I rest my head against the seat and roll it to face her. “I’ve always admired you. You have tenacity, and confidence, and passion. You’re always fighting for a good cause, and you always stick up for what you believe in.” I hike a shoulder. “I admire the shit out of you, Ainsley Morgan.”
Her eyes bounce between mine before dropping to my mouth.
“Uh-uh.” I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth. “Not in front of the children.”
She grins and lets her head fall back against the seat. Then she reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a bracelet of her own. Without looking, she slips it onto my wrist.
Teal, navy, and white beads for our team colors, and then two words: GOLDEN BOY.
“I know I used to say it like it was a bad thing,” she whispers. “But truth be told, I admired you too. I was a good player, but I wasn’t a good teammate. Not like you were. That’s why Coach made you the team captain. You had the heart and the dedication. You were able to look at the bigger picture, and sacrifice yourself for the good of the team. I was jealous of you in a lot of ways.”
My eyebrows jump, unable to hide my shock. “I never knew you felt that way.”
She nods. “Plus, you have really sexy legs.”
My eyes close as I laugh, warmth seeping into my chest. I knock my knee against hers. “You were looking at a lot more than my legs yesterday.”
“Don’t remind me.” She lowers her voice, her lips brushing against the cusp of my ear. “Otherwise, I’ll have to change my panties again.”
A low grown leaves me and she pops her earbud back in, wearing a triumphant grin on her face.
Oh, yeah. My plan is definitely working.
My nerves kick in once the bus pulls into the school parking lot. My knee bounces, and my lungs constrict, making it difficult to take a deep breath against the pressure in my chest.
Bile churns in my stomach, and sweat beads at the back of my neck.
Fuck.
Ainsley glances at me. “You gonna puke?”
“Yup.”
She shoots up out of the seat and into the aisle. “Go. I’ll distract them.”
The bus driver pulls alongside the curb and kills the engine before swinging open the door. I rush down the stairs and bolt to the back corner of the bus.
Bracing my hands on my knees, I bend forward and dry heave, my stomach attempting to rid itself of the burning acid.
I’ll feel better once I throw up, but until then, my body breaks out in a cold sweat. The world around me spins, and my vision blurs.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I form an O-shape with my lips and pretend I’m sucking air through a straw. In for three, out for three.
One, two, three.
Three, two, one.
Again.
After five of each breath, my nerves settle and the pressure in my chest subsides.
I run through the breathing exercise a few more times, and then the only thing that remains is the knot in my stomach.
My eyes blink open, and I watch as the girls unload from the bus. Quinn and Raymond lead them around the side of the school toward the field.
Bile makes its way up my throat, and I lean over to release it. As I vomit, a hand smooths across my back in soothing circles.
“You’re okay.” Ainsley’s voice is low. “Just breathe.”
