Page 38 of Lavender and Linebackers

“And that’s what you are. It’s fitting that the team latched on to your story. You both are living the American dream. Best friends who make it all the way.”

Best friends. My heart pinches at the reminder of what we’re not.

“It really has been a dream come true,” I tell her. Ryder still says nothing, but he’s looking at me like he understands how those words hurt.

“We found this picture of the two of you. You look so much younger, and you’re both in Tarpons gear at a home game.”

The next picture goes up. He and I look at it, but we already know she’s got the Halloween one.

“You went from fans to team members, and we can’t wait to hear all of the details.”

She shifts in her chair. “Let’s start with the draft.” She angles a little to look at Ryder. “I know you’ve answered some of these questions before, but everyone loves to hear about the moment. You know, the moment you get the call. What was it like hearing your name announced by the commissioner?”

He clears his throat. “Honestly, it’s all a little bit of a blur. Everyone had said that I would go in the first round, but there was no guarantee. I was excited and incredibly anxious at the same time. I kept waiting and waiting in the holding area, and then the phone rang from Coach Richter. I wasn’t expecting it because their pick was later down the line, but they traded up. I remember answering it and hearing him ask me if I was ready to come back home to be a Tarpon, and that’s about it. It was very overwhelming, but in the best way, and I’m glad it was all recorded, so I could play it back.” The crowd laughs. “When the commissioner announced my name, and the crowd cheered, it was surreal. Sully, ah, Chase Sullivan, my captain, was on the stage to hand me my hat and jersey. It was one of the greatest nights of my life.”

“Who was there with you?”

“My mom was with me, and a handful of my teammates from Clemson, who were also in the draft pool.”

“Alice”—she looks my way—“did you watch the draft? What was it like seeing your childhood friend have his dream come true?”

Oh no.

Do I lie or tell the truth? I can feel his gaze boring into the side of my head. I shouldn’t feel nervous about this answer, but I do. What does it matter if I watched the draft? It’s no secret that I love football, and that’s an exciting night. And so what if I happened to tear up for him? I teared up for a lot of people. They make those human interest stories emotional on purpose.

“Yes, I did watch the draft.” I give her one of my show smiles. “And honestly, it’s an indescribable feeling when you watch your friends in those moments.” Indescribable in a way that I don’t want him to know. Although we were no longer friends, I was still overcome with pride and joy for him. “I was very happy for him.”

“You never told me you watched the draft,” he says.

I shrug my shoulders in a carefree way for the camera. Meanwhile, I’m dying on the inside that he now knows. “Well, you never asked.”

The crowd laughs again.

“How about you, Alice? What was that moment like when they told you you’ve made the team?”

I smooth my hands over my skirt. “I would say less exciting and anxious and just all-out stressful. This year there were only seven spots available. We’re all sitting together after weeks of intense camps where it’s one long audition of performance, fitness, interview skills, and overall character analysis of our social media accounts. They had whittled us down to twelve, and one by one, we had to wait to be called in. If we’d made the team, we returned to the group and celebrated, but for those who didn’t, it was bittersweet because we’d all become friends, too. But this is how it is for a sport that you try out for, right? It took a few days for it all to settle in, and once it did, I couldn’t stop smiling.”

“Same question back to you, Ryder. What were your thoughts when you heard she had made it?”

He rubs his hand over his hair, and even though he messed it up, it still looks perfect. “Yeah, I saw it on the team’s social media account before I saw the roster posted online. I was proud of her. Cheerleading is hard, especially at this level, but I always knew she could do it.”

Did he look on purpose? Or did he happen to run across it while death scrolling? His gaze bounces my way for just a second, and it’s there I see the truth. He looked. He looked for me, like I watched for him. While this doesn’t change anything between us, it does make me feel less silly.

“What was the first thing the Tarpons told you both?”

Ryder chuckles. “This one is for you, Sully.” He glances at the camera and then back to Sasha. “He was very adamant that I read the organization’s handbook.”

“The handbook.” She laughs. “That isn’t what I was expecting, but I guess every organization has one. Alice?”

“Oh, the same.” I grin. “There are a lot of rules to abide by.” And with that thought, I flip my hair over my shoulder and move so the camera gets a flattering angle.

“What if we break the rules today?” Sasha says conspiratorially.

“What do you mean?” Ryder asks. I look over at him, and his lips press into a flat line. Ryder is a rule follower too. Did he use to stretch them to have a little fun? Yes, but I’m not sure he would do anything to jeopardize his standing with the team.

“Well, let’s have a little fun. Let’s see your skills for each other’s sport.”

Each other’s sport? This is going to be good.