Page 128 of Kickoff

“Wait, what? Why wouldn’t you be able to do this next year?”

“Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

I blocked his way down the steps. “It’s not nothing. Talk to me. What did you mean by that?”

“It’s complicated. Nothing you gotta worry about.”

“Does Paige know?”

A mixture of sadness and resignation swam in his eyes. “Don’t say anything. It’s messier than you think. Don’t bring her into this. Please, Mase.”

I saw the plea in his gaze. “Don’t lead her on. If you do, it’s your ass I’ll kick and her side I’ll choose when it goes to hell. Don’t screw this up.”

He nodded, pushed past me, and seconds later, his engine roared to life. After he cleared the snow off his car with a brush, he pulled out of the driveway, not sparing me another glance.

“Fuck,” I said, not sure what to do with the information I’d gotten from my brother.

Parked in the school lot twenty minutes later, I repeated everything I wanted to say to the girl who owned a big chunk of my heart. Six weeks without seeing her had felt like forever. I was ready to have her back in my life. Full time. Mom’s words from this morning replayed in my head. They’d been invading my thoughts every second since I left the house. Since the day she moved next door, I’ve always thought there was something special between the two of you.

A sports car stopped in front of the main entrance. Black with orange stripes. Tinted windows. Chrome wheels. I had never seen it around before. Was it a new student? Or some kid showing off the new ride he got for Christmas? Students gathered around the idling vehicle, probably trying to guess who was hiding inside.

Standing still, I kept my gaze trained on the scene, my feet heavy as if they had been encased in concrete.

My pulse accelerated. Goose bumps rose on my arms. My insides twisted.

Something was off.

I had no idea why, but my gut told me I wouldn’t be happy about the whole thing. That I should brace myself for whoever climbed out.

A guy exited the driver’s side, and when he spun around, I recognized him as Jayden Clarke, linebacker for the Cowley High Cobras, our biggest rival, and the one guy I couldn’t stand. It’d been a while since we last crossed paths. Annoyance bubbled deep inside me. My instinct hadn’t been wrong. Cowley High’s and my school’s football teams had a long history of feud over the last fifty years. The rivalry was no joke. Cobras and Bears didn’t mix well together. We each stayed in our respective towns and avoided running into each other as much as we could. Jayden Clarke was a cocky son of a bitch. Not that I wasn’t one myself, but he took the word cockiness to an all-new level. He had no reason to be on our school grounds. If he knew what was good for him, he would flee our parking lot before all my teammates arrived and shit hit the fan.

Unless he had transferred schools. Had he? None of my teammates—me included—would welcome him with open arms if he walked the hallways of Elk River High. It would be a catastrophic scenario. I watched him like a hawk, waiting for his next move.

The passenger door opened, and someone climbed out. A girl with long brown hair. Time stopped. A piece of my chest splintered, and it hurt like hell. I almost fainted right there. Mel? What the fuck.

Clarke rounded the idling vehicle to meet her, handing her the book bag he fetched from the backseat. Melinda smiled at him, and he leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss after grazing her cheek with his knuckles, the gesture sweet and gentle. Like he really did care. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, murmuring something in her ear before kissing her one more time.

I blinked a million times. What. The. Actual. Fuck.

What did I miss?

Craig and Paige, who I hadn’t seen arriving, neared me. They turned to follow my line of sight.

“What’s going on?” my brother asked. “Why is Jayden Clarke here? Is he looking to have his ass kicked?” He must have taken the entire scene in because he stiffened beside me. “Is that Mel? Oh shit⁠—"

I breathed around the growing rock clogging my airways. “Yep.”

My brother nudged my side. “Since when?”

“Fuck if I know.”

Paige remained silent between us, watching the debacle unfold in front of us.

“No. This isn’t happening,” I said. “It’s. Not. Happening. This must be a mistake or a prank.” I stepped forward, ready to intervene and put an end to this circus. I could feel the sweat lining my temples even with the cold winter breeze hitting my face. My body grew hotter by the second. Soon I’d combust if I didn’t do anything.

“Mel, wait up.”

Paige backhanded my chest, forcing me to a stop. “Mase, no. Don’t do anything stupid. Please don’t make a scene.”