Dancing On My Own (Tiesto Remix)
Summary: You're a Cowboys fan in Eagles territory. Melissa finds out.
WC: ~2.05k
You have a secret- a deep, dark secret that you never ever want your fiery, die hard Eagles fan girlfriend to find out. You’re terrified of what will happen if she does. You’re a Dallas Cowboys fan. Okay, so maybe you were a second-hand Cowboys fan, but your dad bought you one of the jerseys because he absolutely adores them. And when you go home to Texas (how you ended up in the one state, one city that hates Dallas more than anything, you’ll never know), your dad always drags you to a game.
Upon moving to Philly, you took down every indication that you would ever associate yourself with the team that the Eagles love to hate. You couldn’t risk becoming an outcast before you even start your new life here.
And it did you good. You somehow land in the heart of the city, and you work for a school that absolutely bleeds Philadelphia. The principal adores the Eagles, Mr. Johnson is constantly yelling ‘Go Birds!’, Janine has a few trinkets in her room for each of the Philly Sports teams… even Gregory has come around to love Gritty. And then there’s Melissa Schemmenti. She’s had to go to court for throwing a corn cob at Ben Simmons when he pissed her off, she has ins with those who worked the demolition at the Linc, she’s a season ticket holder for the Phillies and the Eagles… and she absolutely detests the Cowboys- more than most Eagles fans too. She’s gotten into more trouble for heckling the Dallas team than she’s willing to admit- knocking over portapotties when Cowboys fans are in them, throwing Philly cheesesteaks, hurling eggs and Molotov cocktails at the bus.
And yet, she’s your girlfriend. How? You’re nearly perfect. You’re smart, you’re funny, you can sing and play instruments to make her swoon, you’re a wonderful teacher and great with the kids, and you’re more than easy on the eyes. And that was what she knew of you before she fell madly in love with you.
With the season coming up, your girlfriend is more than excited. She’s been waiting for the season tickets to go on sale, but even then… if she doesn’t get them the legal way, she knows a guy.
She does end up getting them. Of course she does. And as soon as she does, she’s coming into the teachers lounge doing her happy dance and making her way over to you. She kisses you soundly before proclaiming that she is 100% taking you to an Eagles game.
“And,” she notes. “I’m gonna make sure it’s a good one… Eagles versus the fuckin’ Cowgirls! Go birds!”
She’s met with a chorus of ‘Go birds!’ right back, but you stay quiet.
She turns to you with a curious look, amused grin now gone. “Babe, aren’t you excited?!”
You shrug. “I just… haven’t ever really been into football?” you offer weakly.
“Well, I’m gonna make sure that you have a great time there. I’m gonna get you an Eagles jersey, a Jalen Hurts one, and you’re gonna have the damn time of your life!”
Again, you shrug your shoulders, looking unsure.
“Aye, if she ain’t gonna use the ticket for good, I’m right here!” Mr. Johnson points to himself. “You know we’ll have a good time.”
“Nah, Mr. J,” your girlfriend rolls her eyes. “I’m taking Y/N, and she’s gonna leave the Linc a die hard Eagles fan, right?” She looks at you in a way that tells you there’s no convincing her otherwise unless you want to out yourself right now as a fan of the Cowboys.
You just nod, knowing you can’t have this conversation in public- you do not want to be shunned by the rest of your coworkers. You could potentially lose this job; Ava has fired people for less despite the fact that she really couldn’t afford to fire them and that’s why both you and Melissa are teaching two different grades at a time.
That’s the end of that conversation.
Until she comes over to your apartment that night, ready to cook dinner for you and stay over.
“You gonna tell me why you got so weird about going to a football game with me? Is it because we might see our students at the game?” she asks. “Because if it is, I promise you… you know Philly is pretty cool about LGBT stuff.”
“I know, I know,” you say softly. “I’ve just… could we go to a baseball game instead?” You never pledged your allegiance to any baseball team, so you would be willing to wear a Harper or Nola jersey.
“I mean, I could get us tickets to a game,” she tells you as she puts the meat into the pan to start cooking. “But I really love football and the Eagles, and that’s something I want to share with you.”
“Does it have to be a game with the Cowboys?” you ask.
She turns to you at that. “Those are the best games.”
“I-” you sigh. Deciding to just rip off the bandaid, you take off the Abbott sweatshirt that you’re wearing to reveal the Day Prescott jersey your dad had given you the last time you visited your hometown.
Her jaw drops, and her eyes fill with a fire. “When the fuck were you gonna tell me that you were the enemy?” she seethes.
“Mel,” you say softly, trying to calm her down.
“Don’t ‘Mel’ me right now,” the redhead hisses. “What the fuck?! What the actual fuck?!”
“Melissa, honey,” you continue. “Please-”
“I- no,” she stops you from getting any closer to her when you attempt. “Don’t. Don’t you even fucking dare.”
She’s out of your house before you can say anything else, and the only thing that you can hear is the flank steak sizzling quietly in the pan on the stove.
When you get to school the next day, you head straight for her room to try to talk to her again.
“Melissa,” you knock on the door, a cup of her favorite coffee in your hands as a peace offering.
“No.”
You set the warm drink on her desk, which she promptly smacks into the garbage can under her desk. She stands hastily and storms out of the room in the direction of the staff room.
“Melissa, please!” you beg as you chase after her. “Please!”
“I have nothing to say to you,” she hisses as she rips her arm away from you when you catch her gently. She storms into the break room and heads right for the coffee mugs.
“Please!” your voice cracks, and everyone that is already gathered there turns at the commotion.
“Ooh,” Ava says. “Trouble in paradise. Spill.”
“This one-” your girlfriend, if she even still is after your reveal last night, points to you and looks at you with disgust. “-is a Cowgirls fan, and decided not to let me know until last night!”
“Boo!” Mr. Johnson heckles you. You give him a nearly murderous look.
“Just let me explain!” you plead.
“You have nothin’ to explain! You’re a traitor!” the redhead barks at you before turning back to the mugs. She slams the door as she closes it, slams her coffee mug down on the counter, and storms her way to her seat next to Barbara. She makes it so that there is absolutely no way you could sit next to her.
All eyes are on you, and you hate it. So you do what you know how to do: run.
You avoid the second grade teacher at all possible costs for the next few days, giving her the chance to cool down. Finally, at the end of the week, you attempt to talk to her.
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” she huffs. She doesn’t even bother looking up from her nails. She doesn’t even give you the chance to explain yourself. “I ain’t dating no Cowgirl.”
You cry the entire way home. You lost your girlfriend, and all because of some stupid football team.
You call your father that night, a sobbing mess.
“You were dating an Eagles fan?!”
“Dad,” you cry. “Please. I don’t- I just need you to tell me that it’s all going to be okay.”
“It is,” he promises you. “But, seriously?”
You hang up on him.
He calls back a few minutes later, apologizing for his words. You forgive him of course. You love your father more than anything.
“If you really love her, you’ll get her back… even if it means you betray our team,” he tells you.
“R-really?” you whisper.
“You’re in Philly now,” your dad sighs softly. “If you can’t beat ‘em, and the lord knows you can’t because no one can beat Philly fans, join ‘em.”
That’s all you need to hear to know what you’re going to do. “Thank you, Dad.”
“Of course, kiddo. Just know that when you come home to visit, you are back on my team.”
“I know,” you chuckle through your tears. “But if I bring Mel back home, there is to be absolutely no football talk.”
“Deal,” he laughs. “I’m not trying to get our house lit on fire.”
You thank him again, tell him you love him and hang up.
That weekend, you go out and buy a bunch of Philadelphia sports apparel; your credit card statement this month is going to be a doozy. But if it means you’ll get Melissa back, it’ll be worth it.
On Monday, you show up in your baseball gear, rooting for the Phillies as they play against the Cincinnati Twins. It gets the redhead’s attention, just slightly. But she turns her head when you look in her direction.
You wear your Flyers gear the next day. That gets Gregory’s attention.
The Sixers are the next. Janine grins.
You had even bought a Philadelphia Union jersey that you wear on Thursday. Jacob tells you how massively underrated they are and that he thinks they deserve to have a bigger following.
When you come in on Friday, not clad in Eagles gear like Melissa thought you would be, that is the final straw for her. She has you backed into a corner telling you that you can pretend to bleed Philly all you want, but at the end of the day you’re just a traitor.
You let her get up in your face, red with anger. You know that you didn’t wear it because you’re saving it for Monday- when they play.
You actually managed to get a ticket to the game, one next to hers- not that she knows it. You thank Barbara profusely when she’s able to get you the name of Melissa’s guy and where her tickets for this game are. Your plan is to show up in your new Jalen Hurts jersey that you spent a fortune on and win her back. You don’t want to lose her. Never.
You race home after school to change out of your green shirt that you wore to school and into your Hurts jersey and a pair of leggings. You grab the baseball cap that you bought and pop it on your head before heading out to your car.
You park your car for the ridiculous amount of money they’re charging before going to find your seat.
As you approach though, you see someone new with Melissa- someone you’ve never seen before. She has an arm around the woman’s waist like the way she used to hold you. You convince yourself it’s just a friend and continue on your way to your seat. But then she plants a kiss to the new woman’s lips, and your world shatters.
You might be at a football game, but you should be at a Phillies game with their unofficial anthem playing.
I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh no
And I'm right over here, why can't you see me? Oh no
And I'm giving it my all
But I'm not the guy you're taking home, ooh
I keep dancing on my own
So far away, but still so near
The lights come on, the music dies
But you don't see me standing here
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