Chapter no 18 – Adrianna

Heart of Desire

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Verina gives me a wavering uncertainty of words.

“I know it’s not a good idea.” I smile at her as Juliette walks over

with so much school spirit gear, I’m surprised she can walk straight. “I’m so ready for tonight’s game.” She smiles at us.

I walk off to find a sweater, “I’m not going.” “You’re joking, right?”

“No.” I whip my head over to them, “I’m attending the football game.” “Do you want to die?” Margo laughs.

I roll my eyes, “Grayson would never hurt me.” I flinch, “Not physically anyways.”

“He does have a way of verbally abusing people, doesn’t he?” Margo continues, “Now that I think of it, just you.”

I picked up a red cable knit sweater and slipped on a pair of my white platform converse that always raised my height a few inches.

“Why are you even going through these lengths? I thought you and Brooks were over and you weren’t going back.” Verina walks over, opening my closet and picking out my red scarf.

She looks at me tilting her head, a gesture of whether she can wear it tonight.

I nod as she twirls it around her neck, “I’m not going back.”

“Then why are you ditching your boyfriend’s game to go to your ex who treated you like shit?” Margo sprays perfume on.

I huff, “Grayson Prince is not my boyfriend, it’s fake. Brooks asked me to go, and I see nothing wrong with that.”

“We do.” Juliette directs at me.

I groan, “Stop it, I just think that it would be nice to enjoy some football once in a while.”

“You are such a liar.”

I look at them with a smile, “How?”

“You are going just to piss off Grayson!”

“Why should he be pissed off?” I saunter over, their eyes never leaving my body.

I think everyone was making a big deal out of this. I mean come on, it was just another silly hockey game that he wanted me to be at and it was stupid. He’s going to have more, and it wasn’t important.

“It’s a very important game.” They gave me an honest look.

At the pit of my stomach, I did see their point and that this was a very important game for Grayson but what was more important was that he should know that I never just do what I’m told.

I wasn’t the girl he thought I was. I was done being obedient, I was more than what he thought of me.

Something that I could be proud of, or maybe something my father could grow to be proud of.

Of course, I had to do something that would change the world for my father to be proud of me, but defying Grayson Prince was always one of them.

“All of his games are important. What makes this one more interesting than the others?” I pick up my bag, walking over to the door as they all block the way to the exit.

“Get out of my way.” I say sternly with a smile,

“That might work on the girls at school, but you know damn well that won’t work on us.”

I stood up taller, “No, but I can make it work, so get out of my damn way.”

“I think you’re making a mistake.”

“So are you.” I nod over to the heavy wall they made.

Margo looked concerned and I understood immediately that my attitude was not needed.

“If Grayson wanted me there, he would’ve asked politely.”

“When are you two ever polite with each other?” Margo points out as I look at both Verina and Juliette agreeing.

Of course, they would agree.

“That’s beside the point. If he really wants me there, then he can come get me. Other than that, I will be attending Brooks’ game. One that he politely asked for me to attend, thank you.” I passed them, grabbing the keys to my BMW. Over my dead body was someone going to drive me over to a boys football game.

My father would never approve of Brooks, but he most definitely will never approve of Grayson Prince.

It felt exhilarating being at the football game knowing that Grayson was losing his damn mind that I wasn’t with him, though I know nothing much about football. It was a bit messy and there was rarely action. I

spotted Brooks.

Maya was there too. She looked at me like I was some type of plague, and I saluted her for holding eye contact with me and not peeing her pants. She was one of a rare bunch in Hawthorne who found it intriguing to stand up to me.

I would love to see her try.

Brooks was on the field a lot, and I would hope so, because if I dated him and I only found out now that he was a benchwarmer. I think I would have to eat Hawaiian pizza for a punishment.

I couldn’t really see his face. Reasonable since he is wearing a helmet, I didn’t really desire to see his face.

Sure, I only did this out of spite and my only reason for my being here…

…was because of Jack Frost himself. But I would never admit that to anyone, not to a human anyways, I told my stuffed dog before I left.

It was painful to sit here and act like I cared about Brook’s accomplishments when I didn’t. Maya looked like she could fill my spot in that department.

She had the jersey on, the stripes of red makeup on her cheeks, the big posters just for him, the perfect girlfriend.

I felt sad that he didn’t think of her like that, but still upset that he entertained her while being with me.

It was a big slap to the face that I was so clueless.

But as I spent more time at the game, the antsy I became because I wasn’t paying attention to Grayson’s hockey game. As I checked my phone, I saw that they were losing.

1-2.

I instantly called up Margo, she seemed to be occupied, so I tried Verina’s phone. However, she had about two percent left on her cell, so my last resort was to call Juliette, whom I love dearly, but had a hard time with being anywhere near her phone.

If it was up to her, she wouldn’t have one, her father forced her to have one just for emergencies. Desperately I tapped on her contact, it rang four times before she answered.

“How’s the football game, Anna?” She says, I could hear the smirk in her voice, almost like she knew I was not enjoying myself.

“Fine.”

I huff, irritating because I was lying through my pearly white teeth.

“You want to come to the hockey game, don’t you?” She lures me in as I look around at the empty bleachers groaning and not wanting to admit they were right.

“No, I don’t. I just wanted to ask how the score is doing and…” I falter. Juliette quiets for a moment before speaking, “The team is losing 1-2,

how do you think the team is doing?” Good point.

If there was one thing I knew about the team, it was that they were competitive beyond words.

Especially Grayson.

“Who made the one goal?” I mutter, I didn’t need to ask. I knew the right answer, but something about my body shivered when I did.

“Who do you think?” She says with sarcasm.

I felt a pit in my stomach like it was consuming me, I felt awful… I felt

guilty.

“Listen, Anna, I think it was a bad decision you didn’t come tonight.

Grayson could really use the support.” She speaks.

I found it stupid how people thought I could’ve changed the outcome of a game because of my presence, or that I was some type of charm for him to

take anywhere he wants for luck.