Page 243 of On His Team

It takes half a second for thirty people to confirm that we all saw the same thing. Then the room explodes.

Stanley gets on top of a table. Percy jumps up and hugs Coach, which might be the strangest part of the entire day because Fuller freezes with both arms halfway out before eventually patting him on the back. I tackle Benson. Blue throws a water bottle. Mackey grabs me around the shoulders while somebody screams directly into my ear.

I’m on my feet, bringing Mackey in and smacking his back.

“We’re in!”

I shake Benson’s hand, pulling him up. “Jesus, Laurens,” he laughs. “We’re fucking in!”

We start cheering as Benson shouts it again.

My phone starts vibrating in my hand. Gianna. I answer.

“You’re in!” she screams before I can say anything.

I laugh. “Yeah.”

“WHY DO YOU SOUND NORMAL?”

“I’m not.”

I can barely hear her over the room, so I slip into the hallway and let the door shut behind me. The quiet hits immediately. Now I can hear her.

“It just got really quiet. Where are you?” she asks.

“Hallway.”

“Why?”

“Couldn’t hear you.”

There is a small pause on the other end.

Then her voice softens. “So, you’re in.”

I lean back against the wall and close my eyes. “Yeah.” The relief feels different without twenty people yelling around me.

“What happens now?” she asks.

“Denver.”

“When?”

“Thursday.”

“Where?”

“Toledo.”

“Okay.”

I can hear Lucy talking somewhere near her, then Gianna laughs at something I cannot make out. “Congratulations, Laurens.”

“Thanks.”

“Boyfriend.”

I smile. “Yeah.”