[27 Day's Home]
The stadium lights hummed, casting a harsh, artificial glow over the turf as the bleachers rattled with the roar of the crowd. For Annie, the noise was a physical weight. It had been only twenty-seven days since she'd moved into this house, and barely forty-five since the world had ended with her mother's funeral.
She sat between Dylan and Ellie, huddled in her oversized sweater despite the humid evening. Margaret sat with perfect posture, clapping politely, her eyes scanning the crowd to ensure everyone saw her as the supportive matriarch.
"Look at him go!" Dylan cheered as Kyson took a handoff, gaining ten yards. Dylan turned to Annie, squeezing her shoulder. "I'm glad you came, Annie. It means a lot to Kyson, even if he's too cool to say it."
Annie nodded, her eyes drifting to the field. She wasn't watching Kyson. Her gaze was locked on Ethan, the quarterback. With his black hair tucked under his helmet and those piercing green eyes visible through the visor, he moved with a focused grace. Every time he completed a pass, he'd glance toward the stands, his eyes searching until they found hers.
Then, the mood shattered. Dylan's phone chirped- a frantic, rhythmic sound. He looked at the screen and sighed, his face falling.
"Multiple car pile-up on the interstate," Dylan muttered, already standing. "I have to go. Margaret, I'm so sorry."
"Go, Dylan. Lives are at stake," Margaret said, though her eyes darted to the field.
Kyson was at the line of scrimmage, looking up. He saw his stepfather standing, grabbing his jacket, and heading for the exit. The boy's shoulders slumped. The play started, and Kyson, distracted and bitter, fumbled the snap. The crowd groaned. To Kyson, it wasn't the hospital's fault- it was Annie's. If she weren't here, maybe Dylan wouldn't be so tired. Maybe Dylan would stay for him.
At halftime, the tension became unbearable. "I'm going to find the restroom," Annie whispered. Her friend Ellie, with her sharp brown eyes and protective stance- immediately stood up.
"I'm coming with you. This place is a zoo," Ellie said, shooting a glare at Margaret.
Inside the cramped, cinderblock bathroom, the air was thick with the scent of cheap hairspray. Annie was washing her hands when the door swung shut and clicked. Vanessa, Peggy, Rebecca, and Sarah stood there like a firing squad.
"Out, Riley's sister," Vanessa snapped at Ellie, her green eyes flashing with malice. Vanessa was convinced Annie was using her "innocent act" to sleep with Kyson behind closed doors. "We need a word with the houseguest."
"In your dreams, Vanessa," Ellie snapped back, stepping in front of Annie.
"Move, or I'll make sure Riley spends the rest of the season on the bench," Peggy threatened.
Peggy's blue eyes were cold, she'd spent years trying to get Ethan to look at her, only to watch him go soft for the 'new girl' with the tragic backstory.
"Go, Ellie," Annie whispered, her voice trembling. "I'll be fine. Just... go find Ethan."
Ellie hesitated, then hissed, "I'm getting him. Don't you touch her." She shoved past them and bolted out.
The moment the door closed, the atmosphere curdled.
"You think you're sospecial, don't you?" Vanessa spat, grabbing Annie's arm and shoving her against the cold tile. "Living in Kyson's house, playing the grieving daughter? I know what you are. You're a parasite."
"I don't want anything from Kyson," Annie gasped, but Sarah and Rebecca- looking sick to their stomachs but too afraid to disobey, grabbed Annie's arms, pinning her against the wall.
Peggy stepped forward, her face contorted. "Ethan doesn't like 'broken.' He likes winners. Maybe if you looked as ugly as you are on the inside, he'd stop staring."
Peggy's hand moved fast, a sharp, stinging slap that echoed off the tiles, followed by Vanessa's fist connecting with Annie's ribs. Annie didn't scream, she just buckled, her black hair falling over her face as they took turns venting years of petty jealousy on a girl who was already hollowed out by grief.
Minutes passed, the girls done with their assault left quickly. Then.
The bathroom door flew open with such force it hit the wall with a thunderous crack.
Ethan stood there, chest heaving, his jersey stained with grass and sweat. Behind him, Ellie was white-faced and panting.
He dropped to his knees in front of Annie, who was curled on the floor, her hands shaking as she tried to pull her sleeves down to hide the fresh marks.
"Annie," he breathed, his voice breaking. The "flirt" was gone- only the boy who would burn the world down for her remained. He reached out, his touch uncharacteristically gentle as he tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear. "Are you okay? Did they- did they hit you?"
Ellie knelt on her other side, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sosorry, Annie. I couldn't find him fast enough."
Annie looked up, her blue eyes glassy. She saw the rage in Ethan's jaw and the guilt in Ellie's face. She knew if she told the truth, Ethan would get suspended for what he'd do to those girls, and Ellie would be targeted next.
"I tripped," Annie lied, her voice a fragile thread. She looked directly at Ellie, a silent, pleading command. "The floor was wet. I fell into the sinks. Please, Ethan... I just want to go home."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He looked at the red mark on her cheek, then the dry floor. His knuckles were white. "Annie, don't lie to me."
"Please," she whispered, grabbing his hand. "Don't make it worse. Promise me, Ellie. Promise you won't say anything."
Ellie bit her lip, looking at Ethan's vibrating fury, then back to Annie's desperate eyes. "I promise," Ellie whispered, though her heart burned.
Ethan scooped Annie up into his arms, ignoring the mud he was getting on her sweater. He didn't care about the second half of the game. He didn't care about Kyson's fumble or the scouts in the stands. He just held her close, his face pressed against her hair.
"I've got you," he muttered. "I've got you."