“Kevin!”
He turned, looking for who had called his name.
“Kevin! Over here!” Maggie called, waving at him.
He waved back and started making his way through the crowd. All of the practice of getting through a mob paid off as he easily made his way to her.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she told him as she walked towards the home team bleachers.
“There wasn’t anything else to do tonight. I was tired of staying in. I actually went out to get a pizza from the store and saw all this commotion and decided to check it out,” he said, following her up the bleachers.
Maggie stopped about halfway up and moved down the row, finding a place for them both.
“Were you meeting someone?” She asked, dusting off the concrete.
“No. Are you?”
She snorted. “I don’t think so. Sit with me, then.”
That’s what I had planned, he thought.
“You know, we really do need to stop bumping into each other like this,” she teased, getting settled for the game.
“You’re telling me. This really is a small town, isn’t it?”
“Mayberry ain’t got nothing on us,” she laughed. “Just be careful of what you say or do. Nothing better than a new rumor about a new person.”
“I’ll try to remember that.”
The announcer for the game requested everyone stand for the national anthem as well as the prayer that followed. The crowd rose as one as the band began playing the “Star Spangled Banner.” The voices from those in the stands sang along as the flag was raised. A sudden gust of wind caused it to unfurl at the end of the song. Everyone applauded the band for their rendition. On cue, all fell silent as the prayer for a safe game was given.
Kevin caught a glimpse of Maggie wiping a tear away as they sat back down.
“What’s that about?” He inquired.
“I always tear up at that song. It just gives me chills. Always has, especially after I learned the story behind it. Amazing,” she told him.
“It is, isn’t it. Oh, that was a good block,” he said, turning to watch the game.
“Yeah. We’ve got a pretty good team this year. A lot of seniors. Hopefully they will make it to the state playoffs this year. Usually they get to the first round then choke!”
“Hey, Miss Martin!”
Maggie turned around to see some of her high school students barreling down the bleachers. She smiled up at them.
“We’re going to get a coke. You want something?”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully. “I guess not. Thanks for asking, though.”
“You want something?” The young man asked Kevin.
The smell of popcorn had been infiltrating his nose since got out of his car across the street at the store. It had been so long since he had popcorn at a high school football game.
“Yeah. I think I do,” he told them. He stood up, reaching into his front pocket and pulling out a twenty-dollar bill. “Get me two boxes of popcorn and two drinks. Large.”
The boys took the money and continued their trek down the bleachers, hitting each other on the arm. Maggie turned to Kevin.
“You must be in the mood for some popcorn. Two boxes? Then again, you don’t look like it will do you any harm.”
“Nah. One of those is for you. I now how hard it is for teachers. Especially those with their own houses,” he winked.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling sincerely. “But you didn’t have to do that. I had the money. I just wasn’t in the mood for it right now. Trust me, they’ll make about a dozen trips down there before the game’s over.”
“Well, you’ll get some popcorn anyway. It’s good for you! GO! GO!” He yelled, wrapped up in the game again.
The boys soon returned with the popcorn and drinks, handing Kevin back his change. He looked surprised.
“They’re good kids,” Maggie told him once the boys were out of earshot. “They wouldn’t keep your money.”
“It’s not that,” he told her, putting the change in his pocket. “If you trusted them, I knew I could. I just didn’t have any idea how much this cost now.”
Maggie laughed at him. “Where have you been? On an isolated island or something?”
“Something like that,” Kevin responded. “Here, eat your popcorn before it gets cold.”
They watched the game, Kevin yelling at the football players from time to time. It had been a long time since he had had so much fun just doing everyday things. The others should do this sometime, too, he thought. He was beginning to feel relaxed, the stress and tensions of his other life slipping away. At that moment, he wondered how he could ever give this up. It seemed as if this was what life was supposed to be about-high school football games on Friday nights with a nice looking girl.
“Hey, what’s that mushy look on your face about?” Maggie teased, lightly shoving his arm.
“Huh? Nothing. I was just thinking about how much I’m enjoying this vacation,” he told her, returning her shove.
Near the end of the fourth quarter, the crowd was on its feet, screaming and stomping. Maggie leaned in to Kevin, pulling him down closer so he could hear her.
“I’m going to leave now. If I don’t, I’ll be stuck until eleven with the traffic.”
“I’ll go with you,” he told her. “I have something for you, anyway.”
“Ooh, is it a surprise? I love surprises,” she said, eyes wide in excitement.
“Oh, yeah. Your library books. You left them there Monday and that woman asked me to give them to you. She seems to have plans for us.”
“Miss Charlotte? Oh, yes. She’s such a busybody. We all love her, but she is one nosy person. I warned you about people here.”
“It was too late when you said it,” he reminded her. “Do you want to go to my car and I’ll drive you back to yours with your books?”
“I could. Better yet, why don’t you just bring them by my house? You never got your pizza, did you? I’ve got a big pot of chili. More than I’ll eat by myself. You’re welcome to some of it. I figured it’d be nice since it’s gotten so much cooler since the sun went down.”
“All right. That is, if it’s not going to be a problem,” he told her.
“Nah. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Maggie called back, running across the highway to where she had parked her truck.