This was the first football game where I was actually involved with my grade; I was situated right smack-dab in the middle of the seniors, trying to strategically see my way around the tall boys and keep warm at the same time.
It's interesting to just watch people. Even without trying, I jump to conclusions far too quickly. But for the record, sometimes I'm right.
The girl in front of me arrives later than the rest of us, pushing through the masses of energetic high schoolers. She doesn't seem to have a destination in mind, but stops a row down from me and to my right. It's odd - usually girls flock together and travel in packs, but she arrives by herself. Think typical Wayzata girl; tight yoga pants (probably Lululemon) sticking to her slightly orange body, a decent amount of makeup. Observing her letter jacket, it's clear she's been a part of the soccer team for quite a while. You'd think she'd be surrounded by friends and teammates; the soccer team is extremely close, but she's at the opposite end of the bleachers from her teammates. The boys greet her when she joins the group, playfully pushing her as she makes snarky comments. She comes off as aggressive, with strong, loud opinions and an attitude to back them up. As soon as the boys start playing rough, she pushes them back and the first six rows of bleachers turn into a shoving match, the soccer chick right in the middle of it all. I question her personality. She seems guarded, hastily throwing out comments while the other girls laugh and the boys play along. Are her teammates mad at her? I'd want to be with my friends at the game, but maybe she's past the point of caring what others think of her. She's in the middle of the boys, but maybe that's where she wants to be. Her arrival time indicates that it really doesn't matter to her where she sits; the girls up front don't really want her with them, but she knows she'll find someone to talk to her...the boys always do. What is it like to be her? Stereotypical Wayzata girl, separated from her friends by choice, chatting up the boys with sassy, controversial comments. I'd like to say I think there's more to her than that, but I'm not sure that's true.
The boy to my right is high as a kite. I've never been around someone that high - I'd say it's impressive, but that would give the wrong connotation (I'm not extremely impressed by stoners). But at the same time, I know him. We've had a class or two together, but he's always been relatively quiet yet entertaining enough to be known by the class. He's friendly when I see him in the bleachers, and he's grounded enough to know my name. Looking at him, I wouldn't initially think he's a stoner, even though he admits it approximately ten minutes after appearing on the bleachers. Maybe it's just that I try to think the best of people, or maybe the fact that I'm oblivious to life. He appears to be having a good time, alternating between screaming at the top of his lungs and staring off into space. What on earth is he seeing? I'm not sure I want to know. His friends are sketchy, but I realize that I've never really seen him with people outside of the classes I've had with him. I'm predisposed to not judge him based on his current level of sanity because I'm acquainted with him. He comes off as looking for a good time, carefree, and a tiny bit scary. His carefree nature allows him to openly discuss plans for the night, describing how much fun he is planning on having. Even though I know of him, I see him as a stranger at this point; he's impossible to predict, and we do all that we can to keep him satisfied with our company. In my head I urge him to be safe tonight, but it's probably too late for that.
The girls situated behind me have on matching sunglasses, hiding their eyes as they observe the crowd. They match in their clothing choices, but not like the rest of us did in middle school; it isn't the matching shirts and glitter, but rather a cool attitude that makes them appear more similar than they are. Both have dark hair, one leaner and shorter than the other, but they are clearly best friends. I feel their gazes on me as I turn around to talk to my best friend, feeling judged as we discuss the stoned state of the boy. Are they observing me as I am observing them? From one glance I feel judged, and become defensive, judging them in turn. They appear relatively cold-hearted, sticking to talking to one another while the rest of us converse with the people around us. They do not move the entire game or even crack a smile. They think they are better than the rest of us; my group of friends is inevitably awkward and far from cool, especially by their standards. I recognize them from my grade, but I couldn't name either girl if my life depended on it. A million dollars said they couldn't name any of us. They aren't the most popular people in our grade - the popular girls are located at the very bottom of the bleachers, leading the cheers and taking pictures. Instead, these girls are up here, strategically separated from the popular girls; a hundred dollars says these girls do not like the ones at the bottom of the bleachers and want nothing to do with them. A cat fight wouldn't be impossible. Hopefully they're satisfied with themselves, because they won't be bonding with other people any time soon.
Observing is fun :) I love to watch people in places like amusement parks, foreign countries, mini golf courses, pretty much anywhere. My sister and I try to figure out how people are related and what their relationships are; human beings are interesting, for a lack of other wording.
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