myötähäpeä (n.)
the feeling of shame you experience on behalf of another person when they do something stupid or embarrassing; second-hand embarrassment
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AS Uncle Ricky suggested, I tagged along on Ethan and Eli's tour of Revere College a few weeks later. We got up early on a Saturday morning to make the drive to Boston, arriving around ten o'clock for our tour.
Since the guys were prospective athletes, the tour would focus mainly on the athletic programs. We would still get the chance to see the rest of the campus, but football would be the main focus. I was a little bummed by the fact, but it's what I got for starting the college search so last minute.
"Hello. Welcome to Revere. How may I help you?" The young woman at the admissions desk asked as we approached the counter.
"Hi. My friends and I have a tour," Eli said. "We're meeting with the football department and coaching staff."
"Names?"
"Elliot Cameron and Ethan Hanson."
Her eyes darted to me before typing something on her computer. "Alrighty. You guys can take a seat. Someone will be here shortly." She pointed towards the mini waiting area that was set up in the corner. "Please let me know if you have any questions."
"You guys are meeting with the football coach, too?" I was under the impression that this was just a tour. Maybe I wasn't supposed to tag along if this had some formal meeting attached to it...
"Yeah. A lot of the coaches prefer to meet face-to-face when giving offers. The head coach came to a few of our games earlier this season and wanted us to come up and see the facilities," Eli explained. "If he offers something, I might end up committing today."
"Uh, am I really supposed to be here, then?"
"You'll be fine," Ethan said. "We'll just tell them that we're related."
"Ethan, hate to break it to you, but we are related," I laughed.
His face reddened. "Oh yeah. Well, see, you have a good excuse."
A tall, dark-skinned student wearing Revere College football apparel approached us. "Cameron and Hanson?" He asked, running his fingers through his frizzy black hair.
Eli nodded and stood up. "Yeah, that's us."
"Nice to meet you guys. I'm Andre, one of the tight ends. Coach McDonald asked me to show y'all around." He glanced at me and raked his eyes up and down my figure. "Who's this pretty lady?"
"Charlotte. I'm Ethan's cousin." I jerked my thumb towards Ethan. "I'm tagging along today. Hope that's okay."
"Of course, it's nice to meet you, sweetheart," he smirked.
"And she's my girlfriend," Eli declared, wrapping his arm protectively around me.
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I looked at Ethan, wondering if he was in on this. I concluded he was, hence the teeth digging into his lips in thinly veiled amusement.
"Sorry, dude. I didn't know she was your girl." Andre raised his arms in surrender. "How 'bout we get going?"
"Girlfriend?" I whispered to Eli as soon as we stepped outside.
"I didn't like the way he was looking at you," he muttered, scowling at Andre's muscular back. "So, you're my girlfriend for the next few hours."
"I can protect myself. Not that there's any protecting needed," I hissed. I wasn't some damsel in distress.
YOU ARE READING
Because of Haven Beach
Teen Fiction"The moon's really beautiful, if you think about it," I blurted. "Yeah?" he asked, mild amusement and curiosity mingling in his voice. "Yeah," I confirmed. "It's just- there's something about the moon that's ethereal. I don't really know how to desc...
