyone in my family called her Lammie. I was very close to all of my grandparents, and my aunts and uncles as well. We all spent a lot of time together, and I loved it. Everyone was happy that Indy was home, and I was dreading his departure the following night. Our house just didn’t feel complete with him away.

The game Sunday was so much fun. My dad was going out on top, and he really wanted to make it to the Super Bowl for his last season. The Colts had killed it, winning twenty-eight to seven. We all screamed and cheered from up in the box, and I think everyone felt a twinge of sadness that this would be his last season playing football. Indy and Bella headed back to school right after the game, and the rest of us went out to dinner to celebrate the Colts’ winning game. Mila, Paisley, and C. J. loved hanging out with my family, and so they always tagged along to everything with us.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. I couldn’t believe that it was already homecoming weekend. Johnny and I made plans to go in a large group. We would have pictures taken at my house first with everyone and then head to the dance, followed by many after-parties. It would be a fun night with all of my friends.

Friday at lunch we were all talking about the game. I would go early to get a good seat. St. Viator’s was really hoping to defeat Mt. Horizon. Mt. Horizon was from the other side of town, and they were definitely a tough team. They had several well-known players who were being recruited by big-time schools, according to Finn and my father. Our school was expecting fights because Mt. Horizon was famous for bringing weapons and starting trouble. We had metal detectors set up at the entrance of our football field. I figured they were overreacting, but I guess they wanted to keep things safe.

My parents, grandparents, and a big group of friends would be going to cheer for Finn. My dad loved St. Viator’s football because that was where it all had started for him. I was meeting them there and would be driving with Paisley and Mila. I wore my cute fitted jeans and my St. Viator’s football jersey to show some school spirit. I put my hair up in a ponytail and threw on some tennis shoes. I ran out to meet Mila in the car when she honked, and I promptly started laughing. Mila was wearing a fitted, short skirt and a dressy top. She had curled her hair and looked as if she was going out on a date. This was Mila at all times. No occasion was beyond dressing stylishly. We stopped and grabbed Paisley on the way, who also didn’t look as if she was going to a football game. She was in black leggings, a fitted top, and knee-high boots. She had her hair straightened to perfection, as well.

When we got to the game, you could already feel the tension. Both St. Viator’s and Mt. Horizon were contenders for the state championship that year, so both wanted to defeat the other now. The spectators were definitely loud and proud, and they were screaming more than usual. I searched the field for C. J. and Finn, and I was surprised when Finn was sent out to start as quarterback. He had an awesome first half, and St. Viator’s was leading the game fourteen to seven at halftime. Finn played the entire first half. My dad assumed that Franco must be injured or sick; he was a senior, and he usually started. The anticipation in the stands was palpable as the players marched back out to start the second half.

Franco played for a few minutes, and then the coach put Finn back in again. I was so proud of him. We were all screaming and cheering for Finn. He handled
the pressure like a champ and commanded the field as if he owned it, just as my father did. Finn was a confident kid, and he loved rising to the occasion. I searched the field for C. J. and screamed for him loudly. He had made one of the touchdowns in the first half but had not scored in the second half yet. I cheered for Johnny and our other friends, Travis and Eddie. Mt. Horizon was playing harder in the second half, and they quickly tied up the score. The crowd was going crazy as the clock wound down to the final two minutes. Finn threw a pass to Sam, who fumbled the ball, and Mt. Horizon scooped it up and ran for a final touchdown, winning the game twenty-one to fourteen.

I saw the defeated faces on the field, and I felt terrible. My dad turned to my mom and confidently said, “They will get them at state!”

I told my parents I would see them at home later, and I raced out of the bleachers to go find Finn and C. J. I told Paisley and Mila I would meet them in the parking lot, because they would never attempt to make their way through the crowds to get to the players on the field. Mt. Horizon was definitely celebrating, and the crowd was exceptionally loud. They were coming off the field as I was attempting to enter the field to find my brother and C. J. Suddenly a big rush of players came through, and I was surrounded and unable to move. They were very large football players, and they didn’t seem to even notice me. I started to pound my fists against one of them because it was getting difficult to breathe. Suddenly I felt my feet come out from under me, and I started to fall forward. I panicked because I knew there was a good chance I would be stepped on if I fell to the ground in this large group of excited football players. I braced myself for a fall, and I felt my hands scrape against the rough pavement. Then, out of nowhere, I felt someone’s arm go around my waist just as I was about to hit the ground. I felt my body become free of the closing crowd, and I could finally breathe. I gasped to catch my breath. I had not realized how closely I’d been pressed against the large players. Someone set me down on the ground and then turned my shoulders to look at me. I was a bit stunned, because I had just come close to being trampled to death.

“You OK?” a deep but gentle voice asked close to my ear.

I looked up to meet the eyes of the stranger who had just saved me from my fall, and I lost my breath once again. In front of me stood the most beautiful human being I had ever seen. He was tall, with piercing blue eyes and wildly untamed hair. I gasped at the sight of him, which seemed to puzzle him.

He gently touched my shoulders again. “Are you OK?” he asked again nervously.

I gazed down at his Mt. Horizon uniform and noticed a sleeve of tattoos rolling down his left arm. I gazed back up at his magnetically attractive eyes. “Oh, yes. Thank you,” I said nervously.

“I think your hand is bleeding,” he said, gently taking my hand to examine it. I felt a chill run through my entire body at just the simple touch of his hand against mine.

I think I briefly stopped breathing as his eyes met mine once again. “Here, come with me. Let’s get you to this drinking fountain and try to clean it up,” he said sweetly.

I followed him almost instinctively, as if this boy would protect me from any sort of danger I could ever face. He was still holding my hand gently as he led me out of the crowd to the nearest drinking fountain. He bent down and gently placed my hand under the running water. I stared at his beautiful face while he intently cleaned the blood off my hand. His jaw was distinct, and he had a perfect profile. There was something very strong and brooding in his eyes. When he looked up at me to meet my gaze, I quickly looked away. I felt my face flush. He had definitely caught me staring.

“It looks like it’s just a surface cut,” he assured me as he washed the last bit of blood from my palm.

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure it’s fine. Thank you,” I said, flustered by my reaction to him. I wanted my hand to keep bleeding so that he wouldn’t stop washing it. I had never had this reaction to anyone before. I was usually very standoffish with strangers, but something about this boy was safe.

“You sure you’re OK, um…” he said, pausing to wait for a name.

“Oh, sorry, it’s Emerson,” I replied, and my voice was actually shaking now from the effect that he had on me. I tried to cover up my nervousness by looking away.

“OK, Emerson. I think you’re going to make it,” he said, smiling. He was staring intently into my eyes. I felt as if the blood had rushed out of my body, and my legs suddenly felt wobbly. I almost fell into him, trying to catch my balance. What in the world was happening to me?

“Whoa, whoa,” he said, trying to steady me on my feet. “Are you sure you’re OK? You didn’t hit your head, did you?” he asked, and he somehow seemed deeply concerned, which I found baffling because we didn’t know each other.

“No, I think I just lost my breath in the crowd. Thank you so much, umm…” I said, hoping he would tell me his name too.

“It’s Cross. Cross Tarantino,” he said confidently. Of course it was. Who has a name like “Cross Tarantino”? I thought this had to be some sort of dream. I actually felt as if I should pinch myself to make sure it was really happening. In front of me was the most beautiful person I had ever seen, and he had the name to match.

“Thank you, Cross Tarantino,” I said as our eyes met again, and he smiled. His smile was intoxicating; he had perfect teeth behind lips that I tried desperately not to focus on. I forced myself to remain steady so he wouldn’t see how in awe I was of him.

“You’re welcome, Emerson,” he said as he inspected my hand, which was now clean. “You really need to be more careful when you charge into a crowd of football players though.” He laughed.

“Well, next time I’ll pull out the big guns and be better prepared,” I joked, flexing the muscles of my free arm.

“Oh really. You think you can hold your own in that crowd?” he said with another laugh.

“I know I can,” I replied confidently, and we both laughed. I realized that he was still holding my hand, and I certainly wasn’t in any hurry to pull it away.

“Emerson!” I heard Finn calling from a distance. Darn it, Finn! He was going to ruin everything by walking over now.

“Uh-oh, this must be the boyfriend?” Cross said quietly, and he quickly released my hand.

“Oh, God, no! That’s my brother,” I said laughing.

“Where in the world have you been? Mom and Dad are all worked up because Paisley and Mila couldn’t find you,” Finn said irritably, staring intensely at Cross.

“Well, I tripped, and Cross helped me up,” I said matter-of-factly. “Cross, this is my brother, Finn.”

“Nice to meet you. Great throwing out there today,” Cross said kindly. I was staring at him while he talked to Finn. He really was a sight to see. He was manly, and scruffy, and absolutely gorgeous.

“Thanks. You too. What did you score? Two of the touchdowns?” Finn inquired. Finn obviously knew who Cross was.

“Yeah, with the help of my teammates,” he said humbly.

“Emerson, we better go find Mom and Dad before they freak out. They were worried about you,” Finn reminded me anxiously.

“Oh, OK,” I agreed, the disappointment apparent in my voice. This was so strange. I didn’t want to leave him. I wanted to tell Finn to go tell our parents that I was fine so that I could just stand here, but I knew that would be weird.

“Well, I think your hand should heal quickly, Emerson,” Cross said, looking into my eyes once again.

“Thanks to you, I think it will,” I said, smiling back at him. We all started to walk toward the parking lot. I was panicking because I didn’t know how I would ever see him again. But I didn’t know what to say.

“Emerson Grace!” my mother cried out as we approached the parking lot. “Where were you?”

“Yes, Emerson Grace, where were you?” Mila echoed, laughing, her hands on her hips, until her eyes landed on Cross and she gasped aloud. “And who were you with?” she added, lighting up at the mere sight of him.

“Sorry, I tripped and Cross helped me up, and he helped clean my hand,” I said, smiling at Mila and holding up my wounded hand as evidence.

“I’ll bet he did,” Paisley said, first staring at him and then looking back and forth between Cross and me.

My mom came over and grasped my hand. “Oh, Emerson, you need to be more careful. Thank you for helping her,” my mom said, turning her attention to Cross.

“Oh, it wasn’t a problem at all,” Cross said, smiling at me.

Just then my dad walked up. “There she is,” he said, laughing. “Where was she hiding?”

“I’m fine, Dad. I fell; he helped me up. Everything is fine. This is Cross; Cross, this is my dad,” I said, clearly irritated by the number of times I had to tell the story.

“Mr. Hollingsworth, I’m a huge fan. It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” Cross said, looking stunned that my dad was Daniel Hollingsworth. I hadn’t mentioned my last name, but he had obviously put it together by then.