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I knew they wouldn’t hear, but I turned to Victor again and leaned in to whisper. “He does know about the plan, but I think he’s having a hard time of it. He seems to be into it, but keeps disappearing. I don’t know if you heard about the masks. I don’t know what they mean.”
“I heard something about that,” Victor said. He kept his head close. We were inches apart, whispering, but it might have looked like we were trying to listen to each other with all the loud talking. “Do you think he’s going to go for it?”
“I need to talk to him alone,” I said. “I didn’t get much of a chance.”
“I have the same issue with talking to you, it seems,” he said. “I hope the changes at school will fix that.”
I didn’t know how it would. I wanted to ask about it, but I needed to bring the conversation back. “Have you heard from Luke about the plan?”
“I haven’t heard from anyone except about school and Academy things,” he said. “You’re still good with it, right?”
I hesitated, but only for a moment. I recalled my conversation with Mr. Blackbourne. “We need to try,” I said. “I hope you’ll help me convince the others to at least try.”
His eyes brightened until the flames were like bonfires. He reached up, catching a bit of hair that framed my face and traced it down my cheek. “Princess, all you need to do is ask.”
I was grateful for him. Maybe Mr. Blackbourne was right. Maybe I just needed more courage.
FOOTBALL
I ate my dinner and then went up for some dessert: a small piece of pie with whipped cream. I thought that would be the end of it, and then we’d start on the cleanup, when a football soared over my head. I followed the ball with my eyes to see Silas catch it and then turned to see who’d thrown it: the Native man. He’d tied his pony tail into a bun at the nape of his neck and had removed the shirt he had been wearing until he now simply wore a tank top.
Silas stood and laughed as he bounced the football between his hands. “Are you ready to get creamed by Kota’s team again this year?” he asked, his voice deep and loud, carrying over everyone at the tables.
There was an uproar of voices at his challenge, people pointing at each other with delight in their eyes. The bustle of comments floated past me, and I tried to keep up, but it was difficult because of everyone talking at once.
“Uh oh,” Victor said and tugged at my arm to get me to stand.
I hesitated, not wanting to leave my plate, but everyone else did as most of them rose from the table.
“Did you want to play?” Victor asked as we weaved around the tables and into the street
“Play?” I asked.
“Football. We play every year,” he said. “Two teams.” He held onto my hand as he edged me toward the grassy front yard of one of the homes. “You could help coach, play, or be on the sidelines and just watch. Whatever you want; I don’t want to pressure you.”
“Coach?” I asked. How could I coach? I didn’t know the rules of football very well. And I didn’t think I could play in a skirt anyway. “I might just watch.”
Victor started to undo the tie at his neck, slipping into his pocket. “They might get me to play, or at least join a team to even out the numbers. I’m not very good.”
I was going to tell him he could sit with me, when Mr. Blackbourne approached, along with Kota beside him. Mr. Blackbourne had only removed his jacket, keeping on the white shirt and maroon tie, while Kota had loosened his and was unbuttoning his shirt.
“What do you know about touch football, Miss Sorenson?” Mr. Blackbourne asked me. He draped his jacket over his arm, and then put his hands on his hips as he talked.
“As little as I know about actual football. I’ve seen a couple of games. I’m more familiar with baseball.”
Kota slipped his tie from around his neck and hung it over my shoulder, before he tugged the shirt loose from his body. “I could try putting in more of the younger kids this year,” he said to Mr. Blackbourne.
“We tried that two years ago,” Mr. Blackbourne said, shaking his head. “All the older kids were too gentle, and those younger ones took advantage of it. You’d win for sure.”
I tugged Kota’s tie from my shoulder, holding it in my hands delicately. “You’re trying to lose?” I asked.
“Kota’s team wins every year,” Victor said. “It doesn’t seem to matter who is in the other team.”
“I’ve been really trying to give them a win for two years,” Kota said. “So far, it hasn’t worked out at all.”
“Should I try coaching Mr. Taylor’s team this year?” Mr. Blackbourne asked.
Kota shrugged and took off the shirt, leaving on his white T-shirt underneath. “Didn’t seem to matter when you tried that three years ago.” He pulled at the T-shirt, untucking it, and then handed his folded button up shirt to me before turning to Mr. Blackbourne. “Are you going to play this year? Or do you want to work for the other team?”
My mouth fell open. Was he asking if Mr. Blackbourne would play? I couldn’t imagine it.
“Might be too late,” Victor said, nodding toward the other side of the street.
Everyone turned looking toward where North and Dr. Green were standing, calling for people who were going to play to come forward and asking everyone else to move back.
Kota and Victor approached the circle, sharing looks.
Mr. Blackbourne leaned into me, whispering. “It’s okay if you just want to stand back and watch. I coach, but I’ve never joined in the game. I prefer to not get directly involved.”
“Maybe this year I’ll just watch? I don’t really know the rules.”
“Most of the kids don’t know the rules either,” he said. “Some get changed during the game, especially with the younger ones making them up as they go.”
I started to smile at this, thinking he was kidding, but his were serious. He gestured at me to follow him closer to the group.
Kota move ahead to the middle of the circle of people, as did North. At first, everyone was talking, and then suddenly Kota and North raised their hands, waving for everyone to be quiet.
“Okay,” Kota said loudly, the power in his voice carrying over the breeze and the murmur of people still whispering around him. “It’s time for annual touch football. North versus Kota. How do we want to pick teams this year?”
I looked over at Mr. Blackbourne. He noticed my curious gaze and leaned in. “Yes?” he asked.
“It’s North against Kota every year?” I asked.
Mr. Blackbourne nodded and motioned to the group where North was suggesting new rules, and a few other people were trying to overrule. “It started when they were younger, from the first football game they ever played. Kota was the leader of one team, North the other. Kota’s team won. North asked for a rematch the following year, and it’s been going on ever since.”
“And Kota won last year?”
“Kota wins every year,” he said.
They had said so, but I’d thought they just meant the last few years and were exaggerating. I looked back at the group and shifted from foot to foot, wondering how Kota managed to always win, and how in the world North allowed it to happen.
North, however, didn’t seem at all angry or vengeful as he addressed the group. His expression was amused, his dark eyes wide and his arms folded over his chest, as he observed the people around him. After some debate, it was determined that the coaches would be picking teams this year.
“Mr. Blackbourne?” Kota said, directing his attention.
Mr. Blackbourne looked at me, silently asking how much I’d like to be involved.
I wasn’t sure about playing, but I’d help him with whatever he needed. I gave him a tiny nod.
He turned toward the group. “I believe Miss Sorenson would like to help and be my co-coach.”
Coach? I’d told him I didn’t know the rules. I just thought he might want me to stand next to him.
“She can’t coach!” Nathan shouted from the other sid
e of the circle. He had his hands on his hips and then laughed. “She’ll cheat.”
“Good!” Mackenzie shouted, her yellow bandana ends flapping a bit against a breeze. “She’ll fit right in. There’s never not been a cheating team in this ridiculous game.”
Everyone laughed. Kota waved his arms, asking for attention again. “Everyone okay with Sang coaching my team this year?”
My throat closed up a little, completely nervous about the attention as almost every hand in the group—even among the children—went up. I was worried that my lack of knowledge would cause Kota’s team to lose. They had to be joking about me coaching.
But perhaps that’s why he, too, had his hand up. And North did, too; did he see me participating as an advantage to his team?
“Seems like they want you to coach, Sang,” Kota said. “So you’ll have to help pick teams.”
“Hey,” North said. “If Mr. Blackbourne and Sang are co-coaches, then Dr. Green needs a co-coach, too.”
“Okay,” Kota said. “Pick one.”
A ton of little kids started jumping up and down, waving their hands and bouncing for attention.
North looked through his selection of applicants and picked a particularly bouncy girl who looked to be about six. She had long blond hair tied back into two braids and was wearing a blue princess dress, seemingly oblivious to the cold.
